WWE producer Ryan Katz has shared an unreleased vignette featuring PAC, performing at the time as Neville, alongside Sami Zayn under the proposed name The Offbeats.
Katz posted the footage and a personal tribute after news of PAC’s death on Sunday. The video offers a look at a creative direction that would have placed two of NXT’s most prominent early standouts together on screen, despite the fact that Zayn and Neville were established as intense rivals during their time in the brand.
The unused concept appears to have centered on the pair’s shared individuality, with the title The Offbeats playing into the idea of Zayn and Neville moving to their own rhythm. It was never used as an on-screen NXT act, leaving the vignette as a previously unseen glimpse at a possible alternate direction for both performers.
In his message, Katz spoke warmly about PAC as both a wrestler and a person, while recalling the circumstances surrounding the filming of the vignette.
For more background on this topic, read Chelsea Green Calls ‘We Could Be Heroes’ Role A ‘Quick Cameo’.
“Pac/Neville was one of my favorite wrestlers, and I really liked him too. We shot this video the day after he had his front teeth knocked out at an NXT taping. He came walking through the curtain, pulled out his mouth guard, and the teeth came out too! But… He didn’t want to cancel the shoot. Such unexpected news, and so sad. My heart goes out to his family, friends, and fans. Condolences and my deepest sympathy. Say hello to Dream for me.”
The recollection underlines the toughness that became a defining part of PAC’s reputation throughout his career. Katz’s account indicates that, despite having suffered the dental injury at an NXT taping the previous day, Neville still wanted to complete the planned video shoot rather than have it canceled.
It is a striking detail attached to material that was ultimately never released. The footage now carries a different emotional weight as fans and colleagues remember a performer known for his extraordinary athleticism, intensity and commitment to his craft.
Neville And Sami Zayn’s Defining NXT Rivalry
The prospect of Neville and Zayn appearing together in a team-oriented vignette is particularly notable because their NXT history was rooted in championship competition. Their rivalry helped establish the emotional identity of NXT during a formative period for the brand, and it unfolded across multiple major events between late 2013 and the end of 2014.
The seeds were planted in November 2013, when Neville defeated Zayn to become the number-one contender to the NXT Championship. That result moved Neville toward a title opportunity while intensifying the competitive dynamic between the two men.
In February 2014, Neville defeated Bo Dallas at NXT Arrival to win the NXT Championship. The victory made Neville one of the brand’s central champions and placed him on a collision course with a growing list of challengers, including Zayn.
By the time of NXT TakeOver: Fatal 4-Way later that year, Zayn was part of the championship picture with Neville, Tyson Kidd and Tyler Breeze. Neville successfully retained the title in that multi-man contest, extending his reign and keeping Zayn from reaching the breakthrough moment he had been pursuing.
The rivalry then became more personal in a subsequent singles meeting. Neville feigned a knee injury before catching Zayn with a roll-up for the pinfall victory. The finish added another layer of frustration to Zayn’s chase and reinforced the lengths Neville was prepared to go to in order to remain champion.
For Zayn, however, the rivalry’s eventual resolution became one of the most celebrated moments of that era of NXT. At NXT TakeOver: R Evolution, Zayn challenged Neville in a Title vs. Career Match. With his future in NXT on the line, Zayn defeated Neville to win the NXT Championship.
The match served as the culmination of Zayn’s long pursuit of the title, while also closing a major chapter in his rivalry with Neville. Their story had moved from competitive equals to bitter opponents, making the newly surfaced Offbeats video especially intriguing. It suggests that, at some point, there was at least a creative idea to present their contrasting personalities in a very different context.
An Unseen Chapter In Early NXT
The Offbeats vignette does not change the established history of Neville and Zayn’s rivalry, nor did it become a storyline that reached NXT television. Still, unreleased material can provide valuable perspective on how creative plans can evolve behind the scenes.
In wrestling, filmed concepts do not always become part of regular programming. A vignette can be produced for an idea that is later adjusted, postponed or abandoned as championship plans and character directions change. In this instance, the footage presents a rare look at a pairing that never developed into an official act.
That possibility stands in contrast to the version of their NXT history that audiences came to know. Zayn and Neville were not defined by partnership on television. They were defined by a title chase that relied heavily on perseverance, mutual competitiveness and the escalating stakes of Zayn’s pursuit of the NXT Championship.
Both men went on to become internationally recognized performers. Neville later wrestled as PAC, a name closely associated with his career outside WWE and with AEW. Zayn continued his own major career in WWE, but their NXT programs remain an important part of the legacy of both wrestlers.
The tribute from Katz places the focus squarely on PAC’s character and dedication. Rather than simply sharing an archival creative piece, Katz used the moment to remember someone he considered one of his favorite wrestlers and someone he personally liked.
His message also extended condolences to PAC’s family, friends and fans. In doing so, Katz joined the many figures from across wrestling whose remembrances have emphasized the loss felt by people who worked with and admired PAC over the course of his career.
A Tribute Framed By Commitment
The vignette’s release is now inseparable from the circumstances in which Katz chose to share it. What may once have been a curious piece of unused NXT material has become a tribute to a wrestler whose drive was evident even in a difficult moment.
Katz’s story of PAC arriving for the shoot after losing his front teeth, then declining to call it off, offers a concise image of that commitment. It does not require a larger wrestling angle or a finished television program to communicate why the memory remained meaningful to someone who worked with him.
For fans revisiting the Neville and Sami Zayn era of NXT, The Offbeats footage offers an unexpected addition to a well-known chapter. It shows two performers who became synonymous with one of the brand’s most memorable rivalries in a setting far removed from the championship conflict that ultimately defined their time together.
More importantly, Katz’s post is a personal farewell to PAC. The unreleased vignette may be an interesting artifact from early NXT, but the accompanying words make clear that its significance now lies in remembering the performer and person behind it.
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.