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When it comes to NXT, few stars are more than ready for a main-roster call-up than Adam Cole. Cole has won every title available to him in NXT except for the NXT Cruiserweight Championship.
He could feasibly challenge for that title as he weighs around 200 pounds. However, some stars like Cole, Ricochet and Finn Balor transcend the Cruiserweight division due to their amazing talent.
Cole has essentially been one of the faces of NXT since debuting for the black-and-gold brand in 2017. Four years have passed and he's still one of the top stars of NXT. Recent reports suggested that some NXT call-ups could be joining RAW and SmackDown over the next few months.
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Because he is so good at every aspect of the game, it seems like a call-up to either RAW or SmackDown is well overdue for Cole. He made a big impact during the build-up to Survivor Series in 2019, facing Daniel Bryan on SmackDown. Cole would also face Seth Rollins on RAW during the build.
Both RAW and SmackDown are desperately in need of both new angles and new Superstars. Cole could very well be one of the NXT call-ups to make an impact on RAW or SmackDown before 2021 ends. Here are three reasons why he should join the main roster and two reasons why he should remain in NXT.
#3 Cole SHOULD MOVE from NXT to give the main roster much-needed new talent.
Many of the feuds currently ongoing on RAW and SmackDown have been in motion since before WrestleMania 37. Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley have fought each other several times, as have Rhea Ripley, Asuka, and Charlotte Flair.
Big E and Apollo Crews have faced each other in many different types of matches dating back to early 2021. They had a tag team match against each other on the latest episode of SmackDown.
While some stars have had multiple feuds since Mania, others haven't. The addition of some stars from NXT would help the main-roster shows. Adam Cole is a proven success in NXT and Vince McMahon got a glimpse of him during the 2019 Survivor Series.
Several performers have come and gone from WWE and NXT since Cole has anchored the black-and-gold brand. Lars Sullivan, Andrade, the Forgotten Sons, and many more wrestlers have advanced and been released.
While other stars may have struggled to stand out or fit in within WWE, Cole is close to Triple H and several WWE stars. He can make any angle work due to his skills. Karrion Kross and Bronson Reed have reportedly been tested out as potential call-ups before for SmackDown and RAW, so could Cole be next?
If he joins SmackDown, he could even revisit his angle with Pat McAfee. McAfee recently joined the commentary desk on the blue brand. Cole is just a generational performer who would help out RAW or SmackDown in many ways. The possibilities for tantalizing feuds are endless.
#2 Adam Cole SHOULD STAY in NXT to help gauge new talent
Some stars in NXT are used similarly to those on the main roster. When a new talent from NXT debuts on either RAW or SmackDown, it's usually against a veteran like the Miz or Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler is among the safest and most talented in-ring competitors in WWE.
The Miz isn't as solid in the ring as Ziggler, but he has a grasp of the WWE style that stars must work on the main roster. He is also one of the best mic workers on the main roster.
The term "gatekeeper" can have a negative or positive connotation, depending on who is asked. But stars like Ziggler and the Miz are vital to the development of newer stars and to the potential for growth in WWE.
When it comes to NXT, the same can be said for its development of talent. Stars like Johnny Gargano, Cole, and Tommaso Ciampa have been in NXT for more than four years. Each performer is more than ready for a move to the main roster.
Due to their ability and grasp of the pro wrestling craft, however, they have been better utilized in NXT. Cole is no longer affiliated with the Undisputed Era, but he's still somewhat of a measuring stick in NXT. That's why he was included in the recent fatal five-way match at TakeOver: In Your House.
Karrion Kross isn't a typical NXT star, so the fact that he worked so well with the others in that match signals that he can work with anyone. Over a given year, there is usually some turnover in NXT. Stars move up while others are released.
There's a new group debuting on NXT called the Diamond Mine. From what has been shown in their vignettes, they will be associated with MMA.
It's unknown who will comprise the group or how many members the Mine will include. To truly gauge how good the gimmick is and if they have real potential, running through some NXT gatekeepers at some point is the way to go.
If the group can hang with someone like Adam Cole, then they truly have potential for the future. Should an angle with Cole not pan out as planned, then it might be a sign that they require more seasoning.
Every athlete that comes to the WWE PC is not a ready-made NXT Superstar. Having someone like Adam Cole still in NXT would help newer stars acclimate to the company.
#2 He SHOULD MOVE up to the main roster since he's done all he can in NXT.
Cole and the Undisputed Era ruled over NXT for close to four years. During that time, Cole captured every singles title in NXT except for the Cruiserweight Championship. He technically qualifies for that division but his star power is so great that he was never needed in that division.
He is credited as the longest-reigning NXT Champion in the brand's history with a run of over 400 days. The second-longest NXT Championship run belongs to Finn Balor during his first run with the belt.
The former NXT Champion was also the first NXT North American Champion. He also captured the Tag Team titles during one of the TUE's many runs with those titles.
