Adam Cole, the former NXT Champion will become a free agent later today as his contract with WWE has expired. As noted earlier, WWE scrambled to tie him up for a short-term extension so he could compete at NXT TakeOver 36 as advertised against Kyle O’Reilly. It was also reported that Cole’s short-term WWE contract extension has no non-compete clause, meaning that he would be free to sign with a different company as he becomes a free agent. It was also believed that WWE could re-sign Cole in the days since then, but the company seems to consider him done with the WWE as of now.

According to a new report by PWInsider, WWE considers Adam Cole “done internally” unless they have a new offer for him. Cole is still advertised as part of a livestream this evening on Amazon which is for the promotion of upcoming WWE Mattel action figures. The livestream isn’t really live however, as it was reportedly taped a few weeks ago, so Cole isn’t actually making an appearance in any capacity for WWE today.

Adam Cole’s girlfriend, AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker, discussed in an interview recently about the possibility of a mixed tag team match taking place in AEW featuring Baker & Cole against CM Punk & AJ Lee. “I could think of a mixed tag that I would like to see. One involving her (AJ Lee), him (CM Punk), me and… somebody else.”

The reason why Cole’s contract had to be extended short-term was because WWE officials were erroneously under the assumption that his contract was not expiring until December. There’s a chance that WWE could strike up a new deal for him but if not, then Cole has good options to choose from to further his career in wrestling.

The WWE has reportedly offered NXT talent Pete Dunne a contract extension. Dunne’s contract issue is similar to Cole’s in that WWE was unaware that it was expiring. Fightful Select reports that WWE offered him an extension but was unsure if he signed.

“The length of the offered extension has not been confirmed and varied based on who we spoke to, but the offer was confirmed by an anonymous WWE rep.”

– Fightful Select

Pete Dunne WWE Status

While it’s unclear if WWE re-signed Dunne, NXT featured him on yesterday’s episode. In the recent episode, he teased a feud with NXT Champion Samoa Joe. He also has a newly formed faction with Ridge Holland, Oney Lorcan, and Danny Burch. Unlike Cole, it seems that WWE has immediate plans for Dunne in NXT.

Contract issues in WWE

WWE is hoping to re-sign both Dunne and Cole to avoid them testing free agency. WrestlingInc’s Marc Middleton reported Cole’s contract situation caught WWE executives off guard. Middleton also stated that the departure of former Senior Vice President of Talent Development Canyon Ceman is related to the sudden Cole’s contract issue. “…PWInsider noted that the timing of the company learning of the Cole contract issue “very much lines up with the timing of” Ceman’s departure,” said Middleton.

While it’s unclear if Cole will re-sign, WWE seems to be confident Dunne will. PWInsider Mike Johnson reported that WWE plans to make him a featured heel in NXT. However, as Fightful Select said, it’s unknown if Dunne “…has re-signed or if he plans to.”

Former NXT Champion Adam Cole will be a free agent by the end of this week. Following his loss to Kyle O’Reilly at Saturday’s NXT Takeover 36 event, Cole will be free to negotiate with other wrestling promotions as early as this weekend.

As we’ve covered here in recent weeks, WWE officials were recently caught off guard when they discovered Adam Cole’s WWE contract had expired. There was a scramble to tie him up in a short-term extension, so he could compete at NXT Takeover 36, as advertised. Fightful notes that Cole will be a free man on Friday, August 27th.

According to multiple sources, the prevailing belief is that Cole has wrestled his final match for WWE. You can be sure the company will go to great lengths in an effort to re-sign Cole. He’ll have a lot of thinking to do over the next several days.

Talk Sport reports that an important stipulation of Cole’s short-term WWE contract extension is that he would NOT be held to a non-compete clause. afterwards. “As part of the extension, Cole also managed to ‘kill the non-compete clause’ he would have had to fulfill.

Theoretically, he would be free to sign with a different company this weekend and appear on “the other channel” as soon as next week. That could present a lot of interesting options for Cole.

Cole’s girlfriend, AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker, just did an interview discussing the possibility of a mixed tag match featuring Baker & Cole vs. CM Punk and AJ Lee. It seems outlandish, but that match could happen this year in an AEW ring.

More on that story here:

Adam Cole’s Choice

Adam Cole joined WWE and NXT back in 2017. He’s been one of the franchise players of the black and gold brand over the past several years. He’s done everything there is to do in NXT, so he’ll need to decide if he envisions himself on WWE’s main roster.

