Adam Cole addresses turning on Kyle O'Reilly and Roderick Strong

By Ryan Satin
FOX Sports WWE Analyst 

While it might have looked like Adam Cole put an end to Undisputed Era over the past few weeks on NXT TV, the leader of the group says his faction is far from dead.

Cole broke millions of hearts on Valentine's Day this year after delivering a superkick to Kyle O’Reilly, which put an end to their on-screen friendship and seemingly splintered the popular foursome who’d been a fixture of NXT.

Things escalated the following week when "The Panama City Playboy" took Kyle out of action with a nasty brain-buster on the steel steps (which led to an online panic over his sell job due to the reaction from some of the fans in attendance).

Things then got physical between Cole and Roderick Strong … which led fans to believe the group was officially done for good.

Before challenging for the NXT Championship tonight on USA Network, however, the 31-year-old WWE Superstar made it clear in a one-on-one interview that his recent actions weren’t done to end the UE … they were meant as a message to current champion Finn Balor.

Watch the interview to hear Adam Cole explain things himself, or scroll below for the full transcript.

RS: This week on NXT, you’ll be challenging Finn Balor for the NXT Championship, and it will be the third time you’ve faced off against each other in singles matches the passed few years.

What do you think about Finn as an in-ring competitor? What do you think his strengths are?

COLE: Oh, God. Well, no question to me at all, Finn Balor is not only one of the greatest NXT Champions of all time, he is one of the best that I’ve ever been in the ring with. 

I first stepped into the ring with Finn Balor, actually, in one of his farewell matches to actually come to NXT. I was the guy he faced off with. We wrestled each other in England, and I knew how good he was then. Now to see the talent and the skill and the passion that he has for this job really come into its own and increase by tenfold has been impressive. 

So I will never, ever argue how good Finn Balor is. He absolutely is one of the best I’ve ever wrestled.

RS: You had that farewell match when he was on the way to WWE, while you were still coming up in your career, and now all this time has past since then, and you’ve become the two longest-reigning NXT Champions in history. You’ve come to a place where you’re on equal playing fields now. Is it safe to say there’s an immense amount of personal respect between the two of you guys?

COLE: I think so. Yeah, yeah. Personal respect, personal competition, I think both of us have the argument of, you know, I feel like I’m the greatest NXT Champion of all time, he feels like he’s the greatest NXT Champion of all time. But at the end of the day, absolutely there’s respect. 

I have respect for Kyle O’Reilly. I have respect for Roderick Strong. And I have that same respect for Finn Balor. So regarding that question, for sure. I think he respects me, and I respect him.

RS: Finn’s current title reign did begin with a win over you at Super Tuesday, but since then, on TV you started becoming a little more ruthless by ending your affiliation with Undisputed Era. How do you think this match will differ from the others you’ve had with Balor?

COLE: Well, and actually, this is a little bit of a correction. I think there’s been a misinterpretation of what’s been going on. 

I remember I made a comment about me saying that I am and always will be the Undisputed Era. There is no Undisputed Era without Adam Cole. 

The Undisputed Era would have never been what it became without me in charge, without me being the leader of this group. So in many ways, in my opinion, I kicked out Kyle O’Reilly, and I kicked out Roderick Strong. So it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the end of the Undisputed Era. In my opinion, the Undisputed Era is dead when Adam Cole says it’s dead. 

But in regard to the match with Finn Balor, how this is going to be different, I’m in a different place mentally than I’ve ever been before. The first time we faced each other, I was in the middle of that historic, 403-day reign as NXT Champion, and I beat Finn. 

The next time we faced each other was for the vacant NXT Championship. It was Super Tuesday. Finn Balor happened to get the win, and he became the new NXT Champion. 

So this one is the rubber match. This one finally determines who is the greatest NXT Champion of all time and for me to show a side of myself, which really people thought was just directed to Kyle O’Reilly, just directed to Roderick Strong. I was sending Finn Balor a message, too. And that is: I will hurt anybody. I will do anything in my power to regain the NXT Championship. So in many ways, whether he wants to admit it or not, that was an intimidating message to him. 

It was a message to Finn Balor, saying, "Hey. That championship means more to me than it does to you, whether you want to admit it or not." So I’m really looking forward to [tonight].

