Starr: Adam Cole to AEW? Is the Time Right?

With the proverbial writing on the wall (and CM Punk’s shoes); is Adam Cole on his way to AEW? Tommy explores the possibility and if the timing is right.

Adam Cole’s WWE contract status has been a roller coaster ride over the past month.  Beginning with Marc Middleton’s report at Wrestling Inc. on August 2, stating that WWE executives were “shocked” to hear that Cole’s contract would be expiring after SummerSlam weekend, curiosity struck immensely among wrestling fans as to what implications this had.  Following the subsequent leaks that Cole’s meeting with Vince McMahon to negotiate contract deals may have been futile, sources from Ringside News informed journalists that there did not seem to be a strong urge to keep Cole with the company long-term.  Cole wrestled his final NXT match this past weekend in a losing effort to Kyle O’Reilly at Takeover 36.  As of this current writing, Cole is scheduled for one last WWE appearance, according to wrestlingnewssource.com, wherein he will appear on Amazon Live with Johnny Gargano as part of a WWE/Mattel product reveal this Friday.  He has not officially signed any kind of contract renewal.  Given this poorly handled situation and the apparent rumors of the company’s ambivalence regarding Cole’s company status, it would seem that Adam Cole’s days in WWE are numbered.

So now, we are left with the fundamental question of, “What is next for Adam Cole? Where does his future lie?”  If it turns out that Tony Khan offers him a lucrative deal and that Cole believes it is in his best financial interests, we could feasibly see his AEW debut sooner rather than later.  However, is “sooner rather than later” truly the best option right now?  CM Punk’s debut on AEW Rampage this past Friday sparked one of the greatest crowd reactions, arguably since The Rock’s surprise return on Raw in February of 2011.  Punk is the current talking head of the majority of wrestling headlines right now; he is the hottest topic when it comes to AEW program discussions, potential rivalries, his ability to rejuvenate the fan base, the list goes on.  Factor in the rumblings of the apparent Bryan Danielson debut on September 22 at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York, AEW has two shiny new toys that they could dedicate weeks and months of television time to and never run out of material.  The problem is that if they were factor Adam Cole into the equation at this point in time, now there is the possibility that Cole overshadows the impact of Danielson and Punk.

The other issue to keep in mind is that, whereas main roster talent in WWE have a strict ninety-day no compete clause following his or her release, NXT contracted talent have a thirty-day no compete clause window.  So if they wanted to fast track his debut, we could be seeing Adam Cole in AEW as soon as late September or early October.  Would this give Danielson or Punk enough time to establish their key storylines and agendas before AEW directly dives into the next flavor of the month?  When you also consider their newest acquisitions, such as Andrade el Idolo and Malakai Black, AEW also needs to be cognizant as to not shroud their current pushes, particularly with a major talent like Adam Cole.

Keep in mind, the point of this article is not to argue whether or not Adam Cole should sign and wrestle for AEW; the point is to pose the proper time and place, so as not to diminish what could arguably be their two hottest commodities and assets, in Bryan Danielson and CM Punk.  It is understandable that AEW would want to avoid letting Cole’s momentum cool down following his probable release from WWE, but there is something to said about building anticipation for a while to avoid fast-tracking and hot shotting something with no plan in mind.

Sources:

• Jenkins, H. “Adam Cole Not Receiving Huge Push to Stay In WWE.” Ringside News, 10 Aug. 2021, 11:14 AM, www.ringsidenews.com/2021/08/10/adam-cole-not-receiving-huge-push-to-stay-in-wwe/.

• Kerin, B. J. (2021, August 26). Could this Be Adam Cole’s Final WWE APPEARANCE? WrestlingNewsSource. https://www.wrestlingnewssource.com/news/70020/Could-This-Be-Adam-Coles-Final-WWE-Appearance/.

• Middleton, Marc. “WWE Executives Reportedly Surprised and Frustrated over Adam Cole Contract Situation.” Wrestling Inc., 2 Aug.2021, www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2021/08/wwe-executives-reportedly-surprised-and-frustrated-over-adam-cole-contract-situation/.