Around this time last year, I wrote an article about the most promising wrestlers in the WWE, who were born outside of the United States of America. The Superstars that I had down as my top five were Sami Zayn, Paige, Sheamus, Bad News Barrett and Cesaro. And as Paige and Sheamus seem to be doing very well for themselves, while Barrett and Cesaro run the risk of fading into obscurity, the only thing hindering Sami Zayn these days is a shoulder injury.
Since I wrote that piece thirteen months ago, Zayn has won the NXT Championship along with the hearts of many, including fans exclusive to the main roster, as we saw Zayn take John Cena to his very limit On Monday Night Raw, with a freshly injured shoulder to boot. We’ve also seen multiple new faces surface down in NXT, some of which could easily be in the running to be named ‘best wrestler in the WWE today’.
It’s arguable that ever since Triple H sunk his teeth into NXT and the show hosted its inaugural special event on the WWE Network, the brand has superseded both Raw and Smackdown as WWE’s most entertaining weekly show, boasting a very impressive roster of some of the finest performers in contemporary professional wrestling.
So today I thought I’d reprise the concept of that very article I wrote in May 2014, but with more of an NXT flavour to it. While the roster includes some impressive wrestlers like Tye Dillinger, Sylvester Lefort, Marcus Louis, and current NXT Tag-Team Champion, Buddy Murphy which all fit the description, let’s run through the top five most promising non-American wrestlers in NXT.
As a side note, Sami Zayn is not included in this piece due to the fact that he was listed in my previous article, and because we don’t know if he’ll be a main roster mainstay upon his return from injury, or if he’ll be going back to NXT to regain the Championship. Let’s begin, shall we?
5/ Tyler Breeze
At first glance, you probably wouldn’t have even entertained the possibility that Tyler Breeze would make it anywhere with his current gimmick, which often makes him seem way more interested in his own good looks, than he is in winning the NXT Championship.
There are some gimmicks that you can look at and immediately tell that unless there’s a change in character, that person is never winning the World Heavyweight Title. Off the top of my head, Santino Marella and Adam Rose come to mind, although the latter has recently gotten rid of most of the characteristics that would have probably held him back in the long run.
Tyler Breeze, however, has managed to completely turn those predefined perceptions of ridiculous gimmicks on their head and make a believer out of everybody. In fact, I often hear his name in comparison with the likes of Dolph Ziggler, Billy Gunn and even the legendary Shawn Michaels. I mean, he sings his own theme song, what’s not to love?
But the reason Breeze has been able to prove everyone wrong is because he was given the chance to shine in the ring, and he did not disappoint. He has taken it to the likes of Sami Zayn, Hideo Itami, Neville, Tyson Kidd and Finn Bálor, all top-class performers, and he’s held his own against all of them.
Don’t let the fur coat, fur boots and selfie stick fool you, Tyler Breeze is tough as nails when he steps into that ring, especially when the stakes are high. He’s able to reach a level of intensity that many wrestlers lack, and he’s charismatic and talented on the mic as well, which always goes a long way.
I’m hoping that when Breeze is eventually brought up to Raw, they won’t try to overdo his gimmick like they have been known to do in the past. Tyler Breeze is the perfect level of character and in-ring ability, which in a weird way, seem to complement each other nicely, so hopefully he’ll have the freedom to control his own character when he steps up to the main roster.
For now, I hope Breeze is allowed to stay in NXT a while longer, and maybe capture the NXT Championship before he makes the transition. I want to see him get all he can out of developmental before he leaves because a fantastic performer like him should be handled with care. Nevertheless, when Breeze does come up, I have no doubt that he’ll make one hell of an impact.
4/ Becky Lynch
When Becky Lynch debuted in NXT, it was easy to see that she was immediately overshadowed by the likes of Charlotte and Sasha Banks, especially with the typical over-the-top babyface gimmick she was strapped with from the get-go.
But as time went by, and she was afforded an opportunity to present the talents she’s refined over years of performing across the globe, I think it’s safe to say she’s won the hearts of anybody that doubted her. After impressing the powers that be, Lynch was given a title shot which resulted in her putting on one of the very best matches in NXT history against Sasha Banks at Unstoppable last month.
