The IWC wasn’t completely surprised by the NXT Superstars who got bumped up the pecking order on SmackDown Live. While rumors ricocheted of Finn Balor, American Alpha and Nia Jax being shoo-ins for the main roster, most weren’t exactly shell-shocked when the moments dawned.
One name that took us by surprise was Mojo Rawley. The former NFL player was on the cards, but WWE officials made a u-turn about him before finally giving him the thumbs up. According to cagesideseats.com, No Way Jose almost took Rawley’s place in the draft.
No Way Jose, real name Levis Valenzuela is one of the most over Superstars in NXT, with his state of perpetual dance. The 28-year-old Dominican-American debuted in NXT on April 20th this year, beating Alexander Wolfe. He was signed by the WWE on April 10, 2015, almost exactly a year before his debut.
Rawley, real name Dean Muhtadi, was a defensive linesman for the Green Bay Packers in 2009 and the Arizona Cardinals in 2010. After rehabilitating from an injury, Rawley signed with NXT in 2013, despite receiving offers to return to the NFL and to work in financial services(he worked from Morgan Stanley after high school).
There is speculation that Rawley could re-form the Hype Bros with his occasional partner, Zack Ryder, seeing as they’re both part of SmackDown’s roster.
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