They Still Know How to Tug Your Heart Strings

It's no secret I watched and follow wrestling. They will always find a way to get a fan fully invested in the crazy web of storylines and have it played out in the ring on front of the audience. WWE/NXT manage hit it out of the park where it hurts from beginning to end. It started under bad circumstances. The covid pandemic pretty changed everything. For WWE the pandemic cause them to mass released and furlough wrestlers and staff back in middle of April. One of wrestlers released is Drake Maverick. Before he was released he was in the NXT cruiserweight title tournament to crown a new champion after Jordan Devlin couldn't able to travel out of UK due to travel restrictions. Once he got word of release he immediately posted heartfelt teary video with him saying tournament is most likely to be his final matches with WWE. His emotional video resonated not just with fans but to anyone who be laid off or furloughed. WWE picked up on it and put out a video of him on the importance of winning title tournament as this is final chance to remain in WWE. For next few weeks I can't help but pull for Drake in his matches. His story of fighting for his job sucked me in. After coming out on top in his bracket he faced El Hijo de Fantasma in the finals. Not only I expected to him but I wanted him to win badly. Instead happy ending in the ring he got pinned on the mat. I felt crushed for him as the fans got a sad emotional ending. Just Drake made his way to the entrance Triple H greeted him with a parting gift: a NXT contract. Drake promptly signed it remaining as member of WWE roster. A great happy ending to the storyline that ranged of various emotions tugging at the heart strings. Spoke with fans afterwards with some admitted to crying at the end. Was it a shoot, a work, or somewhere down the middle? Did WWE reconsider after watching his emotional video of his release and made it as storyline? Who knows the story behind the curtains. It did produce one of best wrestling storylines of the year. You can watch that journey of Drake Maverick fighting for his job below.