RS: On that note, you talked about how you are the Undisputed Era. Undisputed Era doesn’t end until you say it’s over, until you don’t want to be a part of Undisputed Era anymore. Do you want to add others to the group to replace the people you just kicked out then?

COLE: You know? I don’t know yet. I don’t know yet. At the end of the day, Undisputed Era was established to make Adam Cole the NXT Champion. Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish and Roderick Strong, they might have different beliefs on what the group was all about. But at the end of the day, that is what Undisputed Era was built on. 

So if I can find people who I think are suitable, if I can find people who I think will help me accomplish what I want to accomplish, I mean, never say never. Especially in this job. 

But right now, I feel like it’s in my best interest to get what I want to get and do it by myself. But absolutely. I think that’s definitely a possibility.

RS: Now that you’re going your separate ways from Undisputed Era on TV, you’re kinda stepping into a new phase of your career. How have you felt so far about being on your own? You’ve had those three guys by your side for much of your time in NXT. Is it weird for you to be stepping out on your own now for the first time in a few years?

COLE: Yeah, so, there was a part of me that does think it feels a little bit strange to not be able to look to my left and look to my right and see Kyle, Roddy and Bobby. 

But at the same time, I had a 10-year career before I came to NXT where much of my reign and much of my time on the independents, wrestling all over the world, was done by myself, and I did it alone. And I accomplished a lot by myself. So of course there’s a part of me that does feel like it’s a little bit — I don’t even want to say strange. It’s different.

But, in this sense, different feels good.

RS: Do you feel like you almost have something to prove at this point in NXT? That you didn’t need the Undisputed Era? That it was you all along?

COLE: Yeah. It’s weird.

I do kinda feel like I have something to prove, but not to myself. 

I feel like I have to prove this to the world. I think there’s this giant misconception that somehow I accomplished everything that I accomplished just because of the Undisputed Era, and it makes me — not even angry — but it makes me sad that so many people actually believe that. So now, me doing what I’m doing by punishing Kyle and by punishing Roddy and for three weeks in a row laying out the NXT Champion, I think I’m proving I can handle myself, by myself, just fine, and I’m going to prove that again [tonight] when I face Finn Balor for the NXT Championship and become a two-time NXT Champion.

RS: Personally, I’ve been wanting to see you guys split up for a while, but that’s only because I’m a PWG guy, and I’ve seen all your guys’ strengths as singles competitors.

Fans who followed your career prior to WWE know that you and Kyle O’Reilly have had some awesome title matches in the past. You must be looking forward to doing that again, at some point, in front of a new audience that hasn’t necessarily seen those matches.

COLE: I’m glad you brought that up because it is crazy to think about this. I was thinking about this the other day, and I have, in many ways, been married to Kyle O’Reilly since 2009. I had my first "breakout" independent match with Kyle O’Reilly for Gabe Sapolsky in Philadelphia for an independent company, and both me and Kyle were virtually unknown. 

I had been wrestling for maybe a year. Kyle had been wrestling for, I’d say, two years. And we fought that night, and we had a war. And then little do I know, and I’m sure little does he know, fast-forward 13 years later, and here we are still attached at the hip. 

Whether it’s as friends, whether it’s as partners or whether it’s as opponents, I do know that Kyle O’Reilly brings out a different side in me. Especially when we face each other, especially when we battle. So I can tell you right now if Kyle does decide he does want to step into the ring with me, and he’s able to, I’m sure it’ll be a war. No question.

RS: It’s crazy how time flies. I feel like the last time you guys wrestled against each other was at Wrestle Kingdom in 2017, right?

COLE: I think you’re right. I think in the Tokyo Dome at Wrestle Kingdom, yeah.

RS: That’s crazy.

COLE: That is crazy.

RS: Your guys’ story has become so much deeper since then, too. You’ve gone through so much on TV for the past few years. I’m looking forward to when that eventually happens again, if it happens again.

COLE: Right. Right.

RS: I know you said you’re not sure if you’re going to add new members to Undisputed Era, but if you inevitably have to face off against your former teammates of Bobby Fish, Kyle O’Reilly and Roderick Strong, which two superstars from any brand would you want as your teammates?

COLE: Oh, man. So I hate when people give this answer, and I hate to give this answer, but in this particular situation, it’s just so appropriate. Regardless of whether Kyle, Roddy or Bobby agree with what I did, to me, in very many ways, this is an in-house problem. 

