Vince McMahon's Indefinite WWE Return, Keep Adam Cole Babyface, More Quick Takes

The new year hasn't brought encouraging news for WWE fans hoping to see continued change in the company heading into what should be an otherwise exciting time with WrestleMania 39 fast approaching.

Vince McMahon being reinstated as the executive chairman of WWE's board of directors signals a step backward behind the scenes. It could soon affect the on-air product if the third-generation promoter gets his way and resumes his role as the head of creative as well.

Meanwhile, All Elite Wrestling is trending in the right direction again coming off back-to-back excellent editions of Dynamite. Adam Cole's surprise return from injury and "Hangman" Adam Page's decisive victory over Jon Moxley were the top highlights of Wednesday night.

Whether both men can maintain the momentum going forward and build off their big moments remains to be seen.

This installment of Quick Takes will discuss Cole and Page being ones to watch, why WWE would greatly benefit from having Jay White in its ranks right now, the WWE tag titles potentially being split up, and more.

WWE Fans and Talent Must Be Prepared For Vince McMahon Return to Creative

Vince McMahon's sudden yet not-so-surprising return to WWE has been a rapidly developing story. From Stephanie McMahon's abrupt resignation to rumors regarding a potential sale, nothing can be ruled out for certain.

That includes Vince eventually being back in charge of the company's creative direction, a role he occupied for decades before having to step aside last July.

Triple H running Raw and SmackDown these last six months has been a breath of fresh air and has resulted in much-needed creative change.

The shows are by no means perfect but have undoubtedly improved, and Vince taking the reins away from The Game would erase a lot of the goodwill the latter has built with the audience in the absence of the former.

Again, however, this is far from a set-in-stone situation, and it's possible Vince is only around to get the ball rolling on a sale of WWE. It's also possible him heading up the creative team only seems inevitable given his track record of wanting to control every aspect of the company.

Fans and talent have every reason to worry things will revert to the way they were, but we shouldn't assume anything is official until it is.

WWE Would Benefit More from Having Jay White Right Now Than AEW

Hot off the heels of Wrestle Kingdom 17, a handful of notable names from New Japan Pro-Wrestling may soon be entering free agency, with Jay White being chief among them.

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reported last week that the 30-year-old is expected to leave NJPW for America when his current contract expires soon. Whether WWE or AEW will be fortunate enough to acquire his services is the question.

AEW would seem to be the most logical fit given White's history with several people there (in addition to the appearance he made for the promotion in 2022), but WWE would stand to benefit more from having him in its ranks.

WWE has a ton of talent waiting in the wings in NXT, along with countless competitors who recently returned to the main roster and are in the process of being established.

The New Zealander would need to be established as well, of course, but he's already had success at a high level and could make an immediate impact unlike others.

It's been years since WWE last hired anyone to Raw or SmackDown who didn't previously have exposure on the main roster or in NXT. White could embark on an AJ Styles-esque run by being touted as a big deal from the get-go and being booked as a main player all while letting his exceptional in-ring and mic work get him over with the audience.

It's a risk for a star of his stature to sign with WWE when AEW is a little less of a gamble, but the latter's roster remains bloated and the former could (and should) have a spot ready for White upon his arrival.

Adam Page Primed for Big 2023 After Win vs. Jon Moxley

Adam Page's AEW World Championship run was far from as special as it should have been.

Despite holding the gold for six months and defending it in a string of stellar matches, Hangman never felt like the focal point of AEW programming during that point. He struggled to regain his footing following his loss of the title in May to CM Punk and never really recovered.

Rekindling his rivalry with Jon Moxley upon returning to television has been the best thing for him. They have terrific chemistry on the mic and stole the show with their awesome outing on Wednesday's Dynamite.

Page's win over Moxley was massive for him seeing as how the former AEW world champion has lost clean only one other time with the company. That should be what cements his place among the elite (though not literally) in the main event scene once again.

The 31-year-old can be a compelling challenger to MJF if he continues to rack up wins. After all, his last shot at the title was cut short due to his concussion, so it's the perfect story to tell with him in the months ahead.

As for Moxley, this would be an ideal time for him to take the vacation he has long deserved.

WWE Splitting Tag Titles Before WrestleMania Would Be Premature and Unnecessary

The initial announcement of the tag team gauntlet match that headlined last Monday's Raw being for an opportunity at the Raw Tag Team Championships sounded strange at first, but the commentators also making mention of it ensured it was no accident.

The Raw and SmackDown tag team titles have been defended as one entity, the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship, by The Usos since May 2022. The merging of them was long overdue since the company has rarely prioritized the tag division or its teams.

To split them up now, especially before Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn can hand The Usos their first significant loss with gold on the line, is premature and unnecessary.

Owens and Zayn can obviously reunite and beat The Usos for the SmackDown belts (which they've held longer, anyway), but there's no need for the red and blue brands to have their own sets of tag titles. In fact, the WWE and Universal Championship make way more sense to separated soon.

All signs point to The Judgment Day dethroning The Usos as Raw tag team champions to set up for a title match against Rey Mysterio and most likely Bad Bunny at WrestleMania 39, but that's a bout that would work just as well without anything up for grabs.

Babyface Adam Cole Is Right Route to Take

Although Adam Cole has always been a natural heel, it would be asinine to have him be anything other than a babyface following his exciting return to Dynamite on Wednesday night.

The 33-year-old detailed his long road to recovery and embraced the audience for his entire promo. Considering he was already being cheered heavily by the AEW fans prior to his hiatus, it's logical to have him run with it and be the babyface they want him to be.

He had long teased tension with Kenny Omega and the rest of The Elite, but there's no reason to revisit that rivalry right now with Undisputed Elite having disbanded. There's much more money in a babyface Cole chasing MJF for the AEW World Championship eventually, ideally leading into All Out.

Cole hasn't been a babyface on his own in ages, so it's a fresh dynamic for him to explore. The complexion of the roster has changed quite a bit in his absence and thus there are plenty of intriguing opponents for him to face.

The unexpected nature of his return made the moment so memorable, and now it's up to AEW to not drop the ball on the potential his return run has.

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Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.