Which promising prospects from WWE NXT are destined for greatness on Raw and SmackDown? (Credit: WWE.com)

Projecting the Next 10 NXT Success Stories and 5 Failures on WWE Main Roster

Graham GSM Matthews

One year ago this month, WWE transformed what we always knew NXT to be into something drastically different, a product that took an entire year to finally find its footing.

The weekly television show was largely subpar early on, at least compared to what it once was. There was also the issue of too many new characters being introduced simultaneously and only a few having a chance to truly stand out.

On the bright side, WWE's updated approach to creating stars has led to many fresh faces being afforded opportunities to shine. The in-ring portion of the product still needs fine-tuning, but there are plenty of promising prospects among the current roster.

Solo Sikoa has since moved on and appears primed for big things on SmackDown as a member of The Bloodline. Now it becomes a question of who will be next to follow in his footsteps.

Regardless of whether it's Raw or SmackDown, all NXT talent will have a better chance at success now that Triple H is running both brands behind the scenes. For every NXT call-up who flourishes, though, there are bound to be a handful who fail.

Works in Progress

Nikkita Lyons

It's abundantly clear that NXT officials have high hopes for Lyons based on how prominently she's been featured on the show in the last year. She took off as a viral sensation and immediately formed a connection with the NXT audience, but her in-ring ability remains her biggest Achilles heel. With more experience, she can be a future face of the division.

JD McDonagh

McDonagh spent the first five years of his WWE tenure wrestling for the NXT UK brand before making the jump to NXT over the summer. He's an extremely skilled competitor who would benefit from a more defined character. He has yet to fully adapt to his new surroundings despite now being a top player on the program.

Tiffany Stratton

Stratton didn't get off to the strongest start due to being completely new to wrestling when she debuted and having minimal prior experience (aside from her diverse background in athletics). However, she has already improved immensely and will be much better off once she ditches her dead-end gimmick.

Odyssey Jones

Interestingly, it was Jones whom Carmelo Hayes beat to win last year's NXT Breakout Tournament. He was beginning to show signs of real potential before suffering a significant injury back in January. The hope is he can pick up where he left off and continue to hone his craft upon his eventual return.

Lash Legend

NXT's biggest mistake was rushing Legend onto TV as quickly as it did. She hasn't emerged on the winning end of any of her feuds thus far and hasn't had many memorable matches, but she shouldn't be considered a lost cause quite yet. She has the personality and charisma to be a star.

Succeed: Bron Breakker

As if it wasn't already obvious enough, Bron Breakker is bound to have the WWE-endorsed rocket strapped to his back in the not-too-distant future.

It's no coincidence that he was a part of the very first match on the grand relaunch of NXT in September 2021, beating LA Knight in his debut. It was only onward and upward from there as he won the WarGames main event and defeated Tommaso Ciampa for the NXT Championship soon after.

The second-generation star briefly lost the title and regained it on the post-WrestleMania Raw against Dolph Ziggler. There was a chance to have him get the belt back at the Stand and Deliver special two days earlier, so it was telling that WWE waited until that always-important episode of Raw to deliver it in front of a much bigger audience.

Between his size, age, pedigree and infectious energy, he has all the tools to be a main event player for years to come. Don't be surprised to see him hit Raw or SmackDown by WrestleMania season and potentially be in action on The Grandest Stage of Them All come April.

Succeed: Carmelo Hayes

As one of the only stars on this list to debut on NXT before the relaunch, Carmelo Hayes had a head start and was properly introduced through the NXT Breakout Tournament in the summer of 2021.

In addition to winning the whole thing, he successfully cashed in his title shot and became NXT North American champion, a title he'd hold for a solid six months. He later regained it for a three-month period from June to just last week.

Hayes also had the experience advantage having been a regular on the northeast independent circuit for years before signing with WWE. He immediately made an impact through his star aura and above-average in-ring ability, though it was his strong booking that cemented him a top talent on the show.

Unless the idea is for him to beat Bron Breakker for the NXT Championship soon, then he should be called up relatively soon. His size shouldn't pose a problem in the Triple H era of WWE, especially since it was The Game who recruited Hayes to the company in the first place.

Fail: Von Wagner

On the premier episode of NXT 2.0, Von Wagner was inserted into the night's NXT Championship match without any rhyme or reason. It was apparent that officials had high hopes for him, but a significant singles push has yet to materialize.

That's largely due to how underwhelming he has been thus far both in the ring, on the mic and as a character.

After failing to impress in his debut, his next big break came when he split away from Kyle O'Reilly in a Steel Cage match and beat him to send him packing from the brand. Nothing of note followed, though the addition of Mr. Stone to his act has helped slightly.

He has a towering presence, but truth be told, the equally colossal Sanga has more upside based on how well he can speak and what we've seen from his matches. Von Wagner hasn't shown much so far that would leave viewers to think he'd go far on the main roster.

