"I don’t see how you couldn’t want to be a part of it"- Adam Cole states reasons for choosing AEW over WWE
Adam Cole had lucrative offers from both AEW and WWE but decided to sign with the former. In an interview with Busted Open Radio, the former NXT champion revealed why he chose to join Tony Khan's promotion.
Adam Cole jumping over to AEW was widely expected once his WWE contract expired. Cole stated that there were many factors that influenced his decision, with Tony Khan being key in negotiations. The Panama City Playboy praised Mr. Khan and the AEW locker room's love for professional wrestling.
"There are so many factors and I can go on and on. Off the top of my head, you mention Tony Khan, Tony is such an incredible person. He has such a love and passion for pro wrestling that I’ve said before, but I’ll say again, is contagious. You can tell that he just eats, sleeps and breathes this stuff. And that’s great, especially when you’re the one leading the charge for a company like AEW. On top of that, again, you’ve got a locker room full of guys who are ready to do anything and everything to deliver the best match, the best segment possible," Adam Cole said.
Adam Cole is quite impressed by AEW fans
The third and final factor in Adam Cole's move to AEW was the fans. Cole explained that he had been watching the promotion since the beginning, and the fans' energy and desire to see the company succeed drew him towards AEW.
"Then maybe most importantly, you have a bunch of rabid fans who so badly want AEW to succeed. And when you have a company that is going up to the plate and hitting a home run every single time, and then you have fans that are super satisfied and they want you to hit that home run, that’s that magical atmosphere that, you know, I talk about and so many other people talk about and I’ve watched AEW from the, you know, very beginning. And watching the product grow and watching it turn into the excellent pro wrestling company that it is, I don’t see how you couldn’t want to be a part of it," Adam Cole said.
Apart from these reasons, it's quite likely that three of his best friends (Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks) and Adam Cole's girlfriend Dr. Britt Baker in AEW helped him make the decision.
Cole is set to make his AEW in-ring debut on next week's Dynamite. The Panama City Playboy will take on Frankie Kazarian in his first match for Tony Khan's promotion.