"One of my absolute best friends"- Adam Cole comments on his unforgettable rivalry with NXT Superstar

Adam Cole recently joined AEW after his NXT contract expired, and the Panama City Playboy left as arguably the greatest wrestler to ever perform on NXT. The former champion's last feud on the brand came against one of his best friends, Kyle O'Reilly.

While speaking with Sports Illustrated, Cole recalled his friendship with Kyle O'Reilly, which goes back to their careers before NXT. In the interview, Cole called O'Reilly one of his "absolute best friends" and stated that this relationship made their bout at NXT TakeOver 36 quite special.

“That match meant everything to me,” Cole says. “I’ve known Kyle since 2009, and our relationship runs so much deeper than the world of wrestling. He’s one of my absolute best friends. I was in his wedding. Whether we’re partners or enemies, the Adam Cole–Kyle O’Reilly story is so important to me. I’m really proud of what we did together in NXT, Japan, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and other promotions."

O'Reilly defeated Cole at NXT TakeOver 36, and this bout marked Cole's final match on WWE programming.

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Adam Cole is proud of his time with the Undisputed ERA in NXT

During his time with NXT, Adam Cole led the Undisputed ERA, the most dominant faction in the brand's history. The group consisted of Adam Cole, Roderick Strong, Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly, and at one point, all four men held championship gold.

In the same interview, Cole stated that he's proud of his run with the stable.

“I look back on that time with Kyle, Bobby [Fish] and Roddy [Strong] in The Undisputed ERA with nothing but pride," said Cole. "No matter what our futures hold, I wanted to do everything I could to cap off that chapter with Kyle in the most meaningful way possible."

Kyle O'Reilly was scheduled to be a part of the fatal four-way match on the launch of NXT 2.0 for the NXT Championship. But he lost his spot after he was attacked backstage. Tommaso Ciampa ended up winning the title in the main event match on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Cole will make his AEW in-ring debut on Wednesday night.

What do you think about Cole's comments? Sound off below.