Bully Ray liked what he saw from Zilla Fatu’s WWE NXT debut — but he’s not handing out a free pass either.
Fatu made his presence felt at the end of the latest episode of NXT, laying out both Cruz Montana and Grayson Waller and making his championship intentions clear in the process.
Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Bully Ray reacted to the moment with genuine enthusiasm, calling it big for the brand and noting that Fatu has a track record of stirring up controversy wherever he’s wrestled — a pattern that continued right out of the gate in NXT.
Zilla f’kn Fatu is in the NXT! Holy Schnikies!
“Huge, real big for NXT! Zilla Fatu stirs up controversy no matter where he goes, no matter where he wrestles. But Zilla has shown up and made his presence known, starting controversy right off the bat in NXT tonight.
Bully Ray was clear about the upside Fatu brings to the table, but he paired that praise with a pointed question: can Fatu actually keep his attitude and ego in check, stay professional, and avoid being the kind of loose cannon that’s followed him throughout his career?
Lots and lots and lots of upside to Zilla Fatu, but can Zilla keep his attitude in check? Keep his ego in check? Be professional and not be so much of a loose cannon and so rebellious. But overall, a real positive first night in NXT for Zilla.
It’s a fair assessment given Fatu’s reputation. As the son of the late Umaga and the latest member of the extended Anoa’i wrestling dynasty to arrive in WWE, Fatu carries plenty of name recognition — along with a history of controversy that WWE veterans like Bully Ray clearly aren’t ignoring, even while acknowledging his talent.