Succeed: Toxic Attraction

Based on their early appearances on SmackDown, it's safe to say that Toxic Attraction are bound for big things under the bright lights of WWE.

Mandy Rose being paired with Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jane at the onset of NXT 2.0 was the best thing that could have happened to all three women. Rose was in dire need of a refresh, while Dolin and Jane could learn from her experience.

As a unit, Toxic Attraction has been the top highlight of NXT's women's division this last year. They're almost always holding gold and are vastly different than any other act that has graced Raw, SmackDown or NXT since the "Divas" term was done away with.

WWE could use more tandems to fill out the women's tag team scene on the main roster. Rose joining them is inevitable, and she'll be a boost to either brand as well.

Succeed: Creed Brothers

At a time when WWE could desperately use more tag teams in the mix on Raw and SmackDown, The Creed Brothers are guaranteed to be an outstanding asset eventually.

Julius and Brutus Creed come from legitimate wrestling backgrounds, making them a fantastic fit for Diamond Mine right off the bat. The stable was on life support mere months into their run due to the release of Tyler Rust, but the Creed Brothers got the group back on track.

They've been both dominant and extremely impressive in their rookie year on NXT. They had a solid stint as NXT tag team champions and have already moved on to their next program with former Diamond Mine member Damon Kemp.

Their youth and sheer skill should set them up to be cornerstones of WWE's tag team scene. Tag teams have a tendency to break up prematurely on the main roster, but hopefully Triple H sees the value in keeping them together.

Fail: Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen

Of all the tag teams down in NXT at the moment, Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen arguably have the worst chance of being called up and prospering.

Sometimes those are the Superstars who ultimately overachieve and surprise fans with how well they're able to adapt to that environment, but it will be truly shocking if that turns out to be the case with these two.

As wrestlers, they're perfectly competent. It's just that cowboy-esque gimmicks are way too cartoonish and have been done to death in WWE. They would have fared well in The New Generation era, but they feel out of place now.

They were a bizarre choice to win the NXT UK Tag Team Championship over the summer and haven't done anything else in NXT that will be remembered fondly. As previously noted, WWE's tag team division needs work, but they wouldn't make much of a difference if they were brought up without being repackaged first.

Succeed: Cora Jade

Cora Jade was among the few female prospects in the early stages of NXT 2.0 whom fans expected to go far, but no one could have foreseen her ascent taking the turn it did.

Her strong showing in last year's women's WarGames set her up to be the next breakout babyface of the division. However, after unsuccessfully challenging for the NXT Women's Championship on two separate occasions, she simply wasn't connecting with the audience in her original role as a babyface.

Her heel turn and betrayal of Roxanne Perez were undoubtedly rushed, but she has come across as much more natural and comfortable as a character since then. There has been a noticeable improvement with her promos, and her crowd reactions are louder than they ever were before.

Of course, having a perfect babyface foil in Perez has made it easy for fans to despise her, so the real test will be once their rivalry is over.

If she can maintain the heat she's generated, she has a very bright future ahead of her. At the age of 21, she could use another good year or two in NXT, but she'll have no issue finding her footing on Raw or SmackDown when the time comes for her to make the jump.

Succeed: Roxanne Perez

Roxanne Perez has essentially become the beloved babyface Cora Jade was initially expected to be in NXT 2.0, and it's a role she has taken to exceptionally well.

Unlike Jade (whose biggest break prior to signing with WWE came on AEW Dark), Perez was wrestling in several major promotions pre-WWE. In fact, she was the inaugural Ring of Honor women's world champion and also competed in the main event of Impact Wrestling before joining NXT.

Therefore, she already had the experience to justify her debut coming together fairly quickly. Within a matter of months, she won the women's NXT Breakout Tournament, captured the NXT Women's Tag Team Championship and challenged for the NXT Women's Championship.

She's barely scratched the surface of what she can accomplish, and she'll only get better going forward. Similar to Jade, she should stay put in NXT for now but will be main roster-bound before long.

Fail: Wendy Choo

To her credit, Wendy Choo is a supremely skilled wrestler. She has proved that time and time again, including as recently as her Lights Out match in the main event of NXT against Tiffany Stratton.

She makes the most of the sleepyhead gimmick, but it has no business being on WWE TV nor NXT for that matter.

Presumably, it was one of those over-the-top characters officials felt would fit in to the vibe NXT 2.0 was attempting to give off.

It wouldn't have worked in the original incarnation of NXT, but what's funny is that she portrayed a peculiar character then, too. Mei Ying, the leader of Tian Sha, also failed, so perhaps it's time she's given a chance to be herself and see if that's what gets her over.

In her current form, Choo is doomed to fail in the Triple H-led WWE. Ideally, she'd be given a new gimmick before ever making it to the main stage.

