TNA's Leon Slater Recalls WWE NXT Appearances: 'Really Changed The Game For Me'

Through a cross-promotional partnership, a number of TNA Wrestling stars have been able to appear on "WWE NXT," and vice versa. Such was the case for TNA's Leon Slater, who made several trips to WWE's developmental brand in 2026.

On a recent episode of "The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy," Slater explained how those opportunities emerged as a huge benefit to him, both in the ring and outside of it.

"That really changed the game for me," he said. "Just being in that environment, being around that caliber of people, and being able to learn from people like a Matt Bloom or Terry Taylor or Shawn Michaels, it was a life-changing experience. I think, for me, maybe even more importantly than in the ring, I learned how to handle myself out of it. Since NXT, and I've seen how people would handle themselves on one of the higher levels in the industry, I learned that the way you dress is important, the way you speak to people is important, the way you carry yourself when you walk into the venue is very important."

Slater's "NXT" in-ring debut saw him and Je'Von Evans take on The Culling's Shawn Spears and Niko Vance on the September 30, 2025 edition of "NXT." More outings followed, with Slater notably vying for the NXT Tag Team and NXT Championships along the way.

His latest appearance pitted him against then-NXT Champion Oba Femi at "NXT" New Year's Evil in January 2026. Femi retained, then famously left the title behind in order to make a clean transition to WWE's main roster. Slater, while unsuccessful, still returned to TNA as the X-Division Champion. 10 months later, he now holds the promotion's biggest prize: the TNA World Title.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.