Adam Cole

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

Reason for Danielson vs. Omega Opening Dynamite

AEW delivered a dream match on Wednesday night's Grand Slam edition of Dynamite at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City with AEW World champion Kenny Omega facing Bryan Danielson in a non-title match.

While the match was excellent, it was somewhat surprising that AEW put it on first rather than making it the main event. Apparently, there was a calculated reason for AEW's decision.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Marc Middleton), Danielson and Omega opened the show so that they could have a long match with fewer commercial interruptions.

Danielson vs. Omega went for 30 minutes and ended in a time-limit draw, and there was only one commercial break during the contest.

With Danielson and Omega going on first, the main event saw Britt Baker successfully defend the AEW Women's World Championship against Ruby Soho thanks to interference from Jamie Hayter and Rebel.

In addition to the rationale reported by Meltzer, the finish of Danielson vs. Omega likely had something to do with the decision as well.

Ending the show with a time-limit draw may not have sat well with the fans in attendance, which is why it made more sense to do the match earlier in the show.

After Danielson and Omega fought to a stalemate, it seems likely that they will go at it again in the near future with the title on the line.

WWE Discussing Logistical Plans for WrestleMania 38

WWE is reportedly considering making WrestleMania a two-day event once again next year after doing so each of the past two years.

According to Meltzer (h/t Middleton), WWE officials have discussed several ideas with AT&T Stadium officials regarding WrestleMania 38. The event is currently scheduled to emanate from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on April 3, 2022.

Among the ideas reportedly discussed is for WrestleMania to be a two-day event on both April 2 and April 3.

WWE made WrestleMania two days for the first time last year with WrestleMania 36, opting to try something new in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. WrestleMania 37 in Tampa, Florida, earlier this year was held over two nights as well.

Another reported idea being talked about is to hold WrestleMania at AT&T Stadium on April 3, followed by Monday Night Raw occurring at AT&T Stadium the next night as well. Both WrestleMania and Raw would reportedly have 40,000-seat setups.

Regardless of what WWE opts to do, WrestleMania 38 promises to be one of the biggest events in company history.

When WWE last held WrestleMania at AT&T Stadium over five years ago, the company reported an attendance of over 101,000, which was the highest in WWE history.

If WWE breaks up WrestleMania 38 over the course of two days, it is possible the total attendance could eclipse what WrestleMania 32 did in one night.

Cole Talks Owens Possibly Signing with AEW

Amid speculation regarding Kevin Owens' future in WWE, newly signed AEW star Adam Cole discussed his thoughts on KO possibly signing with AEW as well.

During an appearance on Oral Sessions with Renee Paquette (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Eric Mutter), Cole was asked about what he would like to see Owens do in the future:

"I mean this because I'm friends with Kevin. I want Kevin to do what makes him happiest. I really mean it, I mean it in my soul. However, of course I would love the idea of him joining me, and The Young Bucks, and everyone else here. That would be incredible. However, I do want Kevin to be happy. So there's no part of me that would be angry or upset with whatever his decision is."

Earlier this month, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select (h/t Aaron Rift of NoDQ.com) reported that Owens' WWE contract is set to expire in January 2022, which is earlier than originally thought.

Sapp noted that WWE restructured several contracts prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Owens' was among them.

Prior to Sapp's report, Middleton noted that Owens tweeted and deleted the coordinates of Mt. Rushmore. That was significant since Owens, Cole and The Young Bucks were once a stable known as Mt. Rushmore on the independent scene.

Cole made his AEW debut earlier this month at All Out after his WWE contract expired. Cole was a top star in NXT for four years but decided to jump ship to AEW.

Bryan Danielson did the same at All Out, signing with AEW upon the expiration of his WWE contract.

With so many high-profile WWE stars making the move to AEW, it is possible Owens could be next on the list, especially since he has no shortage of friends over at AEW.

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AEW has already signed several former WWE stars since coming into existence in 2019, and AEW World champion Kenny Omega believes many more would love to make the jump.