Cole is an avid streamer of video games on the popular Twitch platform. WWE has a policy that talent cannot have their own channels on services like Twitch. However, Cole recently stated that his Twitch channel is not going anywhere.

“There’s been a lot going on lately and I want to make sure everyone knows that this is going nowhere,” he said. “It’s going absolutely nowhere.”

More on that story below.

WWE SmackDown color commentator Pat McAfee responded to Adam Cole’s potential exit from the company.

The in-ring future of Cole has been a hot topic as of late. Word broke that Cole’s contract had expired and that WWE officials were able to get him to sign a brief extension through SummerSlam weekend. Cole lost a two-out-of-three falls match to Kyle O’Reilly at TakeOver 36 and reportedly hasn’t signed a new contract.

Pat McAfee, who feuded with Cole during their time on NXT, addressed the report during his show.

“Adam Cole, if you’re gonna run to another place I’m gonna find you and beat your f*cking ass over there.”

Cole suddenly finds himself to be a top free agent unless something has changed in the past 24 hours. AEW World Tag Team Champions, The Young Bucks, have already teased pursuing Cole. On top of that, Cole’s girlfriend, AEW Women’s World Champion Britt Baker, has also dropped a hint of her own.

It was reported that top WWE executives were said to be frustrated and embarrassed over the situation with Cole. It is strongly believed that Canyon Ceman, who was WWE’s Vice President of Talent Development, was released over the contract debacle.

Adam Cole is moving on to the next chapter of his career. The longest-reigning NXT Champion in history came up short against Kyle O’Reilly at Sunday’s NXT Takeover 36 event. According to PWInsider, that was Cole’s final match for WWE’s black and gold brand.

News broke earlier this month that Cole’s contract had actually already expired, to the surprise of top WWE officials. Cole reportedly agreed to work through SummerSlam weekend, which has now come and gone.

Following his loss at NXT Takeover, his longtime friends The Young Bucks immediately reacted to Cole effectively becoming a free agent. As they’re known for doing, the Bucks got their message out via their Twitter bio.

The ‘new bio’ linked to a YouTube video titled ‘The Most Infamous Seances in History,’ a compilation of moments from Being The Elite. Many of those moments feature Cole.

Along with this, they updated their Twitter image to a picture from 2016 when together with Kenny Omega they dressed as the Ghostbusters for an NJPW show.

What does this have to do with Adam Cole?

Well, the Young Bucks are masters of the social media art that is cryptic sh*t stirring. The link and image combined to create a tenuous link to Cole in so far as his character on Being the Elite is dead.

Adam Cole: Main Roster or AEW?

Everybody knew he was fighting his last match for NXT. Could their attempts to communicate with the dead be about bringing Adam Cole back to life in AEW?

Nobody knows what is going on with the Adam Cole negotiations behind the scenes at WWE. They reportedly dropped the ball on his original expiry, thinking it ran for longer. However, was the one-month extension just to have him finish his feud or was it to work in a non-NXT no-compete clause?

Time will tell where Adam Cole is going to go with his career. However, it looks as if the Young Bucks are more than happy for him to come over to AEW. As too is Cole’s girlfriend current AEW Women’s Champion Dr Britt Baker D.M.D.

It will not be long before we know more about Adam Cole’s future. With his departure from NXT confirmed, should he not make an appearance on either Raw or Smackdown this week, then the writing could well be on the wall.

Adam Cole has no plans of shutting down his Twitch channel anytime soon.

Cole has become a talking point in the world of pro wrestling. He is currently a member of the NXT roster but that isn’t expected to last regardless of his next move. Cole’s contract was recently extended through SummerSlam weekend after WWE reportedly made a clerical error. It’s said that the company thought Cole was under contract for a longer period of time.

While there is no word on whether or not Cole will re-sign with WWE, he has let it be known that his Twitch channel will remain intact.

“Guys, I love ya’ll so much. I wish so bad that I could stream for a few more hours. It makes me so happy to be able to stream for a little bit. It’s why, when I say there is a zero chance that this channel is ever going away, I will never give this up. I love it with my whole entire heart. I love you guys and that’s how important you are to me because you guys make me feel very important. There’s been a lot going on lately and I want to make sure everyone knows that this is going nowhere. It’s going absolutely nowhere.”

The timing of Cole’s statement is interesting. While NXT talent has been able to avoid problems with WWE as far as running Twitch accounts is concerned, main roster talent has been forced to go dark on their channels. The prevailing thought is that if Cole ends up signing a new deal with WWE, it’ll be for a main roster spot.

In what could be his final WWE match, Cole will take on Kyle O’Reilly at NXT TakeOver 36 on Aug. 22. It’ll be a best two-out-of-three falls match.

