Onward and Upward is the first episode of WWE Breaking Ground. It aired on October 25, 2015 on the WWE Network.
Summary[]
The road to become a WWE Superstar isn't easy and doesn't go as planned for everyone that walks through the doors of the PC.
Recap[]
WrestleMania may be the greatest spectacle in all of sports-entertainment, but the road to Superstardom is anything but glamorous. It is rife with struggle and sacrifice, as the WWE Universe saw on the premiere episode of WWE Network's gripping new docu-series, WWE Breaking Ground. There, at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., dozens of world-class athletes from all walks of life compete to break through to NXT and — perhaps, eventually — the WWE roster.
One such blue-chip hopeful is Josh Bredl, the winner of the 2015 WWE Tough Enough competition, who arrives at the Performance Center to ink his developmental contract.
Though the journey has just begun for Bredl, another prospect, Tino “Sabby” Sabbatelli, finds himself at a standstill. The former NFL safety was invited to join the Performance Center after attending a tryout. However, after suffering a concussion at an NXT Live Event weeks earlier, Sabby sits sidelined at home, sweating his looming exertion test. With the athletes’ physical wellbeing top of mind for WWE officials, Sabby must clear WWE's sports-concussion protocol to avoid derailing his journey any further.
Another former pro footballer, Baron Corbin, battles headwinds of a different kind. As an NXT main event bout later in the week fast approaches, Corbin — a determined 6-foot-8 biker who earned a reputation as a ruffian in the NFL — shows signs of frustration over not moving up the developmental ranks faster.
Some prospects are much earlier on in the system. Nhooph Al-Areebi, a 19-year-old Diva-in-training who comes from a strict Arabic family, risked losing her parents’ support to pursue her dream. Still new to the center, Nhooph desperately awaits her first chance to compete in an NXT ring. Yet, after Head Coach Matt Bloom and Assistant Coach Sara Amato critique her hip-toss technique in training, it becomes clear Nhooph still has a ways to go.
Gallery[]
External links[]
| List of WWE Breaking Ground episodes |
|---|
| Season One |
| Onward and Upward • New Energy • Hittin The Road • Tag Team Turmoil • Call It A Comeback • Road Trip • Proving Ground • Crossing Roads • Countdown • Respect |
| Special |
| WWE Breaking Ground: Reloaded |