This week I’m looking into the current NXT superstars and singling out a few names that are destined to break through to the main roster and those that could fall victim to the dreaded WWE creative curse.
I’ll be highlighting those either currently on the NXT roster of superstars, or who have recently been promoted.
There’ll be some controversial ones, so bare with me.
Finn Balor
Hotly tipped to have the brightest future in WWE out of any superstar on the NXT current roster, however I don’t think it’ll be a straightforward step up for Finn. I predict he’ll have to work his way up from the United States title, to the Intercontinental Title before even thinking about a WWE Title reign, and who knows when that’ll be.
The great thing about Balor, is that he has a presence, which make people want to tune in to see him. His ring style is something to behold, his t-shirts regularly sell out because he’s so popular, but what is his weakness? His personality.
I can’t pick a memorable promo he’s ever cut whilst in NXT, and his character as Balor is quite basic, whereas the Demon character is highly unique and a crowd pleaser.
I’d be worried for Finn that his microphone skills need a lot of improvement before making a step up, but that’s where WWE could be smart and pair him with a tough talking manager, who could threaten to unleash ‘The Demon’ onto the opponents.
There’s plenty of potential for Balor to develop, however, and he’s destined for greatness upon the main roster.
Verdict: HIT
Carmella
It’s a hard one to call with Carmella, because while her straight talking ghetto ‘princess’ character is a huge hit in NXT, I fear her character isn’t very unique within WWE and one we’ve seen plenty of times before.
What would make her stand out to the audience? What would make the fans remember her?
I’m a fan of Carmella, but there are plenty of better women in WWE right now that would all be ahead of her not only in wrestling ability wise, but character wise.
I’d predict that she would have a 1-2 month run on the main roster with the creative backing, before fading into the background.
Verdict: MISS
The Revival (Dash & Dawson)
Whilst being good wrestlers, there’s nothing to me that stands out about these guys enough. We all know to make it in the WWE you need to have that extra flavour about your character, the edge that puts you a level above the others, and I don’t think The Revival have it.
I’m interested to see what direction they’ll go in NXT now they’ve dropped the titles to American Alpha (Jordan & Gable). If booked correctly, they’ll stand some sort of chance of staying relevant, however, looking at Blake & Murphy who were in a similar position, it’s certainly cause for concern.
Given the way The Ascension were booked upon arrival to WWE, it’s hard to see these two be booked any different given the current circumstances within the tag division.
Verdict: MISS
Enzo Amore & Big Cass
What a debut these guys had on the April 4th edition of RAW, the night after Wrestlemania. Fans had eagerly awaited the arrival of these two, and they certainly didn’t disappoint with their interruption of the Dudley Boyz. Enzo Amore took centre stage with some excellent mic work, making a real statement for the two of them against one of pro wrestling’s most iconic tag teams.
Cass, and more so Enzo, have such a unique image about them, which helps them to stand out. They have catchphrases, paired with a quirky entrance, matched with plenty of crowd interaction. This is why this team are so memorable with the fans, and it’s hard to be unenthusiastic about them.
With tons of personality and an impressive in ring chemistry, there’s no doubt they’ll go all the way and become tag team champions one day, and make a long lasting impression.
Verdict: HIT
Samoa Joe
What a huge impact Joe has made in NXT so far, having gone from strength to strength. He debuted attacking Kevin Owens, then went on to win the first ever Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Tournament (along with Finn Balor), before turning on Balor and having successful feuds with him, Sami Zayn and Baron Corbin.
It’s only a matter of time before he becomes NXT Champion.
The question is, will he be able to replicate the same success on the main roster? Unfortunately, I don’t think so.
The problem is, WWE have had plenty of chances to sign Samoa Joe, and always passed on the opportunity. I think they feel that if they are going to put money into any former TNA headline name, it’ll be AJ Styles.
Joe would probably make a good United States Champion, but I don’t think WWE would be willing to invest that much in him. I feel he was brought in purely to elevate other talent (which he’s done a fine job of by the way). I feel WWE have too many superstars currently on RAW/Smackdown as well as NXT that they value ahead of Joe, which will hurt his chances in the long run.
Verdict: MISS
American Alpha (Chad Gable & Jason Jordan)
The story of Jordan & Gable has been quite the fairytale tag team success story of NXT.
Having spent weeks trying, pleading and persuading Jason Jordan to team with him, loveable Chad Gable finally got his wish, and the two have impressed and exceeded expectations every since, week in and week out.
The quite simple team, with only the catchphrase of “Ready, Willing & Gable”, let their in ring work do the talking, and for their hard work and determination, have become firm fan favourites, and now NXT Tag Team Champions.
This is great for the two talented wrestlers, but how would they fair on the main roster? I think they’ll be a success. We all know WWE loves a patriotic wrestler (Jack Swagger, Sargeant Slaughter, Jim Duggan) but never has there been a more memorable patriotic tag team since The Worlds Greatest Tag Team (Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin), and WWE have been crying out for a team like this since.
I have no doubt that they could reach the heights of WWE Tag Team Champions, and cement themselves as regulars on the main shows, and even form a new stable similar to Kurt Angles ‘Team Angle’ (along with Haas & Benjamin). Angle himself has expressed an interest in working with the two of them, and as far as endorsements go, one from Kurt Angle is certainly one to be proud of.
Verdict: HIT
Who do you think are the next big superstars of NXT to swim the big ocean of RAW? Who has already reached their destined heights?
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