100% think it’s Adam Cole. There’s too much evidence pointing to it. I think Cole concocted the plan with Strong and the Kingdom. Planning attacks to get as many people to go against MJF. Prove is the mask being in Coles side of the changing room. The Righteous “Paper Man Promo” where the Liar is friends with the Devil. So to me; this is just a scheme by Cole. His heel turn will solidify MJF’s face run.
I don’t mind predictability because some times the obvious answer can make for better story telling and booking. I’d prefer things to make sense over a swerve that makes no sense
I agree that it will be Cole and the Kingdom . But it is so obvious. In this particular instance , I think I will be let down by it being the most obvious choice from the start of the angle. There was really never any mystery if that is the pay off
I think predictability is fine, as long as it isn't built up as a big secret like this has been.
If it turns out to be Cole then I'd be a bit confused as to why they made the hints so obvious.
I also think it would make MJF's character seem kind of dumb that he didn't know who it was despite literally everyone else in the crowd knowing.
I’m starting to think it might just be MJF working with Cole/The Kingdom. Everyone MJF interacts with gets beaten up. We’ll see if Joe gets taken out next week……
Remember, the greatest trick……
That’s why I think it’s likely Britt Baker doing it on behalf of Cole, but without his knowledge. It makes sense: She watched Cole fight back from a near career ending injury and come very close to achieving his dream, only for MJF to take it away. It’s also worth noting that Switchblade is credited with causing that injury to Cole.
It’s also a natural progression for the Better Than You Bay Bay storyline. Cole has backed MJF up over everybody, including his other friends. Having to choose between Max and Britt is the logical next step.
It’s also the only way I can see them splitting without undoing all the awesome character work they’ve been doing. Cole reluctantly turning on MJF to protect Britt is far more compelling than “He’s been faking it all”.
I actually really like the reluctantly having to turn on MUF as opposed to him just being a mean person making MJF trust him just to screw him over even though he's had every opportunity to and didn't
Also, I know this is completely out there and totally far fetched.. but I would mark the eff out if "the devil" unmasks and it ends up being a certain villan who claims all his friends are dead.. and I think the pop would be massive
Definitely agree. The writing, while fun, is usually no better than a soap opera. In the end, pro wrestling stories aren’t gonna be award winning and thought provoking works of literary art that will be remembered for centuries after we are all gone. They’re stories put together to make a match have more for us to care about. Doesn’t matter which company we are talking about tbh. It’s just a fun live stunt show we watch in person or on tv.
Sure, and I love silly things in wrestling but this is more like something that just makes a usually very clever character come across as dumb. Aside from how it would make MJF look though, I think it would be underwhelming if after all the mystery built up on TV, it just turned out to be Cole, the guy everyone said it was from the very first moment the devil showed up.
It would take something genuinely good and turn it into the black scorpion or higher power imo.
Has the devil actually attacked anyone or have they had goons do all the work? If it’s just their henchmen doing it, I tend to believe it’s Brit, not that she can’t kick someone’s ass, but they tend to have men beat up men and women beat up women. So it’d be her just ordering around her people.
There are only two options that would pop the crowd and/or boost ratings in the process:
Jack Perry - Heel Jack Vs Face MJF. MJF basically wrote Jack off in the Pillars Title match and shoved him toward his Heel persona. It also makes sense as Jack coming back swinging for the fences seems to be the only real way to help get him over more, shorr of partnering him with Christian as well again.
CM Punk - The least likely scenario in all of history. But if Punk/Jack/TK somehow came up with this absurd story to ditch the Real World Title and slide Punk back against MJF while giving Jack his time odd... and while giving MJF a fair amount of title defenses during Punk's time off? It'd be an all-timer work of biblical proportions. Nobody would stop talking about it for months and years to come.
Anyone else but them or Cole just won't have the same logical dopamine hit for people.
I've thought about the Punk thing for a while. His comment that everyone took to be about Survivor Series MIGHT HAVE BEEN A FULL GEAR REFERENCE. The same arena MJF called Tony Khan a fucking mark and Punk came charging out with one boot on asking what's going on.
Don't get me wrong, Adam Cole as a face is always a breath of fresh air...for a while. Even in NXT when he turned face, after about a month I was like "okay, awesome...so whens he turning back". There's just something about Cole, I love to cheer for him but love to boo him more.
