#2 Kaval (Season Two Winner)
After the failure that was the Wade Barrett experiment after NXT season one, fans were understandably less enthusiastic about the second edition, and what would happen to the winner. That being said, the roster did consist of a few recognisable stars including an independent scene favourite known as ‘Low Ki’.
Low Ki had spent numerous years on the indie scene wrestling for ROH, TNA and several Japanese factions. He built a reputation for himself defeating the likes of Chris Hero and Bryan Danielson along the way. He was invited to take part in NXT season 2 as ‘Kaval’, a character known for his advanced abilities in multiple martial arts.
He was placed under the tutelage of LayCool – the name given to Michelle McCool and Layla. This placed Kaval in somewhat of a lighthearted position but was still able to remain popular enough with the fans to become the second NXT season winner.
If Wade Barrett’s career is now seen as less than ideal, Kaval’s time on the main WWE roster was on another level of disappointing altogether. He essentially went on an immediate losing streak after being drafted to Smackdown, losing his first match to Drew McIntyre.
After a few weeks, many in the WWE Universe were questioning why Kaval had even been chosen as the winner of NXT in the first place. Rather than being able to cash in on a match for the WWE Championship, as Wade Barrett did, his prize for winning NXT was an Intercontinental Championship match against Dolph Ziggler which he also failed to win.
Kaval’s exit from WWE was as unceremonious as his entrance, eventually leaving the company at the end of 2010. Kaval made his return to the indie scene, wrestling under the name ‘Low Ki’ once more. He also enjoyed a very successful run with NJPW, becoming the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and reaching the finals of the Best of the Super Juniors Tournament. He also reached the top of TNA's X-division, holding the belt for a short time, a title he had won twice before.
Low Ki appears to have found a permanent home at Impact Wrestling where he is commonly associated with the company’s X-division. Looking back on his career as a whole, his time with WWE looks more like a blip than anything else. It’s a shame the company never really took the man seriously after initially giving him some decent spotlight.
Teddy Long snaps when Swerve Strickland's race is brought up HERE