It’s also great to see her presented to the audience in the same vignettes as Finn Bálor, just to give people an insight into the road she had to take to get where she is today. The fact that she was taught by Bálor, one of the best wrestlers alive, also says a lot about her and in-ring ability and psychology.
The Divas division on the main roster, or rather, the way it’s been treated for the last decade, has completely paled in comparison to the chances that women in NXT are earning every week. It’s a definite possibility that NXT could be a sign of things to come in WWE with regards to the division, especially considering how Paige has been rallying her fellow Divas on Raw and Smackdown to get behind her and make a change.
Then again, and although it did make somewhat of a difference, we have seen people like AJ Lee come and go with the intent of completely upending the division and making it one of the focal points of the WWE, only for things to stay almost exactly the same way when they leave.
I have every intention of delving into the Divas division in more detail in a future article, but for now I will say that if Paige’s rivalry with the Bella twins culminates in some people from NXT coming up to prove that women in the industry aren’t to be overlooked, Becky Lynch would be a perfect candidate to do just that.
She is the full package; she’s beautiful, she’s a spectacular wrestler as has been proven in recent months, and she’s Irish like me! Alright, so maybe the last one isn’t a required element to make the perfect WWE Superstar, but she can hold her own against some of NXT’s most promising competitors, which I can assure you is no small feat.
All I can say is that I’m looking forward to seeing her hopefully become a future NXT Women’s and Divas Champion, and I would love to be there the first time she returns to Dublin to perform in front of her hometown crowd at the 3Arena. I think we can all agree she damn-well deserves it, and it’s inevitable that she’ll get to rise up through the ranks of WWE sooner or later.
3/ Hideo Itami
As one of Japan’s finest exports, Hideo Itami has made a name for himself over a very impressive career wrestling as KENTA around the world, making him not only one of the biggest names that WWE has signed to a contract in recent memory, but one of the most popular wrestlers worldwide.
In fact, when WWE signed Itami to a contract, they actually broke the news by having him come to the ring at a house show in Japan, where a contract was presented to him by Triple H and the immortal Hulk Hogan. You just know you’re one of WWE’s finest acquisitions when a legend like Hogan is there to welcome you to the company, especially in your home country.
Hideo definitely impressed in his first few months in NXT, as he then went on to win a tournament at Axxess this year, allowing him to compete in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 31. This was a well-deserved reward, and in eliminating Bo Dallas and rallying a large portion of the crowd behind him, he proved that he had every right to be on that stage.
For anyone not familiar with Hideo’s past, you may be shocked to know that CM Punk, one of the WWE’s biggest stars over the last decade, actually got his finisher, the Go to Sleep, from the originator of the move, Hideo Itami. It’s also said that Itami was one of the guys that inspired Daniel Bryan’s running high knee.
It’s crazy to think how two hugely popular performers like Bryan and Punk had their finishers inspired by someone in NXT, which just goes to prove that it’s not a developmental territory anymore. NXT is its own brand, and while Hideo may need to work on perfecting his English if he wants to really make it in the WWE, it’s a damn good thing when the only issue holding you back is a language barrier.
Unfortunately, Hideo is currently side-lined with a shoulder injury, meaning his journey through the WWE has to be paused, but hopefully he’s taking this opportunity to close that language gap as best as he can, since everything else in his arsenal is picture perfect.
However long it takes, I am really looking forward to seeing Hideo Itami lace his boots up once again and continue to take the WWE by storm. Upon his return, I can definitely see him being the top dog in NXT for a long while, and as one of the finest competitors in the company today, I know Itami would make the perfect representative for the NXT brand as its champion.
2/ Kevin Owens
There’s nothing to be said about this man that can’t be summed up by his rivalry with John Cena. For me, this man epitomises professional wrestling. He’s one tough SOB, he can go in the ring, he can talk up a storm and for a man of his size, he’s been known to go high-flying on occasion. He’s been defying odds ever since he first laced up a pair of boots.
I can’t think of anybody in NXT more perfect to be the man to kick down the WWE’s front door, charge in and beat John Cena in his debut match than Kevin Owens. We can argue all day about Cena winning their rematch, and who’s going to win at Battleground, but at the end of the day, Kevin Owens won their first encounter fair and square. That’s all that matters at this point.
