Backstage WWE reaction to Adam Cole debut at AEW All Out revealed - Reports
Adam Cole showed up at AEW All Out on Sunday, shortly after his deal with WWE expired.
According to Fightful Select, Adam Cole's appearance in AEW wasn't a surprise to many within WWE as they pretty much expected the former NXT champion to sign with AEW, as of last weekend. The report also mentioned that Adam Cole was as good as gone by the time a memo was sent to some people within the company and the people in WWE had nothing but positive things to say about the former leader of the Undisputed ERA.
They were particularly pleased with how he handled the minor complications with respect to his contract's sudden expiry and subsequent short extension. Adam Cole was reportedly kept hidden on the night of the show and people within the WWE were not certain if he would show up at All Out.
Adam Cole's last match in NXT was a two-out-of-three-falls match against Kyle O'Reilly that he lost via submission.
Backstage update on when Adam Cole's AEW deal was made official
Fightful further mentioned that Cole's deal with AEW wasn't official until Sunday, but those who needed to know were informed in advance for merchandise purposes as well as other aspects of his debut. The finish to All Out was discussed with the talent in question after the conclusion of CM Punk vs. Darby Allin. The terms of the deal are unknown as of now.
Adam Cole superkicked Jungle Boy and aligned himself with the Elite upon his arrival, with whom he's been friends since his New Japan days.
All Out had one final surprise as another WWE great, Bryan Danielson, showed up during the final moments of the show to attack Nick Jackson and send the Elite running.