and WWE parted ways before the former NXT Champion got called up to the main roster. But a new report suggests that, if Cole re-signed with the company and wound up on WWE RAW or SmackDown, he would have looked quite different.

According to Fightful Select, though one reported pitch about Cole’s call-up involving a shift into a managerial role never actually reached him, another proposal would have seen Cole cut his signature long hair.

Per this report, while Cole was still in discussions with WWE to re-sign and potentially move to the main roster, he directly received the pitch that called for him to adopt a short hairstyle in order to shake up his appearance. But Cole wasn’ a fan of the idea, so both sides moved onto other things throughout the remainder of the negotiations.

Fightful Select also notes that WWE sources remained complimentary of Cole’s transparency and openness regarding creative pitches. They also spoke highly of how he was easy to work with leading up to his departure.

Since Cole jumped ship to AEW, he has hit the ground running; he’s set to face fan-favorite star Jungle Boy in another high-profile match this week on Dynamite.

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