In an interview with Tokyo Sports (h/t Wrestling Inc's Robert Gunier), Omega said: "Absolutely, more will come out in the future. I think about 90 percent of wrestlers in WWE want to be in AEW."

Some of the most notable former WWE stars on the current AEW roster include CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, Adam Cole, Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley, Cody Rhodes, Ruby Soho, Miro, Malakai Black, Andrade El Idolo and Pac.

Danielson and Cole are among AEW's most recent signees, and they opted to let their WWE contracts expire before signing with AEW. That is in contrast to some of the others who were released by WWE before joining AEW.

Omega was also asked which current WWE star he would like to see sign with AEW, and he named perhaps the biggest star in WWE today: "There are already a lot of people coming… So I don't really know who. If I was forced, I'd say Roman Reigns. I think it's a good opportunity to prove who the real champion is."

Reigns is the current Universal champion and one of the most recognizable figures in wrestling. He is also in the midst of the best run of his career, and it can be argued that there is no more complete performer in all of wrestling.

Omega vs. Reigns would be a massive match given that they were voted the No. 1 and No. 2 wrestlers in the world over the past year by Pro Wrestling Illustrated.

Given that Reigns is a WWE homegrown talent and part of a family that is deeply rooted in WWE, it seems unlikely that he would ever make the leap to AEW.

While Omega vs. Reigns is a dream match that may not happen, Omega vs. Danielson is coming to fruition Wednesday night.

On the Grand Slam edition of AEW Dynamite at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City, Omega will clash with Danielson in a non-title match.

AEW has undoubtedly put itself on the map in the wrestling world thanks to some of the talent it has attracted, and if Danielson tears the house down with Omega on Wednesday night, perhaps it could inspire even more WWE stars to join AEW in the future.

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

Something, something, desperate times and desperate measures. 

We have all heard the antiquated phrase before but as WWE finds itself in the midst of a war for supremacy with All Elite Wrestling that it insists isn't one, it sure feels like a company experiencing pressure from all sides to keep up with its competition.

Over the last two months alone, we have seen Brock Lesnar and Becky Lynch return, Big E cash in his Money in the Bank contract to win the WWE Championship and Roman Reigns pop up on Raw in an attempt to reverse a new trend of AEW Dynamite beating WWE's flagship show in the 18-49 demographic, per Wrestlenomics' Brandon Thurston.

As AEW prepares for its Dynamite Grand Slam special from New York City, featuring appearances by major new additions CM Punk, Bryan Danielson and Adam Cole, does WWE have enough surprises to keep up with Tony Khan and company?

A Shallow Talent Pool

The days of WWE throwing limitless amounts of money at Superstars to come back—some against their better judgment—appear to be over.

For seven years, fans waited for the moment when Vince McMahon and/or Triple H would sit down with Punk to flesh out the problems between the parties and get the former WWE champion to come back to work.

AEW, though, provided a new platform for The Best in the World without the distrust and hurt of years prior. He didn't have to swallow his pride and limp back into WWE, because AEW provided an alternative place for him to ply his craft without wondering just how long the artificial goodwill and boatloads of money would keep him relatively happy.

Bryan Danielson, seeking an opportunity to expand his horizons beyond WWE, had the chance to do that without sacrificing his own monetary value. Ditto Adam Cole, who also reunited with some old friends in the process.

Sure, WWE can open its wallet and attract The Rock back from Hollywood for one last major match with Roman Reigns that will pop a buy rate and generate excitement, but once that is done, it's back to the drawing board.

Then what does it do? Recruit AEW talent whose contracts are up? Dust off a few icons for a "Legends Night" on Raw or SmackDown? Again, all desperate ploys for momentary buzz.

The fact of the matter is that talent no longer has to feel beholden to WWE. They can go elsewhere and still benefit financially. With more options available, there are less options for WWE to choose from when recruiting surprises in an attempt to keep broadcasting partners happy, entice advertisers and generate buzz among its own fanbase.

