Jake Atlas Consoles Drake Maverick After NXT Cruiserweight Tournament Loss (Video)
Drake Maverick was fighting for his livelihood—but so is Jake Atlas.
Maverick was one of many WWE Superstars released last Wednesday, but we quickly learned he’d be sticking around a bit longer. Maverick posted a video last week where he revealed he was still allowed to compete in the interim title tournament and spoke about everything he was fighting for.
Yesterday, Maverick was one of the guest on WWE’s The Bump and said he was going to show everyone that firing him was the wrong decision and this was a chance to win his job back. While Maverick’s dismissal was real (along with many other wrestlers and agents), it appears WWE is going to make a storyline out of Maverick’s situation in an effort to garner some sympathy for him.
As seen in the video above, Atlas caught up with Maverick after beating him in their NXT Cruiserweight Championship tournament match on NXT. Atlas talked about having Tony Nese and KUSHIDA in his path, then abruptly ended the interview to go speak to Maverick, who was spotted leaving the building.
Atlas talked about his dad walking out on him and how it has changed his life, saying he’s now fighting for his mom and sister.
“When I look at you, I see that in your eyes too. This is more than just about you, probably more than just about your career. This is life. This is life. We’ve had it rough in our own way and looking at you in the ring tonight taught me something. We belong. In life, we belong.
I don’t want you to keep your head down. I didn’t keep mine down, I don’t want you to keep yours down. I believe in you, I think you’re great. When I look into your eyes, I know that you feel the same way.”
Maverick’s loss doesn’t eliminate him from contention just yet as the tournament is being contested under a round-robin format. He’ll get a chance to improve in the A Block standings against Kushida and Tony Nese.