Xyon Quinn's flip to the 'dark side' of the NXT roster will only benefit the former NRL star, as he enters a new phase of his pro wrestling journey.
The 32-year-old - known to many as Daniel Vidot - has become a regular fixture on TV for WWE's developmental brand, with feuds against the likes of Santos Escobar and Wes Lee allowing him the opportunity to showcase his improvement inside the ring.
Considering many of the talent within the NXT portion of the company have prior wrestling experience on the independents, Quinn's progression can't be understated given the fact he only began wrestling less than four years ago.
After his first year on television saw him work as a fan favourite or 'babyface', Quinn has now shifted his personality and is looking to add layers to his story inside and outside of the ring.
“It was something that naturally occurred...it’s always very hard to show lots of personality when you start as a baby," he told The Sporting News.
"You’re a lot more restricted when you’re a baby, so when the shackles are off, you have a bit more fun. I think that’s what he is starting to experience at the moment. He’s finding a rhythm and things are going in the right way for him.
“It was a pretty smooth transition. I think coming into the ring, already being the bigger person usually in the match, people tend to look at you in that light already – you should be the bad person.
"I kind of took advantage of that and took the shackles off and I got to be a bit more free and a bit more me. I think showing aggression is one of my strong points, but also doing it with a bit of cheek and making Xyon Quinn the person who is basically 'The Terminator'.
"He got tired of people not trusting him and people breaking his trust, and he decided to go south. He is obviously still a person that runs it straight, just in a different direction.
“I’ve always liked the dark horse approach. The way I envisioned him to be introduced, I didn’t want him to be a favourite."
Standing at 6'2" (188cm), weighing in at close to 250lbs (112kg) and boasting movie-star good looks, the former rugby league standout has the look to become a major player in the wrestling industry in years to come.
And while Quinn knows that his physical presence will set him apart from others on the NXT roster, there is still work to be done if he wants to make the jump to the main roster.
"It's definitely got to be a contributing factor," he said.
“I believe I’m already in the mix (to move to Raw or SmackDown). You have to establish who you are and you’ve got to be liked.
"It all comes down to Vince (McMahon). If he likes you and he sees what he sees, he gets what he gets and that’s how it works. All the coaches, all the teachers and all the producers all report back and it just gets taken into account.
"That’s all this whole place is about – it’s a journey and at the moment, I’m in an exciting time of my journey."
And despite only being in the infancy of his wrestling career, Quinn has already accomplished more than perhaps he even dreamed of after leaving football behind in 2017.
"We work hard to get into storylines and what not...I think I enjoy the creative side of things, so it has naturally flown together and I’m very happy with the way Xyon Quinn is and my journey thus far," he said.
"If I went back three years and got shown this as my future, I’d be pretty happy with it.
“I’m excited and it’s very hard to explain the feeling you get when you think certain lightbulbs go off and everything starts to make sense.
"That’s where I am at right now and I’m just playing with a couple of things to make him the total package."
