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| ROH Tag Team Wrestler, Adam Cole |
The current CZW Junior Heavyweight Champion is also going to be one of the many great tag teams capturing the minds of many on ROH television, presented by the Sinclair Broadcast Group. Now with a deal on TV, Cole and O’Reilly will bring tag team wrestling to a whole new level, one which WWE and TNA have not seen in years. I got to speak with Cole about a wide array of topics and hope you enjoy this interview!
Rallo: First off, I’d like to thank you for taking the time to conduct this interview! My first question is, why did you become a Professional Wrestler? Who were inspirations you watched that you felt motivated you to pursue this career? Where did the passion and the drive to wrestle come from and who were your biggest inspirations in and out of the squared circle?
Cole: I got into wrestling when I first watched WrestleMania 15, with The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin in the main event. They hooked me from the start. However, I didn’t actually decide I wanted to be a wrestler until their second Mania match at WM 17. I got goosebumps when Austin came out then night, and it was almost an out of body experience. Something was telling me that I need to do this, so I decided I wanted to pursue wrestling as a career. Stone Cold was a huge inspiration for me to get involved, and then guys like Kurt Angle, CM Punk, and Shawn Michaels really furthered my desire and love for wrestling. Outside of the ring, my mother is my rock. She has supported me from day 1, and I’m thankful everyday that she has been by my side.
Rallo: As one of the newer true talents on the independent wrestling scene, you had begun your trained and debuted in the Combat Zone Wrestling territory. Could you tell us who there primarily trained you and prepared you for your career? What skills do you think you learned there that truly propelled you into becoming a rising star in the industry? How was the atmosphere of CZW in the beginning and what do you feel is something CZW brings to the table that other wrestling promotions do not?
Cole: DJ Hyde and Jon Dahmer were my original trainers. Both of them for different reasons were so instrumental in helping me learn and advance. DJ was very hard on our class, and we really had to learn to respect wrestling, which was easy for me because I had such a large amount of respect, almost fear for it going in. But I’m thankful for how hard he was on me, because if he didnt push me physically and mentally I certainly wouldnt be where I’m at. Jon Dahmer showed us a lot of holds and told us how to tell a story, which is something that I’m truely thankful for. Dahmer is one of those guys who is so underatted. He knows so much, and is willing to help anyone out. DJ brought in Al Snow and Les Thatcher quite a bit, so I got to learn from them as well. The CZW locker room was very intimidating at first, because the guys command respect, as they should. But as I grew as a wrestler and person, they accepted me as part of the family. And thats what the CZW locker room is, a family. CZW is such a well rounded company now. You get the best ultraviolent wrestling in the U.S., and they also have some of the best hard hitters, high flyers, and techincal wrestlers on the planet. CZW is truely something different.
Rallo: From CZW, you also worked for several other promotions including, Maryland Championship Wrestling, DGUSA, EVOLVE, amongst many others, capturing gold along the way. Right now, you are even reigning as the CZW Junior Heavyweight Champion. Can you tell us maybe a specific experience or moment in any promotion you feel was “career defining” (excluding ROH for now)? Any instance occur to you that has had an everlasting impact on yourself as a performer or even as a person?
Cole: I would say two matches come to mind, and they were both in DGUSA. Me and my current ROH tag partner Kyle O’Reilly first met as opponents on a DGUSA pre show back in November of 2009. I would say that match was my first “break out” match, where people really started to take notice of me and Kyle. And then there was the first 4 Way Freestyle that was on PPV for DGUSA at Enter the Dragon 2010. We knew going in that the match was going to be special, but we didn’t know it would be recieved as well as it was, both by the live crowd and the wrestling world. That was a cool stamp in my career that I will never forget, and certainly something that I look back on with pride.
Rallo: Now moving on to, Ring of Honor. Debuting in the company in 2009, you are most known for your very successful, young, tag team with, Kyle O’Reilly. Being one of the top teams in ROH today, what do you feel about in terms with working with some of the best tag teams in the business today? Working in a company with the likes of, The World’s Greatest Tag Team, The Briscoe Brothers, and the All Night Express, what is your view on tag team wrestling as a whole on the independent circuit/ROH?
Cole: It’s amazing. Getting to wrestle guys who have teamed all over the world really forces you to step your game up, and you have to get better. It’s a sink or swim situation. We’ve improved so much as a team because we’re wrestling the best teams in the world. ROH really does have the best tag team division in the world right now, and it’s an honor (no pun intended haha) to be apart of it.