Do you think Adam Cole sticks with WWE or does he go elsewhere?

Riddle has weighed in on whether or not he believes Adam Cole can succeed on the main roster.

The WWE future of Adam Cole has been a hot topic in the world of pro wrestling. Cole has been a top star on the NXT brand since 2017. As of late, however, NXT has reportedly been in the process of major changes. On top of that, Cole’s brief contract extension is set to run out soon and as of now, he has not re-signed long-term.

The general consensus is that if Cole decides to stick around with WWE, he’ll be brought up to the main roster. Speaking to Sportskeeda, Riddle discussed whether or not Cole can shatter the glass ceiling.

“Adam Cole is amazing at what he does. He’s one of the best wrestlers in the world, in my personal opinion. He’s very charismatic, has a good look, everything else. I don’t know, the main roster’s the main roster. A lot of people dread going up there because they don’t know what’s gonna happen to them and as they should be. The indies is like a small pond, and then NXT is like a small ocean, and then when you get to the main roster, you are in the ocean with all the wild animals and the currents and everything else. It’s just a different beast, and sometimes you get lost in the shuffle.

“You really do because there’s so many people, and it’s not like nobody’s talented. Everybody at this level is somebody. Adam Cole will be successful wherever he goes. He’s too good not to be. He cares too much. He’s too passionate. If he goes to RAW, he’ll be successful. If he goes to SmackDown, he’ll be successful. If he stays at NXT, he’ll be successful. He can do whatever he wants.”

Riddle has been able to find success on the main roster. In fact, he’s currently involved in his most high-profile angle to date. Riddle is teaming with future Hall of Famer Randy Orton and fans of Raw and SmackDown have taken a liking to him.

How do you think Adam Cole would fare on the main roster?

Recently, reports surfaced that Adam Cole’s contract with WWE had expired and he’d agreed to an extension to run through SummerSlam. Cole met with Vince McMahon at Smackdown on Friday night. How the meeting went was addressed on Wrestling Observer Radio.

“I was under the impression that they promised him a main roster spot,” said Dave Meltzer. “And they told the writers that they want storylines for Adam Cole on the main roster, on RAW or Smackdown. So, I think that was part of the meeting that happened yesterday.”

Adam Cole Is The “Exception To The Rule”

Cole’s status with WWE was determined “the exception to the rule” regarding WWE’s recent objective to focus on bigger talents.

“There’s always exceptions to the rule and Adam Cole is an exception to the rule,” Meltzer said.

“He’s an exception to the rule that they are not looking to cut a guy like that they are looking to keep a guy like that. And they are looking to feature a guy like that.”

Meltzer continued to say that he has not heard the same regarding other smaller talents on the NXT roster.

“I haven’t heard that for KUSHIDA, or Kyle O’Reilly, or Ciampa or Gargano or anyone like that,” Meltzer continued.

The 32-year-old has been with the company since 2017. His 396-day reign as NXT Champion is the longest single reign in the title’s lineage.

Adam Cole is in high demand. The former NXT Champion will be a free agent later this month. WWE officials thought he was locked in through the end of the year, but that was not the case.

Cole’s WWE contract reportedly expired several weeks ago, but he agreed to work through SummerSlam weekend as an act of good faith.

WWE Chairman Vince McMahon will meet with Cole at tonight’s SmackDown from Washington D.C., according to Fightful. The wrestling war between WWE and AEW heating up, so rest assured McMahon will pull out all the stops to keep Adam Cole on his payroll.

Adam Cole’s Choice

Adam Cole has been with WWE since 2017. He’s reached the top of the mountain in the company’s yellow and gold brand. Cole is the longest-reigning NXT Champion in history. He’s also the held the North American and Tag Team titles.

There is a lot of uncertainty about how he’d fare on the main roster, despite everything he’s accomplished in NXT. WWE has a mixed track record when transitioning talent to Raw and SmackDown.

Adam Cole could re-sign with WWE or he could wait until September 1st and test his value on the open market. He’d almost certainly get a strong offer from AEW.

Britt Baker, Cole’s girlfriend, recently commented on the possibility of him joining her in AEW. During an interview with the Daily Star, she said:

“He’s happy where he is. So, if he were to jump ship and come my way, that would be awesome, but if he stays in WWE forever then I’d be happy, too, as I just want him to be happy.”

– Britt Baker

The 32-year-old Bullet Club alum is set to cash in with the biggest contract of his wrestling career, wherever he winds up.