So if Kyle and Roddy want to fight me at the same time, they can fight me at the same time. Again, it’s not me trying to dodge the question. There’s just nobody who understands what we’re going through. There’s nobody that understands what I’m trying to do. I’m sure there’s nobody that Kyle and Roddy want to punch in the face more than me, and I’d be happy to let them try.

I’m gonna embarrass them if they try to, like I’ve embarrassed them three weeks in a row now, but as far as this Undisputed Era in-house issue … I don’t want anybody else involved. I can handle it. I’ve proven that I can handle it by myself, and that’s how it’s going to be.

RS: I think that you’re great at playing a heel character. I love that you’re so good at getting under people’s skin. I also know you’re a longtime wrestling fan. So I’m wondering, in your opinion, who are the four best heels of all time?

COLE: Oh, man. That’s such a good question. There’s so many good ones. So it’s all actually kind of for different reasons.

To me, Ric Flair was one of the greatest heels of all time. Again, I know that a lot of people liked him, but the job that he did to make guy after guy after guy after guy was so, so impressive. And if you did pay attention as well, I’m talking about the fans, is even if they loved Ric Flair before he stepped into the ring, while that match was going on, whoever he was facing, that live audience was for his opponent. It was awesome. Really, really great to watch. 

Shawn Michaels was a fantastic heel. So, so good at getting under people’s skin. What’s amazing with Shawn is he’s just as good at being a good guy, which was a very, very special skill and trait to have.

There’s multiple phases of this one, too – in many ways I’m just listing my favorites – but I thought Kurt Angle was a fantastic heel. When he did his beginning run of kind of being, I don’t want to say over the top, but just obnoxious and loud and unaware of how ridiculous he sounded. I love characters like that. Then, later on, when he got to a point where he was that mean, nasty killer that Kurt Angle was, that was really great. 

And then, right now I’ve been going back and watching a lot of Attitude Era RAWs and Triple H was fantastic. The amount of anger he caused so many fans all across the world. People hated him.

They couldn’t stand him. And then when you go back and watch his interviews, and the way he would bounce around for guys like the Rock and Austin and Foley and Undertaker and the list goes on and on and on, he did that job pretty much better than anybody. He was fantastic.

RS: Yeah, I feel like when I was a kid, since I was so caught up in it, I just disliked Triple H once he turned heel. I was always so mad at him, but when you go back and watch it, you really appreciate the work that he was doing back then to get his opponents over as babyfaces, for sure.

COLE: When I was 11 or 12 years old, I hated Triple H. I hated him. Again, I was that classic fan that loved the good guys and hated the bad guys, but I really disliked Triple H. And like you said, when you go back and watch it, it’s like … wow. He was really good at his job. Really, really good.

RS: Yeah. I was the biggest DX fan. So I was right there with you when he turned heel. I was like, "No! I trusted you! You were the suck-it guy that I liked!"

COLE: "What are you doing?! Why?!"

RS: Speaking of Triple H, he recently said that Edge is interested in possibly wrestling NXT talent at some point. How badly do you want that match against him to represent for the brand?

COLE: So, so, so, so badly. 

Now I feel bad for not mentioning Edge as one of my top heels as well, now that you said that. The problem is, there’s so many good people. I’ll give a list, then we’ll bring somebody else up, and I’m like, "Oh, crap. I should’ve added him to the list." 

Edge is one of the greatest heels of all time. His run, no matter where he was – as a tag team wrestler, as a World Champion, as a heel, as a babyface – it didn’t matter. He was just so fantastic. And the fact that Edge, indeed, does want to come back and not just wrestle every now and then but is excited at the idea of wanting to come and wrestle guys in NXT. 

I remember years ago Edge used to come down to the Performance Center and share his knowledge with people, just because he has such a passion for pro wrestling, and it was so cool to see that and how important it was to him. He’s one of my all-time favorites. His body of work speaks for itself. Yeah. If I had the opportunity to get in the ring with Edge, I wouldn’t pass that up for anything. I would love the chance.

RS: The other day you tweeted a video of BLACKPINK, and I’m always looking to broaden my musical horizons. They’re actually not on my radar. I’ve heard of them. Are you a big fan of theirs?

