How Adam Cole can be WWE NXT’s next lead heel

Photo Credit: ROH 2017

Expect to see Adam Cole surface in WWE NXT sooner rather than later and waste no time in taking the brand by storm.

There are few hotter free agents on the wrestling market at the moment than Adam Cole, who is fresh off his departure from Ring of Honor. At last word, he was considering all options, including potential runs with WWE and Impact Wrestling.

Although the former TNA has done a decent job of rehabbing its image this year, WWE is where Cole belongs, and many believe that is where he will ultimately end up. Quite honestly, it is more a matter of when than if the former ROH World champion is WWE bound.

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Fans expected Cole to make an appearance in the crowd at NXT TakeOver: Chicago, similar to Drew McIntyre in Orlando last month. However, it was later revealed that the company had not yet offered him a contract after being accused of tampering with ROH talents’ deals not long ago.

Nevertheless, there is a solid chance Cole could show up in WWE this summer, and at this point, it is virtually a guarantee. It’s no secret that WWE has had their eyes on him for a few years and now would be as good of a time as any to make the jump.

Granted, Cole could go straight to the main roster tomorrow a la AJ Styles and thrive, but for the time being, he would be better suited on NXT where he can become the brand’s next lead heel.

Photo Credit: ROH 2017

It can be argued that the NXT roster is more stacked with star power now than it has ever been in the promotion’s five year history. From McIntyre to Aliester Black to Bobby Roode to Hideo Itami, there is a surplus of tremendous talent in NXT at the moment and adding Cole to the mix would further boost the recent red-hot momentum of the brand.

That said, NXT currently lacks a strong crop of heels. Of course, Roode is the best bad guy NXT has to offer today and is the reigning NXT champion, but the well runs dry beyond The Glorious One.

Thankfully, Tomasso Ciampa recently turned on Johnny Gargano, so he should be prominently pushed as a singles star going forward. Likewise, Andrade “Cien” Almas is also a solid villain (despite his less-than-stellar win-loss record), but neither of them are capable of carrying the brand the same way Roode has.

Of course, Roode should not have an extended stay in NXT. Although he has a handful of fresh faces to defend the title against in the coming months, he should be up on the main roster before the start of 2018.

Once Roode is promoted to either Raw or SmackDown Live, Cole should replace him as the next top heel in NXT before taking place his rightful place on WWE’s main stage as well.

In fact, Cole and Roode are a lot alike in terms of how they come across as larger than life and how they carry themselves like world champions even when they aren’t in possession of a top title.

Those familiar with Cole’s career would know that he started out as a fairly generic babyface during his time in Ring of Honor but eventually evolved into an amazing heel. He’s an excellent performer inside the ring, but his character work is where he has really shined.

Over the last year, Cole brought The Bullet Club to new heights, but after achieving everything imaginable in ROH, it was time for him to move on to other endeavors. He hasn’t ruled out the possibility of competing in Japan, but he has expressed interest in going to NXT with the ample amount of buzz surrounding the brand.

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One advantage Cole has over a large portion of the established NXT roster is his age, because at only 27-years-old, there is more than enough time for WWE to build around him as a main event player. Thus, he can afford a short stint in NXT where he can replace Roode as the No. 1 heel in the promotion.

Following in the footsteps of Kevin Owens, Samoa Joe and others, Cole can be that quintessential heel NXT will need following the inevitable call-up of Roode and go on to carve his own path to immense success.