Adam Cole On Final Fantasy 7, NXT At Wrestlemania, And All His Current Gaming

NXT Champion Adam Cole (Bay-Bay) has been a dominant force on WWE's Wednesday night programming. He's coming up to a year-long streak of being the brand's champion. Since NXT's move to USA Network on Wednesday nights, the weekly series is finding itself spotlighted in places it hadn't been before, including at Wrestlemania 36.

The pinnacle of NXT's rise was Women's Champion Rhea Ripley facing Charlotte for the title. As one of the current faces of the NXT brand, this meant a lot to Cole. "It made me feel great because I think one of the coolest parts about being in NXT, is getting to see the growth and the development of the brand, whether it be us going live every single week on USA, or getting to be a huge part of the Survivor Series," Cole told GameSpot. "But getting to see Rhea, and the NXT [Women's] Championship being defended there was so, so cool. It's just proof of how far, how much the brand has moved up and grown. And it makes me think, 'Okay, maybe the next Wrestlemania, my NXT championship will be on the line.' Made me feel very proud that NXT got showcased in that way on the biggest show of all time."

If you follow Cole outside of the ring, you know he spends a lot of time playing video games--he's a huge retro gaming fan--and he streams on Twitch while also appearing frequently on Austin Creed's UpUpDownDown. Most recently, he's spent time dominating the Final Fantasy VII Remake. "I finished Final Fantasy VII Remake in I think four days," Cole said. "And it took me about 40 hours to beat. I played the crap out of that game. I've been excited for Final Fantasy VII Remake since the original Final Fantasy VII came out.

"That was one of my all time favorite games. It's probably my favorite game on the PlayStation One. So when I heard they were remaking it in 2015, I've been just amped about it ever since. Then for it to finally come out, and just the, again, no spoilers whatsoever, but the story is incredible, and it just makes me want to talk about it to other people. It's so good, so good."

Aside from that, Cole has been digging into Animal Crossing: New Horizons--his island name is CHUGScove, in case you were wondering. And aside from those two games, Cole is also playing another remake. "I love the original Resident Evil 3, I really do, it's awesome," Cole said about Resident Evil 3's remake. "I was just playing it the other month on PS Vita, it's a classic. But Carlos is so much cooler in the remake. His character is likeable, you enjoy playing as him. He's not obnoxious whatsoever, he's just an awesome, awesome character. I'm a story driven video game person. So to see those kinds of characters unfold in a whole new light--I love what they've done. I hope they remake Code: Veronica. I hope they remake Resident Evil 1 again. It's awesome."

You can catch Adam Cole on USA Network's NXT on Wednesdays at 8 PM ET / 7 PM CT.