If there is a decided lack of talent to pull from to pop a rating or trend worldwide on social media, the only other option is to change up your product. A report from Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select suggests that may well be the direction McMahon and Co. are looking to go.

Attitude Change

"Among the points Fightful heard that were brought up included NXT 2.0 targeting more of a P18-34 demographic, including everything from in-ring work and aggression to harsher language and the like. Another point that we haven't verified was more lenience on female character gear, though it wasn't specified what exactly that means," Sapp noted.

One of the most consistent criticisms of WWE over the last decade has been its creative efforts to keep things family-friendly and how that often turned off fans in the demographic. Why would adults aged 18-34 want to subject themselves to cheeseball comedy and one-dimensional storylines aimed at selling John Cena T-shirts to kids and families? 

With no other alternatives, they simply stopped watching. Now, with another show for fans that features the edginess they once loved during the Attitude Era, WWE appears to be looking at the possibility of returning to a grittier, more adult-oriented product and will smartly test things out on its NXT brand.

NXT 2.0 is the perfect setting to work out the kinks and figure out exactly what WWE wants an Attitude Era reboot to look like. Maybe it even pops ratings for the maligned brand. 

The question is whether even that extreme would win the company momentum.

Initially, sure. Give fans something they haven't had in a while and they will respond favorably. But at what point does the 50-50 booking where no one fully gets over, the lack of character development and repetitive matchmaking eclipse foul language and controversy?

Maybe this is where WWE has to focus its attention first and foremost.

Don't worry about surprises and changing the tone of the show, fixing those foundational issues is more important. Give fans something to get excited about at the core of the product by making matches meaningful instead of putting the whole show on a creative treadmill.

Perhaps that will help turn momentum back in WWE's favor while it investigates a return to the attitudinal or dusts off Hulk Hogan for another ill-advised one-off. 

Now would be a good time for All Elite Wrestling to put a soft rule in place for the rest of 2021: no more former WWE stars. 

It might seem like a silly stance to take, especially after stunning AEW debuts for CM Punk, Daniel Bryan and Adam Cole. Why not keep adding more and more talent to what is already one of the best pro wrestling rosters of all time? 

Because AEW—and fans—need time to breathe. 

It's impossible to find fault with AEW for the acquisitions so far, of course. Acquiring can't-miss talent is a no-brainer for a fast-rising company with a near-unlimited ceiling. This sort of "soft" rule goes out the window if, say, a Brock Lesnar or Charlotte Flair somehow slips their way to the free-agent market (and never say never given, well, Punk, Bryan and Cole). 

But AEW does run the risk of oversaturating the roster with former WWE stars who want a slice of the main-event scene, and even the mid-card scene. Other promotions—who we won't name—quickly established reputations as realms for WWE castoffs, and it cost them dearly in the long run. 

AEW isn't anywhere close to having that sort of reputation, obviously. The company is very, very good at getting deserving faces screentime and noteworthy feuds. 

But even a company with a stellar track record isn't immune to stumbles. The last thing AEW needs to do is feel like a mini-WWE in the way it lets Superstars who deserve so much more toil in mid-card purgatory. Think about some of the guys who helped get things off the ground, like Joey Janela or the Dark Order. 

At some point, this is just the natural growth of things after AEW elbowed its way into the space, created a must-see alternative and attracted major Superstars. But the balance is a delicate, precious thing to find—and to the company's credit, establishing a Friday show like Rampage helps with these potential long-term issues. 

Temptation on AEW's part is understandable, though. Names like Braun Strowman and Bray Wyatt are still out there. Somebody like Kevin Owens could be soon, too. We could spend hours and hundreds, maybe thousands of words on fun fantasy debuts and booking scenarios with those three names alone. 

But we could spend even more on the current crop of talent. Punk just had his first mini-feud. Bryan and Cole are only just starting. The Hangman Page thing continues to cook in the background. Jon Moxley is going international. We want to see can't-miss things like Punk and MJF squaring off on the mic. The list is almost endless.

