Adam Cole Discusses AEW's Blind Eliminator Tournament And MJF Storyline

Adam Cole and reigning AEW World Champion MJF won the AEW Blind Eliminator Tag Team Tournament back in July to earn a shot at the AEW World Tag Team Championship. Teams were paired at random for the tournament, with MJF and Cole forming an unlikely bond on-screen as a result. During an interview with Inside the Ropes, Cole discussed the AEW Blind Eliminator Tag Team Tournament.

"For me, it felt incredibly vital," Cole said. "Aside from the fact, again, at the end of the day, obviously we tell stories in the ring and we tell stories backstage, but being invested in general in any capacity in a very interesting, and exhilarating, and exciting pro wrestling storyline, I think, is huge. So for me, since I had come back [from injury], again, kinda dipping my toes in and getting reacclimated to being in the ring, again, I really, really feel like this entire tournament and what we've been doing these past few weeks has been very important to me as a performer."

Despite losing their shot at the AEW World Tag Team Championship against FTR on the July 29 episode of "AEW Collision," Cole and MJF captured the ROH World Tag Team Championship on the AEW All In pre-show at Wembley Stadium last month; Cole unsuccessfully challenged MJF for the AEW World Championship on the main All In card.

Cole feels that several creative changes have contributed to the success and intrigue of his current storyline with MJF. He added that they've been able to "roll with the punches and adjust" based on the audience's reaction. Cole said that nobody expected his and MJF's storyline to take off the way it did and that he finds it thrilling to change the story in response to fan feedback because he never knows what will happen next.

Prior to being drawn as tag team partners in the AEW Blind Eliminator Tag Team Tournament, Cole confronted MJF in the middle of the ring on the June 7 episode of "AEW Dynamite." The former "NXT" Champion recalled that memorable heated confrontation.

"That first face-to-face promo that we had, my God, that made me feel alive," Cold said. "Because of exactly what you [Inside the Ropes' Kenny McIntosh] just said, MJF on the microphone is unbelievable. Absolutely unreal. It's crazy that he's so young too. I mean, at this point, we're past the point of saying that MJF is absolutely incredible on the microphone and tears people apart. So instead of being nervous or timid, I looked at this as an opportunity to go, 'Okay. It's sink or swim time.' You know, 'I am going to bring my absolute best. I know he's going to bring his absolute best, and let's hope this goes well.' Fortunately, it did.

"But I loved being put in that spot with so much pressure on me in that situation to go, 'Okay. I gotta bring my absolute A game on the microphone.' There is absolutely no way — not that I ever do — but there's no way you ever want to take it easy when you're on the microphone against MJF. So yeah, that was a very exhilarating feeling to be in there with him."

Cole claimed that MJF's on-screen persona closely resembles "The Salt of the Earth" in real life. The former member of the Undisputed Era mentioned that he first met MJF in 2015 and was blown away by the way he carried himself, his presence, his work in the ring, and his work on the microphone. Cole said he was aware at the time that he would eventually work with MJF and share many locker rooms with him.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Inside the Ropes with a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.