The story of ex-WWE Superstar Low Ki, who emerged victorious in season two of WWE NXT, is intriguing given that the organization was not particularly rooting for him.
Back in 2010, Low Ki, donning the persona of Kaval, triumphed when NXT was still being run in a reality show format, earning him both a WWE contract and a championship shot.
Speaking on a recent episode of the “That’s Wrestling” podcast, Low Ki divulged that the WWE management had intended for Alex Riley to clinch the victory. He revealed,
“They were trying to replicate the same old trick they used in the 1980s [selecting someone specifically to be a star] and were attempting to execute it in 2009/2010.”
The competition saw Riley, who had previously been in the limelight on the main roster siding with The Miz, finishing third behind Kaval and Michael McGillicutty.
In the podcast, Low Ki also touched on McGillicutty’s career, who later became known as Curtis Axel, referencing his father Curt Hennig and grandfather Larry ‘The Ax’ Hennig.
A segment of fans were of the opinion that Axel should have been permitted to wrestle under his birth name Joe Hennig, a suggestion that Low Ki concurred with. He stated,
“Why would you strip him of his personal identity and slap him with a laughable name that was nothing more than an inside joke between Curt Hennig and Vince McMahon?… These officials have no clue about their actions, they are more interested in maintaining their power and lack consideration for their colleagues.”
Other noteworthy talent from the second season of NXT include Titus O’Neil, the first wrestler to be eliminated, and Husky Harris, who would later assume the identity of Bray Wyatt.
Using his championship match, Low Ki made an unsuccessful bid for the Intercontinental Title and was out of the WWE by the year’s end.