Photo courtesy of Ring of Honor.

When Adam Cole beat Jay Lethal for the Ring of Honor World Championship on Aug. 19 at Death Before Dishonor XIV, he became only the third man to ever hold the company’s top title twice.

At just 27 years old, Cole is the perfect mixture of superior in-ring talent, elite mic skills and good looks, making him appealing to all wrestling fans. For Ring of Honor, Cole is the perfect representation of what the company stands for and the ideal ambassador to the mainstream audience.

In a recent interview, promoting Ring of Honor’s weekly television show and the upcoming All Star Extravaganza pay-per-view, Cole spoke to Ring Rust Radio about his second ROH world title win, the success of the Bullet Club internationally and in WWE and a run in New Japan Pro Wrestling.

Over the past several years, Cole has helped put the company on his shoulders and opened many causal fans up to the Ring of Honor product. As a result, officials have rewarded Cole with yet another title run.

When asked about the differences between his first run with the world title and his ongoing reign, Cole spoke honestly about how the company has grown and how he has matured as both a performer and a man:

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Lots of times, when you are champion, you have to work twice as hard to make sure everyone is invested in you and going along with your stories. When you’re not champion, everyone is rooting for the challenger. Everyone wants the guy challenging for the title to be the guy to take the title or win it for the first time ever. When you are in the championship role, you have so many different opponents, so many different styles that you have to adapt to and prepare for. The schedule gets a lot busier, and that goes for wrestling and media. So the different mindset really is just preparing as much as you can for as many different obstacles and opportunities that are thrown your way. Anything and everything will be thrown your way when you are the Ring of Honor world champion. I know this from the first time around. The company has grown, the championship has grown and the roster has grown even more the second time around with the New Japan and CMLL relationships. There are a lot of high-pressure situations for sure when you are the champion and you are the guy carrying the ball.

One of the major differences between Cole’s first run as champion and now is Ring of Honor’s working relationship with New Japan Pro Wrestling. Part of that relationship is the growth of the Bullet Club stable, and Cole has taken over as the leader of the group in the U.S.

With the success of current and former members of the stable such as WWE world champion AJ Styles, former universal champion Finn Balor, Kenny Omega, the Young Bucks and now Cole, the impact the Bullet Club has on the wrestling industry is undeniable.

Cole spoke about the effect the Bullet Club has had on his career and the wrestling business:

To be a part of the Bullet Club is probably one of the biggest things I have done in my wrestling career, just for how impactful the Bullet Club is. I think it’s fair to say the Bullet Club has been the most impactful wrestling faction in years. You see its influence in Ring of Honor, New Japan and even see it in WWE. They can call it something different, but it’s the same thing. You see it everywhere and the Bullet Club is everywhere. The moniker of the Bullet Club is 'We are taking over the world,' and I think it’s safe to say we are doing that. To be able to be a part of that and in a forefront role, not only as a leader but also [as] Ring of Honor champion, that further puts the ball in the court of the Bullet Club.

The Bullet Club earned its reputation in New Japan Pro Wrestling, and Cole is excited about traveling overseas to work with one of the most prestigious companies in the business.

Many American wrestling fans don’t know much about New Japan, but the promotion has been producing some of the best wrestlers in the world for a long time. Add in the fact NJPW is a regular source of Match of the Year contenders, and Cole should fit right in when he makes his first tour of Japan as ROH world champion.

Cole spoke about his excitement for the chance to work overseas with New Japan:

Ever since this relationship started, New Japan had always been a company I wanted to be a part of. To me, it’s excellent that this relationship has started, and now that I have joined the Bullet Club, I have a great fresh start. I am going to be going there pretty consistently for the remainder of the year, hopefully more so in 2017. My biggest goal, beside having the best Ring of Honor championship reign that I can, is making a name for myself and establishing myself over in New Japan. To me, they are the two best companies in the world, and if I can stake my claim and make a name for myself in both places, that would be the ultimate goal for me going forward.

What separates Cole from many other performers his age in the wrestling industry is his knowledge of both the business side of wrestling and what it takes to be the face of a company and an ambassador for the brand.

There will always be wrestling fans calling for WWE to sign Cole to an NXT deal, but there is plenty left for him to learn by running the show in Ring of Honor. With so much still to accomplish in New Japan and ROH, the hope is Cole stays where he’s at for several more years.

Once he has accomplished everything there is to achieve in New Japan and ROH, then it would be time for him to consider signing with WWE and taking it over the same way former independent stars such as Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins and Finn Balor have in recent years.

In the meantime, wrestling fans should be enjoying everything Cole is accomplishing wherever he goes. With the skills to pay the bills on the mic and in the ring, the industry is watching the evolution of a man who is the future of wrestling.

For more wrestling talk, listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot topics or catch the latest episode in the player above (some language NSFW).