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As stars move from NXT to either RAW or SmackDown, spots open up on the Black and Gold brand for newer stars. Those newer stars are mostly WWE Performance Center recruits. While the range of readiness of those recruits differs, it still belies that new faces will show up in NXT every year.
On the New Year's Evil episode of NXT, both Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley lost big matches. There have been some reports that one or both will be joining the main roster this month or may even appear in the 2021 Royal Rumble. With NXT stars appearing in the Rumble every year since 2015, that's certainly not out of the question.
As big names move to the main roster, others rise up the rungs of the pecking order. While the likes of Shotzi Blackheart and Dakota Kai have already had NXT Women's Championship title shots, perhaps one or both could capture the title in 2021. The departures also allow for different stars to be featured. With such a talented and deep roster of wrestlers to use, someone like Bronson Reed only started reappearing on NXT TV a few weeks ago.
With new stars joining the WWE PC every quarter, there are certainly some current prospects that are either ready to debut imminently or that will do so some time this year. Here are five WWE PC recruits that will make the debuts for NXT in 2021. All of these selections are already under contract with WWE/NXT.
#6 Josh Briggs could debut on NXT in 2021
Josh Briggs was the final EVOLVE Champion, beating Austin Theory for the title at EVOLVE 139. He was featured on the 10th Anniversary Show, which also featured NXT/WWE stars Adam Cole, Akira Tozawa, Riddle, and Drew Gulak.
For the last five years or so, EVOLVE has acted as a type of feeder system to NXT. Current WWE stars like Keith Lee, Drew McIntyre, Walter, Kyle O'Reilly, Shotzi Blackheart, Ricochet, and Timothy Thatcher all made stops at EVOLVE before eventually signing with WWE.
Briggs is a big brawler who has the size (6 feet, 8 inches) that Vince McMahon likes in his stars. Some stars from EVOLVE (August Grey, Leon Ruff) debuted rather quickly for NXT since they already had the top eyes of the brand on them over the years. While a big guy like Damian Priest might be leaving the Black and Gold brand soon, it won't be long before another big guy like Briggs takes his place.
#5 Joe Gacy could debut on NXT in 2021
Joe Gacy is another brawler from EVOLVE that will now fight in NXT. He has a history with both Combat Zone Wrestling and EVOLVE and is a three-time CZW Heavyweight Champion. Stars like Isaiah "Swerve" Scott, Oney Lorcan, and Drew Gulak also had runs in the hardcore promotion.
Since NXT/WWE is much tamer than the likes of CZW, one might think that stars coming from such promotions would have to tone down their acts. But since hardcore wrestling is only one type of art form, true stars are able to adapt. Jon Moxley/Dean Ambrose was a prime example of that, and even Kevin Owens has been a part of a lot of hardcore spots while in WWE. Just revisit WrestleMania 36 for proof of that as he jumped off of the 'Mania sign on to Seth Rollins.
Gacy had been with EVOLVE for two years prior to signing with WWE. At that time, WWE had its eyes on the entire roster and obviously knew who they would sign. Since wrestlers with prior experience in the business often debut sooner than those signed from an open tryout, it stands to reason that Gacy could feasibly show up sometime this year.
EVOLVE wrestlers just seem like they were better prepared to debut for NXT because they were polished prospects. Gacy was one of those polished prospects, and he will join Ruff, Grey, and Blackheart as former members of EVOLVE to debut with NXT.
WWE filed a trademark for his name in November 2020, so look out.
#4 Alex Zayne could debut on NXT in 2021
NXT seems like the right spot for Alex Zayne. One of the first words that come to mind when watching Alex Zayne in the ring is "wow." He performs a plethora of both high-flying moves as well as a repertoire of suplexes. And those are just small facets of his move set. If you haven't seen him, think of Ricochet mixed with Rey Fenix, Will Ospreay, and a bit of Roderick Strong. He's just exciting to watch and awe-inspiring with some of his high-flying feats.
Zayne was certainly someone that every major wrestling promotion pursued. He's been competing all over the world, including New Japan Pro Wrestling. "The Sauce", as he's nicknamed, also competed for Game Changer Wrestling and other multiple independent promotions throughout the United States.
While his move set screams "Cruiserweight division" upon first watch, he could certainly be someone like Ricochet or Finn Balor - special stars that transcend the division. It all comes down to his character work and faith from Creative. He is definitely a special talent that will add excitement to every match he's in.
A lot of independent stars get in the door due to their talent, so Zayne may have to work on his promos before he debuts for NXT. Despite that, he will still show the NXT Universe his talents in 2021.
#3 Skyler Story could debut on NXT in 2021
During the final days of EVOLVE, the two main female performers were NXT's Shotzi Blackheart and Brandi Lauren. The duo had several matches against each other, including a No DQ match at EVOLVE's 10th Anniversary Show. Blackheart moved on to NXT and quickly debuted with the brand after signing in 2019. Since her debut, Blackheart has been one of the featured women in NXT and even won the 2020 NXT Breakout Star of the Year.
Lauren signed with NXT in late August of 2020 but was only recently renamed, Skyler Story. She competed in a #1 Contender's Battle Royal during the fall but wasn't named during the match. She received her new name in November of 2020, and when that happens, it usually means that an official debut on TV is on the horizon.
Since that hasn't happened just yet, it's very likely that she'll be gracing the screens of NXT at some point this year. Story could very easily pick up her feud with Blackheart and/or join Candice LeRae against Shotzi.
With the announcement of the first-ever Women's Dusty Rhodes Classic Tag Team Tournament, Story could debut as Blackheart's partner. As Kayci Quinn and Ava Storie, Story competed in IMPACT Wrestling for a few matches as an enhancement talent. In 2021, she'll be a featured player in NXT.
#2 & #1 Dezmond Xavier and Zachary Wentz could debut on NXT in 2021
These two names are probably the most familiar to casual fans of professional wrestling. If not, NXT fans will soon learn their names. Like Joe Gacy, Dezmond Xavier, and Zachary Wentz were a part of CZW before eventually signing with IMPACT Wrestling. With IMPACT Wrestling, they formed The Rascalz alongside Trey Miguel. The rest is history.
The trio continued the trend of high-flying X-Division stars in IMPACT Wrestling, and they were a staple of the mid-card and tag divisions during the last three years. All three had their last match with IMPACT Wrestling in late 2020, and only Wentz and Xavier ended up signing with NXT and WWE late last year.
Like Zayne, they may be shoehorned into the cruiserweight division. Since they are a tag team as well, they could have been a part of the upcoming Dusty Rhodes Classic Tag Team Tournament. The field was announced earlier today, however, and they were not a part of the participating teams.
The duo will debut at some point in 2021, and their prior work speaks for itself. They are among the most exciting young stars in all of pro wrestling today, but for some reason never captured tag team gold in IMPACT. Could that change in NXT with such a talented field of competitors? It's most likely a case of wait-and-see, but they will be definitely be seen in NXT in 2021.
