10 Things We Learned From WWE's Aleister Black On E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness

9. His Debut Was Super-Awkward

When Black, as Tommy End, eventually did make his professional bow in 2002, he was far from the slick, super-confident performer he is in NXT now. It'd take him a while to put on some muscle, and the Sabu/Hayabusa mash-up gear he wore gives him a laugh when looking back.

Looking like he weighed in at "around 100lbs", Black told Edge and Christian that he had next-to-no clue what he was doing when he first entered a ring. He had big ideas, sure, though those ideas were yet to be tempered by experience, and the bizarre ring gear he wore alienated him from an audience that wasn't particularly keen on wrestling anyway.

That's one of the most notable aspects of the podcast: Black's admission that the Netherlands barely acknowledged the industry at the turn of the millennium. This lack of enthusiasm from onlookers and Aleister's own nervousness made his debut a super-awkward one that gave him strength in the long run.