This hasn't mentioned a ton of other talent for the sake of time and space. AEW will never match the sheer quantity and star level of WWE's current roster (WWE hoarded talent and needed to make so many cuts recently for good reason), but it's a stunningly great roster with a superb main-event scene, the best tag scene on the planet and a fast-rising women's division with critical storytelling elements not necessarily found elsewhere. There's only so much airtime per week to make it all work. 

A rule like this would serve doubly in another critical way—shock value. Letting some of the big-name WWE castoffs toil on the market for a while will only make an eventual debut that much better—like the waiting game with Punk, but on a much smaller scale.

Fans have almost come to expect former WWE guys to show up in AEW right away once news about a contract expiration comes out. AEW can leverage that in brutally smart ways to create unforgettable moments that kick off dream-match storylines. 

With that theme in mind, the period of leveraging major former WWE names to gain headlines and shock value is over. AEW has the big names now and the fans responded, and the viewing numbers are huge and will likely stay that way. Now it's time to let things breathe. Show those new fans how the recently acquired, beloved talent will get used, not hamfist more former names into the company for the sake of it. 

Again, we wouldn't suggest this if, say, Punk was still out there or a can't-miss name hits the market. But those are exceptionally rare circumstances at this point. And to AEW's credit, the way it has handled 95 percent of things, learned from mistakes (early Dark Order, for example) and treated legends tactfully only inspires confidence that this is already an idea making the rounds at the promotion. 

Still, other promotions struggled with this. Behavior and habits from the big kid on the block keeps fans cautiously optimistic, but they are not just blindly throwing faith into pretty much anything. With some smart maneuvering on this front, AEW can reassure fans that things really are different now. 

A stagnant, oversaturated product isn't just causing WWE and Vince McMahon to lose big-name Superstars to competitors like All Elite Wrestling—it's also causing some on the payroll to speak out. 

And as always, industry legend Mick Foley is spot on with his analysis. 

Foley recently noted that WWE has a serious issue on its hands because it is "no longer the place for talent to aspire to."

It's hard to disagree on that front. It was AEW, not WWE, that lured CM Punk out of retirement after a seven-year hiatus. Adam Cole, the main face of NXT and surefire main-roster star for WWE, instead left and joined AEW during the recent All-Out pay-per-view that also featured the debut of Daniel Bryan, back under his old-school name, Bryan Danielson. 

Danielson himself even told fans on a broadcast that he loved his time with WWE and was thankful, but that what was happening in AEW was just that much more exciting.

Foley noted in his comments that part of the issue is AEW is just that good of a pro wrestling product. But he also heaped blame on WWE for a litany of reasons. According to Mat Men's Andrew Zarian (h/t Cageside Seat's Randall Ortman), there are those in WWE who are "very unhappy" with Foley's comments. 

Those same folks in WWE will need to get mad at Booker T then, too. While reviewing All Out on the Hall of Fame podcast, he agreed with Foley (h/t Chris Siggia of Wrestlingnews.co): 

"I want to talk about those comments because I think there's a lot of validity to those comments that Mick Foley made. It was critical in a constructive criticism way. I can't disagree with Mick Foley on anything. He's a smart dude, and he's very, very intelligent as well. He knows his stuff. He's been there. He's done it, so coming from Mick Foley, you have to take it and say, 'OK, let me look at this.' ... I agree with Mick Foley 100 percent. We need to get our ass in gear, bottom line."

Sometimes the truth hurts, right? And funny reality check: The worst WWE can do to either of these guys is cut them loose from legends contracts. They'd then probably be free to make appearances in AEW (and boy would it be fun to see Foley against Jon Moxley, sorry), where legends like Arn Anderson and Sting get spectacular usage when on television—but that's just one of many issues with WWE right now. 

To say this problem has been building for WWE for a long time is an understatement. Contentment leaves even the biggest of companies vulnerable to legitimate competition, and that is what's happening here. The television contracts are fat and the social media numbers huge, but poor, if not lazy decisions have left WWE in a bad spot. 

