Adam Cole's contract is set to expire after SummerSlam weekend. After TakeOver: 36, we may never see the Panama City Playboy in WWE again. With the wrestling world opening back up after a worldwide pandemic and the Forbidden Door now open, the possibilities are limitless.
The most obvious option, of course, is for Adam Cole to go to All Elite Wrestling. After all, AEW is where Cole's significant other, AEW Women's Champion Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. resides. It's also where the Elite, a group Cole knows all too well, reigns supreme.
However, due to that Forbidden Door, he doesn't have to sign with AEW to work with those talents. Even if he does, he can still find himself in IMPACT Wrestling.
Kenny Omega, Private Party and more have been seen in the Nashville-based operation. So regardless of where he signs, as long as it isn't WWE, we may see him there.
If we did, who are the wrestlers we'd want to see Adam Cole cross paths with?
#3 Adam Cole faces off with Eddie Edwards
In their early years, we saw Eddie Edwards and Adam Cole face one-another a handful of times. In PWG and other promotions, these two found a ton of success capturing multiple major titles.
Edwards would wind up in IMPACT Wrestling and become, essentially, the face of the company while Adam Cole moved onto WWE and become the King of NXT.
Considering how their careers wound up, it would be exciting to see these two face off again. Once hungry up-and-comers, they're both respected veterans who still have a ton to offer.
Eddie Edwards tends to make the list for anyone in a similar situation, as IMPACT Wrestling fans consider him to be one of the most underrated performers in the business. He helped carry the brand through some of its darkest times and was rewarded with another championship run in the summer of 2020.
If Adam Cole pops up in IMPACT Wrestling, even for just a brief stint, there are few who deserve a shot at him more than the face of IMPACT.
#2 Adam Cole is the next to go to war with Sami Callihan
Back in 2013, Adam Cole and Sami Callihan had a legitimate war. Facing off for the PWG World Championship, they battled in an Ironman Match. After a low blow in the first few minutes, Cole went 1-0 up. He further added to his lead, and it seemed that at 3-0, victory was out of Callihan's reach.
But IMPACT Wrestling fans know just how resilient The Callihan Death Machine truly is. You can never count Sami Callihan down.
The Draw turned an insurmountable lead around, getting two back-to-back submissions with a stretch muffler and an STF. He followed with a roll-up that secured the tha fall, tying things up 3-3 in no time.
Though Callihan lost to Cole with a 6-5 score at the end, he proved himself to be someone able to keep up with the Panama City Playboy. These two have a lot of history with one another, and both wrestlers have grown quite a bit in the eight years since this match. This would be a must-see.
#1 Adam Cole crosses paths with, and joins, Jay White
Adam Cole coming face to face with Bullet Club leader Jay White would be a worthwhile moment. Tony Khan may be the Forbidden Door, but IMPACT Wrestling seems to be the neutral ground for these talents to meet.
Jay White recently debuted with IMPACT Wrestling at Slammiversary, showing up to stare down Kenny Omega and The Good Brothers. White followed this up by claiming that The Elite are just "fans" of the real Bullet Club, and has enlisted Chris Bey in an effort to disrupt The Elite's momentum in IMPACT Wrestling.
The thing is, Adam Cole was also a member of Bullet Club, and has some unfinished business with Kenny Omega. The IMPACT Wrestling World Champion was the one to kick Cole out of Bullet Club while The Young Bucks did the literal kicking.
If Jay White needed a third man to go after Omega and The Good Brothers, Adam Cole would be an ideal choice. It could even lead to Cole joining the group once again.