COLE: Here’s the thing. I want to say that I’m a big fan, and I am, but I’m definitely not die-hard in the sense of I could not list a bunch of songs that they’ve done. So I don’t want to pretend and I don’t want the massive die hard BLACKPINK fans to come after me. But every single song I’ve heard of theirs has been fantastic. They’re amazing. 

Massive fan of BLACKPINK. Love them.

RS: All right, well, I’m going to have to check them out.

COLE: Especially "ROSÉ." "ROSÉ"’s my favorite.

RS: Yeah, you tweeted that video and I felt so old. I said to my girlfriend, "What’s a fan cam?’" She’s like, "God, sometimes you’re so old now …"

COLE: Right, right.

RS: So, lastly. I end all my interviews with three questions about the finishing move of the person I’m talking to. 

For you, that would be the Last Shot. 

These are the questions:

- What’s the best-looking Last Shot you ever delivered?
- What’s one time you hit the move that you wish you could take back for whatever reason?
- And what’s the most memorable time you deliver the move? 

COLE: There was one that I gave to Johnny Gargano.

It was in our trilogy of matches that we had, and there was one that I did to him – I don’t think it was the one that actually won the match, I had to hit two that night – the one I hit right before or toward the end of the match, I remember that one looking nasty. The way that Johnny crumbled and the way that he fell and the knee, knee pad down, directly in the back of the head. I remember it looked really, really nasty. Johnny’s great.

Then, in regard to one that I wish I could take back, it was really early in when I started doing it. I was still kind of trying to figure out how I wanted to make it look as effective as possible, and I can’t remember exactly the show of when it was. But I remember we had done a beatdown, and I think it was against a guy from NXT: UK. I remember I had done it, and I didn’t explain it very well, and also I was still kind of learning how to do it properly, and it looked a little bit whack. It didn’t look as good as I wanted it to look. So I do remember that.

RS: What do you think you need to do to make it look good? Like you said, you were still kind of learning. What did you learn in order to make it look good moving forward?

COLE: Yeah. To actually make sure I get as close to my knee as possible. Before it was, of course, again, I’m hitting with the inside of my leg, but to make sure that my opponent’s head and my knee are as close as possible. Also, this doesn’t help. It really doesn’t help. I was wearing jeans. Which any time, for anybody – if you’re wearing dress shoes and jeans, it is so much harder to wrestle in. So much harder.

RS: Is it really?

COLE: It really is. It really is. It’s amazing. When you have more flexibility and movement, dress shoes are even worse.

RS: That I can imagine.

COLE: Yeah. Especially when you’re kicking. Oh, my God. Forget it. But, yeah, even then, again, your mobility and movement, especially for a guy like me who wears trunks, so then I have a ton of movement options there. 

As far as the most memorable one. I’m gonna say – so the one I was talking about with Johnny was at Takeover 25. That was the first one. That was the night that I won the NXT Championship. But the most memorable one, by far, was the Last Shot that I hit on Johnny Gargano in Brooklyn when Johnny won the NXT Championship. And it wasn’t even because of the move, it was because of the crowd reaction when Johnny kicked out of the Last Shot. 

I remember, Johnny had fought off the Undisputed Era. He came into the ring. I hit him with two superkicks. I hit him with the Last Shot, which I beat him with earlier in the first fall. And when I hit him with that and he kicked out, it was the loudest roar from an audience that I’ve ever personally involved in. 

I remember at the time I was so focused and so in the zone that I didn’t even really appreciate it because, again, we’re 50 minutes into this match, and I’m as focused as ever, but then going back and watching the crowd response when he managed to fight through it and kick out of that, I don’t know if I’m ever going to have that again. 

So I hold that so near and dear to my heart. That was such a magical night, and I feel like that moment was what took that match from one place to another. So that, to me, is the most memorable Last Shot.

RS: Well, I hope the fans are returning in bigger capacity in the very near future so that you can get many, many more moments like that in the years to come.

COLE: Me, too.

RS: I’m hoping we get ‘em back soon.

COLE: God, you and me both, man. You have no idea. We all, all of us, I speak for everybody, I very rarely do the speak for everybody thing, but I do. We miss you guys so freakin’ much. You have no idea. No idea.

Watch Adam Cole challenge Finn Balor for the NXT Championship at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday on USA Network.

The show will also feature Women’s Champion Io Shirai defending her title against Toni Storm, as well as two "game-changing" announcements from General Manager William Regal.