Where to even start at this point? Cole split at least in part because most NXT call-ups to the main roster end in disaster. Karrion Kross is merely the latest example, but look at Keith Lee or Aleister Black. The latter split after WWE made him a shocking cut and is already prospering with the creative freedom AEW allows. 

Speaking of surprising cuts, don't forget Braun Strowman, Bray Wyatt and a huge chunk of NXT as McMahon himself takes over the broadcast again and completely gives it a facelift. Even Ric Flair got let go. Ric. Flair. 

That NXT debacle stings, too. While pretending AEW wasn't competition, WWE threw NXT on to the same night as AEW's Dynamite, largely got walloped over time, moved back over to another night and now has elected to completely rebuild from the ground up.

The fine details are a big problem, too. While AEW was building up to the Punk debut and other feats, WWE was off having its second-biggest event of the year, SummerSlam. That featured 54-year-old Goldberg in a title match, an advertised Sasha Banks match that morphed into a weird Becky Lynch return that buried Bianca Belair and a rough-looking Brock Lesnar return to set up yet another feud with Roman Reigns. 

Make no mistake, some of the above can still work. The talent is certainly great enough. But continuity and meaningful matches don't happen often in WWE. The company is way too focused on individual moments (like Lynch's return, instead of the long-term impact on Belair) and WrestleMania booking. It makes everything else feel like placeholders or stuck in a holding pattern. 

Revisit this in six months or so. The odds are Belair doesn't come out any better from the odd Lynch return that felt like WWE overreacting to Punk's debut elsewhere. Little likely comes from Finn Balor's feud with Roman Reigns because he's cannon fodder until Lesnar shows up. Goldberg, despite repeated losses, gets another unquestioned title match at a show in Saudi Arabia. 

It's on WWE to prove that sort of thing wrong. Long-term booking has to be a priority. Building up the next generation of stars is a must. What's hair-pulling frustrating is that the social media numbers and television deals the company adores would come either way—go check the numbers on Punk's debut or the Lucha Bros finally winning tag titles. 

The best hope fans can have is that some of that energy WWE might spend getting mad at a Foley or Booker instead gets put into the problems they rightfully brought up in the first place. Because if not, fans easily have the ability to choose to look elsewhere. 

One glance at the ratings shows AEW keeps gaining momentum while WWE holds steady, which suggests names like Punk and the sheer fun that is AEW keeps bringing aboard lapsed fans. But at some point, AEW, especially with major star power aboard now, can start poaching from the bigger company. 

Some of the Superstar poaching was inevitable because WWE had hoarded the most talented roster in the sport's history. But more recent names going over tell a different story, one Foley explained to perfection. The fan poaching comes next. And while none of it is a guarantee McMahon and Co. pull a swerve and actually start to change (they've really only done it once—in response to WCW), the pressure is palpable. 

Either way, pro wrestling has competition and is fun again. The Superstars past and present can feel it, and so can fans.

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

Lynch Says She Hasn't Actually Turned Heel

Becky Lynch has seemingly had a change in attitude since returning at SummerSlam, but The Man insists she isn't a heel.

In an interview with Kate Feldman of the New York Daily News, Lynch said she has simply gotten smarter rather than changed her persona:

"I've just come back and now I feel like suddenly there's this conversation that I'm not doing things the right way, but I don't know what anybody expects me to do. Do you want me to come back and toy with Bianca [Belair] and give her more of a chance to look like she's got an opportunity? Or would I come back, knowing that I haven't done this in a while, and be smart about it and blindside her? I just did what an intelligent person would do.

"If you haven't been wrestling in a long time, then you've been strategizing. You've been strategizing because you haven't been in the ring with this person, so then you are going to do something different. You are going to catch them off guard. And now suddenly I'm the bad guy because I came back even better than ever? I don't really understand this talk about me being a heel. I haven't changed. I just got smarter."

After being out for more than a year because of the birth of her first child, Lynch made a surprise return at SummerSlam, replacing Sasha Banks as Belair's opponent for the SmackDown Women's Championship.

