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WWE NXT North American Champion Adam Cole has been on a roll ever since making his debut for the promotion last year at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II and current leader of The Undisputed Era is absolutely at the top of his game right now.
Cole, who despite rejecting an offer from the WWE in 2013, opted to stay with his then-home promotion Ring of Honor, where he became the first and only three-time ROH World Champion, a one-time ROH TV Champion, and also joined the legendary Bullet Club in mid 2016, which was pretty much the icing on the cake for ‘The Panama City Playboy’.
During his run with ROH and on the Independent circuit, Adam Cole pretty much saw it all and did it all and ever since making his Pro Wrestling debut in 2008, Cole has competed in some absolutely amazing and astonishing matches. Thus, with that being said, let us now take a closer look at Adam Cole’s top 5 matches prior to his WWE run.
Honorable Mentions:
Adam Cole vs Prince Devitt - RPW: Summer Sizzler, 2014
This contest was an international dream match at that point of time, as we witnessed two of the hottest non-WWE competitors go toe-to-toe against each other in a RevPro ring. Devitt, who was apparently on his way out to the WWE, came into this contest paying homage to another iconic comic book character, this time in the form of Bane.
As expected, Devitt had all the crowd support in the world during this match and used the momentum to his advantage, however, Cole eventually countered all of Devitt’s offense with some vicious heel mannerism and some brutal stiff kicks, which were something to watch out for. Cole also did some pretty solid work on Devitt’s leg, with the latter selling it in a decent manner.
Devitt eventually picked up the win via The Bloody Sunday.
Adam Cole vs Kevin Steen - PWG: Mystery Vortex, 2012
This match is pretty much where Adam Cole’s rise in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla started. This violent Guerrilla Warfare match was absolutely insane and fantastic bout, with an equally tremendous story to it.
Steen initially started this match in a pretty dominant fashion and went on to dominate the match through and through in order to capture the PWG World Championship from a very cocky Adam Cole.
Steen’s only motive was to destroy Cole during this showdown and he did exactly what he intended when he powerbombed the champion into the ring apron on numerous occasions in the starting stages of the match.
One of the rather standout spots of the entire match was the top rope suplex into a pile of steel chairs, which evidently was the opening that Cole needed in this match and thus allowed him to eventually get the huge win over a frustrated Kevin Steen.
Let us now look at the main list:
#5 Adam Cole vs AJ Styles - ROH/NJPW: War of the Worlds, 2015
This homecoming match for Adam Cole was a definite instant classic in my mind and the crowd reaction to Cole’s return was equally brilliant when compared to the reaction the ROH fans had for AJ Styles, who was arguably the most over Superstar in Ring of Honor alongside Adam Cole himself.
Cole’s immediate heel work was also a thing of beauty, as he went on to shake Styles’ hand in the beginning but instead just decided to spit on AJ’s hand. Both guys started off the bout in a slow and steady manner and eventually picked up the pace, which is something you’d expect from a classic AJ Styles match.
The closing stages of the match are pretty amazing as well, with both guys coming up with brilliant counters and sequences, with one of them being a crazy Bloody Sunday on the apron from AJ Styles.
Styles eventually connected with two Hollow Points on Cole, which was followed up by a Styles Clash, as the then IWGP Heavyweight Champion ruined Adam Cole’s homecoming party, only for the latter to eventually shake Styles’ hand after the match.
#4 Adam Cole vs Will Ospreay - PROGRESS Wrestling: Chapter 40, 2016
Having previously faced-off against Will Ospreay earlier that same year in his debut match for New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Adam Cole and ‘The Aerial Assassin’ once again went at it but this time in a much better crowd atmosphere at the O2 Academy in Sheffield under the PROGRESS Wrestling banner.
Ospreay, as usual, did his thing throughout this match and was absolutely incredible in his athleticism, selling, and in-ring bumping as well. Cole, on the other hand, was an equally perfect rival for Ospreay on this occasion and the two men instantly clicked from the very moment they stepped into the ring.
Despite a very resilient effort from Ospreay and much to Adam Cole’s shock, ‘The Aerial Assassin’ did manage to put up an absolutely amazing fight in this match. However, Cole’s dominance was just a bit too much for the British superstar, as he picked up the win following the Last Shot on Ospreay.
#3 Adam Cole vs Jay Lethal - ROH: Death Before Dishonor XIV, 2016
Adam Cole and Jay Lethal’s rivalry from 2016 was one of the most iconic rivalries in ROH history and it all started with Cole joining the Bullet Club and eventually setting his sights on Lethal’s historic ROH World Title reign.
Both Lethal and Cole had a very heated and awesome match that subsequently made Adam Cole the top dog in Ring of Honor once again and the storytelling into this contest was equally amazing as well, with Cole seemingly taking advantage of Lethal’s immense amount of hatred towards the former.
The two men laid it all out on the line and the sequences in the closing stages were equally brilliant as well, with Cole eventually picking up the huge win and bringing an end to Jay Lethal's legendary ROH World Title run at 427 days.
#2 Adam Cole vs Kyle O’Reilly - ROH: Best in the World, 2012
Current stablemates as part of The Undisputed Era, both Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly had one of the most epic rivalries on the Independent scene, that saw them compete against each other on numerous occasions for promotions such as ROH and PWG.
Cole and O’Reilly have had plenty of matches against each other on several occasions and even till 2017, the two men have stood across the ring against each other when they competed for the ROH World Title at Wrestle Kingdom 11. However, one of the most memorable Cole vs O’Reilly matches is their Hybrid Fighting Rules match from 2012, which was a crazy and absolutely physical match.
The sequences and various spots in this contest were brilliant and Adam Cole bleeding like a zombie was another solid touch to this match as well and by the end of the match, one can truly admit to the fact that this was both Cole and KOR’s best match till date.
#1 Superkliq (Adam Cole and The Young Bucks) vs Ricochet, Matt Sydal, and Will Ospreay: PWG Battle of Los Angeles Night 2, 2016
This match is probably one of the most craziest Pro Wrestling matches I’ve ever witnessed, I mean this had everything in it starting from jaw-dropping dives, splashes, flips, sick apron bumps, and a ton of superkicks.
This match was basically the icing on the cake to an amazing second night of PWG action as part of the BOLA and the fact that all six men made this match look so simple and easy, despite such amazing bit of in-ring (and outside) action.
The match ended with Ospreay, Ricochet, and Sydal simultaneously hitting some beautiful Shooting Star Press’ and all six-men looked like absolute superstars throughout this fun contest, which is totally recommended for every Pro Wrestling fan.
Which of these matches have you already seen? Which are the ones that you loved? Let us know in the comments below!
