Royal Rumble Plan Saw NXT Star Getting Title Shot

When WWE is stacking a big show there are naturally going to be many versions of the script written. After all, there are a lot of moving pieces and you never know when you might have to switch things up. But as it would seem, one NXT star almost got a much bigger spotlight on him during the Royal Rumble event this year.

During the Royal Rumble kickoff show, Bobby Roode held a US Open Challenge which was answered by Mojo Rawley. The two had a decent match that was both under ten minutes and uneventful. Bobby Roode ended up retaining his title and Mojo Rawley went home still feeling hyped. However, that wasn’t always the plan.

Adam Cole and Aleister Black competed in an insane Extreme Rules Math at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia but as it turns out, WWE almost booked Cole the next night as Bobby Roode’s mystery opponent at the Royal Rumble.

We have previously reported how Dolph Ziggler was penciled in as Bobby Roode’s opponent for the US Open Challenge and Dave Meltzer said on Wrestling Observer Radio that this might have been the case. But another plan WWE flirted with was putting Adam Cole in the spot instead. This might not have been an official call-up for Cole, but it would have seen him getting a title shot during his first match on the main roster.

It was probably considered backstage but plans were changed because Adam Cole’s first taste of the main roster probably shouldn’t be during a kickoff show, even if it is in a title match.

Obviously, those plans were changed and apparently Mojo Rawley and Adam Cole switched roles before the Royal Rumble got underway. So it was both Andrade Cien Almas and Adam Cole representing NXT during the Royal Rumble match. But you have to admit that a match between even a battered Adam Cole vs Bobby Roode would have been too sweet, bay-bay.