On this week’s edition of NXT, Trey Baxter, formerly known as Blake Christian, made his in-ring debut on the black-and-gold brand. He took on Kushida for the NXT Cruiserweight Championship. This past February, it was reported that World Wrestling Entertainment signed not only Baxter but Carmelo Hayes, the latter of whom independent wrestling fans may know better as Christian Casanova. Despite coming up short against “The Time Splitter,” Baxter put forth a solid showing.
Though Trey Baxter faced a more experienced wrestler in Kushida, the NXT newcomer showed immense promise. He utilized everything from technical know-how to fast-paced maneuvers in order to keep the titleholder on his toes. Moves such as springboard lariats and running planchas showed just how capable Baxter was between the ropes. As the match progressed, Kyle O’Reilly made his way to the stage to watch. Ultimately, the experience of Kushida won through, as Baxter was forced to tap out to the champion’s Hoverboard Lock. Baxter received respect from not only Kushida but O’Reilly. Following the match, O’Reilly challenged Kushida to a non-title match next week.
.@TreyBaxterWWE is giving @KUSHIDA_0904 a run for his money and @KORcombat has come to get a closer look! #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/PKCM2xLG4f
— WWE (@WWE) June 16, 2021
As stated earlier, Trey Baxter was reportedly signed to a WWE contract in February. Prior to his time in WWE, he was known as Blake Christian. He began his professional wrestling career in 2017, training at SWAG Wrestling. It wasn’t until 2019, however, when he began to build considerable momentum on the independent scene. His first major exposure came at that year’s GCW Lights Out event, where he faced and bested KTB. The future Trey Baxter would make multiple Game Changer Wrestling appearances, his final being a Title vs. Career Match against then-GCW World Champion Rickey Shane Page at GCW Fight Forever‘s The Wrld On GCW Part III block. He would also appear for IMPACT Wrestling and New Japan Pro-Wrestling during 2021 alone.
During his time on the independent scene, the star formerly known as Blake Christian never held gold. However, given his spirited performance against Kushida on this week’s NXT, expect Trey Baxter to be a future contender in the cruiserweight division.
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