We will continue to follow this situation closely. Stay tuned for further updates on Adam Cole and his future.

WWE Executives are not happy with NXT Superstar Adam Cole’s contract situation going public.

The news broke yesterday by Wrestling Inc’s Raj Giri that Cole will be a free agent after Summerslam. Giri also reported that Cole already has options, including “companies who are not even in the current wrestling space.”

PWInsider’s Mike Johnson has also followed up on Giri’s report and confirmed the news while adding that WWE executives are unhappy. “Multiple sources within WWE confirmed the story, admitting frustration that it had become public,” said Johnson.

Cole’s Contract Situation

The news of Cole’s contract expiring has caught fans by surprise. Giri reports that Cole’s contract actually expired after the Great American Bash on July 6th. However, Cole decided to extend the contract to this upcoming Summerslam.

Johnson also reports that WWE executives believed Cole was under contract to at least January 2022.

The timing of Cole’s contract issue could also be connected to the release of former Senior Vice President of Talent Development Canyon Ceman. Johnson reported Ceman release on July 23rd and noted he was very involved with the hiring process in NXT.

Wrestling Inc’s Marc Middleton reports that the timing of Cole’s contract issue “Very much lines up with the timing of Ceman’s departure.”

The WWE has yet to release a statement on Cole’s contract situation.

Cole’s WWE Career

Cole signed with the WWE on August 14, 2017, after leaving Ring of Honor. Five days later, he made his NXT debut at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn 3 on August 19, 2017, at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn, New York. Cole has been an NXT tag team champion, North American champion, and World Champion. He also still holds the record for longest-reigning NXT World Champion.

He’s currently in a feud with a long-time ally/rival Kyle O’Riley. Since February, the feud has been ongoing, with both Cole and Riley getting a win over the other. It is unclear if Cole will finish his feud with Riley at the upcoming NXT Takeover 36 on August 22nd.

Adam Cole reportedly will have the decision to either re-sign with WWE or test the waters as a free agent. The contract of the former NXT Champion will expire later this month shortly after SummerSlam. 

AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker, who has been dating Cole for the past few years, recently did an interview with the Daily Star before the report about Cole’s status came out. 

During the discussion, Baker was asked about the possibility of Cole jumping ship to All Elite Wrestling and if he would do it for her.

“He has got to hold down Tuesday night and I’ll hold down Wednesday night, right?! I think it’s funny when people say, ‘He has to go to AEW because of Britt!’ because there are so many more people at AEW who have played a bigger role in the wrestling side of his life.”

I Just Want Him To Be Happy

Baker continued by noting that The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega were in the Bullet Club for the majority of the time that Cole was a big star in ROH so he was around them. She noted that his history with some of the top stars in AEW would create endless storylines for Cole. 

“But he’s happy where he is. So, if he were to jump ship and come my way, that would be awesome, but if he stays in WWE forever then I’d be happy, too, as I just want him to be happy.”

Cole nor WWE has yet to publicly comment on his contract status. It was reported that WWE executives were surprised to learn that they had let the expiration date of Cole’s contract get so close without realizing it was set to end.

There are not many NXT (or WWE superstars) better than Adam Cole. He has wrestled across the globe and has been part of several great factions. Most notably, Bullet Club and Undisputed Era.

However, news has recently broken that Adam Cole’s contract with NXT expired last month and he has since been agreed a one-month extension while WWE try to thrash out a new deal for their star. The news was originally broken this weekend by Wrestling Inc’s Raj Giri, who confirmed that Cole’s original deal expired just after the NXT Great American Bash PPV.

The expiration reportedly took WWE officials by surprise, as most believed Adam Cole’s contract ran until December. Cole agreed on a short term, one-month extension but is said to be considering different options. This is reported as including several options that lie beyond the professional wrestling sphere.

Fans of WWE and NXT will be hoping that this short-term deal is merely giving both Cole and WWE the chance to discuss a long-term deal.

Adam Cole Has Been the Face of NXT Since Arriving

Adam Cole signed for WWE, joining their NXT brand in 2017. Since then, he has been one of the leading figures in both storylines and memorable matches. As the leader of Undisputed Era, he wrote his way into NXT history. With Cole at their helm, Era became the most successful faction on the brand. A good argument could be made for their placing in the top lists of all WWE factions.

During his time in NXT, Adam Cole has won every belt going. This includes being the inaugural North American Champion and the longest-reigning NXT champion. His title reign spanned 403 days.

