6 Ups And 4 Downs From WWE NXT 2.0 (Jan 11)

2. Harland Snaps And The Losers Enter The Dusty Cup

Your writer was quick to note how odd a development it was for Joe Gacy and Harland to request a qualification match before entering the incoming Dusty Cup on last week's New Year's Evil special. Was this the beginning of an unlikely face turn? Were the lads about to destroy all in their path the good old fashioned way through hard work and cohesion?

Well, as it goes, it turns out this entire "Play-In" plan was simply a way to send a message to those watching on. But having Harland completely eviscerate Malik Blade and Edris Enofe to the point of the ref calling for a DQ simply left everything feeling a little underwhelming.

What message was sent exactly? Don't mess with this absolute nutter? I think the fact he nearly threw a dude off a roof the other week had already hammered that home. And now in using a Dusty Cup qualifier to showcase his lunacy at the expense of a place in the esteemed tournament, said Classic's credibility has taken a hit with two out-and-out losers being gifted a spot in the brackets. And the fact Blade and Enofe celebrated this weak win like they'd just won the whole damn tournament also made for another painful reminder of how ill-thought-out this whole segment was.