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WWE NXT Superstar Adam Cole and rumors of a call-up to the WWE main roster go hand-in-hand.
Speculation as to the former NXT Champion moving to Monday Night RAW and Friday Night SmackDown has persisted for years at this point.
Cole made his NXT debut during the NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III event in August 2017. Since then, along with The Undisputed Era, Adam Cole has carried the black and gold brand firmly on his back.
The former leader of The Undisputed Era has achieved everything there is to achieve in the world of NXT. Adam Cole is the longest reigning NXT Champion in WWE history, the inaugural NXT North American Champion and a former NXT Tag Team Champion. He is also the second ever NXT Triple Crown Champion.
But, it's fair to say that there is nothing left for Adam Cole to accomplish in NXT. The Undisputed Era has now split up and it finally feels like time to see Cole move to Monday Night RAW or Friday Night SmackDown.
Due to recent WWE "budget cuts," several high-profile names on both RAW and SmackDown have been released. This has left a noticeable void on both shows, with a desperate need for new faces and names to come in.
With WWE returning to touring this month and a 2021 Draft on the horizon, the WWE Universe could finally see Adam Cole move to Monday Night RAW or Friday Night SmackDown.
With that in mind, let's take a closer look at five opponents for Adam Cole should he make the move to the WWE main roster.
#5 Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton
Randy Orton is one of the most experienced and accomplished stars on the WWE roster today.
The 14-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion has been a featured player on Monday Night RAW for the past twelve months. After engaging in a lengthy rivalry with "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt and Alexa Bliss, The Viper has now turned to tag team action on the red brand.
Recent months have seen Randy Orton form an unlikely tag team with former United States Champion Riddle on Monday Night RAW. Known as R-K-Bro, Riddle and Orton have quickly formed one of the most popular tag teams in WWE.
Whilst Orton's eyes may currently be fixated on tag team competition, a feud against Adam Cole would certainly be a fascinating watch if the former NXT Champion is called up to Monday Night RAW.
Randy Orton has had his issues in the past with certain NXT Superstars. The Viper has called out names such as Tommaso Ciampa in the past due to the "NXT style." Perhaps a feud between Orton and Cole could play off this real-life issue that The Apex Predator possibly has with the black and gold brand?
#4 WWE Hall of Famer Edge
WWE Hall of Famer Edge could very well be the next WWE Universal Champion.
The Rated R Superstar made his first appearance since WrestleMania 37 Night Two last week when he shockingly appeared on SmackDown and attacked Roman Reigns.
After hitting the Universal Champion with a spear, Edge later demanded a Universal Championship match against The Tribal Chief at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view. The request was granted by WWE officials Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville and the match is now official.
However, it is not expected that the WWE Hall of Famer will leave Money in the Bank as the Universal Champion. Edge is rumored to be penciled in for a storyline and match with Seth Rollins at SummerSlam later this year.
A Rollins vs Edge match has certainly excited members of the WWE Universe as this could only be considered a dream match prior to Edge's miraculous in-ring return in 2020.
Edge's return to the ring sparked conversations about numerous opponents from the current generation of WWE Superstars that he has never faced off against before. One such name is former NXT Champion Adam Cole.
Edge has spoken about his desire to help create new stars and square off against the modern day WWE Superstars. The Rated R Superstar vs the former leader of The Undisputed Era would certainly be a sight to behold and firmly establish Adam Cole as a major player in WWE.
#3 Former WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins
WWE Friday Night SmackDown star Seth Rollins engaging in a feud with Adam Cole is something that WWE fans have desired for quite a long time.
It could even be said that Rollins and Cole's professional wrestling careers are almost mirror reflections of themselves. Both WWE Superstars are former Ring of Honor World Champions and NXT Champions too.
While Seth Rollins has since moved on to become a multi-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion, perhaps the same fate could lay ahead for Adam Cole in the future.
A storyline between Seth Rollins and Adam Cole could certainly center around the present facing off against the future.
While both WWE Superstars are currently portraying heels on their respective brands, Seth Rollins has achieved significant success as a babyface in WWE.
Rollins captured the WWE Universal Championship and Intercontinental Championship on multiple occasions as a babyface. Perhaps Adam Cole's move to the WWE main roster could spark a babyface turn for Rollins and kick off a feud between the two former NXT Champions.
#2 Former WWE Champion Drew McIntyre
Former WWE Champion Drew McIntyre arguably carried Monday Night RAW throughout the pandemic.
During a difficult period for the red brand, McIntyre steered the ship as WWE Champion with no fans in attendance at the WWE Performance Center or inside the WWE ThunderDome.
However, there does seem to be a growing pocket of fans on social media that are growing tired of seeing The Scottish Warrior in the WWE Championship picture.
This was even acknowledged during McIntyre's storyline with WWE Champion Bobby Lashley heading into Hell in a Cell, referencing people questioning why McIntyre was receiving so many WWE Championship opportunities.
Drew McIntyre was eventually defeated by Bobby Lashley inside Hell in a Cell last month. This means McIntyre cannot challenge for the WWE Championship whilst Lashley is the champion. But that could change now that McIntyre has qualified for the Men's Money in the Bank ladder match later this month.
A storyline with Adam Cole on Monday Night RAW would certainly be a nice change of pace for Drew McIntyre. The Scottish Superstar would not be competing for the WWE Championship but would still be involved in a high-profile storyline with a high-profile opponent.
#1 Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan
Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan has been one of the most talked about names in professional wrestling so far in 2021.
Daniel Bryan was a part of the main event of WrestleMania 37 Night Two back in April as he squared off against 2021 men's Royal Rumble winner Edge and Universal Champion Roman Reigns in a triple threat match.
Unfortunately for Bryan, The Tribal Chief left WrestleMania 37 victorious and still the Universal Champion.
This eventually led to a match on SmackDown several weeks later in which Roman Reigns defeated Bryan once again to retain the Universal Championship. However, as per a pre-match stipulation, Daniel Bryan has now been banned from SmackDown following his loss to Reigns.
In reality, Daniel Bryan's WWE contract had expired. While there is no news yet on whether the former World Heavyweight Champion has re-signed with WWE, many expect Bryan to eventually sign on the dotted line.
A comeback feud pitting Bryan against Adam Cole would certainly be a major storyline for the former NXT Champion. Cole and Bryan also have history on SmackDown.
Adam Cole defeated Daniel Bryan to retain the NXT Championship on the November 1, 2019 edition of Friday Night SmackDown. Perhaps Bryan and Cole could both pick up where they left off in 2019.
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