With the high number of releases happing in WWE this year, including the recent shock release of Bray Wyatt, it would seem unlikely that they would be happy for Adam Cole to walk away also. Hopefully, a new deal can be reached and we can all carry on watching Cole and Kyle O’Reilly fight forever.

Adam Cole is a star on the rise in NXT. Many people believe that the time has come for him to rise even higher. Fans are calling for him to make his move up to the main roster. However, talking on a recent episode of Inside the Ropes, Cole made it very clear that he still has plans in NXT.

“There is so much to do. That’s the other thing. I find it so flattering that there are people [saying] ‘God, I want to see Adam Cole on RAW or SmackDown so, so badly’. Then there’s another group that’s like ‘No, I really want him to stay in NXT’. And right now, the possibility of things to do, on any of the three brands, feels endless for me. It just feels exciting across the board. Being able to stay in NXT, even with the 403-day reign and being a Triple Crown winner and all that stuff. I’ve been with the brand for such a long time. I’ve seen it grow so much that it’s really fun to be a part of that process. I would love to win the NXT title again, and I would love the chance to someday maybe step in the ring with Samoa Joe. I want the chance to wrestle guys like Isaiah ‘Swerve’ Scott.” Adam Cole said when addressing talk of the main roster call up.

Adam Cole Has Unfinished Business in NXT

There’s no question that Adam Cole has the star power, and skillset to make an impact on Raw or Smackdown. However, he clearly has a lot of unfinished business on the black and gold brand. To accompany this is the counterargument that sees NXT as being a main roster calibre brand.

Are the days of NXT being a purely developmental territory behind them? With athletes like Adam Cole, Tomasso Ciampa and Finn Balor, an argument could easily be made for NXT being one of the superior brands in WWE right now.

Either way, Adam Cole is a wrestler who is happy where he is. He is in no rush to run chasing glory on a brand that seems less in tune with its stars.

Adam Cole is a name that is always brought up whenever there is talk about potential NXT call-ups. With the WWE drafts expected to take place next month, there is a good chance that he will be moved to the main roster.

The former NXT champion recently had an interview with Talk Sport. He talked about a number of things and also commented on the possibility.

Adam Cole said that he is flattered by the fans who want to see him in Raw or SmackDown. However, he explained that he wants to stay in NXT because there is still a lot for him to do in the brand:

“There is so much to do. I find it so flattering that there are people that want to see Adam Cole on Raw or SmackDown so, so badly. But then there’s another group that’s like no, I want him to stay in NXT.”

Cole said that there are many talents in the Raw and SmackDonwn rosters who he wants to face but he explained there is also plenty of stuff he still wants to do in the black and yellow brand:

“Then of course with RAW or SmackDown there’s a bunch of talent that I haven’t had the chance to wrestle yet that I would love to as well. So it’s exciting, but there is definitely plenty for me to do in NXT yet.”

• Adam Cole On How The Undisputed Era Would Do On The Main Roster

Adam Cole later expanded on his comments saying that he is not saying that he doesn’t want to go to the main roster. He is not dragging his feet by any means and instead he is just waiting.

Apart from this, the former Undisputed Era leader detailed the things he still wants to do in NXT including winning the NXT title once again and more. You can check out his full interview at this link.

NXT superstar Adam Cole was a guest recently on After the Bell with Corey Graves. The duo talked about the legendary PPV’s of old, and their recent resurgence under NXT, including the Great American Bash. However, it was another iconic event that dominated the conversation.

During their conversation they discussed the iconic Hell in a Cell structure and its legacy within WWE. Cole was quick to volunteer for a match inside the steel structure.

“I really really want to wrestle in a Hell in a Cell someday, cause I’m an absolute maniac.” Adam Cole said eagerly.

A wrestler like Cole could certainly put on quite a show in that structure. When asked who he would most want to face, he was also quick to answer. Giving two names, one past and one present who he would love to square off against.

 “In a perfect world, if past, present or future doesn’t matter, me vs. Shawn Michaels is the one I would love. If I’m picking current guys to possibly face right now, I’m going to go Kyle O’Reilly, I am. I feel like if I beat Kyle O’Reilly in Hell in a Cell, it’s over. Then I can move on, go back to going after the NXT Championship, then I can move on. Either Shawn Michaels or Kyle O’Reilly.”

I think there could be no denying that either match would be fantastic, and Adam Cole would be a perfect partner for Shawn Michaels in his prime. However, after their unsanctioned match at Stand and Deliver, a Hell in a Cell match between Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly would be something special.

Ever since debuting on NXT, Adam Cole has been a superstar on the rise. In Japan, he was part of one of the most dominant factions in wrestling. Coming to NXT, he recreated the same dominance with his new faction, Undisputed Era.

