Within the next two weeks, I got all of my clothes packed up and headed off to Orlando, where I was set to train with Bill Demott at the WWE Performance Center.
Bill met me at the front desk. He took me back to the office where they were set to pick out my ring gear.
“I think you would look good with red wrist tape and heel tape, like an MMA star,” Bill stated, confidently. “But we’ll put gray shorts, so it’ll offset the color coordination. It makes it look like you don’t care what other people think of you.”
I agreed. We set out to do some training.
Within days, Bill told me that I would be premiering on the next edition of WWE: NXT.
Thursday came around and, when I took a look at the NXT card, I was surprised to see that I was in the main event against Sami Zayn.
I’d already been informed that I would be started off as a heel. That was music to my ears.
When my match came, I heard my favorite song, “Edge of Reality,” play. That was my entrance music. I was excited to make my WWE debut.
When I went out to the ring, I was told he had 5 minutes to speak about who I am.
Looking straight into the camera, I told the world my story. “My name is Johnny Styles. I am the Florida State Beast. I come from a little town called Waldorf, Maryland. I am the best collegiate wrestler in the nation, and I will be the best damn wrestler on the NXT roster.”
The entire time I was speaking, the crowd was booing. “After I capture the NXT Championship from Adrian Neville, I will go on to bigger things than NXT. Get used to seeing this face, because it will be everywhere. I am Johnny Styles, so prepare to get beat.”
With that, Sami Zayn’s music rang throughout the arena. Sami flew through the curtain and the crowd went ballistic.
As Sami danced his way to the ring, no one noticed as I slipped through the bottom rope.
When Sami got to the ring, I crept up behind him and knocked him off of his feet with a clothesline.
I threw Sami into the ring. I picked Sami up and locked in the Styles lock. Within a minute of the hold being locked in, Sami went limp as he passed out.
The referee came into the ring and signaled for the ringside physician to come take a look at Sami Zayn.
As the doctor took a look at Sami, I left the ring, the crowd booing me for being the heel that I was.
Over the next 2 months, I shook the NXT roster as I forced over half of the roster to either pass out or tap out to the Styles Lock.
One day, as I was sitting in the locker room, the NXT match coordinator, John Cole, came up to me.
“Johnny. The NXT board and I have decided to give you a shot at the NXT Championship. You have put on a really good showing since your debut, and we want to give you the championship.”
I was so excited. I was going to get my chance.
On the night of my NXT Championship match, I worked out what I would say to the audience. Since my debut, the fans had done nothing but boo me.
As my music played through the arena, I walked to the ring, a microphone in hand.
When I got to the ring, I looked straight into the camera and announced, “I am the next NXT Champion. After tonight, all of you and all of the superstars in the back will worship the ground I walk on. You are looking at Johnny…”
All of a sudden, Adrian Neville’s music rang out. As Adrian walked out of the curtain, he said, “Johnny. Johnny. Stop kidding yourself. The NXT Championship is around my waist. You don’t call the shots. I do. I am the reigning NXT Champion.”
With that, he ran down the ramp and jumped into the ring.
The referee called for the match to start.
It was back-and-forth match to start. There was a headlock here and a takedown there. But I proved to be the better wrestler with a massive spinebuster to the turnbuckle.
As I pounded away at the NXT Champion, all I thought was, “This is my chance. I will take advantage of it.”
Eventually, Adrian was able to get a break with a kick to the side of my head. Adrian popped back to his feet and hit a flying dropkick from the top rope.
Adrian climbed back to the top and leapt off, trying for his signature Red Arrow maneuver. But, at the last second, I was able to move out of the way.
As Adrian fell, I took the opportunity. I came up behind Adrian and locked in the Styles Lock.
Adrian tried to break free, but it was of no avail. Adrian tapped the ground three times before he passed out.
I had done it. I had reached the proverbial top of the NXT mountain.
