ROH COO Joe Koff On How He Feels About Adam Cole Leaving ROH For WWE
Adam Cole is the latest Ring of Honor alum to join the WWE, joining the likes of Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins. Ring of Honor COO Joe Koff told Josh Barnett of USA Today that he feels the same way about Cole leaving as he does when anyone else leaves: proud.
"Do I feel any more because he left? I feel the same when anybody leaves," Koff told USA Today. "It always makes me feel like we did a good job on our part. This is something that Adam really wanted to do ?and Bobby did and Kyle did and Kevin Owens before them ? I'm all for their happiness. If they can fulfill their happiness in their roles, then I'm all for it."
Cole is the only three-time world champion in ROH's history and the face of the company at one point. He made his debut at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn III last month.
Koff said there "forever will be a place in my heart for my time working with Adam Cole." With Cole and other former ROH stars finding success in other promotions, Koff believes it only speaks to the high level of talent his company produces.
"I really believe this to be case, Ring of Honor has raised the level of professional wrestling in the last three or four years," Koff said. "We are a community of wrestlers. We are company that people want to work for. We have huge stars ? These are not guys no one knows. These are people who everyone knows, especially the smart fans. That says a lot about Ring of Honor. We can look at the NXT roster, or the roster at Impact or even the RAW and Smackdown level and we're well-represented in that. Some of their biggest stars actually come from my program and I'm proud of that."
Cole and fellow ROH alums Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish are currently part of a stable that is wreaking havoc on NXT by attacking its top superstars. Cole is well on his way to a title shot against NXT champion Drew McIntyre.
Source: USA Today
@KOllomani contributed to this article.