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The longest-reigning NXT Champion in history, Adam Cole (Bay Bay) had yet another successful day at the office as he defeated the Velveteen Dream at NXT TakeOver: In Your House. The two competed in the first-ever NXT Backlot Brawl, a unique match with a unique setting and environment.
After some great back-and-forth action that saw monster trucks and a broken windshield glass and whatnot, Adam Cole managed to retain his title.
As per the stipulation, the Velveteen Dream is no longer allowed to challenge for the NXT Championship as long as Adam Cole has it. Now the question of the hour is, who's next for Adam Cole?
The NXT Champion recently completed 365 days with the title and has faced and defeated some top Superstars on the brand. With the kind of momentum that Adam Cole has after his victory over the Velveteen Dream, it will be interesting to see who steps up to him next.
In this article, let's take a look at the five Superstars who could be the next opponent for the NXT Champion, Adam Cole.
Be sure to comment down and let us know who would you want to see face him next.
#5 Adam Cole vs Dexter Lumis
While everyone predicted The Undisputed Era to show up at the Backlot Brawl at NXT TakeOver: In Your House, there was another uninvited guest at the party. Yes, we are talking about NXT Superstar Dexter Lumis who has been at odds against Adam Cole and his faction for quite some time now.
We saw him attempt to even the odds in favor of the Velveteen Dream by trapping Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly in the back of his car - something he depicted in a sketch of his last Wednesday on NXT.
While Adam Cole would surely be celebrating his victory at TakeOver, Dexter Lumis will still be at the back of his mind. With the interactions that he has been having with the Undisputed Era, he looks to be an ideal candidate to take on Adam Cole next.
#4 Adam Cole vs Karrion Kross
Karrion Kross signed with WWE earlier this year and made his NXT TakeOver debut last night by defeating - or rather destroying - former NXT Champion, Tommaso Ciampa. With some highly impressive work since his NXT debut and a dominating performance against Ciampa, Karrion Kross might not wait long before setting his eyes on Adam Cole's title.
The man has the looks and the physique that impresses people at first glance. Add to it his beautiful girlfriend and on-screen valet Scarlett, and he is a complete package ready to take over (no pun intended) the crown of NXT from Adam Cole.
The only problem with the match right now would be the heel/heel dynamics. On one hand, we have Adam Cole - one of the biggest heels on NXT, and on the other, we have Karrion Kross - a man whose gimmick looks to be monstrous and whose entrance has words like "fall prey", indicating his association with the dark side.
But at the same time, given the kind of momentum he has after the victory over Tommaso Ciampa at NXT TakeOver last night, he already seems ready to be in the big leagues and can challenge Adam Cole for his NXT Championship.
#3 Adam Cole vs Finn Balor
Adam Cole taking on Finn Balor is a match I would personally love to see in NXT. Ever since his return to NXT last year in October, Finn Balor has been on a roll, trying to remind the new crop of NXT wrestlers who the locker room leader is. At NXT TakeOver: In Your House, the Prince of NXT defeated Damian Priest which helped him set a new record of the most victories in TakeOver history.
Finn Balor is a former NXT Champion and it was he who held the record for the longest reign with the NXT title before Adam Cole broke it recently. Now, Adam Cole has been claiming that he is the greatest NXT Champion of all time, but can he claim that without beating the Prince of NXT?
Adam Cole vs Finn Balor is a match that could headline any show in any promotion in the world. Finn Balor and Adam Cole are two of the best that the Black and Gold brand has to offer and a proper feud between the two has money written all over it.
While Adam Cole defeated Finn Balor, though with some help from Johnny Gargano, maybe, we can also see Balor bring out the Demon King for his big match against Adam Cole. If this feud does happen, it will be interesting to see if Adam Cole will be able to go past the unstoppable force of the Demon King. Or will Finn Balor win the NXT Champion for the second time? The prospects are mouthwatering.
#2 Adam Cole vs Timothy Thatcher
Timothy Thatcher's stock in NXT has quickly risen after his massive victory over Matt Riddle inside the NXT Fight Pit a couple of weeks ago. With him now claiming himself to be the "most dangerous man in NXT", I won't be surprised to see him go straight after the big fish in the pond - the NXT Champion, Adam Cole.
Having signed with WWE earlier this year, Timothy Thatcher replaced Pete Dunne as Matt Riddle's tag team partner. While the duo managed to defeat The Undisputed Era, they lost the NXT Tag Team Championship to Imperium after Thatcher walked out on Riddle during the match and turned heel.
After a few weeks' build, they took on each other in the first-ever NXT Fight Pit match with Timothy Thatcher winning the match after forcing Matt Riddle to pass out to a rear-naked choke.
With Riddle moving up to SmackDown, Timothy Thatcher needs a bigger opponent to make a statement, and who better than the NXT Champion, Adam Cole?
Again, the heel-heel dynamics of the situation might be an issue, but its the NXT title we are talking about. Adam Cole better have his eyes on this new fight machine of NXT.
#1 Adam Cole vs Keith Lee
The last 12 months or so have seen NXT establish itself as the proper third brand of WWE. By dominating at the Survivor Series 2019 PPV, the Black and Gold brand has made one thing clear - if the main roster can do something, they can do it better. Superstars like Adam Cole, Johnny Gargano, Keith Lee, and others make sure that they put their everything on the line to entertain the fans.
While we've seen a lot of things go down in NXT in the last few months, one thing we are yet to see on the brand is a double Champion. Yes, we've seen many Superstars hold two titles at the same time on the main roster, with the most recent example being the SmackDown Women's Champion and one-half of the Women's Tag Team Champion, Bayley. But who could be the Superstar to accomplish this feat in NXT? Maybe it is the current North American Champion, Keith Lee.
Keith Lee defended his title against Johnny Gargano at NXT TakeOver: In Your House and while usually, fans would be expecting someone to step up and challenge for his title, a great curveball would be if Keith Lee himself came out and challenged Adam Cole for the NXT Championship.
NXT North American Champion, Keith Lee taking on NXT Champion, Adam Cole in a winner takes all match could be one of the biggest matches in the history of the brand!
