I wanna talk to you about the current state of NXT.
As Vic mentioned at the outset, you've been a staple, you've been a driving force
behind the success of the black and gold brand for quite some time now.
But more recently, we are getting to see a whole different Adam Cole.
>> Yeah. >> You are synonymous with
the Undisputed Era.
Obviously so many memories, classic matches, war games that we can go on and
on about the memories you guys created as a unit.
Adam Cole has struck it out solo these days.
>> Yeah. >> What does it feel like to you now,
walking to the ring in NXT, a place you're incredibly familiar with?
But you don't have that safety net,
that security blanket of having the boys with you.
>> So it's actually kind of invigorating.
And again, when I look back on everything that me and
the Undisputed Era did together, I do look back fondly on it.
Again, to be able to come into it to a place like WWE where your anxiety and
the pressure you put on yourself is at an all time high.
To be able to share that with people who I, at one point, considered brothers and
people who I was very, very close with, traveled the road up and down with for
ten plus years.
Again, I've known Kyle since 2009.
I was in his wedding.
I mean, I've known him for a really, really long time.
So to be able to share that with them was really cool.
But truth be told, it was really exciting to be able to go,
okay, I gotta go do this on my own now.
I gotta make an impact and make an impression on my own.
And so far it's been really cool, it's been really exciting.
>> A week from Tuesday, you'll be going up against Kyle at Great American Bash,
O'Reilly Cole II.
But before we started, Graves and the producers and I were talking about
something that recently happened, and we're on the topic of Undisputed Era.
Roderick Strong making his return with Diamond Mine.
I want to get your thoughts on Roderick Strong now branching out.
>> Yeah, Roddy is probably the toughest opponent I've ever been in the ring
with as far as when you're done wrestling Roddy,
you definitely feel like you wrestled.
>> [LAUGH] I was gonna say Roddy's still wrestling you.
[LAUGH] >> You're right, right, so he brings it.
He always has, and he always will.
So the idea of him being at the forefront or
what it looks like of this new group is scary.
I think it's scary for the entire brand.
It's definitely scary for Kushida.
It looks like he's made his his name present there in that sense.
So I think it's really cool in some senses to kind of see
Roddy find this new crew and this new group.
He looks as confident as ever.
But I really hope Roddy stays out of my way.
Cuz the idea of having to deal with him this tense and this fired up is something
I'm not ready to deal with right now, I'm gonna be honest.
I'm gonna be honest, Roddy is on fire, I could tell, I could tell.
>> I want to ask you about your Tuesday night on NXT.
>> Yeah. >> You went one on one with Carmelo Hayes.
>> Yeah. >> He's a guy getting some TV time.
Looking across the NXT landscape, we're beginning to see a few unfamiliar faces,
new guys waiting for their chance, waiting for their opportunity to step up.
Carmelo brought it a couple of weeks in a row, took Kushida to the limit,
took you to the limit.
Who else impresses you right now on the NXT roster?
>> So I'd mentioned his name before, but it's really cool to kinda see them form.
Which is funny enough, we just talked about this new group with Roddy.
But Isaiah Swerve Scott is somebody I've always had my eyes on.
And with this new group and this new crew that he has,
I feel like he's really, really hitting his stride.
To me, there's always been something about him that just stuck with me.
It could be that, which I don't know if a lot of people know this, but
I'm originally from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and I met-
>> Amish country.
>> Amish country, and I met Isaiah Scott in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
And I directed him towards the training academy that I was going to.
And I kinda watched him grow as a talent through the independence all
across the world.
So to see him land in NXT has been really cool.
And again, I knew kind of from the beginning that he was gonna be really,
really good.
And now, again, to see him in the position that he's in has been really, really cool.
So he's a guy I am 1,000% keeping my eye on.
I think a year from now, you're really, really gonna see what he's capable of.
>> I will happily double stamp that statement.
>> Yeah. >> I've been very impressed by
everything Swerve's doing.
>> Hit everything.
>> Really, really cool look, really cool vibe.
>> Awesome.
>> I'm having a blast watching right now.
>> Like what you hear?
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