Becky took advantage of the situation by offering her hand to Bianca, only to hit Belair with a cheap shot when she went to accept the handshake. That resulted in The Man winning the title in mere seconds.

In the weeks since then, Belair has tried to get Lynch to put the title on the line on SmackDown, but Becky has declined each time.

Instead, Belair earned another title opportunity by beating Liv Morgan, Carmella and Zelina Vega in a Fatal 4-Way, and the rematch will occur in two weeks at Extreme Rules.

It is difficult to say that Lynch is a full-fledged heel, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, as ambiguity can often be compelling in wrestling.

Lynch became one of the biggest female Superstars in WWE history thanks in large part to a heel turn a few years ago. Despite her actions, fans cheered her and turned her into a top babyface.

Even as a face, Lynch had some heel tendencies, and if she can continue to evolve that type of character, it should put her in position to remain successful moving forward.

Heyman Talks Where He Stands with Reigns and Lesnar

Paul Heyman finds himself in the middle of a professional love triangle of sorts in between two of WWE's top Superstars--Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar.

Heyman was the longtime advocate of Lesnar, but when Brock took a leave of absence from WWE after WrestleMania 36 last year, he switched allegiances to Reigns and became special counsel to The Tribal Chief.

Lesnar made a surprise return at SummerSlam to confront Reigns after his win over John Cena, leading to questions regarding where Heyman's allegiances lie.

In an interview with Joseph Staszewski of the New York Post, Heyman suggested it is possible he could represent both Reigns and Lesnar moving forward:

"I don't know if we end up in a situation where Brock Lesnar can't go after a different championship other than Roman Reigns' and he can have his advocate and Roman Reigns can have his special counsel. There's a lot of decisions to be made and there's a lot of scenarios that can play out and I dare suggest anyone who thinks that they have this figured out doesn't have a clue as to the twists and turns that could and will come in the near future."

The Usos were immediately suspicious of Heyman and whether he knew about Lesnar's return ahead of time, while Reigns has played it cool thus far.

Last week on SmackDown, Heyman received a call from Lesnar, who informed him he would be present at this week's SmackDown at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

The expectation is that Reigns and Lesnar will have another confrontation, and the way Heyman reacts could say a lot about where he stands.

If Reigns and Lesnar have a match in the near future, Heyman may need to pick a side. If the plan is for Lesnar to perhaps ultimately switch to Raw and go for the WWE Championship instead, however, Heyman could have his cake and eat it too.

WWE Reportedly Wanted Cole to Manage Lee

Adam Cole made his surprise debut for All Elite Wrestling last weekend when he showed up following Kenny Omega's successful AEW World Championship defense over Christian Cage in the main event of All Out.

Cole aligned himself with Omega and The Young Bucks, leading to Bryan Danielson making his debut and backing up Christian and Jurassic Express.

After four years in NXT, Cole's WWE contract recently expired, which led to speculation on AEW trying to sign him and WWE trying to keep him.

One of the reports that came out via Fightful Select noted that Cole met with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon and McMahon took a liking to Cole on a personal level. McMahon reportedly set the wheels in motion for the creative team to come up with ideas for Cole on the main roster as well.

On Thursday, Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Eric Mutter) said he was told WWE pitched Cole an idea that would have seen him serve as Keith Lee's manager.

WWE reportedly wanted to turn Lee heel and make Cole his mouthpiece, while also changing Cole's name so as not to be confused with announcer Michael Cole.

Meltzer noted that McMahon wanted the dynamic to be similar to the one between Bobby Lashley and Lio Rush when Rush managed Lashley.

If that was indeed WWE's plan, it is easy to see why Cole made the decision to leave. Cole is the longest-reigning NXT champion of all time and a former ROH World champion as well.

While he is small in stature, he has a huge personality and is a great in-ring performer to boot, which suggests he could have been a big star on the WWE main roster if given the chance.

Instead, he will attempt to reach his massive potential in AEW.

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