WWE NXT: Keith Lee should be Adam Cole’s next challenger

When Adam Cole is done fending off his newly won NXT Championship one last time against Johnny Gargano, Adam Cole should be challenged by Keith Lee.

Many of us were shocked to last Saturday to see Johnny Gargano lose his first NXT Title defense against Adam Cole. With speculation arising that WWE is currently preparing to call up some Superstars from NXT, Johnny Wrestling may very well face Cole one last time for the title before leaving the yellow brand. If that case were to arise, Adam Cole is going to need someone new to feud with for that title. Personally, I couldn’t think of a better first post-Gargano challenger than Keith Lee.

That isn’t the only candidate worth putting in a major title feud on the black and gold show. Of course, Matt Riddle has long been a prime candidate expected to one day hold the NXT Championship. His potential for the title rose when his former rival, Cole, won the title at NXT TakeOver XXV. However, I think that Riddle title reign is something WWE should save for just a little bit further down the line.

The leader of Undisputed Era only just won this title. A similar sentiment was expressed when Gargano lost the title last Saturday. The NXT Championship should not have too many short reigns in a row or else it runs a risk of losing its prestige. When I bring up Keith Lee as a potential challenger, I do so as a fun filler feud, of sorts. An obstacle for Undisputed Era to run into during Adam Cole’s title reign.

That isn’t to say that Lee is merely worth a filler spot. He is a superb athlete in many rights, but if WWE truly plan to have Riddle defeat Cole for the title one day as many fans predict, they should still find a way to put Lee in contention for the title on the road to Riddle’s coronation. If Riddle is at the top of the list of those most deserving to dethrone Adam Cole, Keith Lee would have to be a close second.

Keith Lee has been well protected since making his NXT debut in the summer of 2018. In fact, in the past year, The Limitless One may have been NXT’s most protected Superstar. Since that debut, Lee only has three onscreen losses to his name.

The first came at the hands of Kassius Ohno in March. Still, Lee returned the favor by dropping Ohno on his way out of NXT’s doors before the Ohioan moved to NXT UK. The last loss came from Lars Sullivan, who to the latter’s credit was on his way to the main roster and, therefore, made more sense to win in that scenario. In between that, Lee suffered a loss in the Quarterfinals of the Worlds Collide tournament last January.

His opponent? Adam Cole, Bay Bay.

While their history is thin, the dynamic of a cowardly champion hiding behind his goons when staring down an imposing behemoth has potential to make for a compelling and exciting storyline.  At the moment, it does not appear on the surface that WWE is prepping Lee for an NXT Title run, they have certainly made him look strong as he’s seldom lost matches. When he has, he’s manages to bounce back every time thanks to strong booking.

Lee has been in the best standing, booking wise, on the NXT roster to warrant an NXT Championship opportunity as a believable challenger against Cole. Perhaps an argument can be made for Velveteen Dream as well, but he’s pre-occupied in the North American Title picture for now.

Right now, Keith Lee is title-less and a feud against Adam Cole for the NXT Championship – where Lee gets to toss around Cole’s buddies in Undisputed Era like cords wood – has limitless potential.