Briley Pierce debuted on the June 20, 2012, episode of NXT taped at Full Sail University as an interviewer.
Pierce made his in-ring debut on the May 8 episode of NXT against Sakamoto, but both men were attacked by Conor O'Brian; this led to both men challenging O'Brian to a handicap match during the next episode, which O'Brian won. On May 17, 2013, Pierce was released; his last match was a battle royal on the May 29 episode of NXT (which was taped before his release) to determine the number one contender for the NXT Championship where he and Sakamoto were the first men eliminated from the match by Mason Ryan.