Outside of Championship action, Cole has led TUE in all four of the men's WarGames matches in NXT. The group won the first match and is 2-2 inside the structure. Cole also competed in the first Gauntlet Eliminator, a street fight, and an unsanctioned match against Kyle O'Reilly.
His unsanctioned match with O'Reilly was thought of as a potential send-off to the main roster. Instead, he returned to take part in the fatal five-way at In Your House. It was also recently announced that he'll be facing O'Reilly once more at the Great American Bash in July.
Samoa Joe returned to NXT to help combat the chaos that has recently plagued NXT. William Regal almost stepped down as GM but instead installed Joe as his enforcer. The chaos continued briefly after In Your House, but with Joe's presence, many stars returned to respecting Regal and the NXT power structure.
Cole has already made brief appearances on the main roster. He was a part of the 2018 Royal Rumble and he represented NXT at the 2019 Survivor Series. At that PPV, he defended the NXT title against Pete Dunne.
There isn't much left for Cole to do in NXT. Unless he is turned face and embarks on a long run, he seems out of place if he isn't challenging for a belt. It's time he moves up to RAW or SmackDown to help fill in some glaring holes. He seems better suited for SmackDown since he's a work-rate Superstar.
#1 Adam Cole SHOULD STAY in NXT because he is synonymous with the brand.
If Cole leaves NXT, then SmackDown or RAW is getting one of the most talented performers in the industry. Either show would immediately improve just by having a new star like Adam Cole.
NXT, however, might struggle a little once Cole moves up to the main roster. Few stars are as charismatic and proficient in the ring as Cole. The brand would still likely have Johnny Gargano, Ciampa, Kushida, O'Reilly and LA Knight to anchor the main event.
Gargano and Ciampa have both held the NXT Championship while O'Reilly has challenged for the title. Karrion Kross could also be added to that list, but he may be joining the main roster following SummerSlam. That would mean that NXT would only really have two former NXT Champions to help the roster.
If Cole stayed in NXT, then he could be relied upon at any turn. Cole was one of four former Champions to battle for the vacant belt after Kross was forced to relinquish the title late last summer. Injuries can happen at any time, so having reliable performers at every stage is vital to the success of a brand.
Few stars are as synonymous with NXT as Cole. Gargano and Ciampa can also boast that accolade, as can Finn Balor. Other than those four names, however, most stars move up to the main roster after varying runs in NXT.
Bobby Roode and Drew McIntyre had short runs in NXT while Cole, Gargano, Ciampa, and Pete Dunne have anchored the NXT umbrella. Cole is just as vital to NXT just as Daniel Bryan was extremely important to SmackDown.
When the brand split took place in 2016, Bryan was named GM of SmackDown. Once Bryan was medically cleared, he became a member of the blue brand. Through several WWE Drafts, Bryan always remained on SmackDown.
Cole was also one of the stars to lead NXT as it went head-to-head with AEW Dynamite. Now that the shows are on different nights, things might change. When wrestling fans think of AEW, they envision Kenny Omega, Cody Rhodes, and the Young Bucks. When fans think of NXT, they think of Adam Cole.
#1 He SHOULD MOVE up so that NXT can replenish its ranks.
Cole has been in NXT for about four years. The usual stint is around two years. Performers that are practically ready-made for the main roster, like Roode or McIntyre, had shorter runs in NXT.
While he has helped to anchor the brand, the best part of NXT is that it is always evolving. NXT features high-flying stars, strong-style fighters, and ready-made main-roster wrestlers. It just has a different blend of talent compared to RAW and SmackDown.
When stars are promoted to the main roster from NXT, it opens spots up for other performers. That sometimes translates to more TV time for an underused star or time for a new debut. If Cole moves up to RAW or SmackDown, it would open up a spot in the NXT main event.
If a star like Cameron Grimes becomes a main-event performer, then his spot in the mid-card needs to be filled. Wrestlers like Trey Baxter, Carmelo Hayes and Tyler Rust have shown promise in their limited showings. Rust had more matches than Hayes and Baxter as the other two are likely to be used on 205 Live.
Ari Sterling has primarily competed on the purple brand but has the skills to transcend the division. His addition would improve the NXT Cruiserweight division. Joe Gacy and Josh Briggs are also waiting at the WWE PC and each competed in Evolve.
NXT UK is also loaded with talent that could join the black-and-gold brand. Mark Andrews seems like someone who should have already been Cruiserweight Champion.
He's been a part of the South Wales Subculture alongside Flash Morgan Webster. One or both of those men could feasibly join NXT. Imperium and the Grizzled Young Veterans have already joined the black-and-gold brand. Even Tyler Bate had a run in NXT before returning to NXT UK.
The simple nature of WWE and NXT is that NXT helps to mould the stars for WWE. Some have moved up to the main roster and have had success. Others were not so lucky.
There are different minds in charge of the main roster, so call-ups have varying degrees of success. If Cole moves on from NXT, it will allow other stars to both move up the ranks while trying to make their mark.
