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In the final part of our three-section series on the most important Superstars in WWE at the moment, we'll be turning our attention away from the main roster and focusing on the men and women who are part of the NXT brand.
This developmental system is instrumental in crafting the talent which will spearhead the future of the company, so the men and women produced from NXT are extremely influential in how WWE will look in the coming years
As part of a mix of current status on the roster as well as impact on the overall product, these five Superstars are the ones whose absence would be felt the most if they were to suddenly be injured or released from the company today, causing tons of plans to shift and a whole restructuring of the crop of talent working on WWE's third brand.
Without further ado, let's take a look at NXT's top five most important Superstars today.
#1 Drew McIntyre
It would be hard to make a list like this without including the current NXT champion and de facto top of the division, Drew McIntyre, wouldn't it?
While he certainly wouldn't be in my top five if this were a list of my favourites or even the people I feel are the most talented with the most potential, McIntyre absolutely makes the cut if we're talking about potential.
He's young enough that he is someone who WWE will depend on in the future to be a big player, while also being experienced enough that he plays the part of a veteran working with the newcomers who can use someone like him to teach them the ropes.
McIntyre was brought in to quickly ascend to the top, become respected by the audience as someone who can lead the roster, and eventually, he'll put someone over on his way out before moving back to the Raw or SmackDown brands, but for now, he's a very big fish in a small pond in NXT.
#2 Johnny Gargano
The mantra "we are NXT" applies better to nobody than Johnny Gargano, who is in many ways the heart and soul of NXT.
Originally, he came in as just a guest wrestler to job out here and there, put people over and maybe if he's lucky, get invited back again.
After repetitive appearances, the crowd warmed up to him so much that he's transitioned to not just a true employee, but a featured player who has had some of the best matches of the entire year in the company—including what Raw and SmackDown has to offer.
Gargano is perhaps the most over wrestler on the NXT roster and is so beloved by the crowd that it's amazing that he wasn't considered an option to take the title from Bobby Roode instead of Drew McIntyre, but it seems like it's just a matter of time before it happens.
More than anyone else, Gargano is the bread and butter of what NXT fans are looking for in someone who is passionate about the wrestling industry and supremely talented enough to give back just as much as he's taken from sports entertainment, so he is incredibly important as a representative of this type of Superstar.
#3 Ember Moon
With Asuka moving up to Raw, a void has been left in the NXT women's division and no woman is better suited to pick up the mantle than Ember Moon.
Even before Asuka's departure was official, Moon was being positioned as the best successor to possibly dethrone the champion and hand her her first loss.
Now that The Empress of Tomorrow has moved on, all the women in NXT are secondary to Moon, including Kairi Sane, despite how she has a lot of momentum going her way after winning the Mae Young Classic.
Ruby Riot, Nikki Cross, Billie Kay and Peyton Royce are all very important right now to be the others who are the most depended on, but Moon is the one standing above the rest as the most likely to take command as the top woman on the brand.
#4 Eric Young
SAnitY has made its mark on NXT by being cutthroat, ruthless, and a pesky thorn in pretty much everybody's sides, and there would be no stable without its leader.
Eric Young is the primary reason why this group has worked since he's the mouthpiece and the front man who sells the message, builds the feuds and lends clout and credibility to the quartet.
Without him, it would be a trio of a crazy girl, some big guy who never really says much, and...well...whatever Alexander Wolfe is.
With him, they've consistently been featured nearly every week of the show for months on end and have even taken down The Authors of Pain to win the NXT Tag Team Championship.
#5 Aleister Black
Many readers are probably screaming at their screens right now that Adam Cole isn't on this list, but hear me out.
Cole is extremely new and has only wrestled one match so far, whereas Aleister Black has been treated like WWE can't wait to bring him up to the main roster and push him toward a title, whether it be the Cruiserweight Championship or one of the midcard belts on either brand.
Black has perpetually won every match he's been put in, sometimes very quickly, and was even chosen as the guy to put down Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish on their debuts not long before they would be making an impact with Cole.
Obviously, he's being prioritized as someone who could be the top guy of the division once McIntyre leaves, or he may even skip that step entirely and be in for a career like Alexa Bliss had where he'll forego the NXT Championship and go straight to another title.
As one of the premier examples of the future WWE plans on resting its foundation on, Black is extremely important to how events unfold over the next year. When he initially broke onto the scene, Black was said to be the second coming of CM Punk due to his look, microphone and in-ring skills.
Those are my picks, but who do you feel are the top five Superstars in NXT right now? Tell us your list in the comments below!
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