6 Ups & 1 Downs From Last Night's WWE NXT (Jan 17)

3. Welcome Back

It's great to have TM-61 back.

One year after their last televised bout, Shane Thorne and Nick Miller are back on our screens, with WWE delivering a typically excellent video package last night. Every bit as effective as 2017's Roderick Strong vids, it not only ran through their NXT run thus far (and Thorne's lengthy injury rehabilitation), but the full breadth of their careers, covering everything from their formative years on the Australian indies to their breakout run with Japan's Pro Wrestling NOAH.

The stuff with Harley Race was particularly great. Having spent time training under the WWE Hall-of-Famer, TM-61 told the story of how Race had helped get them a tryout several years prior, but neither was ready to seize the opportunity. Thus, they headed to Japan, sharpened their skills, and emerged from NOAH's dojo stronger than before, now fully prepared for a spot with the world's biggest promotion. It's a shame WWE don't run profiles like this more often, because they always go over well.

Thorne and Miller will now return with their interest levels through the roof. This impeccable little character study provided plenty of reasons to get hooked on TM-61, and if it's half as effective as Roddy's was, they'll soon surge to the top.