NXT Takeover Brooklyn III is upon us and what better time to throw out a Top Five list of the current crop of NXT Superstars.
Following the draft last year and the Superstar Shakeup, NXT took a big hit and lost some of it’s most bankable stars in Finn, Joe, The Revival, Dillinger and of course Shinsuke Nakamura. The product clearly had a dip during this period. I’ve always been a huge fan of the brand (yes it’s a brand, no way can it be seen as developmental anymore) but it stopped becoming must-see television for me. That is until they started utilising the guys further down the pecking order. That is until they signed top indie talent, and rediscovered what made NXT great in the first place – simple but effective storytelling.
Now to honour not only NXT Takeover this weekend but also those Superstars who have made NXT great once again, here is my Top Five list of current NXT Superstars.
5. Hideo Itami
Has any major star coming into WWE had as much bad luck as Hideo Itami? Side-lined with two injuries since debuting to massive hype, he has twice had his momentum come to a screeching halt. But not once can anybody have doubted the class that Hideo brings to NXT. He was and still is a world-known star and deserves to be perceived as such. In fact, it pretty much forms the basis for his recent heel turn. Perhaps floundering as a stop-start babyface, this heel turn will work wonders for him and it fits his wrestling style perfectly. And let’s not forget, he owns that GTS. Will a NXT Championship be in his future? This writer hopes so.
4. Andrade “Cien” Almas
Like Itami, Almas is currently benefitting from a heel turn. The difference with Almas though is that the fans pushed him down this route. The crowd couldn’t get behind him as a babyface and rightfully so. He is masterfully arrogant and cocky and his move set backs this up. Sadly, since joining NXT he has been used as a stepping stone for guys coming into the brand like Roode and Black (and soon to be Jonny Gargano). But none of this will hinder him going forward. By all accounts, management are high on him and this will only benefit him. He might not win the NXT Championship during his run there but you can be sure that he’ll leave his mark on the brand.
3. Aleister Black
This man has star written all over him. WWE have nobody like Black amidst their ranks which allows him to stand out above those Superstars who are currently running generic characters. Within two months of his NXT debut, he was already wrestling a match on the Main Roster. Black is an absolute badass. He has the look. The lethal finish. And one of the coolest entrances and theme songs in WWE. He’s had a great start and has been booked tremendously but now is the time to start refining his character and push him up the card. That starts at Takeover against Itami, a match that potentially could steal the show and the whole weekend.
2. Asuka
I could probably sum Asuka up in one sentence. Probably even a word. So I will. GOAT. I don’t know, maybe it’s too soon for that right now and we should come to that conclusion once she debuts on the Main Roster. If that is the case, there can be no argument that she isn’t at least 75% of the way there. The most dominant NXT Women’s Champion, hell, the most dominant NXT Champion in history, Asuka has set the bar high to a point where it’s tough to find another woman who can believably best her. Not the best talker (but only because of the language barrier), she lets her actions speak for her. Her hard-hitting style sits well with NXT fans, as does her record breaking dominance. Is she the best booked Superstar to ever grace Full Sail? There’s definitely an argument for it.
1. Drew McIntyre
I love Drew McIntyre. For me, he’s the only guy right now who I can see at the top of NXT. That’s not to put down the likes of Roode, Black, Strong, Gargano and Itami. Roode aside, they’ll all have their hats thrown into the mix at the top of the card in the near future. But there is a reason Drew has jumped the queue ahead of them. He is so damn good between those ropes. And committed. After being released by WWE a few years ago, he went straight out into the indie scene and single handedly dominated it. He was known as the busiest wrestler on the planet, earning himself a top 10 spot on PWI’s Top 100 list. He deserves to be back home and he deserves to stand tall above the rest. He is the chosen one after all.
That is my top five in NXT, but what’s yours? Let me know below.
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