Talking during a recent interview with Talk Sport, Adam Cole discussed how surprised he was when it was announced that the group would be disbanded.

“It wasn’t this thing that we were preparing for, it was something that fell into our laps. We had very little time to process it or think about it.” Adam Cole said before addressing the question of whether it was the right thing to do or not.

“It’s never going to feel – especially when you have the chemistry we had – it’s never going to feel like the perfect time. However, I do think development wise for all of us individually, it’s been really, really important. I had the time of my life in the Undisputed Era – I really, really did – but I do think it was a good call.”

During their run in NXT, Adam Cole and Undisputed Era held 6 championships between them. They also won multiple NXT end of year awards, including best Tag Team for three consecutive years.

After almost 4 years of dominance, the group disbanded in April 2021. Roderick Strong has moved on to be the leader of the Diamond Mine. The other members, however, have continued as singles competitors.

Adam Cole is set to renew his rivalry with Kyle O’Reilly at the upcoming NXT Great American Bash PPV. This will be their first meeting since O’Reilly emerged victorious in their unsanctioned match at Stand and Deliver.

The first match has been confirmed for the Great American Bash edition of NXT. 

Adam Cole will face Kyle O’Reilly once more at this show. On Wednesday’s episode, they were shown in a  backstage brawl which was broken up by Samoa Joe, who is William Regal’s new enforcer. Regal said that the match was official, but it will be a singles match.

Karrion Kross defended the NXT Title against Cole, O’Reilly, Johnny Gargano, and Pete Dunne in a fatal 5-way match at Sunday’s NXT TakeOver: In Your House. 

O’Reilly and Cole have been locked in a feud since Cole turned on his former Undisputed Era friend. They previously worked an unsanctioned match at the NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver special. 

NXT’s Great American Bash takes place Tuesday, July 6 on the USA Network starting at 8 p.m. Eastern time.

WWE brought back this theme last year and it marked the first time that WWE had done so since an episode of SmackDown that took place in 2012. Last year’s show took place over the course of two weeks.

The first night was headlined by Io Shirai defeating Sasha Banks while the next week,  Keith Lee defeated Adam Cole in a title vs. title match where the NXT Championship and NXT North American Championship were both on the line.

Pat McAfee and Adam Cole delivered some impressive matches during their rivalry in NXT and now the two stars are teasing an extension to their feud at a much bigger stage.

The latest episode of The Bump saw the former NXT champion taking another shot at his arch-rival. During a conversation about the former football star, the former Undisputed Era leader discussed his hatred for him:

“Pat McAfee, again, the fact that he has tricked so many people into working alongside him kind of blows my mind that was a really, really big issue for me, but again, my hatred for Pat was so strong that again, it could have been anybody and I was laser-focused on Pat the whole time.”

Cole then talked about Pete Dunne’s alliance with Pat McAfee for their WarGames match. When the NXT UK star didn’t respond to a question about him, Adam Cole turned it into another brilliant opportunity to comment on his rival:

“I wouldn’t want to talk about that embarrassment Pat McAfee either, I don’t blame him.”

McAfee Fires Back at Cole

The football star didn’t keep quiet on these jabs. During the latest episode of his podcast, the SmackDown commentator was asked if he has come up with a name for the finisher he is going to use on Cole.

Replying to the question, McAfee discussed the recent shots from his opponent. He then interestingly invited Cole to come over to Friday nights:

“This morning he called me an embarrassment or something like that and went on this entire run. Hey Adam Cole, pal, listen. You are talking to mister Friday night now. Run your mouth on my internet? Come over Friday pal, say what you gotta say, and eat another boot to the f**king mouth.”

The big question stemming from this exchange now is if this is a sign of things to come. It would be interesting to see if Adam Cole does show up on SmackDown to reply to McAfee.

Adam Cole has yet to make the move to the main roster. When he does, however, there is one many he is eager to face.  Seth Rollins. The pair have fought on many different occasions, across many different promotions through the years. However, Adam Cole is quick to recall their bout on Monday Night Raw a few years ago. Citing it as a legendary moment in his career.

Appearing on the recent 100^th episode of WWE’S The Bump, Rollins and Cole came together to talk wrestling, that match, and possibilities for the future.

Both men are at the top of their game and leaders of their respective brands. A match between them is guaranteed to draw viewers.

