Keith Lee entered his NXT debut match with plenty of hype and big expectations, and the Limitless Superstar did not disappoint.
Facing Germany’s Marcel Barthel, who was also making his NXT TV debut, Lee showed what all the buzz was about, moving around the ring like a Cruiserweight despite being built like a human tank. Lee immediately impressed the NXT Universe with his unbelievable agility, leapfrogging Barthel and hitting him with a dropkick. Lee displayed immense power, too, throwing Barthel across the ring out of a front facelock.
To his credit, Barthel wouldn’t be defeated easily. A proud proponent of the classic European style of wrestling, Barthel whacked Lee with hard uppercuts and a double thrust to the throat, and he deftly dodged a big avalanche attempt by the 300-pounder.
In the end, though, Lee would not be denied victory in his first outing on WWE Network. Lee bulldozed Barthel with a pounce before smashing him into the canvas with a modified Jackhammer for the pin. The NXT Universe, meanwhile, was all too happy to bask in the glory of NXT’s latest free agent signing, cheering Lee heartily.