AEW’s Adam Cole sports Borderlands-inspired gear in historic All In 2023 main event

Brad Norton
AEW Adam Cole Borderlands All In

Adam Cole’s passion for video games was on display once again at AEW’s historic All In event as a record-breaking Wembley Stadium crowd was treated to some Borderlands-themed ring gear in the main event.

AEW’s paradigm shift on the wrestling industry just soared to a new high-water mark. All In 2023, the promotion’s first time in the UK, set a new all-time attendance record for a professional wrestling event.

A reported 81,035 fans filled out Wembley Stadium and the roughly five-hour celebration started and ended with two men: MJF and Adam Cole. Together, ‘Better Than You Bay Bay’ kicked off the pre-show in a tag match before main eventing in an epic, heartwrenching clash that’s sure to stand the test of time.

Never one to shy away from an opportunity to share his other passions with the wrestling world, Adam Cole sported a new look while making some history in the squared circle. The Borderlands franchise evidently contributed to his uniquely cell-shaded ring gear on the night.

Adam Cole wears Borderlands-inspired ring gear at All In

Closing the show with a bang, or rather, a “BOOM,” Cole was the first to make the walk and thus, the first to reveal his attire for the highly-anticipated MJF rematch. Walking through the sea of humanity gathered inside Wembley Stadium, the AEW star showcased his custom Borderlands-themed getup.

The main feature being a cell-shaded jacket in the style of the game. Featured prominently on the left side of his chest was a unique blend of the Borderlands logo with his own logo and initials ‘AC.’

That very same custom design was also part of knee pads that were naturally on display through the entire main event matchup, not just the entrance.

A noted superfan of the franchise, Borderlands includes one of Cole’s “all-time favorite” characters in Handsome Jack. “He’s the most smarmy cocky, arrogant, video game villain of all time, it’s crazy to say this because he’s a video game character, but I’ve studied some of his stuff before it’s just amazing,” he said in speaking with Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful a few years prior to All In.

No stranger to gaming-inspired looks in the ring, this is far from the first time Cole has blurred the lines. Just last year, he walked to the ring in a full suit of Spartan armor from the Halo series.

Outside of making history in AEW, Cole, otherwise known as ‘Chugs’ is most often found on Twitch, streaming all manner of games in his free time. Evidently, Borderlands is a personal favorite and who knows, perhaps when the next entry hits store shelves, we might even see a special easter egg or two in-game. We suggest a Panama Sunrise legendary weapon.

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About The Author

Brad Norton is the Australian Managing Editor at Dexerto. He graduated from Swinburne University with a Bachelor’s degree in journalism and has been working full-time in the field for the past six years at the likes of Gamurs Group and now Dexerto. He loves all things single-player gaming (with Uncharted a personal favorite) but has a history on the competitive side having previously run Oceanic esports org Mindfreak. You can contact Brad at brad.norton@dexerto.com