I didn't come from wrestling, and I never wrestled outside of WWE. So I'm kind of a homegrown talent. I learned everything from the performance center and NXT.
Once you start hearing a buzz about somebody, you want to check them out because you never know if, and, or when exactly, they may come to NXT because NXT obviously has the best talent in the world.
The atmosphere we get with NXT and NXT fans, they're a die-hard group. They care deeply about NXT.
The way NXT has been from day one when I was asked to do it, 'Don't put me on camera. I do not need to be on camera unless it's absolutely necessary. This isn't about me, it's about the talent,' and everyone that works in NXT, that's what we think.
Bayley helped me a lot in my career, especially in NXT. I had some of my best NXT matches with her, and she definitely helped me develop as a talent, because you're just as good as the person you're in there with.
When I was in NXT, I never wrestled on a TakeOver. I didn't have too many high-profile matches: I probably wrestled about 10 matches in total on NXT TV, including the one championship match against Bayley, which was so much fun and my favorite match in NXT.
Once upon a time, I liked to call myself 'The Grandfather of NXT' because I was one of the first to come up as I was, from NXT.
With NXT there are always going to be a few people who are still developing because that's what NXT is, but that's really exciting because you get to see them thrown into the deep end.
I didn't feel that I was ready to leave NXT. When I was called up to SmackDown, I was very nervous. I hadn't done many of the things at NXT that I thought I was supposed to. I didn't have a TakeOver match. I never held the title. I only had a few matches on NXT TV and to be called up and told, 'Well, here you go!'
There's a level of exposure that 'Smackdown' and 'Raw' get that other brands like 'NXT,' 'NXT UK,' and '205 Live' do not get. But at the same time, I feel like I would not be who I am without '205 Live.'
We all just want NXT to be the best product we can do. I don't care about what's going on anywhere else, we just get on with what we do, which is competitive pro wrestling and that's what NXT is.
When I was in NXT, I was going after the NXT Women's Championship and it never happened, I would constantly check in on my perspective.
Emma gave me some of my favorite matches - the NXT Women's Tournament and then NXT ArRIVAL.
When I left NXT, I was kind of mad that I was never NXT champ, so when I got to the main roster, that was my first goal.
To be able to be the first person from NXT to defend their NXT Championship at WrestleMania is awesome and I love making history.
Clearly, NXT has been blessed with amazing, one-of-a-kind athletes. Our talent have great figures, they're charismatic and beautiful in their own way. However, I am the total package.