5 WWE NXT Rookies Who Needed The Modern Format

After mostly avoiding such signings for a long time, WWE has finally given in to logic and started to snap up the top talents on the independent scene. Five years ago the signing of an independent star was a rare occurrence, with Daniel Bryan and CM Punk being exceptions rather than the rule. They weren’t the only ones however, as Low Ki was also snapped up. Re-christened Kaval, Ki was one of the stars of NXT Season Two, with Michelle McCool and Layla as his pros. This partnership was seen as a joke at the time, almost a punishment for Kaval daring to make a name for himself rather than come up through the WWE system.

Kaval went on to win the second season of NXT despite losing a lot of his matches and having his serious, hard-hitting persona blunted by the wacky game show format. He then did a whole lot of nothing on the main roster, failing to defeat Dolph Ziggler for the Intercontinental belt and losing his spot on Team Smackdown to Tyler Reks of all people. He was released soon after.

In the modern waters of NXT, it is easy to believe that Kaval’s WWE career may have taken a different direction. In front of a partisan crowd, his stiff in-ring style would have been allowed to develop, with more of the focus being allowed to move on his wrestling capabilities as opposed to whether he can finish an assault course in an allotted time. Kaval is an example of someone who may have been brought in before his time.