“I know, myself, and Adam Cole are capable of so much more than what you saw that night. That was a little dip in the pool. We’ve got an entire ocean of potential awaiting us. I know if we run it once, twice, three, four, five times, we’ll blow the wrestling world out of the sky!” Rollins said talking about the chemistry he and Adam Cole share.

At the time, Adam Cole was building a following in NXT. Coming in with a huge reputation following his stint in New Japan among others. However, at the time, NXT was still very much viewed as a feeder brand.

“To me, I showed everybody that Adam Cole had arrived and that I could be a player not just on NXT, but on Raw or SmackDown. That match was massive for my career, huge!”

Could We See Adam Cole and Seth Rollins as a Tag Team?

As their discussions continued, the topic turned not only to future fights against one another but to possibly teamwork. Both men responded positively to the idea of working together down the road.

“I like that idea, too,” Adam Cole replied.

“That sounds great!” Seth Rollins stated. “I think it would be uncomfortable for the other teams that come and face us. They wouldn’t stand a chance. We’re two good-looking young men, and we’re talented. No one would stand a chance – the men or women. The chemistry is off the charts.”

One way or another, every professional wrestling fan is eager to see these two men work together more often. The question is finding the right storyline to make it work.

Wednesday night wrestling couple Adam Cole and Britt Baker have been dating since 2016. Baker recently commented on how she’d like to one day be in the same promotion as Cole, but she doesn’t plan on leaving AEW.

“It’s no secret he comes to AEW sometimes and hangs out in the back,” Baker said on Oral Sessions with Renee Paquette. “His best friends are the Bucks and Kenny, so he’s got tonnes of friends there.”

“I know this is going to create probably a little bit of controversy but I would love to work in the same company one day,” Baker continued. “I think that would make things a little bit easier. With that being said, I’m probably never leaving AEW because that’s my home.”

• Adam Cole’s WWE Contract Recently Expired

Baker noted recently that the two began dating after she stumbled upon his profile on the Bumble dating app and then messaged him directly on Facebook about it.

Adam Cole will battle Finn Balor for the NXT Championship tonight on the USA Network. The former Undisputed Era leader spoke with Steven Muehlhausen to promote the event.

Cole discussed his preference of working as a babyface or heel, Undisputed Era being one of the greatest factions of all time, his rivalry with Finn Balor and much more.

Adam Cole has been a heel for most of his NXT run. He had a brief turn as a babyface/tweener before recently showing his true colors as a villain. Cole enjoys the ‘shades of grey’ in wrestling characters and feels that flexibility keeps things fresh.

“I love the fact that I have little dips and dives in my character,” said Cole. “I think it allows me to explore more things creatively, especially when it comes to interviews and explaining why I did what I did. So I really dig that.”

Adam Cole and Britt Baker

Adam Cole is in a relationship with AEW star Britt Baker. Both of them have portrayed entertaining heel characters on television. When asked which of them is the true heel, Cole says you do not want to mess with his woman.

“Oh god,” he replied. “This may be a two-parter. On the screen, I think it’s debatable. I think it depends. Britt does a heck of a job. At the house, Britt takes the cake. She’s wonderful. I’m sure she would say the exact same thing about me if roles were reversed. I think she takes the cake here. You don’t want to mess with her. Don’t ever want to mess with her. You never want to mess with a good woman.

Visit DAZN to read their full interview with Adam Cole.

• Adam Cole On How The Undisputed Era Would Do On The Main Roster

Finn Balor was accused by Roderick Strong of being the reason behind The Undisputed Era’s breakup on this week’s episode of NXT. Adam Cole has been going against all his former teammates, with Strong suffering an attack from his hands last week. Before that, it was Kyle O’Reilly that was knocked out by him. Tonight when Strong came out to the ring demanding to see Cole, he was instead greeted by Balor instead.

Read more: Undisputed Era No More After Adam Cole Turns On Roderick Strong

Roderick Strong blamed Finn Balor for the chaos and said that everything was fine until Balor showed up to NXT. Balor countered and said that it wasn’t him who turned Adam Cole to the dark side, but it was the gold on the champion’s shoulder. We then saw Balor challenge Cole for the NXT title for next week’s episode to get him out of hiding.

Finn Balor told Roderick Strong that he would never be a leader, he would always be a follower and until he gets a little more greedy and selfish like the prince, he would never… Balor couldn’t finish the statement as he got attacked by Strong. Balor got the better of it and then referees came out to break them up. The two then met in the ring in the main event on NXT in a non-title bout. Balor was able to get the upper hand and won the match. More importantly, though, Adam Cole has been challenged officially by Balor and the match would be a must-watch for NXT fans as both stars are on the top of their game currently.

