Adam Cole knows his best asset is his gift of gab.
Appearing on Edge & Christian's Pod of Awesomeness, Cole discussed how his ability to cut a promo got him hired by Ring of Honor and Pro Wrestling Guerilla.
"When I started coming in for dark matches (for ROH), they told me I was doing a good job but nothing was really materializing. I said, 'Okay, this isn't working.' I sent Adam Pierce -- who at the time was booking ROH -- a promo and he really liked it," said Cole. "He booked me for a pre-show promo in the ring as opposed to a match. Jim Cornette happened to be walking by and he really liked the promo. That's how I ended up getting hired."
A similar story not only got Cole's foot in the door in PWG, but allowed him to win the most prestigious tournaments in Independent wrestling.
"PWG, same kind of situation. I had been wrestling there for a little bit when they had the Battle of Los Angeles tournament," he said. "We all had to film promos. I filmed my promo and the booking team there liked the promo so much they put me over in the tournament."
Like any great on the microphone, Cole learned from those before him. When discussing those he studied in order to get better on the mix, Cole listed a couple of obvious names. And one that might come as a surprise to many wrestling fans given how unheralded he is on the microphone.
"I loved Mick Foley's ECW promos, CM Punk's promo, there's this guy Eddie Kingston who is a fantastic talker. I would study and watch him," said Cole. "I used to watch promos as much as I did matches. As a fan, when I was watching before I get into it, I knew how much I loved a good wrestling promo. At that point I was like, 'I have to make sure I focus just as much on the promo stuff.'"
Foley and Punk are widely considered as two of the best ever on the microphone. But Kingston has flown under the radar until his recent run in Impact Wrestling.
Cole went on to say that he, like many wrestlers, feels more comfortable on the microphone as a heel.