Adam Cole

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe and All Elite Wrestling.

JR Discusses Why Austin vs. Hogan Never Happened

Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Hulk Hogan is perhaps the biggest dream match in wrestling history that never happened, leaving many fans to wonder why it was never booked when Hogan returned to WWE in 2002.

On the latest episode of Grilling JR (h/t WrestlingInc's Marco Rovere), current AEW announcer and WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross noted that while the subject of Austin vs. Hogan was brought up at the time, Austin didn't want the match out of fear that it wouldn't have lived up to the hype: "Austin didn't have the match with Hogan because he didn't want to have the match The Undertaker did. Hogan was battered, beat up, multiple back surgeries."

Ross noted that Hogan was so worn down physically that even taking a flat-back bump was difficult for him, which severely limited the potential of his matches.

Many assumed Austin vs. Hogan was a certainty for WrestleMania X-8, but WWE went in a different direction with Austin facing Scott Hall and Hogan taking on The Rock.

While Austin vs. Hall was largely forgettable, Hogan vs. The Rock is considered an all-time classic, not because of the in-ring work but largely due to the fan reaction.

The crowd essentially forced Hogan to turn babyface, and he went on to beat Triple H for the Undisputed WWE Championship at the next pay-per-view, which was Backlash.

Hogan dropped the title about a month later to The Undertaker at Judgment Day in a match that was widely panned.

Ross explained what went wrong in the bout between Hogan and Taker, saying: 

"The match was not an artistic success. But it wasn't because those guys didn't work their asses off. You've got a guy that's got a bad back and he's not a spring chicken. … Taker tried to do all he could to make the match a success, but it just didn't get the job done. And that's sad to say when you're talking about two legit legends like Taker and Hulk."

Austin's fears and suspicions were apparently realized at Judgment Day, as Hogan wasn't able to do much in the match, and The Undertaker was unable to carry it on his own.

Stone Cold may have encountered a similar scenario if he had faced Hogan, so perhaps it was for the best that a match between the legends was left to the imagination.

Banks, Naomi Situation Reportedly Has No End in Sight

The standoff between WWE and the team of Sasha Banks and Naomi reportedly isn't expected to end any time soon.

Last week on Raw, Banks and Naomi were scheduled to be part of a six-pack challenge against Asuka, Becky Lynch, Doudrop and Nikki A.S.H. with the winner going on to challenge Bianca Belair for the Raw Women's Championship at Hell in a Cell.

Banks and Naomi walked out either before or during the show, however, forcing WWE to change the match to Asuka vs. Lynch.

WWE later released a statement condemning the actions of Banks and Naomi, and the company has since referred to their walkout as "unprofessional" on numerous occasions:

On last week's episode of SmackDown, announcer Michael Cole read a statement, noting that Banks and Naomi had been suspended indefinitely and stripped of the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships.

WWE has also removed Sasha and Naomi from the pre-show intro, deleted their Facebook pages and taken all of their merchandise off WWE Shop.

According to Fightful Select (h/t WrestlingInc's Sai Mohan), "there's no end on the horizon for this situation."

Fightful noted that while Banks and Naomi were not in Evansville, Indiana, for Raw on Monday and seemingly aren't figured into any immediate plans, WWE does not intend on releasing them from their contracts either.

With Banks and Naomi out of the picture for now, WWE booked Belair to defend her title against both Lynch and Asuka at Hell in a Cell in a Triple Threat.

Meanwhile, the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships are vacant, and WWE has announced that a tournament will be held to determine new champs.

Cole Reveals Biggest Reasons for Going to AEW

Adam Cole has been one of AEW's top stars since leaving WWE and joining the company in September, and he discussed some of his motivations for making the move to AEW recently.

During an appearance at Motor City Comic Con (h/t WrestlingInc's Matthew Carlins), Cole divulged that spending more time with his girlfriend, former AEW women's world champion Britt Baker, played a role in his decision:

"One of the biggest things was getting to be around and see Britt a lot more. At the time, our schedules were so different that there'd be some times that I'd see her for maybe half a day, one day a week. Sometimes I wouldn't see her for weeks at a time. So getting to travel with her and just being behind the curtain when she walks through after she's done a match or a promo is really nice."

Cole had been with WWE since 2017, working almost exclusively as part of the NXT brand, and he was at or near the top for the duration of his time there.

In addition to being the leader of Undisputed Era, Cole held the NXT Championship, North American Championship and NXT Tag Team Championship, making him only the second Triple Crown champion in NXT history.

Cole also still boasts the longest NXT Championship reign of all time at 396 days, but there wasn't much left for him to do after dropping the title.

