5 Burning questions about non-title holders in NXT

It's safe to say that NXT is currently ruled by major stars like the Undisputed Era, Johnny Gargano, Finn Balor, Rhea Ripley, Tommaso Ciampa, Bianca Belair, Keith Lee, and the BroserWeights. While most of those aforementioned stars are holding gold at the moment, it doesn't mean that they are the only ones worth caring about on the Black and Gold brand.

NXT held the Breakout Tournament last year, and after Jordan Myles won and left the company in the same year, we have seen a handful of the participants on NXT TV. Cameron Grimes and Angel Garza have been featured regularly most weeks while the likes of Bronson Reed and Swerve Scott have as well. But unlike Garza, Grimes, and Scott, people like Dexter Lumis and Boa have either been sparingly used or not used at all on Wednesday nights.

The NXT roster is so stacked that it is impossible to get every person that is ready for a shot onto TV or into a program. And with new signings like Timothy Thatcher, Jake Atlas and Jorge Bolly (former El Hijo del Fantasma and King Cuerno) waiting in the wings at the WWE Performance Center, things will continue to be crowded at Full Sail.

TakeOver events often feature all of the titles as well as one or two heated singles matches. While those competing in the matches at the TakeOver events often get the most angles and TV time, it's not to say that there aren't some other stars and storylines that are intriguing. Here are five questions surrounding NXT talents that aren't currently carrying NXT gold.

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#5 With Shayna Baszler a part of the main roster, what becomes of Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke?

With Baszler heading to Elimination Chamber, what becomes of Shafir and Duke?

It's been a while since we have seen both Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke on NXT TV. They usually flank Shayna Baszler and did just that as long as the Queen of Spades held the NXT Women's title.

Since we last saw them, Baszler has dropped the title, entered the Royal Rumble and attacked Becky Lynch. The Queen of Spades was later added to the Women's Elimination Chamber match next month.

Shafir and Duke worked the best as pawns of Baszler. Now that she's seemingly moved on from NXT, where does that leave the other two active members of the Four Horsewomen of MMA? Duke and Shafir still needed some polish on their in-ring work so perhaps they are doing just that at the WWE PC.

A lot depends on what Vince McMahon wants to do with Baszler. If he just wants her, then the other two will remain in NXT. If they want to add another layer to the inevitable title feud between Lynch and the former UFC fighter, then bringing the other two women up would make some sense. Until Baszler likely wins the EC match, we'll have to be comfortable with seeing Shafir on the tights of the Velveteen Dream.

#4 What's next for the likes of Damian Priest, Killian Dain, and Cameron Grimes?

Damian Priest

Both Priest and Dain are athletic big men who have challenged for the NXT North American Championship. Dain had a cup of tea on the main roster as a part of Sanity, but that group disbanded after not much use on SmackDown. The Beast of Belfast then returned to Full Sail and started to target the likes of Pete Dunne and Matt Riddle. Those two have moved up the card and into their current roles as NXT Tag Team Champs.

Priest has also feuded with Dunne and has put on good matches with "Swerve" Scott and Dominik Dijakovic. Will both men stay just under the main-event scene and carry the mid-card? Will one turn face? Will they join forces somehow and become a big-hoss tag team?

With such a talent-laden roster, Priest and Dain have to take a back seat to the likes of Gargano, Ciampa, TUE, Velveteen Dream, and Finn Balor. In another time in NXT, they'd both likely be challenging for and possibly holding the NXT title.

Cameron Grimes was pushed immediately following the NXT Breakout Tournament. He was the runner up but then went on a brief winning streak by picking up several quick wins. Grimes is very talented in his own right and may join a Cruiserweight program once things clear up in a few weeks. Jordan Devlin will need new challengers and Grimes could easily be thrust into an opposing role. The problem with having so much talent is that not all of it gets to be showcased regularly.

#3 Should Angel Garza remain in NXT or join RAW full time?

Garza has seemed like he belongs on Monday nights during his brief time on RAW.