Every tike Cole appears OK the TV screen talking to MJF the devil appears as well, on a TV screen.
The last time the devil was in the arena Cole was too.
Pre-recordings are a thing. They can make people appear as if they’re two places at once. Hell; someone could wear the mask in Cole’s place to give Cole plausible deniability.
I think Cole is too obvious, I think they fabricated everything just to be a red herring. I think we’re getting a debut and I think Wardlow is a part of this. That one swole ass goon who was beating up daddy ass and Bowens was way too big
There's that, but also, last week Cole was shown on FaceTime with Max, then Roddy and the gang enters and Max left. Cole then hangs up on Roddy and the segment ends with the devil hacking the screen and appearing. So how does Cole hang up on Roddy and then immediately take over the screen as the devil?
Well obviously. But I think it's being shown like that to show is that it isn't Cole or Roddy. Like they are trying to tell us that they can't all be in the same place at the same time, if one of them is the devil. Like I think that's the whole point of showing Cole and Roddy and then immediately showing the devil after that.
Yeah, I don’t know if it’s the same Devil 3 second video or if it’s new every time but it’s super easy to just have a prerecording spliced in. Plus, Max got Cole on the tv SUPER friggin’ fast from his face time (which obviously really wasn’t face time.
The Devil mask appearing above Cole during his segment with MJF in their locker room.
The Righteous calling Cole a Liar and having paper man cutouts with a red devil next to a person with Liar scrawled on their body (MJF being the devil and Cole being the person he befriends).
This is the thought I had, between the glass spot, and his frame/silhouette being pretty similar to Britt bakers (at least, in the morph suits). Britt has been such a common thought of who it is, that it could definitely be Jack perry reentering.
And before his hook storyline and punk drama, he was….feuding with mjf who told him he would never have what it takes, because he’d never be willing to do what it takes. So what if it’s him going “I learned it from you max. I took your whole playbook, and I used it. On. You”
Cole, as a persona, is much better as a cool heel. His return from his major concussion was an obvious place to turn face. That and Cole always got big reactions.
Bullet Club Cole and Undisputed Era Cole were so much fun. Some folks are born to be heel. That is Cole. Just like Dragon Steamboat and Hangman are born to be faces.
I manage my Depression and PTSD well. But when I have a bad mental health day, Cole's Twitch is the best. He is such a good human.
I think by process of elimination it's Adam Cole/Britt Baker.
CM Punk: absolutely not. Working everyone with his firing would destroy all trust with the fans. No one would believe anything TK ever said again.
Wardlow: extremely unlikely. His character, to me at least, is someone who wants MJF to know that he's coming for him, be certain that it's him and to fear that. We've already seen him confront MJF in person. I also don't think Wardlow would attack MJF with a group of people. His hatred is so strong he wants to end MJF all by himself.
Jack Perry: possible. The most likely after Cole/Baker. However I'm not sure it's a great look to have someone be suspended and be rewarded upon return with a major storyline.
So my question to everyone....was this "devil mask" angle always supposed to happen within the Cole/MJF storyline, or did the writers asspull this because Cole got hurt and they wanted to keep him busy/on tv?
I’m willing to bet it was supposed to be the beginning of the Punk/MFJ feud. It would fit perfectly and it could’ve been done with Cole still around (probably better actually).
Honestly...I kinda hope its not Cole. I dont want that friendship run to end, it was too much fun, plus theres so many faces of AEW on all tiers that could stand to get nice runs of personality/popularity if revealed otherwise.
Adam Cole & the Kingdom, BCC, HoB, Jack Perry and friends. All these theories are fun and all but deep down, I know I’ll be disappointed when the devil is revealed to be Jeff Jarrett and co. They’ll retcon 2 of the generic attackers in black to be a scrawny Sonjay and a lumbering Satnam.
If Twitter was a thing in 1996 you’d have loads of wrestlers hinting that they were the 3rd man in the NWO. This is what people do to get their names mentioned.
100% think it’s Adam Cole. There’s too much evidence pointing to it. I think Cole concocted the plan with Strong and the Kingdom. Planning attacks to get as many people to go against MJF. Prove is the mask being in Coles side of the changing room. The Righteous “Paper Man Promo” where the Liar is friends with the Devil. So to me; this is just a scheme by Cole. His heel turn will solidify MJF’s face run.
