It’s been quite an eventful weekend in the wrestling world. We not only saw CM Punk make his long anticipated debut for AEW. We also witnessed Becky Lynch’s and Brock Lesnar’s return to WWE. And reports from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter and PWInsider suggest it may have been Adam Cole’s final match for NXT, with strong hints that we may see Adam Cole in AEW sooner or later.
With rumors about Adam Cole’s contract with the WWE coming to an end after SummerSlam weekend picking up more and more steam ever since it was first reported earlier this month and with Cole losing said match against former teammate O’Reilly over the weekend it starts to look more and more as if we will see Adam Cole in AEW to join some of his long time friends -and girlfriend- over in All Elite Wrestling.
While we’re not saying Cole is definitely leaving WWE as it still remains a possibility for Adam to continue wrestling as a part of the RAW or Smackdown roster it sure does seem more likely at the moment for him to be the latest deflection over to AEW.
With this in mind here we present a list of some of the dream matches awaiting Adam Cole in AEW, excluding some of the most obvious ones like against Kenny Omega, Hangman Page, or Darby Allin.
Adam Cole in AEW: Potential Dream Opponents
Andrade El Ídolo
The first and only name to be featured in this list who coincided with Adam Cole in his time in NXT, El Ídolo and Cole built a reputation for having an incredibly high work rate and consistently great matches even before their time in NXT, both took the opportunity NXT presented and cemented their respective legacies as main event players in the North American scene.
The former La Sombra made the jump from NXT to WWE’s main roster just a little over 7 months after Cole made his debut for the yellow and black brand which means, at least according to cagematch.net, they never had the chance to mix it up in the ring except for a few live shows.
The fact we never got to see this match in a WWE ring alone should be enough for fans to want to immediately see this match as soon as possible but to be honest, the match these two could theoretically have goes far beyond their respective time in NXT.
Adam Cole wrestled everywhere there was to wrestle in the U.S before arriving in WWE and Andrade did the same thing in Mexico and Japan, these two men both come from such a similar background with such a similar style that guarantee sparks will fly when these two -hopefully- face each other.
Ethan Page
What could be considered by some a controversial pick especially considering how both men work better and currently as heels, “All Ego” has been doing some great work ever since leaving IMPACT for AEW. He proved some of his doubters wrong with his excellent program against Darby Allin. However? There is still much more we haven’t seen from Page. An opponent like Cole could be a goldmine for his career.
Truth be told, Page has been consistently showcased and victorious in AEW: Dark alongside tag team partner Scorpio Sky it must be said that Page’s appearances on Dynamite and PPVs have been less than stellar as they lost basically every single time they were put against rivals Darby Allin and Sting
In addition to this, Ethan left IMPACT just a few months ago as half of one of the most dominant tag teams in company’s recent history in The North, which is why fans of the real life black belt in karate and taekwondo must be disappointed in immediately seeing him as a tag team act now over in AEW.
We all know Page is more than capable of carrying a singles match and even a program against some of the top wrestlers in the world. Which is why – combined with his recent negative record on important matches – a match and a subsequent feud against Adam Cole is exactly what both men need. It would really let them stand out as main eventers in the AEW ocean.
Jungle Boy
Jungle Boy is arguably one of the hottest babyfaces in AEW for the past year. He’s had awesome tag team and singles matches against the likes of the Young Bucks, Private Party, Darby Allin, and especially Kenny Omega. He’s proven exactly why he deserves to be at the top of the wrestling industry in spite of his size.
If his excellent record in terms of quality of matches wasn’t enough to dream about a match against Adam Cole, the combination of both men’s style, athleticism, and the in-ring pace looks to have all the ingredients necessary to cook up a main event instant classic for All Elite Wrestling.
Finally, the last piece of the puzzle which would make this match must-see television is the fact that both men are seemingly universally loved by the wrestling community, both by wrestlers and fans alike.
Jungle Boy consistently receives some of the biggest crowd reactions week in and week out for AEW. And Adam Cole is considered by many fans as one of, if not the best wrestler currently, and for a few years now, in NXT. A hypothetical program between the two is almost guaranteed to leave fans on the edge of their seats. Any chance these two would mix it up in the ring would be entertaining.
Rey Fenix
This was a really tough decision between himself and his brother Penta El Zero M. But Fenix is a part of this list for a couple of reasons. He matches up well, and would be a great opponent for Adam Cole.
Firstly, he started the year as one of the hottest acts in the company, even labeled by some as “the new Rey Mysterio”. But his momentum has fizzled out throughout the year being mostly featured on Dark and on losing efforts against members of The Elite.
And while Penta might be considered the more charismatic out of the two? Fenix has an almost supernatural ability to hit high-risk moves. He could sell every bump like death, and would complement Adam Cole’s style much better in a high-profile match.
Lastly, Fenix has been a constant presence in AEW TV ever since the company’s inception. But? He has yet to have that one groundbreaking singles match. The one that separates him and positions him as a bonafide singles star in AEW.
Just like Rey Mysterio had his against Eddie Guerrero almost 24 years ago at Halloween Havoc, Cole might be that one opponent Fénix desperately needs. For him to become a megastar and never look back.
Chris Jericho
The last entry on our list, Le Champion comes off the heels of a months-long feud between his Inner Circle and MJF’s Pinnacle. It proved once more that despite his age and his music career he can still hang with the youngest and brightest on the AEW roster.
One thing we didn’t get the chance to see from Adam Cole since his arrival in NXT is a match against a seasoned veteran. Since his arrival in AEW, Jericho has always been up to putting the younger guys over. A program against someone as well known, as talented, and with as much potential as Cole? This hypothetical feud has money written all over it.
As a final selling point for a Jericho vs. Cole dream match, we know there might be a section of the general audience that either doesn’t know Cole that well or doesn’t see Cole as a main event caliber wrestler. Quite frankly? There’s absolutely no one better to make Adam Cole look like a million bucks than Chris Jericho.
(cover photo courtesy of WWE.com)
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