And the fact that Owens is one of the hottest products on Raw in recent weeks, and he’s still holding strong as the NXT Champion, clashing with the likes of Samoa Joe on NXT every Wednesday says a lot about him. Not to take anything away from anyone else in NXT, but it’s like Owens is carrying both shows, which is brilliant for his character.
Cena can mouth off until the cows come home about Kevin Owens not being a real man, but Owens is the guy on the fence between Raw and NXT, delivering grade-A content on both shows; as the champion on one of them, and as part of a show-stealing mid-card rivalry on the other. This guy is a man’s man if I ever saw it.
It may just be a matter of time until Owens fully transitions to the main roster, meaning his presence will no longer be felt down at Full Sail University, but needless to say, Owens has made arguably the biggest impact in all of NXT in the short time he’s been there.
He debuted, beat the living hell out of his own best friend so he could drop his name in the hat to be the next NXT Champion, and he delivered by walking out with the title early this year. And in true Owens fashion, he out-did himself by destroying John Cena not two weeks after his inaugural main roster appearance.
Should Owens beat Cena at Battleground, and I really hope that he does, then I think the sky is the limit for this man. With a bit of luck he’ll be the United States Champion over the coming months, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Kevin Owens was holding that WWE World Heavyweight Championship before the end of 2016.
And if you don’t see him holding that top spot so soon in his career, just look at all of the perceptions he’s defied thus far. Ironically, Kevin Owens has odds-overcoming abilities of John Cena proportions. And it’s just a matter of time until we see the man Fight Owens Fight his way to a World Title victory.
1/ Finn Bálor
This man is easily my favourite wrestler in the world today, and I have a sneaking suspicion that a lot of people share that sentiment. I remember the first time I’d heard of Fergal Devitt, and how I’d have conversations with family members about how an Irishman was making a name for himself in Japan, a country synonymous with being very difficult to impress from an in-ring standpoint.
Fast forward several years to this past April, where I got to witness the man wrestle right here in Dublin, in the same building that he himself would watch the likes of Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart perform in as a fan. I’m not joking, seeing this man perform live is a breath-taking experience, add to it the fact that he was against Neville and it was one of the greatest matches I’ve ever seen live.
I had been hoping to see him in his signature body paint, but it didn’t really matter at the end of the day. You may come for the flashy entrance and the eerie manifestation that is his demonic persona, but you stay for his undying ability in the ring, his in-ring psychology and the unbelievable performance he puts on when he steps between those ropes.
Finn Bálor honestly makes me proud to be Irish. More so than anyone else. There was a documentary on RTÉ recently about Bálor making the decision to go to WWE, and I giggled like a schoolgirl when I saw some of it was filmed at the wrestling school around the corner from my house. He’s a bloody hero.
It looks an awful lot like Bálor will be grasping the NXT Championship in Tokyo on Saturday morning, which I think would be the most poetic title win you could probably come up with. Bálor’s journey practically began in Japan, at least that’s where he really found himself and perfected his craft, so to turn the page to the next chapter of his career, winning the NXT Championship, all while performing in front of the same city that made him the wrestler he is today? That would be absolutely sublime.
I think Finn Bálor has been destined for greatness ever since he got into this industry. As Becky Lynch said herself, he was born to do this, and I think he has everything it takes to be the future of the WWE. This man belongs at the likes of WrestleMania, and sooner or later, he will find himself in the main event of that very show. You can quote me on that.
That’s all from me today, folks. NXT is a breeding ground for success, and each of the five people listed above, as well as the American talent on the roster, should all find themselves in prime positioning on the main roster at some stage. They’re all well worth it.
If you enjoyed this piece, I encourage you to share it on Facebook and Twitter, and join the conversation in the comments below. Do you agree or disagree? Let me know!
If you’d like to read the original article from last year, you can do so here, although it may be a little outdated.
You can also follow me on Twitter @AdamOB_UTS, where you can speak with me about wrestling, my writing or anything at all! I’ll be attending ArcadeCon all next weekend, but I’ll try my best to have something ready to go by Sunday. I’ll see you then!
Thanks for reading!
Self-Professed Conversational Wizard.
Admin, Editor and Writer for SLTD Wrestling.
Creator of 'Under the Spotlight'.
Studying Computing in Games Development.
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