Martin Stone isn’t holding anything back — he’s laying out exactly what he claims really went down behind the scenes in WWE’s NXT, and it’s all about politics and favoritism.
Speaking on the Cafe de Rene with Rene Dupree podcast, the former WWE Superstar described a system where getting over with fans didn’t mean you were getting pushed — and in some cases, it actually worked against you. When asked how political NXT really is, Stone pointed straight to his own experience, explaining how momentum with the crowd didn’t translate into opportunity.
“We had our first match at TakeOver… we were a team that was thrown together that wasn’t supposed to get over, but we did. And right now, that’s the kiss of death for anyone that gets over — you know, the crowds just connect with them, and that’s the kiss of death because it’s not the finger point of this guy. It’s still filled with politics.”
He then broke down how internal groups and “classes” played a role in who got prioritized, suggesting that not everyone was operating on a level playing field. From there, Stone got more direct about how he sees the system working, claiming favoritism and alignment with management were key factors in who moved up.
“If you were in certain classes, then you were considered the cream of the crop, and everyone else had to bump and feed for them. Yeah, there’s a lot of politics… a lot of favorites, and a lot of the boys are stooges for management. So yeah, there’s a lot of that, and those are the ones that get taken care of.”
He also pointed to the financial side of things, questioning why some talent were earning more despite doing less. Stone didn’t try to dress it up — he made it clear what he believes is at the center of everything.
“And you’re like, ‘Well, why am I earning considerably less than this guy, yet I’m doing way more than this?’ So it’s a lot of that. You know what it is? A lot of favoritism. A lot of favoritism.”
He then explained how quickly his NXT run started, describing how he went from signing to being on TV within days — only for that momentum to stall. Despite connecting with fans early, Stone said that didn’t lead anywhere long-term.
“I literally started on the Monday… we were at TV on the Tuesday, and then we started the run-up to that first TakeOver. And then again, we got over, and then we did nothing for three and a half years.”
He described a cycle where he and his partner were consistently used to elevate others, especially those already positioned higher on the card. And even with that kind of booking, Stone said the crowd never turned on them — which made the situation even more frustrating from his perspective.
“It was just random matches putting over these guys… we beat people that had no name value, and then anyone that had name value, we just got trounced. But no matter what they did to us, the fans loved us. I don’t know why, because the booking was terrible. It was so bad.”
Bottom line — Stone isn’t just venting, he’s painting a picture of a system where who you know matters just as much as what you do. And if his experience is anything to go by, getting over might not always be enough if you’re not the one being chosen.
Do you think Martin Stone is exposing real backstage issues in NXT, or is this just how the business has always worked? Drop your thoughts below and leave your feedback.
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