He had accomplished everything possible in NXT, meaning his decision when his WWE contract expired came down to going to the WWE main roster or making the leap to AEW.

Cole admitted that watching AEW made him want to go to the promotion, saying: "It just looked like so much fun. You know, I had known tons of people on the roster, but to see these crazy, wild crowds every single week, I was like, 'God, I'd love to wrestle in front of these fans.'"

Cole's dream became a reality at All Out in September when he and Bryan Danielson both made their AEW debuts following the main event.

Since then, Cole has competed for the AEW World Championship on multiple occasions, and at Double or Nothing on Sunday, he will compete in the finals of the Owen Hart Foundation tournament against either Samoa Joe or Kyle O'Reilly.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: profanity). 

"Hangman" Adam Page defeated Adam Cole at Revolution on Sunday night to retain the AEW World Championship.

The main event of the pay-per-view was a back-and-forth contest with multiple near-falls. Page won after connecting with his patented Buckshot Lariat.

After the match, the champion shook Cole's hand in a mark of respect while he was laying on the mat.

Sunday marked Cole's first title opportunity since leaving NXT for All Elite Wrestling in September after his WWE contract expired.

Alongside fellow Elite members The Young Bucks, as well as old friends Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish, it didn't take long for Cole to work his way through the ranks and establish himself as the No. 1 contender for the AEW World Championship.

Orange Cassidy, Jungle Boy, Frankie Kazarian and Dark Order members John Silver, Evil Uno and 10 are just a few of the competitors Cole scored singles victories against en route to Sunday's clash.

His only singles loss in AEW entering Revolution was to Cassidy, but it didn't count against his official record since it was a lights-out bout.

Hangman has been on quite a roll in his own right since beating Kenny Omega at Full Gear in November to finally become AEW world champion.

He faced no shortage of stiff challenges after winning the title, including a pair of championship matches against Bryan Danielson on Dynamite.

The first was a remarkable 60-minute draw, but Page got the better of The American Dragon in their rematch to retain the AEW world title.

Hangman put the strap on the line again on the Feb. 9 edition of Dynamite when he faced Lance Archer in a Texas Deathmatch. He survived the bloody battle, but Cole inserted himself into the title picture immediately after.

Following Page's win over Archer, Cole made his way to the ring, picked up the title belt and admired it, suggesting he had his sights firmly set on the championship.

On the next episode of Dynamite, Cole and Page had a war of words before the former joined O'Reilly and Fish in attacking the titleholder and sending a message.

Cole was a huge threat to Page's title reign, but just as he did against Danielson and Archer, Hangman survived and walked out of Revolution still the AEW world champion.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: profanity).

Professional wrestling is experiencing the hottest free-agency period in some time. So, it seemed like only a matter of time before All Elite Wrestling announced a new big signing, and one would have to imagine there will be more in 2022.

Last week, Tony Khan took to Twitter to tease that a new star would debut on AEW Dynamite to take on Isiah Kassidy in a qualifier for the Face of the Revolution ladder match. This led to seven days of speculation and chatter online. Nevertheless, the company president didn't disappoint, as Keith Lee and Jay White appeared in an action-packed episode of his flagship series.

The year 2021 was a busy one for Khan. Landing such big names as Malakai Black, Thunder Rosa, CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, Ruby Soho and Adam Cole was a massive victory for AEW. The relatively new company continues to put together a robust collection of talent. It's easy to say this is plenty to build on but when someone as dynamic and distinguishing as Lee is available, you don't pass on him.

Limitless Possibilities

Lee went through a tumultuous year in 2021. He started on a high note, challenging Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship on the Jan. 4 episode of Raw. However, a bout of COVID-19 led to an unforeseen fight for his life and a five-month hiatus.

The 37-year-old received a warm welcome as he returned to the ring in July, but he didn't look as explosive as he once did. Then, he took on the "Bearcat" gimmick, which couldn't have been any more of a far cry from the exuberant character that fans grew accustomed to with NXT.

However, the superheavyweight never got the chance to grow into the new role as WWE abruptly released him on Nov. 4. Suddenly, the first man to hold the NXT and North American titles concurrently was without a home and seemingly directionless.

Considering everything he went through last year, it felt so good to see Lee return to the Limitless moniker as he marched down to the ring on Wednesday night. The Wichita Falls, Texas native looked like he had a new lease on life. More importantly, he looked like he was free to be himself for the first time in a long time as fans greeted him with a familiar chant.

Lee looked just as dominant as the Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall crowd sang "Oh, Bask in his Glory." As the first participant to earn a spot in the Face of the Revolution ladder match, it looks like the sky's the limit again. AEW has someone who can deliver in the ring and act as a believable protagonist.

