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Paul Heyman is undoubtedly one of the greatest minds in professional wrestling today. Whether you are in need of a brief wrestling history lesson, or you just need a good laugh, Paul Heyman is your go-to guy. However, when it comes to the clients that he represents, all jokes are off the table and it is strictly business.
With the inception of the NXT brand, the entire landscape of the company changed. What was once merely a developmental system, has now become a destination brand for free agent wrestlers all over the world. Not only that, but NXT is one of the premier brands in all of professional wrestling today.
The current NXT roster is stocked, full of quality talent. Many, if not most of the stars on the active NXT roster are fully prepared and capable of not only making the jump to the main roster but actually turning heads and potentially winning championships. With this said, some of the incoming main roster Superstars could be in need of Paul Heyman's services. Whether they need a mouthpiece, or simply a person in their corner with good direction, Paul would be the man for the job as seen by the success of current WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar.
So, who would be someone currently on the NXT roster that would benefit from having Paul Heyman on their side? Here's a look at 5 current NXT Superstars who could use Heyman upon arriving at the next level.
#5 WAR RAIDERS
Ray Rowe and Warbeard Hanson were at the top of the independent wrestling scene for several years leading up to their WWE signing. It was just four years ago that Hanson and Rowe first met, but initially as foes. Hanson defeated Rowe in the championship round of the 2014 ROH Top Prospect Tournament. The chemistry between the two monsters was undeniable, thus the reasoning for Hanson and Rowe to join forces, becoming the tag team we first knew as War Machine.
Throughout their short career, War Machine dominated everywhere from Ring of Honor, all the way out to New Japan Pro Wrestling. Rowe even had a setback by way of a major motorcycle accident in August of 2014. Doctors initially had minimal optimism regarding whether or not Rowe would even be able to regain mobility in his arm, much less even wrestle again. It's also worth noting that three of the first physicians that Rowe spoke to could not even explain how Ray lived through the wreck.
Now as the newly re-branded War Raiders, Hanson and Rowe have hit the ground running, already dominating the current NXT roster. All signs point to The War Raiders spending very little time with NXT. If that is so, Paul Heyman could be the perfect mouthpiece for this championship duo.
#4 LARS SULLIVAN
If Paul Heyman ever wants to find someone with Lesnar-like attributes, Lars Sullivan could certainly be the guy for him.
Lars Sullivan signed his WWE contract back in 2014 and started turning heads in 2015, at the Wrestlemania 31 Axxess event. During Axxess, Sullivan was featured in a showcase match where he defeated Marcus Louis. Following his debut, Lars began making occasional appearances at NXT house shows throughout Florida. Despite being brand new to the sport, Sullivan has a massive frame and undeniable in-ring presence that cannot be duplicated or imitated.
Lars is still a little rough around the edges and might need a little bit of time to finish honing his skills. However, he's as close to being ready as he's ever been and when he does make his debut, the 6'3", 310-pound monster will make an ideal replacement to become Paul Heyman's newest prodigy.
#3 SHAYNA BASZLER
If you were looking for the female version of Brock Lesnar, look no further than The Queen of Spades. Like Lesnar, Shayna Baszler is a product of the great state of South Dakota and she too has an extensive background in Mixed Martial Arts. Baszler holds a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and she's also a very efficient mat technician, with 13 of her professional MMA wins coming by way of submission.
Since arriving in NXT, Shayna has not let anyone down. She made it to the finals of the 2017 Mae Young Classic before losing in the Championship round to Kairi Sane. Since then, things have only gotten better for Baszler, with her NXT run culminating at NXT Takeover: New Orleans, where she defeated Ember Moon to become the new NXT Womens Champion.
#2 EC3
Out of everyone on this list, EC3 may very well have the most potential, in regards to big-time, main roster success. As a 16-year veteran of the sport, EC3 has been all over the map. In fact, this is his second go-around with the WWE. Back in 2009, EC3 spent a few years in the WWE Developmental System where he competed under several different names, most notably Derrick Bateman.
EC3 had the best run of his career with TNA Impact Wrestling. While with TNA, EC3 would make it to the top of the roster, where he would actually win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship twice. He would also win a number of other Championships, including the Impact Grand Championship.
EC3 and Paul Heyman are both very astute, high-profile gentlemen. I have a feeling that these two together could create a very interesting story. It would be a slight change of pace from the normal Paul Heyman client, but then again, when has anything ever been "normal" in the Heyman Hustle world?
#1 TOMMASO CIAMPA
One of the greatest on-air combinations of our generation has been that of Paul Heyman and CM Punk. While I have finally come to grips with the fact that CM Punk is probably never coming back, I still miss that relationship that Heyman and Punk had and the unique and compelling way they were able to tell their story to the WWE Universe. I'm sure my opinion on this matter is one that many of my readers might disagree with, I still believe that Heyman and Punk together was absolute money. With this said, I still have to stop living in the past and look forward to the next intriguing story to be told.
Tommaso Ciampa is a very unpredictable Superstar, yet his in-ring work is simply flawless and the way he is able to tell a story by using his body, is something that very few ever fully master like he has.
Ciampa has done more than enough to prove he's ready for the main roster. With or without Heyman in his corner, Ciampa is destined to accomplish some amazing things on the main roster. However, adding Paul Heyman to the picture creates something that could take Ciampa to the next level.
