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They say it’s not often the loudest person in the room whom you should fear, but rather the individual whom subscribes to silence while watching the chaos of the world evolve around him. Enter NXT’s newest Superstar, Elias Samson. After a successful debut on the Dec. 23 edition of NXT, there seems only an added layer of mystery behind Samson and his purpose within NXT.
“So many on the NXT roster are face-value humans; not me,” the self-proclaimed “Drifter” told WWE.com. “No one has known me long enough to even get close, and they may never know because I keep my distance.
“Being The Drifter means I live on my own terms,” Samson added. “This is how I choose to see the world and live my life — wearing what I want, saying what I want, and making the music I want, and being true to myself at all times.”
The NXT Universe was first exposed to Samson thanks to a series of black-and-white videos in which he displayed his acoustic guitar prowess, plus spouted lyrics of masqueraders and the need for a liberator. Samson took things a step further by carrying his guitar to the ring as an eerie symbol of companionship.
“Creating music is the most liberating thing, next to what I do in the ring,” he said. “Free thinking, no rules, no regulations, no limits. My guitar is an extension of me. Who I am is wrapped up in my guitar. It's my baby, and like my baby, I will not let anyone do any harm to it, nor let it out of my sight. The NXT roster is filled with masqueraders. People hiding behind masks, figuratively and literally. Personas that aren't showing who they are. I will show them that. That's why I am the liberator. I am who I say I am, and ain't nobody know me better than me.”
Though his underlying feelings of judgment toward other NXT Superstars could be the source of controversy, it is Elias Samson’s conviction that is most striking. Samson truly believes NXT needs his presence now more than ever. With his guitar by his side, The Drifter plans to dish out his form of punishment to those he deems unfit to serve under the NXT banner.
“NXT is craving for someone to break out of the mold and give them something they can grab onto and believe, see, hear, feel and be captivated by,” Samson said. “It's not something you may see at first; you may only catch glimpses of it here and there, but eventually, and undeniably, you will wonder how NXT existed before Elias Samson, before The Drifter. I go where I am needed, and I am needed here.”
