Some of the darkest characters to come through NXT (their only potential competition being Aleister Black and The Authors of Pain), Sanity is a four-member stable composed of Eric Young, Nikki Cross, Killian Dain, and Alexander Wolfe. WWE drew talent from around the globe for this group, as Young is Canadian, Cross is Scottish, Wolfe is German, and Dain is Irish. Although they are from different countries, they all have one thing in common – a thirst for chaos.
The sinister faction debuted as part of the 2016 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic and showed their colors right from the start. Alexander Wolfe and Sawyer Fulton won their match against Tye Dillinger and Bobby Roode, while the other two members, unknown to the audience at the time, remained hooded ringside. After the match, Nikki Cross revealed herself while savagely attacking an already beaten down Dillinger. Eric Young eventually pulled Cross away kicking and screaming, only to slam Dillinger into the mat one more time. (Sawyer Fulton was the original fourth member of the group, but was injured shortly after their debut and replaced with Killian Dain.)
From that moment, it was clear that they were a particularly ruthless troop, and they have only increased in intensity since.
Sanity enters the arena hooded with faces covered, accentuating their criminal personas.
Sanity is a unique and exceptionally strong stable in that its members represent every division in the company: singles, tag team, and women’s. Beyond that, each of the 4 is talented in the ring – Nikki Cross and Eric Young being fantastic on the mic as well. Killian Dain and Alexander Wolfe are typically tag partners and make a highly physical group. Dain is the strong man, but they both employ an arsenal of power moves. Personally, I think it would be really cool to see them do a takeover of NXT (not to be confused with the brand’s pay-per-view-esque specials) where Sanity holds every title at the same time, promoting their anarchist ideals in every division.
Wrestling factions can sometimes feel a bit lazy; the group is haphazardly thrown together just to give the individuals an on-screen identity. Thankfully, that is not the case. Although WWE did add Wolfe for this reason, it only assisted his career; he was on the show before but as a nondescript enhancement talent. Now he has recognition with the audience in a main event group. Sanity acts as a well-oiled machine with Eric Young at the forefront, leading them into action.
Young is certainly the ringleader, but Nikki Cross is the star of the squad. With her elite wrestling ability and well-defined persona, she is by far the best at playing the sadistic off-the-rails character. Her backstage “interviews” (if you can call repeating a name and smiling fiendishly at the camera an interview) and mannerisms, both inside the ring and out, are pure gold.
Given the immense level of talent overall and the inimitable configuration of the stable, Sanity has the potential for great success both in NXT and the main roster, should WWE decide to keep them together. Needless to say, I am excited to see what the future holds for this peculiar team.
What are your thoughts on Sanity? Are you a fan of the villainous quartet? Let us know on Twitter, @TheRumbleRamble.
