Adam Cole Remembers Meeting Kurt Angle as a Kid, Discusses Having a Virtual Meet & Greet With Children’s Hospital

– TribLIVE.com and Justin LaBar recently interviewed NXT Superstar and former NXT champion Adam Cole. He discussed having a virtual meet & greet experience with the children of the UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and a special experience when he met Kurt Angle when he was young. Below are some highlights.

Adam Cole on having a virtual visit with the UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh: “I’ve gone before to see kids anywhere across the United States at different hospitals previously. This was my first virtual meeting I got to do, and it was really, really cool. Of course, it’s not the same as being there in person, but their smiles are still very real. Their excitement is still very real. I could feel that through the screen. It was still really cool to go and meet a lot of these kids and hear what they are into. See how excited they were and take a little time out of their day and brighten it.”

On the most common question he’s asked by children: “One hundred percent! I’m always shocked if the first question they don’t ask is, ‘Do you know John Cena?’ That’s normally No. 1. I don’t blame them. That’s a guaranteed go-to. Once they realize who we are and where we work it’s, ‘Oh, do you know John Cena!'”

On meeting Kurt Angle when he was a kid: “I did actually. The first wrestler I ever met was Kurt Angle. I had begged my mom to take me to a book signing. It was like two and a half hours away. I think it was near Pittsburgh actually. We waited for like an hour and a half. I remember going up to meet Kurt Angle. My mom tells me to this day that I just didn’t say anything because I don’t remember it at all. I guess I was so nervous. I had my hands in front of me, and he stuck his hand out to shake my hand and I just kept staring at him and smiling at him. She had to push my arm forward to shake his hand. He had the biggest smile on his face. I remember him being so nice.

“This is something sometimes wrestlers might lose sight of. But for me, because I met Kurt Angle and he was nice to me and shook my hand and took the time to smile and laugh and at least act like he was excited to me met — Kurt Angle was one my favorite wrestlers from that point forward just because of that very small interaction. To me, I always try — I know everyone is not perfect — but I always try to be as friendly and accessible as possible when meeting fans because they remember it. I’ll never ever forget meeting Kurt Angle and him being just an absolute gentleman.”