WWE Debate: Should Adam Cole Really Get Called Up to the Main Roster?

Now that Adam Cole lost the NXT Championship to Keith Lee on Night 2 of NXT’s Great American Bash, the following will feature two Daily DDT contributors debating whether Adam Cole should get called up to the main roster.

Usually, once a superstar loses the top championship on WWE NXT, that superstar is on the verge of getting called up to the main roster. This lead many to speculate: Should Adam Cole get called up to the main roster after WrestleMania 36?

Raphael Garcia and Mark Justice, two of Daily DDT’s beloved contributors, will tackle this question and pontificate their opposing viewpoints in a reborn series called “Debate The Mark.” This debate will shock the system, and that’s undisputed.

Without further ado, here is their riveting debate on this issue, with Raphael taking the side of Adam Cole getting called up to the main roster, and Mark taking the side of Adam Cole remaining in NXT for now.

Raphael Garcia: Adam Cole Needs A Program With Drew McIntyre

Raphael Garcia: Adam Cole is no longer the NXT champion. Four hundred and three days after defeating Johnny Gargano, the leader of the Undisputed Era no longer has a belt around his waist. So what’s next? The main roster is the only right answer.

Cole was a secret addition to the 2018 Royal Rumble. While he didn’t win, the most important moment was when the fans erupted at the start of his music, joining in with “Adam Cole Bay-Bay” as he stood at the top of the ramp. He has value and that value is welcome on the main roster.

Of course, there’s fear about how Cole would be used as a smaller man on the main roster. That is where the right booking along with the other members of UE come into play. A four on one scenario makes him a formidable opponent for either Braun Strowman or Drew McIntyre.

The McIntyre angle comes with a backstory which has been a big part of McIntyre’s title run. Bringing up Cole and the UE gives WWE Creative the opportunity to build a dominant stable. A stable that can work in the ring, the microphone, and nearly every aspect of professional wrestling.

Mark Justice: Adam Cole Is Still Necessary to NXT’s Main Event Scene

Mark Justice: Although Adam Cole’s transition to the main roster would be beneficial to his career and add a fresh element to the main roster landscape, it would be severely detrimental to NXT’s main event scene. Cole has been the centerpiece of the NXT’s main event scene for over a year, which was ample time to leave a massive gap in the division. Losing the NXT Championship to Keith Lee is not enough to fill that gap.

In order to fill that gap, he needs to give back to NXT by taking losses to key rising stars who could be next in line for Keith Lee, such as Karrion Kross. Although Kross was scouting Lee on Night 2 of NXT’s Great American Bash, he also had Scarlett deliver an ominous message to Cole one month ago as a sign for a future feud, so this would be worth pursuing.

Since Kyle O’Reilly from the Undisputed Era is currently living with Type I Diabetes during this pandemic, booking Cole in a program with Kross for the time being should also give O’ Reilly enough time to recuperate and be ready for that main roster call up later down the line.

Raphael Garcia’s Rebuttal: Main Roster Names Should Help Build Up NXT’s Rising Stars In One-Off Matches Instead

Raphael Garcia: While Adam Cole and Undisputed Era could be a valuable piece in NXT for an extended period of time outside of the main title picture, that would harm the viability of the group as a whole. In the past, former champions did not stick around too long after losing their titles. Finn Balor, Samoa Joe, Kevin Owens, and others didn’t remain in NXT to take multiple losses to help build up the new members of the roster. Cole and UE should be handled in the same fashion.

While they are built on the main roster as a budding new faction there to torment everyone, NXT’s roster can be strengthened by frequent transitions from the main roster to the yellow and black brand. Sasha Banks and Bayley made an appearance two weekend’s straight to rave reviews. Imagine the type of response that would come if Karrion Kross was to target someone like a Cesaro or a Big E who came back to NXT to confront him? Or even someone like Daniel Bryan?

These are main roster names that can do one-off matches to help build up Kross or someone else on the roster. Plus, there’s a variety of names in NXT such as Kushida that can work excellent matches and still need the proper development worthy of their stature. NXT cupboards are far from bare and Cole needs to be preserved as strong for the main roster run.

Mark Justice’s Rebuttal: Adam Cole’s Impact On NXT Makes Him The Ideal Superstar To Build Up NXT’s Rising Stars The Right Way

Mark Justice: Although main roster names should help build up NXT’s rising stars instead, a victory over Adam Cole would be more meaningful for a rising star, such as Karrion Kross. For instance, Keith Lee benefited immensely from the recent Winner Takes All Match against Adam Cole because of Cole’s insurmountable impact on NXT as NXT Champion.

This impact has set Adam Cole apart from the former NXT Champions, such as Finn Balor, Samoa Joe, and Kevin Owens. These main roster names did not have that same impact. The idea is to not just build up an NXT rising star’s momentum for the short term in one-off matches. The idea is to build up an NXT rising star’s momentum and credibility for the long-term in fulfilling programs.

NXT has great stars, but fulfilling programs with Cole will assure that those stars carry the brand when he’s gone. Tomasso Ciampa, a former NXT Champion, did this for Kross at NXT Takeover: In Your House, but he had already lost a huge chunk of momentum after losing to Cole and Gargano back-to-back. Kross’ momentum and credibility would be justifiably enhanced in a program with Cole, who is still well-established, and build him up suitably as the next contender for Keith Lee.

The main roster might need Adam Cole after SummerSlam to become a top contender for Drew McIntyre, but it does not need Adam Cole right now. There are two months left for Adam Cole to assure that NXT remains as exemplary as it was when he was NXT Champion. One or two big losses before leaving NXT won’t hurt Cole’s main event status.

While it is important for Cole to shine and protect his viability, it’s intrinsically valuable for him to give back to the brand that sustained his viability. That’s what separates stars from superstars. While stars survive on the main roster, superstars thrive on the main roster. Cole is a future superstar, but there’s still more work to do, and that’s undisputed.

What did you think of today’s “Debate the Mark,” and whose argument swayed you more? This series is brought to you by a shrewd mark who enjoys debating hot topics in professional wrestling, especially when pertaining to WWE.

It was a pleasure debating with my guest and fellow Daily DDT Contributor, Raphael Garcia, whom you can follow on Twitter @RGarcia_Sports. If you enjoyed this debate, check out more by clicking here.