Former WWE NXT Superstar Jasper Troy, now known as Kairo D. Rain, has opened up about the frustrations he experienced with his booking and lack of consistent in-ring opportunities before his departure from the company.
Troy, who signed with WWE in 2022 and was released in September 2026, achieved several milestones during his four-year tenure, including winning the inaugural season of WWE LFG and capturing the WWE Speed Championship.
Despite those accomplishments, Troy admitted that his momentum suffered as he struggled to secure regular television appearances and matches.
Speaking with The Takedown on Sports Illustrated, Troy revealed that he repeatedly approached WWE officials seeking clarification about his creative direction but was consistently encouraged to remain patient. “You know, there was tons of conversations that I would have, tons of questions I would ask, and just being told, ‘stay patient, stay patient,’” Troy recalled. “And you know, I’m trustworthy, so I’m always gonna trust what I’m being told from the higher-ups, and I just listened.”
Although he initially accepted those assurances, Troy said his frustration began to increase as he continued working to improve without receiving the opportunities he had hoped for. “Now February comes, I start noticing certain things going on, situations, and I’m starting to get in my head and frustrated,” he explained. “But I felt like it was natural because I don’t take days off. I don’t make excuses.”
Troy emphasized that his dedication never wavered, even while dealing with the physical demands of professional wrestling. “I just go as hard as I can every day, and I fight, and I battle through adversity and bumps and bruises and sprains.”
The former NXT talent explained that he continued approaching his work professionally and eventually felt that his performances were improving. However, he believed the lack of consistent opportunities prevented him from maintaining that progress. “So at a certain point, I started getting upset, getting frustrated, but I still kept showing up with the same attitude and staying in it,” he said. “And things started getting better on a performance level. I felt like I was hitting a groove, but there’s something about consistency and availability with the work.”
According to Troy, lengthy gaps between appearances made it particularly difficult to develop the rhythm and confidence needed to perform at his best. “There’s certain things that’s like it’s hard to overcome when you go these long hiatuses of time between matches on TV and matches in the ring; it’s hard to stay in that groove,” Troy explained.
He also acknowledged that the limited number of matches eventually began affecting his in-ring performance, arguing that training alone could not replace regular competitive experience. “I think that’s just what it was. My work rate started decreasing, and I just- you can’t outwork reps, whether that’s house shows, dark matches, you know, Evolve shows.”
Troy identified the period following his match against Je’Von Evans at WWE NXT Great American Bash 2025 as an especially difficult stretch.
Despite competing on that major event, he found himself absent from subsequent premium live events, which only intensified his concerns about his position within the company. “I’m not gonna sugarcoat it that the months after Great American Bash (2025) that I had with Je’Von (Evans), not being on those PLEs, like the thumb in my head was going off,” he admitted.
Nevertheless, Troy said he continued reminding himself to concentrate on his own development rather than allowing creative decisions beyond his control to affect his attitude. “But then the professional in me was like, ‘stay in it, stay in it, like don’t get caught up on what’s not going your way, just stay focused on what you control and where you can go,’” he concluded.
Troy’s comments provide additional insight into the challenges he experienced during his WWE run, which ended with his release in September 2026 after approximately four years with the company.