After the match, Adam Cole came out and had a very heated confrontation with Finn Balor in the ring. The intense stare-down was broken up by the multiple referees present. You can check out the segment in the embedded video below:

Adam Cole knew that it was time to finally explain his contentious actions at NXT TakeOver and the following week. At TakeOver, Cole attacked both Finn Balor and fellow Undisputed Era member, Kyle O’Reilly, and last week he went one step further and threw O’Reilly onto the steel steps so hard that fans got concerned for his health. Read more on O’Reilly’s health status here.

In the closing moments of this week’s episode of NXT, Adam Cole finally decided to explain himself. He said that he wanted to disclose what his intentions were, and he feels sick to his stomach with it. Cole said that he was upset with Kyle O’Reilly getting title shots, but it doesn’t excuse his actions. The NXT title means a lot to him, but he knows what he did was wrong.

WWE NXT Results (2/24): Kross vs. Escobar, Adam Cole Speaks, Io Shirai In Action

Adam Cole said he was wrong for taking O’Reilly out he should be in the ring with him, but that isn’t possible because of what he did. He apologised for the “stupid mistake”. Cole said that he’s sorry to Kyle and he would do anything in his power to fix this, or at least try if he can’t.

Hearing this, Roderick Strong came out and asked Adam Cole if he really feels bad about his actions. Strong said that everything’s changed because of his actions. “This Undisputed ERA. This was built on trust. Love, a brotherhood. We would do whatever it took to have each other’s back no matter what it was, and just like that you shattered that trust,” Strong said.

Finn Balor came out and pushed aside Roderick Strong, to beat down Adam Cole. Strong tried to make the save but he got attacked as well. Cole eventually superkicked Balor, knocking him out. Strong punched Cole but it seemed like he felt hurt inside from this. Cole started apologising and said that it was his fault, and called Strong his brother that he loved.

Adam Cole and Roderick Strong then hugged, with what looked like them making up at last. Unfortunately, Cole hit him with a low blow, ripping off his Undisputed Era necklace and hit Strong with a superkick to seal the deal.

This segment pretty much signified the apparent end of The Undisputed Era, with Bobby Fish out with an injury, and Kyle O’Reilly out of action too, it would be interesting to see how things go from here.

Pat McAfee was not surprised that Adam Cole turned on Kyle O’Reilly and Finn Balor last night. The former NFL player has been trying to tell everyone that Cole is no good. McAfee took to Twitter last night to give his thoughts on the breakup of the Undisputed Era.

He then used a Ric Flair GIF to express how he was feeling:

“Pretty easy answer here right? He’s a scumbag. That’s why. I’ve been saying it ALL ALONG. You stooges wouldn’t listen. Say it with me you dum dums..” he also Tweeted.

McAfee also recently commented on his future in NXT.

“I was talked about in the wrestling community yesterday by Triple H, actually, about my future plans. It was interesting,” McAfee began on the Pat McAfee Show. “I mean, all very nice things he said there, but me learning about being written off TV did happen live on the air. He’s a very nice man, Mr. H, for everything he said. He did say, basically, like, ‘Pat has been very busy. Kind of a fat a– right now. He’s going to have to get back into shape,’ basically is what he said. And then maybe we’ll think about something.”

Adam Cole super kicked Finn Balor in the face following the conclusion of the Vengeance Day main event. This seemingly breaks up, or at least splits up, the long-running NXT faction.

Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish, formerly known as ReDragon in ROH/NJPW and elsewhere, debuted in NXT at TakeOver: Brooklyn III in the summer of 2017. They then aligned with Adam Cole. Roderick Strong joined the group after turning on his partner, Pete Dunne, in the 2018 Dusty Rhodes Classic.

In addition to Finn Balor and Kyle O’Reilly, WWE now reports there are two more injuries coming out of Sunday night’s NXT Takeover 31.

NXT newcomer Ridge Holland viciously attacked Adam Cole following the Balor vs O’Reilly main event. WWE.com states that Cole has suffered broken ribs and contusions.

Velveteen Dream, meanwhile, suffered a fractured wrist during his losing effort against Kushida. Dream submitted to Kushida’s Hoverboard Lock. Kushida continued his attack on the controversial NXT star after the bell, until WWE officials were forced to intervene. Despite this reported injury, WWE says Velveteen Dream is medically cleared to wrestle.

Tune in to this week’s NXT broadcast for injury updates on NXT Champion Finn Balor, Kyle O’Reilly, Adam Cole and Velveteen Dream.

• WWE Superstar Teasing A Return to NXT