Tough Enough Runner-Up ZZ Makes WWE NXT Debut

Zeremiah "ZZ" Loupe, the Tough Enough 2015 runner-up who gained a fan following for his colorful character, entertaining promos, and fondness for alligator wrestling, made his in-ring debut with WWE's NXT brand Saturday night in Orlando, FL. ZZ defeated NXT competitor Christopher Girard, a skilled competitor who previously competed on the independent scene as Biff Busick. https://twitter.com/JJWilliamsWON/status/713875394785509377 Though the eliminations and, ultimately, the winners of last season's Tough Enough were left entirely up to a fan vote, many viewers accused WWE of stacking the deck against ZZ. Despite his young age and verbal skills, ZZ's body and athletic ability weren't in line with WWE's usual preferences, so to some, it seemed as if the show's producers were subtly trying to manipulate fans into voting for other contestants. Despite that, ZZ still made it to the finals, ultimately losing to former Green Bay Packer Josh Bredl. Nevertheless, ZZ was signed to a contract along with fellow runners-up Amanda Saccomanno, Mada Abdelhamid, Patrick Clark, and Daria Berenato. Wrestling as ZZ Loupe, the 19-year-old used a roll-up to win a match that was described by a Lordsofpain.net correspondent as "nothing special." The same source described ZZ as showing "no real impressive offense."