When Andrade was suspended for 30 days for a Wellness Policy violation, it left his current angle with Humberto Carillo - and Zelina Vega - in limbo. That was quickly remedied when NXT star, Angel Garza, was quickly paired with Vega as another one of her clients. The explanation she gave was that Carillo's family, of which Garza is a part, was "ashamed" of how Carillo was carrying on the family's legacy.

Whatever the case may be on the red brand, one thing has appeared obvious to me ( and to many others I'm sure) - Garza has the "It" factor and should be a permanent member of the main roster. He's displayed the charisma, character work, and in-ring work that reads clearly as being more than ready for a roster spot on RAW. While the initial plan was to primarily use him during the time that Andrade was off of TV, things could have easily changed due to his ability to get heat from the crowd and perform in the ring.

He's also held his own in matches with Rey Mysterio, Cedric Alexander as well as against Carillo and Rusev. Maybe giving Vega another client full-time will help build her up as a manager of Champions. It could also allow the two men to tag with each other when needed or it could eventually lead to one man turning on the other.

There just seem to be many more possibilities and opportunities for Garza on RAW. Having him go back to NXT would also be fine but that roster is already stacked with performers making an impact or waiting to do so. With an NXT Cruiserweight title reign already under his belt, he should stay permanently on Monday nights.

#2 Will the Robert Stone Brand add more and if so, which stars and when?

Stone and Green celebrated after her recent win over Kayden Carter.

Being a "brand" implies that Chelsea Green is not going to be the only client for Stone. In order to be taken seriously, the group needs to add some more talent and talent with name value. Isaiah "Swerve" Scott is one of my favorites but he's lost in the mix of an incredibly deep and talented roster. It would make sense if he joins because his confidence can then be used as a cocky heel and the main singles star of the group. It could also allow him to stand out a bit more and move up the NXT ladder.

One thing that NXT brass could be planning for is a main-event stable to one day take over for the Undisputed Era. It seems like seeds are being planted for a move to either RAW or SmackDown following WrestleMania as all members have lost their gold except for Adam Cole. They've also ruled over NXT for almost three years, so they need to move on to bigger and better things.

With Stone as a manager/advocate, it could give any number of stars that aren't good on the mic a chance to at least get onto TV. The PC is full of many people waiting for their chance. It only stands to reason that he'll likely add a tag team and some male stars as well. Like Scott, Tino Sabatelli or Shane Thorne would also make sense as stars who could join Stone. Deonna Purrazzo has been a tag team partner for Green in the past, so she would make sense as an addition. Will that happen before or after WrestleMania 36?

#1 Where does Io Shirai go once she's healthy?

The Genius of the Sky is currently sidelined with an injury.

The last time Io Shirai was on NXT TV was a week after the #1 Contender's Battle Royale for the NXT Women's Championship. In that episode, she tussled with Toni Storm in a match that ended in a no-contest. After that, Shirai revealed that she had "tweaked" her knee. Rumors also suggested that she would be out of action for two months. That would put her in line for a return either right before WrestleMania weekend or immediately following it.

I'm of the mind that when Shirai is 100% healthy, she should join SmackDown. The Blue brand needs a bit of a jolt to the roster as most of the competitors have battled each other and/or unsuccessfully challenged Bayley for the SmackDown Women's title. Bayley could also lose the title at the Show of Shows and that means several heels will be needed to challenge whoever dethrones the former Hugger. Shirai would add instant credibility and electricity to the blue brand's roster.

If she goes back to NXT, she'll likely go back into the same role as title challenger and main card act. She's done that for the past year and change and in that time, several other names have debuted (Santana Garrett, Shotzi Blackheart, Chelsea Green) as full-time stars. She could just slot back into the mix but the dynamic has been greatly changed with Rhea Ripley winning the title and Baszler seemingly moving on to RAW. Ripley has also battled Shirai, Belair and some others many times.

My hope is that Shirai debuts on SmackDown after the Show of Shows because she's more than ready to bring her style and awesome character to the main roster. Returns and debuts always take place following the PPV and her name is one that makes sense as a member of either RAW or SmackDown.