NXT: Adam Cole Should Win The NXT Championship

On a recent episode of NXT, Triple H opened up the show with a bombshell of an announcement. He stated that the reigning NXT champion Tommaso Ciampa had undergone neck surgery and would have to vacate the NXT Championship.

In doing so, he declared that there would be a contest that night to determine who would take on Johnny Gargano at NXT Takeover: New York to become the new NXT champion.

To further excite the fans in attendance that evening, he continued by saying that there would be a match-up involving 5 of the top NXT superstars. Aleister Black, Ricochet, Velveteen Dream, Adam Cole and Matt Riddle would square off in a one fall contest with the winner earning the right to wrestle Gargano in New York on April 5th.

The sense of urgency that the aforementioned men displayed in this thrilling match was apparent. With each man hitting one another with every maneuver in their impressive arsenals, it was Adam Cole who would get the last laugh. He would hit Ricochet with ‘The Last Shot’, following a shooting star press by ‘The One and Only’, to pin Ricochet and earn the title shot at Takeover New York.

Adam Cole has become a little bit of an afterthought in recent months. The leader of ‘The Undisputed Era’ had been intermittently feuding with Ricochet in an attempt to regain his North American Title. While hovering in championship limbo, Cole has been delivering his usual fantastic promos to remind the NXT Universe that he is still a main event player.

However, Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa have been embroiled in one of the greatest feuds in NXT history. These 2 men were likely to come face to face in a conclusive finale to their amazing story at Takeover for the gold. With Ciampa’s unfortunate injury, that opened up a spot for 1 man to enter the spotlight.

Leave it to Adam Cole being in the right place at the right time for him to grab that brass ring opportunity.

2 short years ago at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Adam Cole debuted in NXT at the end of the evening, attacking then champion Drew McIntyre in the process. When all was said and done, he held the NXT Championship high above his head and made a statement in the process.

He would eventually climb the top of the mountain and reign as king of the NXT kingdom.

We have all kind of forgotten about the fanfare in which Adam Cole arrived with back in August of 2017. A 3 time Ring Of Honor champion and ‘Bullet Club’ member, ‘The Panama City Playboy’ racked up accolades with his in ring ability and phenomenal promos. It was essentially a foregone conclusion that one day he would not only become NXT champion, but potentially a future WWE champion.

Now it comes down to this. Adam Cole will challenge Johnny Gargano in a 2 out of 3 falls match at NXT Takeover: New York to determine a brand new NXT champion.

A lot of people are expecting Gargano to rise to the occasion on the biggest stage in NXT history and secure his moment. He was given the right to the main event after all, Cole had to earn it by defeating 4 of the very best wrestlers in the world.

Johnny is now considered ‘the final boss’ by video game standards. A role which is foreign to Gargano and most certainly doesn’t resonate with his character.

Johnny Gargano was supposed to defeat Tommaso Ciampa, ending their bitter rivalry. In the process, he would finally fulfill his destiny and become the NXT champion after so many unsuccessful attempts. The underdog role is Gargano’s mantra.

This is why Adam Cole will emerge victorious and walk out of New York as the new NXT champion.

Johnny Gargano and his story will be far from over. It will probably conclude with an NXT title win over his hated rival at some point down the road. Adam Cole plays the cocky villain better than most in the wrestling industry. It’s only fitting that he pull the rug from underneath Gargano and emerge as NXT Champion.

Think of how dastardly his feat will be if the members of ‘The Undisputed Era’ interfere in the 3rd and deciding fall of the match. They will cause just enough of a distraction for Cole to weasel his way out of New York with the title around his waist. He will gloat and say “I told you so”, becoming the new leading villain on the block in the process.

Heroes chase and chase until they finally secure the conquest. Adam Cole is not a hero, he’s quite the contrary.

He is a man we, as wrestling fans, love to despise. An arrogant, egocentric man who will stop at nothing to become a mythic figure in the pantheon of NXT history. His role as the trash-talking, conniving NXT champion will suit his personality perfectly. It will also put a giant target on his back, which is the type of pressure Cole’s character thrives upon.

Adam Cole cut a promo declaring 2019 ‘The year of the Undisputed Era’.  A year in which he and his 3 stable mates would claim championship gold in NXT. Kyle O’ Reilly and Bobby Fish are still top flight contenders for the NXT Tag Team Championships. Roderick Strong could emerge as a future contender for the North American Title.

This leaves the de facto leader of the group charging towards the main prize.

On April 5th, look for Adam Cole to fulfill his destiny and reach the top of the NXT mountain.