Rallo: It is quite obvious that in WWE/TNA, tag team wresting is nowhere near as relevant as it once was. As a tag team competitor, what are your feelings in regards to working with all these great names and what are your thoughts in terms of the mainstream wrestling outlook on tag teams? Do you believe in the outlook of using tag teams to eventually create a singles wrestler or do you feel teams could reach the same level of super stardom on their own?
Cole: That’s a good question. Normally, tag teams arn’t looked at as “main event attractions”, but ROH has done an awesome job of being able to create that. Naturally, sometimes teams break away and become singles stars, but I do believe that teams, especially in ROH, can be looked at in that main event light and main event attraction.
Rallo: Some of the biggest news for, Ring of Honor, as of late has been purchased by Sinclair Broadcast Group. Ring of Honor featured their first television tapings on August 13th. What are your personal thoughts on this change for the promotion? What is the overall locker room morale as a whole? Also, based on the first tapings that took place a few days back, how was your first experience working with SBG? What did you think of the initial atmosphere of the show and its future?
Cole: The feeling is all positive. This is a huge opportunity for ROH, and Sinclair is totally on board. After the first set of TV Tapings, we know that the future is bright.
Rallo: Even with the tapings for ROH in full motion, it is quite obvious that the talent level has recently been depleted. With the loss of, the Kings of Wrestling to WWE on top of the dark matches featuring the likes of, Colt Cabana and the Young Bucks, how do you think that effects Ring of Honor as a whole? What do you think of WWE looking at all these names and teams to work for them? Thoughts?
Cole: There was the same feeling about ROH when Bryan and Nigel left. Naturally, people get worried because the talent that the Kings posses is unreal, so it will be a loss to ROH. But ROH as a company is stronger than ever, and we will still deliver the best in ring action that you can find anywhere. WWE is smart to be looking at the guys in ROH, because there is so much talent there. This is something that will continue to happen I’m sure, but I have full faith in what ROH has and will continue to bring to the table.
Rallo: Do you believe it is a “dawn of a new era” in WWE, one that you may wish to partake in? What are your overall feelings of this as well as your thoughts of one day jumping to WWE either alone or in a tag team? Also, what are your thoughts on the the WWE product as of late? With the recent success stories of Daniel Bryan and CM Punk, what are your views on their recent contributions to the business? And just for the heck of it, what do you think of TNA? Do you ever consider that a possibility or do you think you would be the “Generation Me” of the company moving forward?
Cole: I’d be lying if I said I didnt wanna work for WWE someday. They are the biggest wrestling company in the world, and one day I would love to be apart of that. I do think WWE is going in a different direction, and certainly for the better. You never know what’s going to happen every monday night, and its an exciting time. TNA is a company that has a lot of potential to be something very different and very special as well. However, I couldnt be happier in ROH right now and I look forward to what the future holds.
Rallo: Being such a young and talented wrestler, I’m curious in terms of your favorite match? Also, if you were given the opportunity to work any singles match with anyone in history in their prime…Who would it be? What would your dream tag team match be? Why?
Cole: Man a favorite match is tough. I’d say for moment purposes, our match with ANX at Final Battle 2010 was a dream come true. Getting to wrestle in that building in NYC and having the crowd be as wild as they were was unreal. It was me and Kyle’s “arrival” in ROH, so it will always have a special place in my heart. Dream singles match would be Shawn Micheals. He’s just the best ever, and getting to learn from him would be priceless. As far as a tag team, The Brain Busters of Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard would be my dream. Again, so so good and would love the learning experience.
Rallo: As I mentioned earlier, WWE has always viewed tag teams as a way to elevate a singles wrestler(s). Do you feel as though you would like to prefer a majority of your career in a team or as a singles wrestler? Of course, your career is a very young one, but would you like to be remembered more as a singles competitor or within a tag team?
Cole: I for sure would like to become a successful singles wrestler someday, but my full focus right now is becoming the best tag team that I can alongside O’Reilly. Me and Kyle have so much drive, and I know we both invision singles careers for ourselves, but we certainly wouldnt mind a run or two with the ROH Tag Titles before we part ways. And who knows, we may never split up! Because we really are that focused as a team.
Rallo: Before I let you go, any last words for the ROH fans and for your fans? Seems as though exciting times are upon us in the new chapter of, Ring of Honor and many are excited for that. Anything in particular you’d like to say? Thanks again for the interview and I much anticipate the very bright future for yourself!
Cole: Thank you so much to each and every one of you who support me. You really have no idea how much it means to me, and you’ve all created so many unforgettable moments in my life. Thank you for supporting me and pro wrestling! Feel free to reach me at facebook.com/adamcolepro twitter.com/adamcolepro and youtube.com/adamcolepro. Also, check out www.adamcolepro.com! Thanks again, and the journey has just started!!!
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