Adam Cole on building backstage relationships with CM Punk and Chris Jericho, working for Tony Khan, new AEW game and Revolution

Alex McCarthy

Published: 16:45, 4 Mar 2022
Updated: 16:45, 4 Mar 2022

Adam Cole marks around six months in AEW with his first world title shot at Revolution on Sunday.

The former NXT stalwart will take on Hangman Adam Page for the biggest prize in AEW on an absolutely stacked card.

Adam Cole has been a real driving force in AEW since he joined

talkSPORT was lucky enough to speak to Cole - one of the most popular wrestlers in world right now - ahead of his date with destiny and get his thoughts on those first six months in AEW.

On the new AEW video game…

“I absolutely would love to be actively more involved in anything video game related, especially in AEW.

“I wish I had some more info and details for ya, but all I can say is I am fully confident that this game is going to shape up to be one of the best wrestling games of the past decade. I am fully, fully confident in what they’re envisioning, what they’re going for.

AEW are planning on bringing out a console game, hopefully this year

“Again, video games is something that a lot of people, myself and Kenny [Omega] included, are very, very passionate about.

“Again, I don’t have any details but I do know the game is going to be freaking awesome. I’m very confident in that.”

On meeting and learning from names like CM Punk and Chris Jericho…

“I have gotten to talk to them about different things and pick their brain, or they have offered me advice and input [on their own accord].

“Both of those guys [Chris Jericho and CM Punk, and really all of the veterans who have been around the block in the pro wrestling world, have gotten the chance to really help some of the younger AEW talent and that’s me included.

“I’ve always been a guy that constantly wants to progress, move forward and get better so I am by no means someone who doesn’t want to hear advice or input. I am open ears for those guys anytime they have anything to say.

CM Punk made a winning return to professional wrestling after 9 years away last August

“So it’s been cool to build a little more for a closer relationship with all of them working in the same company.

“As far as thinking about having matches with them goes, of course! Bryan Danielson, I look at him and say I want to have another match aside from the one we had on SmackDown. I think that opportunity some day will come, so to get to do Adam Cole vs Bryan Danielson in AEW would be really cool.

“[Jon] Moxley is another one who I only ever wrestled one time in an eight-man tag match for CZW, like a smaller show we did. So I’d love to get in there with him at some point.

Jericho influenced me so much, even more than he realises. I’ve gotten to tell him how much he has, but I remember reading his first book and going ‘I’ve got to travel the globe.’

“That really made me be like I need to take all bookings I can get in Europe, Mexico, Japan etc - that inspired a lot of young wrestlers.

“And CM Punk, he is top three or four most influential professional wrestlers to me. As far how I think about wrestling, what I want to focus on and what I want to get good at.

“I remember seeing a promo of his for the first time, it was against Raven in Ring of Honor and being like so captivated by his talking ability to where I obsessed on it and I studied it like crazy. He knows that, too.

“I never thought in million years that there would even be a possibility of Adam Cole versus CM Punk and now that is a very real possibility and I hope it happens some day. I hope all of them happen some day! And I think it’s very possible.”

On working for Tony Khan…

“The same thing everyone else is saying! Tony is such a wonderful human being. His love and passion for pro wrestling is contagious. He gets so excited and so fired up about everything related to AEW, he’s so zeroed in and focused on this promotion and making AEW the best it can be.

“This guy works all the time. He is constantly hustling an moving and probably should get more sleep, but he’s working. But he’s one of those guys who so driven, focused and motivated, but at the same time, an absolute joy of a person. Not just to work for, but just as an overall human being.

Khan has reinvigorated the wrestling business with AEWCredit: Getty/talkSPORT

“The way he talks to people, the way he’s appreciative of certain things. I remember before I signed with AEW, I talked to Tony for four hours and 15 minutes on the phone. We talked for a very long time and it was such an amazing conversation.

“He could be talking about cheesecake and I’m like ‘I want some cheesecake, that sounds great! Oh my god!’ That’s a horrible analogy, but I mean it as a sincere compliment. He is such a positive and optimistic, motivated dude that it just makes you want to be that way too. I love Tony Khan, I love him to death.

On Undisputed Era in AEW…

Here’s the thing: Selfishly and professionally, I would scream from the top of a mountain to say ‘hey, we need to sign Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly.’ But as far as them getting hired, I had nothing to do with that.

“Bobby Fish got hired because he’s Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly got hired because he’s Kyle O’Reilly. Of course, I was the first person in line to go ‘yes! They’re here! This is awesome! Let’s go!’

“But I was by no means in anyone’s ear saying ‘listen, you can’t pass up on these guys, they’re really, really good’ - AEW knew right out of the gate how good they are.