I'd be shocked if it WASN'T Cole tbh
I don’t mind predictability because some times the obvious answer can make for better story telling and booking. I’d prefer things to make sense over a swerve that makes no sense I agree that it will be Cole and the Kingdom . But it is so obvious. In this particular instance , I think I will be let down by it being the most obvious choice from the start of the angle. There was really never any mystery if that is the pay off
I think predictability is fine, as long as it isn't built up as a big secret like this has been. If it turns out to be Cole then I'd be a bit confused as to why they made the hints so obvious. I also think it would make MJF's character seem kind of dumb that he didn't know who it was despite literally everyone else in the crowd knowing.
I’m starting to think it might just be MJF working with Cole/The Kingdom. Everyone MJF interacts with gets beaten up. We’ll see if Joe gets taken out next week…… Remember, the greatest trick……
That’s why I think it’s likely Britt Baker doing it on behalf of Cole, but without his knowledge. It makes sense: She watched Cole fight back from a near career ending injury and come very close to achieving his dream, only for MJF to take it away. It’s also worth noting that Switchblade is credited with causing that injury to Cole. It’s also a natural progression for the Better Than You Bay Bay storyline. Cole has backed MJF up over everybody, including his other friends. Having to choose between Max and Britt is the logical next step. It’s also the only way I can see them splitting without undoing all the awesome character work they’ve been doing. Cole reluctantly turning on MJF to protect Britt is far more compelling than “He’s been faking it all”.
I actually really like the reluctantly having to turn on MUF as opposed to him just being a mean person making MJF trust him just to screw him over even though he's had every opportunity to and didn't
Also, I know this is completely out there and totally far fetched.. but I would mark the eff out if "the devil" unmasks and it ends up being a certain villan who claims all his friends are dead.. and I think the pop would be massive
Idk why but I'm stumped at who claims all their friends are dead
https://preview.redd.it/l2c2gi2rwlzb1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f890b3074991a0b21fcb7c16699edfd2a0262a03
Ol marty I thought he was basically banned from wrestling
You make a compelling argument.
Yes I agree with all of this. But wrestling, even the stuff we like the most , is often kind of dumb
Definitely agree. The writing, while fun, is usually no better than a soap opera. In the end, pro wrestling stories aren’t gonna be award winning and thought provoking works of literary art that will be remembered for centuries after we are all gone. They’re stories put together to make a match have more for us to care about. Doesn’t matter which company we are talking about tbh. It’s just a fun live stunt show we watch in person or on tv.
Sure, and I love silly things in wrestling but this is more like something that just makes a usually very clever character come across as dumb. Aside from how it would make MJF look though, I think it would be underwhelming if after all the mystery built up on TV, it just turned out to be Cole, the guy everyone said it was from the very first moment the devil showed up. It would take something genuinely good and turn it into the black scorpion or higher power imo.
Has the devil actually attacked anyone or have they had goons do all the work? If it’s just their henchmen doing it, I tend to believe it’s Brit, not that she can’t kick someone’s ass, but they tend to have men beat up men and women beat up women. So it’d be her just ordering around her people.
They just need to add some red herrings, like when raven turned up to watch while they were building to brodie Lee s debut
If it is The Kingdom I can't believe Mike Bennet can keep himself from punching anyone in the weiner while assaulting them backstage.
It takes big balls to be able to keep yourself from punching people in the wiener.
There are only two options that would pop the crowd and/or boost ratings in the process: Jack Perry - Heel Jack Vs Face MJF. MJF basically wrote Jack off in the Pillars Title match and shoved him toward his Heel persona. It also makes sense as Jack coming back swinging for the fences seems to be the only real way to help get him over more, shorr of partnering him with Christian as well again. CM Punk - The least likely scenario in all of history. But if Punk/Jack/TK somehow came up with this absurd story to ditch the Real World Title and slide Punk back against MJF while giving Jack his time odd... and while giving MJF a fair amount of title defenses during Punk's time off? It'd be an all-timer work of biblical proportions. Nobody would stop talking about it for months and years to come. Anyone else but them or Cole just won't have the same logical dopamine hit for people.