Succeed: Grayson Waller

Grayson Waller is no stranger to the main roster spotlight, and it may not be long before he finds himself back on Monday nights.

The former Australian Survivor star had mega heat with the NXT audience after attacking Johnny Gargano in his final appearance on the brand last December. WWE capitalized on that feud by having him feud with Raw's AJ Styles for a brief period soon after.

Their short-lived storyline saw Waller appear on Raw once and trade verbal jabs with Styles. Although Waller lost their eventual singles match, he gained plenty in defeat and has really come into his own since then.

Waller would be perfectly slotted as a heel in the midcard on either brand a la The Miz. His trash-talking will get the audience to hate him instantly, and his above-average in-ring ability will prove he can back it up.

Succeed: Tony D'Angelo

The early vignettes for Tony D'Angelo didn't appear too promising. It looked like he'd be the latest prospect to be handed a one-dimensional gimmick that would only get him so far.

The stereotypical Italian shtick actually had the opposite effect for D'Angelo because of his commitment to the character, and now he's developed a strong fan following among the NXT audience despite being a heel.

In addition to his character work being entertaining, he's also been a treat to watch in the ring. He's worked well with a variety of opponents and has emerged on the winning end of a majority of his feuds.

Having two henchmen with him at all times really added to his act and made him more of a force to be reckoned with. He will stand out with ease on the main roster, catch the attention of viewers and make them instant fans.

Once he tones down the goofier elements of his character, he could be world title material.

Fail: Xyon Quinn

With the proper buildup, Xyon Quinn could have been a featured player on NXT TV by now instead of spinning his wheels against undercard talent on NXT Level Up.

He had a steady start by going unbeaten in singles competition and being portrayed as a silent killer. As soon as he got involved in dancing segments on the show and pursued Elektra Lopez as his love interest, any mystique he had immediately vanished.

It didn't help that he lost both of his bouts with Santos Escobar and gained nothing in defeat. In fact, he was dropped from TV almost completely and has only been used in recent months to put others over.

It's possible for him to bounce back, but it's not looking likely. He'd be stuck in a similar spot on the main roster if he were ever to be called up out of nowhere, so hopefully more seasoning in NXT will earn him an opportunity to redeem his subpar booking down the road.

Succeed: Pretty Deadly

Several stars from the NXT UK brand have journeyed over to NXT 2.0 in the last year and done well for themselves, but Pretty Deadly just might be the biggest success stories yet.

The dynamic duo started out as enhancement talent in NXT UK before working their way up the ranks and winning the NXT UK Tag Team Championship in early 2021. They held the gold for a majority of the year, transitioned over to NXT 2.0 and won the NXT Tag Team Championship the night of their debut.

Pretty Deadly didn't peak too soon, either. They won the belts back three months after losing them and unified them with the NXT UK tag titles. As a result, they've become the most decorated tandem in the brand's history.

Their unique attire shouldn't cause fans to question their ability. They're both exceptional athletes with boatloads of personality that will cement their status as main roster mainstays once their time in NXT has come to an end.

Succeed: Cameron Grimes

Cameron Grimes isn't a product of NXT 2.0 as much as he was the black-and-gold era of the brand, but that isn't to say he hasn't accomplished anything in the last year.

All signs pointed to him being a breakout babyface on NXT following his feud with LA Knight in the summer of 2021, but the abrupt overhaul of the show caused him to get lost in the shuffle for a time.

Once he reclaimed his momentum, Grimes finally won his first major singles title in the former of the NXT North American Championship at April's Stand & Deliver event. That was arguably the peak of his popularity as he hasn't been able to reach those same heights since.

At almost three-and-a-half years, Grimes has officially overstayed his welcome in NXT. He wouldn't have gotten beyond a certain level on Raw or SmackDown with Vince McMahon in charge, but Triple H is bound to use him to his full potential.

He can be a perfect addition to either midcard scene right now and would work in any role. It's high time he make the move to the main stage where he belongs.

Fail: Joe Gacy

The aforementioned Cameron Grimes has been involved in a storyline with Joe Gacy in recent months that has been a waste of Grimes' time and talent.

Unfortunately, that's been the case for pretty much every feud Gacy has had since debuting in NXT.

He underwent a complete character overhaul from death-match wrestler to a creepy cult leader, similar to the original incarnation of Bray Wyatt. He lacked direction in his first few months on the brand and suffered from not having a firm identity.

Once he began pursuing championship gold, his storylines with Roderick Strong and Bron Breakker both fell flat. His bodyguard, Harland, was released abruptly, and the repackaged Grizzled Young Veterans haven't been well utilized in that role, either.

Gacy has shown that he can more than hold his own in the ring, but he can't be considered main roster-ready until he settles on the right gimmick.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.

   

Read 0 Comments

Download the app for comments Get the B/R app to join the conversation

Install the App
×
Bleacher Report
(120K+)