The concept of WWE NXT was born to replace the dying ECW brand. It was enacted to give developmental talents a chance to showcase their abilities on national television, with the idea being that the most impressive of the perspective talents would gain a contract on one of the main shows (Raw or Smackdown).
After Wade Barrett won Season 1 (and deservedly so), he debuted on Raw in one of the biggest moments of the year. His debut marked the debut of all 8 competitors from Season 1 in a supergrup called Nexus. They destroyed everything in sight and have been the top storyline in all of wrestling over the past 6 months.
Due to the success of this group, NXT Season 2 commenced the week after Season 1 came to an end. This season's characters were not nearly at the level of Season 1, but with a couple of wrestling legacies and an indy hero in the fold, people were set to tune in. The difference this season though was that the fans would have some say in who won.
Season 1 was purely decided by the pros (let's be honest, it was by management and who they felt was getting over most), but Season 2 allowed for the fans to have half the say. What I took this to mean was that management would take into account what the fans want when making their decision on who to eliminate. Enter Kaval.
Kaval, formerly Low-Ki and Senshi, was and is an established independent worker. Perhaps not as legendary on that circuit and Bryan Danielson, his "ninja" style is one that won over that crowd. Many felt that he would carry that style over and wow the fans on NXT and then on the main roster. To be honest, we never saw it.
While he was decent in his matches on NXT, Kaval was pretty bland as a character and had some sort of awkwardness to him. On top of that, he wasn't Daniel Bryan, so it almost felt like his skills were reduced in comparison. Still, fans love the indy darling, and they love the high flyers, so Kaval ended up winning Season 2. Yes, Kaval won the second season over talented prospects like Husky Harris, Michael McGillicutty and Alex Riley. Of course, all those guys are currently on Raw.........
This actually helps my point. Kaval needed the NXT victory to justify his spot on the main roster. He's a small guy and WWE had no idea how to push him, so guaranteeing his spot with an NXT win seemed like a good idea. The other talents on Season 2 found their way to the main roster without the win, so it actually did help Kaval.
Once on the main show, it was time for Kaval to deliver. And deliver he did not. While he used his title match against Dolph Ziggler and put forth a decent effort, I'm not sure WWE had any clue what to do with this guy outside of that one shot. He was never booked as a credible contender outside that match, and it frustrated him.
When going from a small pond to a big pond, it is often tough to understand your position in the new pond. I can remember being a freshman in Gainesville, Florida and feeling so lost and small. This from a guy who graduated at the top of his class and was active in multiple sports and clubs. It's hard to go from being the best to average, but that's what happened with Kaval. It's humbling, and unfortunately for Kaval, it didn't last long.
Just days after Kaval retweeted a fan's idea that he is being misused, word came out that Kaval was let go from the WWE. While the initial word was that Kaval left on good terms, one friend of the native New Yorker's said that this probably devastated Kaval. It may have, and it may be true that Kaval asked for his own release. As of now, we do not know the whole story.
What we do know is that Kaval is no longer employed by WWE and already has booked himself on the independent circuit. Yes, the loophole in the no compete clause is that working in matches that won't be on television or DVD is acceptable. Still, it seems that the only talents that are allowed to do that in the first 90 days are those that the WWE will consider bringing back later on. I'm not sure if that's the case with Kaval, but I wouldnt' doubt it.
Here's the thing. I think Brandon Silvestry (the man who plays Kaval) will do just fine working the indys and getting himself back to Ring of Honor. However, I think it's entirely possible that he'll go the route of Daniel Bryan and come back even stronger than before. Perhaps he'll be brought back with a chip on his shoulder and will work heel. Perhaps they will wait until the perfect story presents itself as it did with Bryan. Perhaps I'm nuts and the WWE and Kaval simply don't mesh.
Either way, the guy is a pretty good worker, but is a little man in a big man's world. I can relate. It's not easy for us little guys, but you gotta respect us for working hard. I have no doubts that Kaval will do just fine on his own, though I hope and pray he doesn't go to TNA. Eric Bischoff is notorious for his malign against smaller workers. Just ask Rey Mysterio, Chris Jericho, Dean Malenko, and other small workers from WCW. Plus, the X-Division is dead in TNA, so there really is noplace on the card for Kaval and he'd be used worse than he was in the WWE. I say work the indys and work them well. Perhaps the WWE will come calling again. Just don't settle for anything less!
Before I go, I leave you with what I think is Kaval's finest WWE moment. This is a rap her performed on NXT. While his wrestling is better than his promo ability, this was pretty funny and I think you'll enjoy it.
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