AEW All Out 2021 was a massive hit. Everything was something that made the crowd pop. One of the biggest pops was when former WWE Superstar Adam Cole walked out to the arena, officially marking his AEW debut.

However, prior to his AEW debut, there were talks that Cole could possibly remain with WWE. Now, during the interview following All Out 2021, he revealed how he went about making the decision.

“I had seen everything AEW has been doing. I’ve been here countless times to support Britt and hang out with the crew. And it’s just the best crew. The shows are amazing, the fans are amazing, but at the same time I had really built a reputation for myself there as well. But, I knew, in my heart pretty early on, that I wanted to come here.”

“It’s no knock whatsoever on them. I had a very excellent four-year experience, but I wanted to come back and work with a crew who I love around 24*7, a crew that is just as passionate about pro-wrestling as I am and fans that feel the exact way that we do. So, making the decision was a fairly easy one.”

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Adam Cole did not know his WWE contract was ending

During the same interview, Cole revealed he did not know his WWE contract was ending. It was a surprise for both the company and him. Even though he signed an extension with the company, it seems like he never wanted to stay with WWE any longer.

“Funnily enough, believe it or not, I was also surprised. Yeah, I was under the impression that it was like six months later. So it was a surprise to me. It was a surprise to them.”

As per previous reports, his original contract ended after The Great American Bash. However, he signed an extension that led up to TakeOver: 36.

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Apart from Cole, former WWE Superstars Daniel Bryan and Ruby Riott made their AEW debut at All Out 2021.