Completing one of the fastest “signing to debut” cycles that this writer can recall, former Ring of Honor Television champ Punishment Martinez made his WWE television debut on the Dec. 5 episode of NXT.
The 6’ 6” Martinez just finished up with ROH in September, as word of his new contract with WWE hit simultaneously. He was introduced as part of a new Performance Center class a few weeks later, along with old training & tag partner Matt Riddle.
It was that old friend who Punishment debuted against, getting some offense in against the King of Bros, but tapping in around three minutes to complete the episode opening bout.
He did get to talk with Sarah Schreiber about his goals in NXT, and perhaps even more importantly, he got to take the customary pic with the boss!
Imposing, unrelenting, focused...
— Triple H (@TripleH) December 6, 2018
and ready. This is just the beginning for @RealPunishment in @WWENXT - I expect to see big things from him. Congratulations on your debut. pic.twitter.com/YG2Z9mPD3V
NXT is so stocked with talent these days, even some name acts have been used in enhancement roles before they get a more official rollout. Is that the path Martinez will be on, or will we see more Punishment as quickly as he went from putting pen to paper to being on our screens?
Stay tuned.