Adam Cole Discusses Relationship With Shawn Michaels After WWE Departure

In recent years Shawn Michaels – ‘Mr. WrestleMania’ himself – has gone from in-ring legend to an NXT coach worthy of some praise. It’s no secret that Michaels is highly instrumental in what goes on over at NXT and what has gone down there in past years since its inception.

Shawn is certainly a bounty of knowledge and many NXT stars have spoken favorably about the man that didn’t have the greatest reputation in the past, but turned it all around. One such wrestler was Adam Cole, and although he left NXT for the greener pastures of AEW, he holds out that his relationship with Michaels was always and still is very important to him.

It was on a recent episode of Rasslin’ with Brandon F. Walker, that Adam Cole spoke of the man, the myth, the legend that is undoubtedly Shawn Michaels and he made it clear that he still has a great relationship with the legendary wrestler, and misses working with him from week to week.

“That, 1000% was a fact, and a big one. Because I have formed, and to this day, I still do have that relationship with Shawn. But again, I look at him as the greatest professional wrestler of all time. At least for what I like in pro wrestling. Whether he was a babyface or a heel, on the microphone.

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My favorite thing about Shawn was that when you look at him, you can say that a lot of people’s best matches were with Shawn Michaels. That’s like the ultimate compliment to Shawn Michaels. He was so incredibly helpful in so many different ways. I really did form a friendship with him as well. So, the idea of not seeing him every week or working with him every week was a tough pill to swallow.

Because again, I idolized him. Fortunately, we have still been able to stay in contact which is amazing. But yeah, when I was sitting there weighing up the pros and cons of what I was going to do, the idea of not being around Shawn anymore was a factor.”

There are of course similarities between the two, and it’s quite clear that Michaels was an influence on Cole, and yes, even far away from him, it shows through in his delivery and his in-ring matchups…proof that Michaels is in his head, and perhaps always will be.

*Thanks to Wrestling Inc for the quote.