Sami Zayn, 'Behind the Curtain' and Latest WWE NXT Developmental News

WWE NXT garnered a wealth of exposure in the early part of May as Sami Zayn challenged John Cena on Raw and ESPN allowed the world to peek into the developmental system via its WWE: Behind the Curtain special.

Buzz is still crackling over both events. The E:60 documentary was extremely well-received. Zayn's debut had the Bell Centre in Montreal rocking.

Unfortunately for Zayn, his first taste of singles action on WWE's premier show left him hurting afterward.

In other NXT news, Ryback talks the effect NXT has on the rest of the roster, Samoa Joe discussing his future and Axel Tischer spoke about what he needs to work on most.

NXT Documentary on ESPN Gets Rave Reviews

On Tuesday night, ESPN aired WWE: Behind the Curtain, a slickly produced mini-documentary about the WWE developmental system and the stories of some of the men who have worked their way through it.

The film follows the journeys of Xavier Woods, Adam Rose and Corey Graves. It's a must-watch for fans, but will appeal to those unfamiliar or dubious about the wrestling industry as well.

So far, critics have given it a collective thumbs-up.

Mike Johnson writes on PWInsider, "E:60 did an admirable job of capturing the dreams, desires and pitfalls of such a place.....and at shining a light onto a world that is often scoffed at." Writing for Channel Guide Magazine, Scott Fishman calls it "a quality piece of business."

James Montgomery of Rolling Stone writes that the film "leaves viewers with a newfound appreciation for the business of professional wrestling."

Each of these men are spot on.

WWE allowed unprecedented access. ESPN took the subject seriously. The subjects all had compelling stories to tell. The result was a great look at NXT and the wrestling world in general.

As a bonus, NXT gets a ton of free publicity out of the deal.  

Sami Zayn Injured on Raw

During Sami Zayn's first one-on-one match on Raw, he appeared to be nursing a bad shoulder. This was not part of the storyline. The former NXT champ was gutting it out through a real injury.

The injury reportedly happened before the match started, when Zayn was trying to warm up the crowd. PWInsider's Mike Johnson reports, "The belief among WWE sources we have heard from is that Sami Zayn suffered some sort of rotator cuff injury on Monday." This comes after missing most of 2015 on the disabled list.

Even with the bum arm, he and John Cena managed to compose a great match, easily one of the best bouts on Raw this year.

Zayn is set to face Kevin Owens at the next NXT TakeOver special. Look for him to get plenty of rest beforehand. Officials don't want his shoulder issue to flare up leading up to that title contest.

Ryback Comments on NXT's Influence on Main Roster

Ryback allowed fans a peek at how the main-roster stars view NXT. It's apparently a "kick in the pants" effect.

The Big Guy spoke with Patrick Laprade of Slam! Sports about how much the developmental system has grown. On NXT's stars, he said the following:

"

When you're bringing great wrestlers like that it does nothing but step-up the competition from everyone around it. It's a very exciting period for WWE right now because what it does is when these guys will come to the main roster, it makes everybody work harder. When you have a competitive environment like that, everybody wins.

"

It's great to hear this attitude rather than Ryback and others looking down on the NXT call-ups. With guys like Neville tearing it up post-promotion, the rest of the roster is indeed going to have to step up, as Ryback says.

That mindset is another indication of NXT's success. If the brand breeds competition, it can only make WWE as a whole a better product.

Samoa Joe Appears on Jim Ross Podcast

Rumored future NXT prospect Samoa Joe didn't deny or confirm that he's heading to Full Sail University. He left fans to wonder what's ahead.

The Samoan Submission Machine appeared on Jim Ross' The Ross Report podcast to talk about a variety of topics. For many fans, questions about whether he's headed to NXT were the most important.

Joe didn't give any definitive answers, though. He said there have been inquiries, and that people from WWE have reached out to him. He remained vague throughout. 

This interview was recorded before WrestleMania, so perhaps the situation has since changed.

The Joe-to-NXT story has become what Sting-to-WWE was last year: the seemingly never-ending source of rumors that drags on for months. Until the powerhouse makes his debut in Florida or comes out and says he's not joining NXT, fans will be waiting anxiously to see how this all unfolds.

Other News, Notes

Before Sami Zayn answered John Cena's open challenge on Monday night, he was busy working alongside the main roster during the live-event circuit. As noted on Pro Wrestling Torch, Zayn and Charlotte worked the house show on May 2 in Hamilton, Ontario.

This is far from the first opportunity of this kind for either wrestler. Fans generally expect them to be full-time members of the main roster in the near future. 

New recruit Axel Tischer is much further away from achieving that dream. He is just getting to work at the WWE Performance Center.

Tischer sat down with WWE.com's Heiko Link. On what he needs to work on the most, Tischer said, "Most important for me is the promo class with 'The American Dream' Dusty Rhodes, because he knows everything about entertaining, and this is one of my goals I'd like to reach." He also mentioned getting into better shape.

Prospects aren't the only ones wanting to be a part of NXT. A Hall of Famer wants in on the action as well. 

Scott Hall said on The Kevin Gill Show that his goal is to get a position working for NXT. The Bad Guy has a variety of experiences to draw upon if WWE wants him to take on a behind-the-scenes role. And he knows plenty about wading through bad gimmicks to find the right one.

The man who became a founding member of NWO was once known as Starship Coyote.