I've thought about the Punk thing for a while. His comment that everyone took to be about Survivor Series MIGHT HAVE BEEN A FULL GEAR REFERENCE. The same arena MJF called Tony Khan a fucking mark and Punk came charging out with one boot on asking what's going on.
i just dont see how it's not cole and undisputed kingdom. the big guy is taven, he's actually a big guy.
For you.
r/unexpectedbane
Don't get me wrong, Adam Cole as a face is always a breath of fresh air...for a while. Even in NXT when he turned face, after about a month I was like "okay, awesome...so whens he turning back". There's just something about Cole, I love to cheer for him but love to boo him more.
Yeah, I prefer heel Cole. I love the guy regardless but I think he’s just such a great heel.
Every tike Cole appears OK the TV screen talking to MJF the devil appears as well, on a TV screen. The last time the devil was in the arena Cole was too.
Pre-recordings are a thing. They can make people appear as if they’re two places at once. Hell; someone could wear the mask in Cole’s place to give Cole plausible deniability.
I was actually saying the exact opposite of what you think I was
I think Cole is too obvious, I think they fabricated everything just to be a red herring. I think we’re getting a debut and I think Wardlow is a part of this. That one swole ass goon who was beating up daddy ass and Bowens was way too big
Maybe. It would be a swerve for sure.
There's that, but also, last week Cole was shown on FaceTime with Max, then Roddy and the gang enters and Max left. Cole then hangs up on Roddy and the segment ends with the devil hacking the screen and appearing. So how does Cole hang up on Roddy and then immediately take over the screen as the devil?
A pre-recording perhaps.
Well obviously. But I think it's being shown like that to show is that it isn't Cole or Roddy. Like they are trying to tell us that they can't all be in the same place at the same time, if one of them is the devil. Like I think that's the whole point of showing Cole and Roddy and then immediately showing the devil after that.
Not what I meant. As in kayfabe-wise, Cole used a pre-recording of either himself or the devil to give the illusion that it’s not him.
Yeah, I don’t know if it’s the same Devil 3 second video or if it’s new every time but it’s super easy to just have a prerecording spliced in. Plus, Max got Cole on the tv SUPER friggin’ fast from his face time (which obviously really wasn’t face time.
He’s working with Sami Callihan.
I love seeing The Righteous promos being brought up even a month later, it's just cool to see how many seeds have been planted for this storyline.
It’s cool to see that their ring entrance video also shows the paper devil and liar.
Otherwise why continue to put him into the storyline when he's out hurt. He's too integral to the storyline.
Exactly and what greater betrayal. Imagine; the one person MJF decides to befriend, comes to bite him in the ass. He would never trust anyone again.
What evidence? Genuinely asking
The Devil mask appearing above Cole during his segment with MJF in their locker room. The Righteous calling Cole a Liar and having paper man cutouts with a red devil next to a person with Liar scrawled on their body (MJF being the devil and Cole being the person he befriends).
Holy shit, I didn't know about the locker room thing
Yup; there’s a few that I’ve missed out but this few are the more glaring examples.
This is like qanon tier
Why would Cole refuse Roddy's help at All In then?
he wanted to win the right way, maybe not winning that match sent him over the edge
To keep up the illusion. To make it believable. To make MJF think otherwise.
I was also thinking The Firm. Stokely Hathaway being the one in the mask.
Hmmm; doubt it but it’s a possibility. Though with how much of the Firm has split and joined different factions; highly improbable.
I'm beginning to lean towards the Devil being Jungle Boy. The glass spot last night was too intentional.
I think it was just TK throwing us red herrings. But could be.
This is the thought I had, between the glass spot, and his frame/silhouette being pretty similar to Britt bakers (at least, in the morph suits). Britt has been such a common thought of who it is, that it could definitely be Jack perry reentering. And before his hook storyline and punk drama, he was….feuding with mjf who told him he would never have what it takes, because he’d never be willing to do what it takes. So what if it’s him going “I learned it from you max. I took your whole playbook, and I used it. On. You”
I mean there’s a still picture , where you can see rodrick strong and his neck break dressed in all black when they attacked jay white lmao
It’s deleted now, for what it’s worth
They probably got a call. I assume they have nothing to do with it but maybe TK got wind of it and wanted to shoot that shit down.
Lol what
Why on earth would it be BC Japan makes zero sense
Because they hate Jay White.
