How Adam Cole can succeed on the main roster as he did in NXT

There is a lot of news being printed these days about Adam Cole and his future in professional wrestling, and it’s shrouded in uncertainty and rumor. But if he would go to the main roster in WWE, how could he succeed as he did in NXT?

That’s definitely a multi-layered question, and to answer it, we need to do a little of the old dissecting of history and recent events in WWE.

The platform as it stands

To say that WWE is going through some turmoil would be putting it way too mildly. Honestly, their Raw brand has definitely taken a hit, WWE delivering a product on that platform that is at most subpar, and that’s sad, seeing that it’s their longest-running televised program.

In recent years, NXT was a brand that was delivering on all fronts: matches, character development, angles, and storylines, etc, etc.

Yet it is that show that has been cut off at the knees, to use an unfortunate expression.

Yet as I was watching this week’s episode, I came to the conclusion that even after all the budget cuts, the magnitude of releases the brand suffered, and everything else that went on, NXT is still delivering an incredibly good product, and dare I say it, even at this stage, it’s a million times better than Raw.

And who do we have to thank for the success of NXT? Truthfully, it’s a few people, but undoubtedly, Adam Cole is one of them for sure.

His contribution to the product

We don’t really have to go into all that he’s done over at NXT. For someone like Adam Cole, his accolades and accomplishments speak for themselves.

By now it’s old news that his contract was up this week, as many news sites have indeed reported, including us here at Daily DDT. And his future has been in question. Rumors are flying out of the rumor mill I often write about at breakneck tempo and for very good reason: his future is a mystery to most—even the most decorated of sports entertainment journalists.

The internet is full of posts on social media, most recently even AEW’s Kenny Omega posting about Cole after his loss to Kyle O’Reilly at NXT TakeOver 36.

But as was discussed by Dave Meltzer of f4wonline and the Wrestling Observer, Vince McMahon has told writers for the main roster to start working on storylines for one Adam Cole.

Is he to appear on Raw or SmackDown? Or…will he be premiering on AEW TV? Again, dear readers, we do not yet know. But one thing we do know is that if he does go to WWE’s main roster, things cannot go down as they have for Karrion Kross (they’re ruining that guy very quickly, one segment at a time).

This cannot happen to the likes of Adam Cole, who essentially helped build NXT to what it became in the eyes of true blue wrestling fans: a talent pool.

And if he were to premiere on the main roster…what then?

Well, let’s assume that he is going to the main roster. WWE creative would need to grant him the freedom he had to build his character and speak on the microphone as he had in NXT. So many of the wrestlers that have come from NXT are stifled on the main roster, almost as if the execs backstage on Raw and SmackDown don’t trust in their capabilities to carry a storyline. Talk about chopping people off at the knees.

We’re seeing it with Kross, as I mentioned. We’re seeing it with Balor, and we’re seeing it with Shotzi and Nox too. This can’t happen to Cole or it just won’t work.

He can succeed if given that freedom with his character, and he can succeed if pitted against the right adversaries.

He needs rich storylines. He can’t simply be pitted with whoever for any old reason—especially in the ridiculous contenders matches happening so often as of late. He needs a reason to be pitted against a particular rival, and right now Balor makes the most sense for that: old wounds and all. You get the picture.

If this is to happen is as unclear as to where exactly this talented young star is headed and we’re left to wait and see.

The other possibility (and perhaps the best one)

Of course, we can’t ignore that perhaps the best course of action for Cole would have been—and still might be—to head over to AEW after all. Only on that roster can he be given the opportunity to shine and flourish, as he has been doing in NXT and for so long. Like I already stated in previous articles and here, Cole has ability on the microphone and in that ring that cannot be stifled.

If it is, perhaps that is the greatest tragedy of all, and in professional wrestling, there are indeed a lot of tragedies, unfortunately.