Now, I don't even consider NXT a developmental system. It's its own brand. So many guys were able to develop a following while in NXT.
NXT has been great to me. I love being able to wrestle the way I want to wrestle and be who I want to be. NXT is this amazing platform to do that.
The atmosphere we get with NXT and NXT fans, they're a die-hard group. They care deeply about NXT.
To be able to be the first person from NXT to defend their NXT Championship at WrestleMania is awesome and I love making history.
A lot of people ask do I want to do NXT, or do I want to do main roster. I would love to be able to start something new and build a UK brand that we can all be proud of.
When I came to NXT, it was very much a developmental brand.
Emma gave me some of my favorite matches - the NXT Women's Tournament and then NXT ArRIVAL.
I got a large fanbase just from NXT itself. It's an amazing brand.
Just to see the guys, how hard the passion, the drive, that they want to work hard to be able to get up to the main rosters, it's so exciting to me to watch that brand of NXT.
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.
I think what I love most about Oprah's brand that I would love to do with the Eva Longoria brand is she has purpose with her brand. Everything she does means something.
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.
I was 'The Guy' for NXT, the hottest brand in the entire world. I came through knee surgery and two shoulder surgeries to get to that point.
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!'
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.
I understand what my brand is. My brand is not my information. My brand is me and what I say is secondary to who I am.