Fightful - Adam Cole contract expiring after Summerslam

[Chris]

Source: f4wonline.com

As expected, former NXT Champion Adam Cole has plenty of interest as he determines what his next move will be.

In this week's Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that Cole is negotiating a new deal with WWE but does have an offer from AEW.

News broke last week that Cole's WWE contract expired in July but that he came to an agreement to work through SummerSlam. Meltzer said as of mid-week, the 32-year-old has not agreed to either offer according to those close to the situation. If he was to sign elsewhere, there would be no 90-day non-compete clause due to the contract expiration.

Despite his girlfriend (Women's Champion Britt Baker) finding success in AEW, Meltzer said there's no indication Cole is heading there.

Cole (Austin Jenkins) has been in the system since 2017, all of it in NXT. The longest-reigning NXT Champion in brand history, Cole has also held the North American and Tag Team titles as well, but has yet to get the call-up to the main roster.

 

[Comrade Khan]

so tl/dr both sides want him and have made offers, nothing else to report

 

[Marty McFourth]

I could see Cole staying with WWE, but I'd love to see him in AEW. I just think he fits in more with the talent.

I also worry they'll probably not do anything with him if he ever gets called-up to the main roster and I'm glad that hasn't happened up until this point. NXT just fits him like a glove.

 

[Cwalker]

I said man is pulling an Orton. Using interest from AEW to raise WWE’s offer.

I’d be shocked if he left

 

[Dale]

I keep flip flopping on what I think he will do to be honest. I feel like AEW offers him more money, gets to work and travel his wife and has a whole load of new people to feud with there. I think the negative of going to AEW though is he probably gets lost in the shuffle with all the talent stacking up and he wouldn't be touching the world title for a couple of years.

If he stays in NXT he'll forever be a top guy there and might end up with a bunch of backstage responsibilities or training type stuff.

Gonna be interesting either way, I genuinely can't call it.

 

[Hosferatu]

I would assume he'd also have a job for life with AEW though. He's best with The Elite, so he'd be set up even better than other recent signings like Andrade, Black and Miro I would imagine.

 

[Comrade Khan]

Yeah I can see pluses to both and I defo. get the lost in the shuffle thing. that being said, they could just slide him right in with the elite and it be all gravy too

 

[Just Juice]

dude goes to ROH and the Kingdom is fully back together, workings a bit of NJPW - works a bit of TNA - then you know AEW in 2022. 100%

 

[Marty McFourth]

I would assume he'd also have a job for life with AEW though. He's best with The Elite, so he'd be set up even better than other recent signings like Andrade, Black and Miro I would imagine.

Yeah, The Elite is what I was thinking about. Feel like there's a lot of talent in AEW at the moment where he could be slotted in really easily. He has a lot of history with some of them which is pretty cool.

 

[Cwalker]

He worked with The Elite and he left them. Just cause they’re in AEW doesn’t really mean anything. Or at least it shouldn’t be a deciding factor. If anything his girlfriend is probably a bigger reason.

 

[Comrade Khan]

Think he's got friends either way in this case anyways

 

[Dale]

That would indicate he's definitely open to staying otherwise there would be no need to meet with the boss. To be a fly on the wall in that meeting.​

 

[O-Blaze]

Billi Bhatti is reporting Vince McMahon is personally trying to get Cole to stay with WWE

Adam Cole has met Vince McMahon backstage at WWE Smackdown tonight. It’s rumoursed Cole has been offered nearly a 1 million dollar contract to stay with the WWE/NXT.
———

4 months later “Adam Cole released, because Budget Cuts.”

 

[Chris]

No way I believe anyone has any access to the actual number, that's probably straight conjucture. But he did travel to Tampa to meet with Vince tonight, that's been fairly confirmed so that's news in it's own right. Probably will be a damn good offer regardless.

 

[Comrade Khan]

No way I believe anyone has any access to the actual number, that's probably straight conjucture. But he did travel to Tampa to meet with Vince tonight, that's been fairly confirmed so that's news in it's own right. Probably will be a damn good offer regardless.

Only cost em 10 releases