EC3 is a far cry from what fans remember him as during his initial stint in WWE, and this time around, he aims to take NXT by storm.
It isn’t uncommon for NXT to introduce fresh faces to its roster every few months, but occasionally, a returning star from years past is a part of the pack.
Drew McIntyre was a prime example of someone who resurfaced in NXT in April 2017 following a three year absence. The success he had in WWE‘s exciting developmental territory (which included an NXT Championship reign) was proof that talent WWE had once given up on could still be salvaged after making a name for themselves elsewhere.
Less than a year later, rumors ran rampant that NXT had interest in bringing in IMPACT’s Ethan Carter III (EC3 for short) at the onset of 2018. It wasn’t long after that he was officially announced as the latest addition to the NXT roster, though longtime fans were aware that he is no stranger to the black-and-yellow brand.
Before he was rechristened as EC3 in IMPACT, Derrick Bateman was a mainstay on NXT for nearly two and a half years. He made his debut on its fourth season in late 2010 and showed signs of potential, but an untimely injury forced him to pull out of the competition before he could win the WWE contract.
Upon his return to the ring, he continued to make appearances on the program and develop a cult following for himself through his entertaining antics. Although he was average in the ring, it was his quirky and over-the-top personality that put him on the map in NXT.
Once NXT evolved into what it is today (a feeder system for WWE), the company cut bait with him and sent the Cleveland native packing to TNA, which is where he became a bigger star than anyone could have ever expected.
From the get-go, EC3 was positioned as a rookie on the rise by targeting every top talent in IMPACT at the time. From Sting to Bully Ray to Kurt Angle, he battled and beat a number of former world champions and embarked on an impressive undefeated streak in singles competition in the three years that followed.
In the summer of 2015, the Top 1 Percenter cemented his spot as a main event player in the promotion by becoming their world heavyweight champion. He went on to win the Impact Grand Championship and evolve into an entertaining babyace shortly thereafter.
For all the ex-WWE Superstars IMPACT would sign and immediately push to world championship contention, the company deserves credit for building EC3 up the right way and giving him the chance to shine.
Thus, after accomplishing all he could in IMPACT, it was only logical for him to return to NXT when his contract came up in January. Although he could have re-debuted on WWE’s main roster and done just fine (in theory, anyway), it was much smarter to have him report to NXT and get fans familiar with who he is and what he’s all about.
That proved to be the best thing for him as soon as he surfaced at TakeOver: Philadelphia in the audience and received a raucous reaction from the faithful fans in attendance. He then made a major impact in his in-ring debut at TakeOver: New Orleans, competing in a five-star classic against five of the brand’s most elite athletes for the NXT North American Championship.
Only now is EC3 starting to settle into his first full-fledged feud in NXT with Velveteen Dream, and regardless of whether he wins or loses in Brooklyn, he will show the world why he is the future of the franchise.
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Again, EC3 has never been known as the most incredible competitor between the ropes, but his crazy charisma and exceptional mic skills more than make up for that. Moreover, he carries himself like a world champion inside and outside the ring, a quality Vince McMahon will definitely admire about him down the road.
Speaking of which, he should have a high ceiling on the main roster when he inevitably makes it to that point given he is 35-years-old and is just barely beginning to scratch the surface of what he’s capable of as a character.
So far, he has been allowed to be essentially the same person he was in IMPACT, and since that worked so well over there, it should translate nicely to the WWE audience, too.
A top one-percenter such as EC3 always has something to strive for, and in addition to his mission to rename the black-and-yellow brand “NX3,” don’t surprised to see him set his sights on (and hold) championship gold before long.