The company has received some criticism for a lack of diversity in its main event scene. However, its new acquisition could fill the void as a potential contender for the world title.

Avid fans could always make the case that AEW hadn't signed a premiere Black wrestler who could immediately be a legitimate threat to a reigning champion. Yes, some other options will take time to groom like Lee Moriarty or Ricky Starks, but Lee is ready now. He has all the tools and already has an established fanbase like many of the company's initial signees.

Some viewers may be understandably skeptical because Texas A&M alum is stepping into such a crowded roster. Even more, the first Face of the Revolution winner, Scorpio Sky, hasn't made much of an impact since he literally grabbed the brass ring. However, Lee isn't like anyone else on the AEW roster.

There's a chance that he could get lost in the shuffle and it feels like now or never for The Limitless One. Still, AEW seems like a perfect fit for him because its audience embraces wrestlers who once worked with Ring of Honor and PWG. There are plenty of new matchups for him and he can just be the star that many of us hope he would be elsewhere.

Breathe with the Switchblade

After Dynamite, Khan revealed that the former NXT champion was the big announcement he had planned all along but he didn't secure Jay White until Sunday.

Fans have been hoping to see the leader of Bullet Club step through the Forbidden Door since Kenny Omega invoked the name of the popular stable. It seemed more feasible than ever because the 29-year-old has been in the US working with Impact Wrestling, NJPW Strong and other promotions.

Viewers finally got their wish on Wednesday night when Switchblade casually entered a backstage segment to attack Roppongi Vice. His appearance came as a shock to The Young Bucks, but Adam Cole gleefully looked on as he dispatched Trent and walked away.

Later, Cole said White will accompany the Bucks to the ring for their match with Roppongi Vice on this week's episode of Rampage. Then, the new No. 1 contender for the AEW World Championship reassured his friends that they could trust King Switch because "when you're Bullet Club, you're Bullet Club for life."

This is an interesting development but what does it mean? The Elite has a long history with White stemming back to January 2018 when Kenny Omega invited him to join Bullet Club. The gaijin newcomer rejected The Cleaner, joined Chaos instead and went on to beat him for IWGP United States Championship at New Beginning in Sapporo, Japan.

Switchblade also predicted Bullet Club would implode. The first signs appeared after the match with Omega when Cody attacked him. The tension between the two finally boiled over leading to a fight over leadership and their IWGP title match at NJPW's G1 Special in San Francisco.

At the event, the Canadian star retained his title but Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, Bad Luck Fale, and King Haku effectively kicked him and The Elite out of Bullet Club. Two months later, the supergroup hosted All In, essentially the birthplace of All Elite Wrestling, and the rest is history.

Meanwhile, White betrayed Kazuchika Okada and Chaos and joined Bullet Club as its new leader. The formation of AEW and the rise of the Cutthroat Era aren't indelibly linked because the New Zealand wrestler took over as a result of the vacuum The Elite left behind. In fact, he later revealed he didn't want to join Bullet Club with them in command, choosing to side with the OGs.

As New Japan's newest gaijin star, King Switch defeated Okada at Wrestle Kingdom 13. A month later, he beat the man who ended Omega's run with NJPW, Hiroshi Tanahashi, for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.

During WrestleMania weekend, White headlined the G1 Supercard with Okada at Madison Square Garden. One could make a strong argument that Omega would've competed in the main event of this show instead if he didn't leave the company to join AEW. In his absence, his one-time rival thrived as the first NJPW grand slam champion.

Last year, The Best Bout Machine reunited with The Good Brother and started going by Bullet Club again. As a result, White eventually emerged to confront him following Impact Wrestling's Slammiversary as the stable's true leader.

What is Adam Cole Up To?

So, how does Cole factor into all of this? After all, The Elite turned on him on May 12, 2017, well before White returned from his excursion as Switchblade. The Panama City Playboy was "dead" when Omega invited his new ally to join Bullet Club.

That would explain why the two of them don't have any animosity but what exactly is Cole's angle? He has been quietly surrounding himself with new and old friends since The Cleaner lost the title to Adam Page at Full Gear and went on a sabbatical. Surely, it's not a coincidence that he's making so many moves as he prepares to challenge Hangman.

His alliance with White seems part of a bigger scheme as he seeks revenge on Omega. As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, and Cole seems to know more than he's letting on. If you haven't noticed, take a look at his current pinned tweet that cryptically reads, "They are already dead..."

It's unclear if AEW has long-term plans for White, but he fits into Cole's current storyline. It will be fun to see how this plays out as we wait for updates on Omega's return later this year.