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In 2021, the NXT brand saw several major changes, including a move from Wednesday to Tuesday and a complete re-branding of the product. Several stars who had been part of the brand from the beginning were either moved to the main roster or decided to leave for other opportunities. With these changes, fans have seen new talent emerge -- some that need a lot of work and some that show immense promise.
As 2022 is now here, it will be important that NXT quickly builds new stars to replace the void left by mainstays, such as Kyle O'Reilly and Johnny Gargano. This article takes a look at 5 stars on the NXT roster that are poised to have a breakout year.
#5. NXT Newcomer and Diamond Mine Member, Ivy Nile
When Roderick Strong and Malcolm Bivens formed the "Diamond Mine" earlier in the year, the faction quickly became one of the better acts on the brand. With the introduction of Ivy Nile to the group, fans now have a competitor that brings something a bit different to the NXT women's division. She doesn't talk about what she's going to do -- she just does it.
Eventually, she is going to have to be given time to cut promos, tell her story and establish her NXT character. She is also going to have to be slotted into longer, higher profile matches beyond just the simple squash match. And while she can still be a part of the faction, she will have to be put in situations outside of the group where she can showcase her skills. Depending on the direction of the NXT Women's Championship in 2022 and with the proper build, watch for Nile to be elevated into the title picture sooner rather than later.
#4. NXT Superstar, Joe Gacy
The NXT creative team made the right move by focusing less on Gacy as an in-ring performer and booking him more consistently as a manager for newcomer Harland. This has given him more opportunities to cut promos and establish his character in NXT as a cult leader of the "inclusivity movement."
Hopefully, the NXT team will study what worked and what didn't with past cult leader characters, most notably Bray Wyatt, so that there's depth to the character that evolves throughout his run. One of Wyatt's biggest criticisms on the main roster was that he would cut the same type of promo from program to program and would often be on the losing end. This eventually made him less effective as a character. NXT needs to take its time with Gacy, build the character and, when the time is right, give him some big wins.
3. NXT Women's Superstar, Cora Jade
Think back to when Bayley debuted in NXT. She was the intimidated, plucky underdog who slowly found her confidence and became one of the darlings of the brand. While WWE ultimately botched her babyface push and found renewed success with her as a heel, NXT has a chance to re-create a similar babyface with Jade.
There is still some work to be done, particularly on the microphone, but given her recent performance at NXT WarGames, it's clear that the fans are starting to buy in and the creative time is planning to give her a push. She likely will not win the NXT Women's Championship at the "New Year's Evil" show, but it's likely not the end of her rise to the top of the card in NXT.
#2. NXT Championship Contender, Bron Breakker
If one fused Rick Steiner with Road Warrior Hawk, the result would be NXT's newest superstar, Bron Breakker. It's clear that the company is high on him and it's likely that he'll start the year defeating Tommaso Ciampa for the NXT Championship. Once that happens, there are several elements needed to elevate him further, as simply having the title isn't enough.
First, NXT might need to change his name and acknowledge his legacy as the son of Rick Steiner and nephew of Scott Steiner. In doing so, the creative team should give him some pre-taped, sit-down promo time where he talks in a normal voice, without screaming and tells his story. Without doing so, the result is a moderately decent talent who can perform some impressive power moves, but doesn't have much character depth, which makes it harder to get over.
#1. NXT Superstar, Grayson Waller
There are very few true heels in professional wrestling these days. Many operate within a shade of gray and there are few instances where fans look at a match to see the heel "get his/hers." Enter NXT's newest sensation, Grayson Waller. His initial babyface run was flat, but he has been gold since switching to the dark side. There is more to be done, but expect Waller to stay at the top of the card for most if not all of 2022. Fans can also expect Waller to come out stronger after facing AJ Styles at "New Year's Evil."
