Subscribe
Follow Us
Adam Cole is a babyface in AEW. That statement felt impossible for more reasons than one not three years ago, and yet, here we are, with the former NXT World Champion cutting babyface promos in the middle of the ring after half a year away about who he wants to prove the fans right who cheered him on through his head/shoulder recovery and represent Tony Khan's company with pride.
Unusual? Sure, by Cole's own admission, he's worked as a heel for the vast majority of his career, but sometimes extenuating circumstances change things, and after almost losing his career to concussion issues, it's clear the former leader of the Undisputed Era is having his hero moment in AEW not too dissimilar to Cody Rhodes' run in WWE. Speaking with Dave Meltzer and Garrett Gonzales in an expansive interview for The Wrestling Observer, Cole discussed his recent character change and how he hopes to win over the fans in his return to the ring.
“In this particular situation, if I would have come through with a different approach of cutting a heel promo or acting like a heel right from the return, we would have been fighting upstream,” Cole said via Fightful. “It was one of those things where, of course, the fans were going to be excited and be behind you, especially when they hear the story. In that sense, that process has been easier. In general, I have been a heel for 95% of my entire career. I've talked like a heel and wrestled like a heel for a really long time. To even step outside of that comfort zone and talk, like I feel, as a babyface would, was very mentally intimidating for me. Fortunately, the process of the real journey and real story makes it easy because it's all real. It's all things that I actually feel. The entire recovery process was all real. At this point, whether it's heel or babyface, I'm just worried about telling my story and I'm glad the fans have my back on this one.”
While Cole may not still be 100 percent comfortable being a babyface in AEW just yet, it's clear the fans have his back completely following an expansive period away from the ring, and that sort of organic hero heat is just too good to pass up. Better to embrace it and turn his attention to his ultimate goal in TK's promotion.
Adam Cole has two goals in mind for his forthcoming AEW run.
Article Continues Below
So, with Cole set to return to the ring at some point in the next month or so, maybe at Revolution in March, fans have already started fantasy booking the former NXT standout's forthcoming run with the company. While Cole, too, has goals for his run, he's also learned that in professional wrestling, one can't be too goal driven, as things aren't always in your control.
“I do think, and I’ve had this mentality, literally since I started,” Cole said. “To go back a little bit, I remember when I first started training, I had this [goal] of, ‘Okay, I want to get signed by WWE, and I want to be the world champion, and I want to main event WrestleMania.’ When you think about all that, and how far away that goal is, it’s so overwhelming, especially for someone like me and the way that my brain operates.”
“So I remember, very early on, saying, ‘I’m gonna drive myself crazy if I obsess on certain goals, especially goals that I can’t control, per se.' I’m gonna take every day by day, and just be the best version of myself, in the ring or on the microphone, that I possibly can be. I’ve kind of instituted that mentality throughout my entire career. At this current time right now, I’m just so excited to be back. I can’t wait to get back in the ring, and I’m so thankful that I’m actually able to get back into the ring, especially with that scare of thinking it might not happen. Regarding the AEW World Championship, of course. I would love the chance to be the AEW World Champion. That’s absolutely a goal in the back of my mind. Again, that’s the stamp of approval from the company that you work for, saying, ‘Alright, we’re gonna get behind this guy. We’re gonna give this guy the ball.’ So certainly, being the AEW World Champion someday is a goal of mine, but currently, in this moment right now, I’m just thinking about being able to get back in the ring and wrestle and being back on the road. That’s a big win for me.”
Would Cole make for a good challenger for MJF's AEW World Championship when his current feud with Brian Danielson comes to an end? Sure, while he has largely worked as a heel, and has unsuccessfully challenged for the top strap twice when it was held by his AEW archrival “Hangman” Adam Page, this is a new year, a new face-heel alignment, and a new Adam Cole, Bay Bay; why not give him an opportunity Jamie Hayter/The Acclaimed-style to see if he has the momentum to become AEW's next great babyface star?
