10 Wrestlers NXT Fans Didn’t Know Adam Cole Had Matches With

Adam Cole was born Austin Jenkins in Pennsylvania, in 1989. He debuted as a professional wrestler in 2008. Since then, he has made quite a name for himself. Signed to World Wrestling Entertainment he works under the NXT banner and is a member of the stable, “The Undisputed Era.” He is in the midst of his first run as the brand’s champion. Cole has gone up against some of the biggest names in wrestling today. However, there are some matches that very few know about. Here is a list of 10 wrestlers that NXT fans didn’t know Adam Cole had matches with.

10 AJ Styles

Allen Jones is a 42-year-old wrestler that made his debut in the professional world in 1998. Considered one of the best in the business, he has been the headliner of many PPV events around the world. AJ Styles was Cole’s first opponent when he returned to the ring, after taking a break due to injury. At War of the World's, AJ Styles defeated Cole. Many often wonder if Cole’s injury played a part in his losing the match. The two also faced off in a four-way match that ended with Styles becoming a contender for the Ring of Honor Championship title.

9 Michael Elgin

Aaron Frobel, better known as Michael Elgin, is a Canadian wrestler. He was signed to Impact Wrestling and he is most popular or his ties are with New Japan Pro-Wrestling. He debuted in 2004. Elgin went up against Adam Cole in 2011 in a four-corner match. The winners, Elgin, and his team won and advanced to the tournament finals.

Elgin won the finals which instantly gave him a shot at the World Championship title. The following year, he was matched against Cole in a singles match at Border Wars. His victory was a sweet one since he beat Adam Cole in his birthplace, Toronto.

8 Jay Lethal

Jamar Shipman is signed to Ring of Honor and has held their World Champion title twice. “The Franchise” is a record holder for the most combined days holding the title. Lethal and Adam Cole first crossed paths in 2016, when Lethal was part of a group attacked by “The Bullet Club,” which included Cole.

Cole attacked Jay Lethal while he was tied up. He was attacked again, by Cole and his crew, at Best of the World. The two had a singles match in August of 2016 and Jay Lethal lost his championship title to Adam. That loss ended his reign of nearly 430 days as world champ.

7 Christopher Daniels

Daniels has been dubbed the “King of Indies” due to his longtime association with independent promotions around the globe. Born Daniel Christopher Covell and debuting as a professional wrestler in 1993, he is most popular for the work he has done with ROH. He has used at least five ring names throughout his career.

In 2014, Christopher Daniels made his third return to Ring of Honors. He was matched against Cole the following year at Field of Honors, where he was defeated. Early in 2019, he became one of the initial members of the All Elite Wrestling franchise. He will also hold an executive position with the new promotion.

6 Kyle O’Reilly

Making his professional debut in 2005, at age 26, he is most popular for the time he spent with ROH. Kyle O’Reilly was one of the members of The Undisputed Era, alongside Roderick Strong and Adam Cole. Later on in his career, he would form Future Shock with Adam Cole.

Future Shock disbanded in 2010 and O’Reilly joined forces with Davey Richards as “Team Ambition.” In 2012, O'Reilly beat Adam Cole in a singles match by using what many believe was a cheat move. Three months later, Cole would defeat Kyle in what was known as a “Hybrid Rules” match.

5 Davey Richards

In 2012, Davey Richards and Kyle O’Reilly formed the tag team duo “Team Ambition” to go up against Adam Cole and his partner, Eddie Edwards. Two months later, at the show marking ROH’s decade in the business, Team Ambition lost to their opponents. Cole made the pin for the victory.

Surprisingly, Richards has had matches against the majority of the names on this list, as well. In 2017, Davey Richards was forced to step away from professional wrestling due to an injury that required surgery. The following year he announced that he was taking an indefinite break to focus on furthering his education.

4 Roderick Strong

Roderick Strong was born Christopher Lindsey in the summer of 1983. He has been part of the professional wrestling industry for nearly two decades. Strong and Adam Cole both belonged to the same stable, The Undisputed Era. However, this came after they met in the ring in a title match.

In March of 2012, Strong became the second person to ever win the Ring of Honor Triple Crown. Four months later, he lost the title to Adam. They would meet again at Pro-Wrestling Guerillas where Strong beat out Cole to become the number one contender for the franchise’s World Title.

3 Matt Taven

Also known as the “Romantic Touch,” Matthew Marinelli more commonly goes by the ring name Matt Taven. He is currently in a contract with Ring of Honor, where he’s been competing since 2012. Matt came up against Adam Cole after he was awarded a Ring of Honor World TV Championship match as a reward for defeating TaDarius Thomas in a 2013 tournament.

The match was to take place during a Ring of Honor Anniversary program. He defeated Cole and simultaneously turned heel when his opponent was struck in the Dome with the Book of Truth by its owner, Truth Martini.

2 Jay Briscoe

Under the ring name Jay Briscoe, Jamin Pugh busted his way onto the professional wrestling scene in the spring of 2000. As part of a tag team with his brother, he holds nearly a dozen championships. He is one of only four solo wrestlers to hold the Ring of Honor World Championship two times.

His match against Adam Cole at the Border Wars in 2013 was the only time he successfully defended his title for the first time in a no-holds-barred brawl. Jay and his brother have also made a name for themselves appearing in matches for the New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

1 Sami Callihan

Sami Callihan made his professional debut in 2006. Callihan has gone up against Adam Cole several times. Their first match was in May 2010 at Evolve 3: Rise and Fall. Callihan walked away with the victory. Later that year, they met as opponents in a tag team match. Callihan and his partner defeated Cole’s team. Callihan went on to beat his partner in the next round. They met again in 2011 and Adam Cole lost the CZW World Junior Heavyweight Championship title to Callihan. Their final match came in 2012 at the Battle of L.A. Adam Cole finally beat his longtime opponent.

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