After his arrival in NXT was ruined, “The Greatest Man That Ever Lived” will make his in-ring debut on the greatest stage that NXT offers, when Austin Aries faces Baron Corbin at NXT TakeOver: Dallas tonight.
The Lone Wolf has been furious since January, when NXT General Manager William Regal left him out of the NXT Championship picture following a controversial No. 1 Contender’s Triple Threat Match. Sami Zayn and Samoa Joe both trapped Corbin in submission holds at the same time, leaving him with no choice but to submit. The referee could not declare a winner, leaving Regal to decree that Zayn and Joe would square off to determine the top challenger. When The Lone Wolf was informed that he would not be in the hunt for the NXT Championship, he vowed to make Regal regret his decision.
Corbin made good on his promise on March 2, while a beaming Regal presented Aries, his latest signing, to the NXT Universe. The fans roared in approval as the free agent entered the arena, only for the joyous moment to be cut short when Corbin blindsided him. The Lone Wolf pounced on his prey, hurling Aries into the LED boards on the ring apron and driving him into the arena floor with End of Days. Corbin put an exclamation point on his bold statement by ripping off Aries’ shirt and throwing it in Regal’s face, howling “An eye for an eye.”
Regal was on the verge of suspending The Lone Wolf for his heinous actions, but was stopped by Aries. “The Greatest Man That Ever Lived” demanded a match with Corbin, which Regal was happy to grant him. Now, Corbin will have to contend with a 15-year veteran who has travelled the world in pursuit of glory. Aries, a multiple-time world champion, has competed against – and defeated – the likes of Samoa Joe and former WWE World Heavyweight Champions Daniel Bryan and Seth Rollins.
Will Aries make Corbin pay for his brash actions, or will The Lone Wolf make sure that Aries’ NXT career is over before it can truly begin? Find out at NXT TakeOver: Dallas, live and only on WWE Network, tonight at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT!