Every WWE Release Of 2021 - Where Are They Now? (Five Years Later)

Then: Dave Meltzer reported shortly after Adam Cole's exit from WWE that Vince McMahon fancied bringing him to Raw as a manager for Keith Lee. That probably didn't sound like too tantalising a prospect for somebody who'd been one of Triple H and Shawn Michaels' best boys on NXT for years, but he's since disputed it was ever going to happen.

Cole would've dodged a creative bullet regardless, because Lee himself wasn't long for WWE's system. The ex-Undisputed Era leader and former NXT Champion watched his contact expire in August 2021, and it was generally agreed at the time that the E had missed out on a surefire main roster hit.

Now: Some have revised their thoughts on that since 2021.

Cole crash landed onto the AEW scene alongside Bryan Danielson at All Out in September that year, and it initially looked like Tony Khan would use him as a focal point main eventer. Being fair, Adam did headline All Elite's first show at Wembley Stadium in London, England a few years later vs. MJF.

That was a landmark moment for him, but the whole 'Devil' storyline and subsequent Undisputed Kingdom storyline the pair cooked up fell way short of the mark and undoubtedly harmed both men. Since then, Cole hasn't exactly been the same. Injuries have also taken their toll, so much so that he's on indefinite hiatus and weighing up his entire wrestling career.

Cole has teased retirement. If that comes true, then it's a sad end for somebody who once seemed to have the world at his fingertips. Indeed, AC's part in the NXT boom will live forever. He was an MVP for the brand.