10 Ups & 0 Downs From AEW Dynamite (25 Jan - Review)
8. ADAM COLE? PAY PAY!
AEW
Adam Cole's wicked return promo a fortnight ago thrillingly foreshadowed the babyface turn he was inexplicably deprived during an otherwise-remarkable 2017-2021 NXT run. In it, Cole gave everybody the whats, hows and whys of his difficult time away from the ring, but like all great wrestling speeches, left everybody wanting even more.
Specifically, the when.
That was answered here.
Going through various drills in an empty arena, Cole stopped midway through running the ropes to take a long look at the Revolution banner hanging in the corner. Asked and answered from AEW, and in a way that puts the returning former NXT and ROH Champion on a pedestal a star of his magnitude deserves. Cole is both prize fighter and prize - the man worth paying to see as a fan, and the man worth fighting on a big stage to try and put him right back out of action.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