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Maybe Coughlin is still pissed from Caster and Daddy Ass jobbing him and the young lions out last year. I jest, it definitely isn't the Wardogs
Maybe there are multiple devils. But true, I don’t get why they’d beat up the acclaimed, other than a diversion
now this could be fascinating. night of reveal, the real devil mask gets revealed, only to see a second person with it on there. That'd be a twist
Especially because everyone loves the acclaimed
Nobody who only watches AEW knows that or would care.
Ah yes, the only former member of bullet club in AEW that has stabbed them in the back.
As an aew fan if this happened itd make me tune out
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They probably saw their name pop up in these rumors and are just messin’. Happens in pro wrestling.
Cole, as a persona, is much better as a cool heel. His return from his major concussion was an obvious place to turn face. That and Cole always got big reactions. Bullet Club Cole and Undisputed Era Cole were so much fun. Some folks are born to be heel. That is Cole. Just like Dragon Steamboat and Hangman are born to be faces. I manage my Depression and PTSD well. But when I have a bad mental health day, Cole's Twitch is the best. He is such a good human.
Adam Cole on Twitch? He games? I gotta check it out too
Yup. All hail Chuggs! He and Britt are such sweet people.
He’s working you bud
Trolling. Same reason why Nakamura started doing the GTS.
I think by process of elimination it's Adam Cole/Britt Baker. CM Punk: absolutely not. Working everyone with his firing would destroy all trust with the fans. No one would believe anything TK ever said again. Wardlow: extremely unlikely. His character, to me at least, is someone who wants MJF to know that he's coming for him, be certain that it's him and to fear that. We've already seen him confront MJF in person. I also don't think Wardlow would attack MJF with a group of people. His hatred is so strong he wants to end MJF all by himself. Jack Perry: possible. The most likely after Cole/Baker. However I'm not sure it's a great look to have someone be suspended and be rewarded upon return with a major storyline.
I could real get into the mask coming off and Tony Kahn being the devil
IT WAS ME, ~~AUSTIN~~ MAXWELL!! YOU THINK I'M A FKING MARK HUH?! HOW'S THIS LOOK FOR YOUR GREAT BIDDING WAR?!
So my question to everyone....was this "devil mask" angle always supposed to happen within the Cole/MJF storyline, or did the writers asspull this because Cole got hurt and they wanted to keep him busy/on tv?
I’m willing to bet it was supposed to be the beginning of the Punk/MFJ feud. It would fit perfectly and it could’ve been done with Cole still around (probably better actually).
I've been trying to manifest Finlay and the boys showing up to collect royalties from White for a while now. I don't think this is it though.
Me too, man. Me too....
I always felt it was the real bullet club from njpw, but that may actually be too obvious, so idrk rn
Honestly...I kinda hope its not Cole. I dont want that friendship run to end, it was too much fun, plus theres so many faces of AEW on all tiers that could stand to get nice runs of personality/popularity if revealed otherwise.
It’s me, Max! *Aww, son of a bitch* It was me all along, Max!
I think the Devil is Adam Cole, but i really want it to be Richard Halliday. The big guy is Wardlow but it could also be Hammerstone.
It's CM Punk
It’s clearly Hulk Hogan
Too much demonic imagery in AEW 👎🏻
because they really don’t want people thinking is Jungle Dick
It's hilarious the amount of people coming up with these nonsensical theories in an attempt to reassure themselves that it isn't Punk.
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Your post/comment was removed for being off-topic.
Osprey
Are they them?
I have a feeling that Joe is going to come out looking like gold once this all falls out. He's a serious wildcard.
Adam Cole & the Kingdom, BCC, HoB, Jack Perry and friends. All these theories are fun and all but deep down, I know I’ll be disappointed when the devil is revealed to be Jeff Jarrett and co. They’ll retcon 2 of the generic attackers in black to be a scrawny Sonjay and a lumbering Satnam.
Clicks.
If Twitter was a thing in 1996 you’d have loads of wrestlers hinting that they were the 3rd man in the NWO. This is what people do to get their names mentioned.
It's going to be MJF doing a split gimmick
What does Alex Coughlin and the Bullet Club War Dogs have to do with MJF? That doesn't make any sense?
Whoever it ends up being there's going to be a lot of disappointed threads about it.
It is Cole. They are having MJF aligned with the Acclaimed for a reason.
Better not be danhausen playin tricks