Enzo and Cass interrupt the Dudley Boyz for their WWE debut

[The Rick Jericho]

This was a hell of a debut here. The crowd was so into the act. They came off as huge stars here with the Dudleyz.

Was this the last truly over tag team act from NXT to debut in WWE?

They may have flamed out fast, but for a short moment in time, Enzo and Cass were the IT team. Sad they never one the straps.

[fw91]

Acts like them were why the early Takeover era of NXT was so freaking good. Shame Enzo was a moron and Cass had his mental struggles.

[A Little Doo Doo]

I always liked Enzo, even though it's his own fault he was released and I wouldn't blame WWE for never hiring him back. I thought Cass was pretty meh at the time, but he's been killing it since he got his personal demons sorted out. He's a totally different performer now. It was unfortunate for them that the Hardyz returned when they did, because they were super over at that WM and the fans would've loved them winning the titles.

[Legion]

The fact that the crowd talks along with his entire shtick.

Enzo could have been something special if he wasnt what he may have been

[CMWaters]

Is it odd that the big takeaway from this looking back is "Man, the version they used in the video games was SO low energy" (though that's probably true for the Road Dogg/New Age Outlaws entrance too)?

[Confused Mark Wahlberg]

[A Platypus Rave is Correct]

I remember going to the original NXT Brooklyn and S-a-w-f-t SAAAAAAAAAAWFT was repeated so damned much while funneling into the building.

It's a shame Enzo was... well Enzo... dude had charisma for days... which made him ideal to basically hide all of his in ring shortcomings behind a tag guy.

But he couldn't do it on his own... and I don't know how great he'd be as a manager as he'd have to get someone else over as well and most of his talk outside of the "Big Cass is seven feet tall" he mostly really talked about himself >_>

[Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]]

John Cena gave them like his own stamp of approval too when they were still in NXT. He saw the potential. It's a crime they NEVER got tag belts, on either roster

I'm glad Cass seems to have overcome his demons and is on the fast rise in AEW. Enzo... well... can't say he didn't f*** everything he did up with his choices. He still pops up in Indies every now and again but I wouldn't be shocked if we just never see him in a bigger company again.

[lavelleuk22]

Enzo wasn't the kind of wrestler I usually like but I was a big mark for him, and Cass was the perfect guy for him to team with

I could be remembering wrong bit didn't Enzo also suffer from WWE's "let's test them" philosophy at the time? Where they used to do things to purposely make guys look bad to see if they were "really over" or to test their attitude backstage?

I'm sure he had multiple incidents just after he debuted where he was made to look completely incompetent but it's been a while. Wasn't there a shark cage match where he broke out to a big pop, only to be immediately and pointlessly destroyed anyway?

Cass is very nothingy to me but he's a good tag guy, like a taller Billy Gunn. I thought his AEW run finally had promise in the Brian Cage team, then they lost to FTR and that seemed to be that

[King Devitt and the Woke Mob]

Still one of my favorite moments, and indicative of why I miss Black and Gold NXT so much. That era produced main roster ready superstars that felt like megastars when they would debut.

Debuts were so hype back then.

When I was your age.

*Yells at cloud*

[fw91]

Anyone else think that it’s a bit of a misconception that Big Cass needed Enzo? I feel like Cass is a great promo in his own right.

[papagiorgio]

They could have been close to as successful in modern terms as the New Age Outlaws, but they seemed to really want to push Big Cass as a singles wrestler too soon.

I think Enzo's ceiling was probably a couple U.S. and/or I-C title runs if he didn't have issues. They might have given Big Cass a run with a world title, but I don't think it would have been a great run. I don't think he was a complete enough package even if he controlled his issues.

[The Legend of Groose]

I'm still 99% convinced they would have won the tag belts at mania if the Hardys didn't return that night. Enzo and Cass were a great act together, then Enzo had to be Enzo. It's a shame too because Enzo never really recovered from Simon Gotch.

[Nosnorb]

Sept 10, 2023 6:20:52 GMT -5 fw91 said:

Anyone else think that it’s a bit of a misconception that Big Cass needed Enzo? I feel like Cass is a great promo in his own right.

Dude has gotten real good in AEW, he cut a fine promo on Collision last night.

[chazraps]

As someone who fully believes that Enzo is a rapist, I personally find it challenging to go back and enjoy his work regardless of how fond of it I was at the time, and I'm not shedding any tears over him and Cass not winning the belts.

Side note, I think it's pretty amazing to look back at how massively, MASSIVELY over they were and within a few weeks of Cass' canning it was like they never existed. No fingerprint left in the product of footnotes in anyone else's history. For such as Earth-shaking popular as they were, it was almost immediately like they never happened.

I'm happy that Cass seems to be in a better plan now though and I've enjoyed his most recent work on-screen.

[OGBoardPoster2005]

Truly thought both were heading to greatness but boy did it fizzle quick.

I don't think even a year went by before the act was dead.

[darbus alan]

Cass hit rock bottom and has only been doing better since. I'm glad he really seems to have straightened himself out. Impact giving him a second chance completely revitalized his career.

[A Platypus Rave is Correct]

Sept 10, 2023 6:20:52 GMT -5 fw91 said:

Anyone else think that it’s a bit of a misconception that Big Cass needed Enzo? I feel like Cass is a great promo in his own right.

I think he needed Enzo at least at first. It gave him a direction, and helped him get used to working the mic.

(it also made him ridiculously over just by being associated with Enzo)

but at the same time Cass's ending LEMME SPELL IT OUT FOR YOU! gave the audience a hook.

[darbus alan]

Sept 10, 2023 6:20:52 GMT -5 fw91 said:

Anyone else think that it’s a bit of a misconception that Big Cass needed Enzo? I feel like Cass is a great promo in his own right.

Try to find his promo he gave at the 2300 Arena in Philly when he was working in Impact as W. Morrissey. It was an excellent promo where he talked about everything he went through and overcame the last few years. Came straight from the heart. And it's a better, more engaging promo from both a wrestling and a human standpoint than anything Enzo's ever done.

[thegame415]

One of the biggest what ifs in the last 10 years, IMO.