What’s the story?
Cody Rhodes recently appeared on Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast, where he spoke about the future of Adam Cole. Specifically, Cody addressed the rumours of Cole’s possible arrival in NXT, and while he didn’t necessarily comment on the probability of that happening, he did reveal his overwhelming approval of the idea.
Everybody got to do what’s right for them and he won three different Ring Of Honor world titles and, I mean, he made history for Ring Of Honor. He made that his home, he provided them a really great body of work. If Adam Cole ever asked me, ‘what should I do?’, I’m not saying he did; I feel like the answer is definitely, ‘go to NXT, go to WWE.’ I don’t know if that’s the decision that he has made because you don’t know.
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In case you didn’t know…
After more than eight years with Ring of Honor, in which he became the company’s only-ever three-time world champion, Cole recently left the company after his contract expired in May of this year. Since then, he’s maintained a relatively low profile, fulfilling just a handful of indie dates in the intervening couple of months.
That’s naturally sparked talk of him signing with WWE, and though nothing’s officially been announced yet, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer recently stated that a deal is indeed “expected” at some point.
Going in depth
Though it may seem like something of a passing comment, the fact that Cody has had such a storied history with WWE gives his advice an added significance. Plus, Cody also touched upon the way that certain guys have been protected upon arriving in NXT having “already built their brand” and proven themselves elsewhere.
With three ROH world titles to his name already, Cole would certainly fall into that already-proven category, suggesting a prospective NXT run could very well a successful one.
What’s next?
Though Cody didn’t necessarily confirm or deny the rumours of Cole being NXT-bound, presumably it’s something that we’ll shortly be seeing. If people who’ve been on the inside themselves, like Cody, are advising Cole to take the plunge, you’ve got to think that only adds to the likelihood of the move becoming a reality.
And if Cody’s right about his brand already being built, then we may well be treated to the full Adam Cole experience rather than a watered-down, WWE-approved knock-off.
Author’s take
It’s interesting to hear Cody addressing the rumours, as its often the case that everyone goes silent when someone’s on the verge of a big WWE move. But perhaps that just means that Cole’s signing is closer to materialising than we realise.
Also, the fact that Cody is endorsing his former employers so strongly seems to suggest that he is indeed still on good terms with the company. So who knows, maybe a Cody vs. Cole showdown could take place under the WWE umbrella at some point in a few years down the line.
