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Honorable Mentions
There's enough talent to go around the WWE and NXT rosters, that a few potentially superb women just don't make the cut. Despite not touting the heydays of the women's evolution, whose roots began in NXT. The two NXT rosters, the original and British version boast a host of talents who might or might not make it on the big stage. At least, not as the cream of the crop.
Ripping the band-aid early, there's Kairi Sane. The current NXT Women's champion is a riot with her pirate gimmick. That, unfortunately, is on NXT and as is in the past, main roster management fumbles with characters unable to adhere to a certain bland standard. Sane's gimmick might be to fun to translate to anything beyond silly, being Japanese just doubles the trouble in the eyes of the notoriously narrow-minded Vince McMahon. It's sad but it's true and so this list is being cautious.
While one with a fighting heart, Candice LeRae may just become another trope in the women's division. The evolution might have moved past sexualizing the women for the male gaze, yet they haven't fully dived away from relationships being the central figure to a lot of women, especially if the women is with another wrestler. LeRae may face the same fate sadly, yet one can still see her shine.
A history of neck injuries nearly derailed any chance of seeing Io Shirai join the WWE. However, she's back and now the Japanese sensation is headed to the finals of the second Mae Young Classic taking place on Evolution. Yet much like Sane and Asuka before her, Shira is a superstar with a visible limitation. The injury scares don't help, yet they also provide the story for a heroic comeback. One which could see her win the final, or not considering her opponent. Either way, colour us shocked if this isn't the highlight of her WWE career.
A newbie joins the list in Chelsea Green. The crazy bride from Impact wrestling is much like fellow NXT prospect, Matt Riddle. She's a talent who doesn't need to do much, before taking on the main roster. She's got the character and act down, especially since she's wrestled and improved under the arclights. She's talented and a ferocious competitor, yet she's still unknown in the WWE. It depends on what they do with her in NXT and how far that takes her elsewhere.
