**Please note: In covering NXT for Last Word on Sports, I don’t read taping results for NXT. I am first and foremost a fan, and I enjoy watching the stories unfold in front of me as they happen. I would ask that you bear this in mind while reading my articles, as I may mention thoughts or predictions that don’t lineup with what has occurred at tapings.**
Members of the NXT Universe (including many of those working for the company backstage) were no doubt surprised to hear familiar music playing through the speakers of Full Sail University on Wednesday, and even more flabbergasted when the Man-Beast Rhyno made his return to World Wrestling Entertainment in competitive fashion, easily defeating a local talent with his signature GORE maneuver.
It isn’t hard to understand why we were all caught off guard. Rhyno hasn’t been under contract with WWE in ten years, last appearing for the company in 2005. In that time, Rhyno captured the National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship, and worked all over the world including Ring of Honor and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. While there had been talk of bringing Rhyno back over the years, it turned out to be nothing more than here say. Everyone believed that Rhyno’s best days were behind him and that he would never return to WWE as an active member, and certainly not in NXT.
Although it has been pointed out that NXT is a place where current main roster stars can go to fine tune their skills (Tyson Kidd, Curtis Axel), and former stars have made appearances (Too Cool, William Regal), never before had a former main roster superstar returned by going to NXT. While on one hand you could say that Rhyno is in NXT because he’s been away from WWE so long that he once again needs to start at the bottom, you could also make the argument that NXT is WWE’s current hot ticket and getting over at Full Sail University might be more important than getting to RAW.
The return of Rhyno marks a change in perspective in regards to what purpose NXT serves. Until Wednesday, the majority of fans looked at NXT as a developmental territory for the WWE main roster. A place where WWE rookies went to learn the WWE style and get them ready (or tuned up) for life on the global scale. That view might have been skewed on Wednesday, because the argument could certainly be made that Rhyno has enough experience already to thrive on the main roster. Perhaps NXT is now less of a developmental program and more of a proving ground? If this is the case, did the Man-Beast just gore his way through a barrier and open the door for more former talent to return? Could we one day see the NXT debut of Shelton Benjamin, or an NXT Championship match featuring Chris Masters? We may not know for a while, but one thing is for certain, Rhyno has set a precedent and his return was a game changer.
Of course, Rhyno’s return to NXT doesn’t just mean big things for past WWE stars, but current NXT ones as well. Having a veteran presence the likes of Rhyno in the locker room could end up being a huge benefit for the young roster. Although they have been taught by some of the best minds in the business, there is no substitute for actually working with a talent that has not only competed at the highest level imaginable, but one who has managed to sit on top of the mountain with two of the most respected World Championships in history. That being said, I’m sure not everyone on the NXT roster is thrilled with the return of the Man-Beast.
Take a guy like Bull Dempsey for example. The New York Nightmare has dubbed himself the wrecking ball of NXT. Dempsey might not remember, but Rhyno was wrecking people back when Dempsey was still in high school. If there was anyone in NXT who should be worried about seeming like an imposter, and replaceable, it’s Bull Dempsey. Now, if Dempsey were to hand Rhyno his first loss in the promotion, then that would show the world that he is the new and improved Man-Beast of WWE, however, his track record of handing out losses to juggernauts isn’t exactly pristine.
While we’re on the subject of guys Bull Dempsey hasn’t beaten, let’s analyze how Rhyno could become a problem for NXT’s resident immovable force, Baron Corbin. Rhyno has a history for moving immovable forces, and from the moment he stepped onto the ramp at Full Sail University, I’m sure fans were salivating at the idea of a dream match pitting the End of Days against the Gore. Who would emerge victorious in such an endeavor? It’s hard to say, but if I were Baron Corbin, I wouldn’t exactly be pleased about the Rhyno’s homecoming.
One name you wouldn’t think to be happy about the return of the Man-Beast is Tyler Breeze, but I submit that Tyler might end up being the man who capitalizes the most on Rhyno’s return. From his days with Steve Corino and Cyrus in ECW to his time as part of Team R.E.C.K in WWE, to his stint with The Embassy in RoH, Rhyno has been happy to provide the muscle for those who pay him a handsome sum, and no sum could be more handsome that one paid by Prince Pretty himself, Tyler Breeze. At NXT Takeover: Rival, Breeze had a fan jump him, and over the last few weeks we’ve seen Marcus Louis lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike. Perhaps an investment in a new guard-Rhyno wouldn’t be such a bad idea for Breeze.
Someone who might want to invest in extra protection is Finn Balor. Although they have never crossed paths outside of NXT, Rhyno made sure to send a message to the Irish born sensation by physically crossing his path while giving a backstage interview. Was Rhyno trying to size up Balor, or perhaps get inside his head? To his credit, Balor didn’t show any weakness in the presence of the Man-Beast, a task that not everyone can claim to have accomplished, with good reason. It is curious that Rhyno could be setting his sights on Finn Balor, who just happens to be the number one contender to the NXT Championship. If Rhyno is looking to jump ahead of the pack by taking out the next man in line for a shot at the gold, then there is one other NXT athlete who needs to start thinking about how to handle a Rhyno attack; the current NXT Champion, Kevin Owens.
While there are some in NXT who could claim to be similar to Rhyno, no one in the NXT locker room is more like the Man-Beast than Kevin Owens. Both men use in ring intensity to intimidate and stun their opponents, and both utilize an impactful signature arsenal that can often be debilitating for those who choose to fight them. They’re also alike in their attitudes. Both men are impatient to a fault, and willing to charge into battle with little regard for themselves or authority. The scariest similarity however, is their enjoyment of no holds barred encounters. Rhyno made a name for himself by turning tables into toothpicks as ECW Television and World Champion. As for Kevin Owens, his ladder wars and hardcore matches have become the stuff of legend in RoH. A match where these two are allowed to go full tilt on one another could end up being the most violent in NXT history, and a true nightmare for General Manager William Regal. Of course, if those these two were to combine their forces it could prove to be a nightmare for the entire NXT locker room. A disturbing thought, but a possibility nonetheless.
Rhyno certainly shocked the professional wrestling world when he showed up at Full Sail University on Wednesday, and the exciting thing is that his history indicates it won’t be the last surprise he provides for the NXT Universe. Who knows if he will make a huge impact or fail to keep up with the young lions? One thing is however abundantly clear. There is more than enough room in the NXT jungle for one more animal, the only question is, can anyone on the roster tame him?
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Photo courtesy of WWE.com
