NXT isn't now what it once was, and that's generally a good thing. Except for ten years ago this week.
The show wasn't without its entertaining moments during the reality-game show era, and one of those helped develop EC3, then Derrick Bateman. With his pro, Daniel Bryan, he was coached in submissions, went on double-dates with the Bella twins. Also, totally cheating at the newlywed game, or "how well do you know your pro."
Once upon a time, EC3 told Fightful that he actually got heat for the spot, something Daniel Bryan wrote about in their book. He looked back at the spot, and doesn't regret it.
"Yeah, probably. Yeah, ‘cause they treat the entire show like a joke, so, why not make a joke of being the joke? I figure it’s better people laugh with you than at you. I don’t like being laughed at, I like being laughed with because I’m entertaining. So, yeah, we figured out a way around their silly game and it made the segment entertaining, made the show better. But, the fact that the control / power mechanism needs to reestablish why they’re in control. ‘Hey, you can be made fun of, but you can’t make fun of us.’ ‘Hey, I’m just trying to stand out, which is what you tell me to do.’ I want to be different, and I would like to entertain the people that paid money to be there as opposed to sitting there being like, ‘Why am I watching this forty-five minute atrocity unfold in front of me? I’m here to see Edge and Randy Orton and John Cena. I’m not here to see this curly haired idiot be put on the spot with dumb things.’
The duo were penalized as part of the game the on the next week's show.
You can see our full interview with EC3 at the top of the page, and check out his official website at this link. He's in action Friday, December 18 against Jay Briscoe at ROH Final Battle.
