Grayson Waller had a quick response after Zilla Fatu made his WWE debut and immediately put him on the receiving end of a beatdown. The 36-year-old star took to X shortly after NXT went off the air and made his feelings about the newcomer pretty clear.
Waller was in action during the August 11 episode of NXT, facing Cruz Montana in a No. 1 Contender's Match for a shot at Tony D'Angelo's NXT Championship. Neither man got the chance to win the match, however, as Zilla Fatu suddenly appeared and changed the entire direction of the main event.
Fatu came through the crowd before entering the ring and taking down both Waller and Montana. With neither competitor able to continue, the referee called for a no-contest.
Fatu wasn't finished there. He turned toward D'Angelo, who was watching from the commentary desk, pointed at the NXT Championship and made it clear that he wanted the title.
“I need that,” Fatu said.
Grayson Waller later addressed the situation on X, taking a shot at the man who had just cost him his championship opportunity.
“Just what WWE needs, another overrated Uce,” Waller wrote.
The response was hardly surprising given Waller's own comments since returning to NXT. He has been openly critical of the brand's men's division and now has a new problem to deal with after Fatu's arrival.
Grayson Waller Had Been Targeting NXT's Men's Division Before Zilla Fatu Arrived
Waller returned to NXT on July 28 and immediately made his presence felt with a lengthy promo aimed at the roster.
The former WWE Tag Team Champion questioned the direction of the division and called out several of its wrestlers. He also took a shot at Austin Theory, his former tag team partner, during the segment.
Waller's comments came after a period on WWE's main roster that he has spoken about critically. He argued that backstage politics had affected his opportunities and suggested that the NXT roster had become too comfortable.
His return was supposed to give him another opportunity to establish himself in the division. Instead, Fatu's arrival prevented him from earning a championship match.
Fatu also entered WWE with considerable attention surrounding his family background. He is the son of the late Umaga and comes from the same Anoa'i-Fatu wrestling family as Roman Reigns, Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso, Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu.
The 26-year-old had already built experience outside WWE before making the jump. He wrestled for promotions including Game Changer Wrestling and House of Glory and was trained by WWE Hall of Famer Booker T at the Reality of Wrestling academy.
Fatu's first WWE appearance immediately put him in the NXT Championship conversation. Waller, meanwhile, now has another reason to keep his attention on the newest addition to the roster.
