Major NXT Stars Discuss Being in WWE

WWE has published an exclusive piece on its main site that takes a look at the next big names coming up in NXT. Featured in the piece, appropriately entitled “Leaders of the New School,” are Sami Zayn, Hideo Itami, Adrian Neville, Kevin Steen and Fergal Devitt.

Below are some of the highlights of the conversation.

Adrian Neville traveled the world before coming to WWE. He had the following about the jump:

“Honestly, it’s a huge risk, because we’ve got these reputations outside here and I know a lot of us made very comfortable livings outside here. To give up all that on what is essentially a flip of a coin, because a lot of decisions aren’t really in our hands as far as this place is concerned. One thing I liked about coming up is the ball was very much in our hands. Our success was based on what we did.”

Hideo Itami, the former KENTA, chimed in:

“Everything changed [by joining WWE]. [I left Japan because] I wanted more. I wanted to be famous. I wanted to prove to myself. When I started, I didn’t think about WWE, but my dream became bigger and bigger.” 

Fergal Devitt has yet to make his official debut, but noted this is the big stage:

“I’d been doing it for about six or seven years when I ended up in New Japan. I was really just a boy and I became a man in New Japan in eight years. It came to a point where I could stay the rest of my career there and have the security of a job or I could step into the great unknown that is WWE and challenge myself. And that’s what I decided to do.”

As did former ROH big name Kevin Steen:

“I actually had a bit of a different mentality. I remember talking with Zayn about WWE, it must have been 2003, and I told him it wasn’t a dream for me — it was the goal. I appreciate all the chances I got to wrestle all over the world and I’m really proud to have wrestled in Japan and Australia and Italy. But it was never a necessity for me, because in my head, I thought, “When I get to WWE, I’ll travel with them and see all those places.” It was never something I felt I needed to do, but now that I’ve lived through those experiences, I realize how important it was in getting here.”

Sami Zayn, who has reportedly recently worked as Adam Rose’s bunny, also had the following to add:

“It’s just crazy to think where we all were a few years ago and where we are now. The other guys I tagged are guys we all crossed paths with for years all over the world on various small, independent shows. We thought we were doing something special at the time, but you don’t know if it’s going to pay off. Now that we’re all here under the WWE umbrella, it kind of validates all that.”

The entire piece can be read here. Many of these stars will soon be used on WWE television more prominently, as noted earlier.

Editor’s Note

This is flatout awesome. So freaking cool. Go read it.

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