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Not all seeds grow in all soils, and these athletes would bloom in NXT.
There is a sense of change in the air. Pro wrestling is undergoing its most dynamic metamorphosis since the Rock N Wrestling connection. Suddenly it seems like everyone is fighting for a piece of the same wrestling audience. New Japan, ROH, and WWE are facing upstart promotions and independent shows--including the game changing 'All In'. While this may be good for the business overall, there are certain wrestlers who may be lost in the shuffle of all the talent.
This is particularly true in WWE's main rosters of Smackdown and Raw, where it takes more than just wrestling well to get over. With the deep pool of talent available, and the eyes of millions of fans--not to mention corporate sponsors--on the eyes of the wrestlers, they are expected to be more than just pro wrestlers. They are expected to be ambassadors for the company, products of the WWE that advertise the overall worth of the organization.
Sadly, some wrestlers just aren't good at the non-wrestling aspects of the game, and if they are good there are those who are a notch better. The good news is, there IS a place in WWE where wrestling counts first and foremost, and that place is NXT.
Here are seven athletes that would do better in NXT than on the main roster.
1.Dana Brooke
Athletic, powerful, and gorgeous, the only reason Dana Brooke has floundered on the main roster is that she's surrounded by women who are also athletic, powerful, and gorgeous--and those women have more in ring experience.
If Dana were to return to NXT, she could continue to hone her craft under the watchful eyes of the WWE's performance center trainers. With more polish on her, Brooke could be in the same position as Charlotte Flair or Alexa Bliss.
2. Apollo Crews
You wouldn't know it to look at where he is on the card now as part of Titus Worldwide, but Apollo Crews was once considered the fastest rising Indie star in the business. Fans were excited when he signed with NXT and put on blistering performances for the promotion.
However, once he made it to the Raw roster, his biggest highlight has been getting kicked out of a somersault by Braun Strowman.
This incredibly gifted athlete could return to NXT, where he will be able to trade blows with other hard hitting Indie heavyweights like Keith Lee. Crews zipped through NXT the first time, and perhaps spending more time working on the WWE brand of wrestling could do him some good.
3. Carmella
Despite having a Smackdown women's title reign under her slim belt, Carmella has largely been unmemorable on the main roster. Her lack of polish and need to refine her persona are glaringly obvious. This is why WWE keeps pairing her up with more charismatic wrestlers, like James Ellsworth and R Truth.
Carmella didn't get to wrestle as much in NXT because of women like Bayley and Asuka always being in the limelight. If she were to return, she could hone her skills and more fully prepare for a main roster run.
4. Dolph Ziggler
We're actually scratching our heads as to why Dolph Ziggler isn't the top dog on Raw, given his insane athleticism, technical wrestling and high flying ability. The main thing that seems to hold him back is that WWE doesn't think he is as marketable as stars like The Shield or Braun Strowman.
However, in NXT his marketability would be based purely upon his ability to entertain between the ropes, and that is something that Dolph does better than anyone in the world--with all respect to PWI winner Kenny Omega, Ziggler is more polished and botches less. He could easily surpass Neville as the longest reigning NXT champion if given the chance.
5. The Ascension
Frankly, the Ascension are a niche act that many of WWE's fans don't appreciate because of their cult-like gimmick and throwback in ring work.
Since their run on the main roster has been marred by constant struggle, why not move them back to NXT? The NXT tag division was devastated by main roster drafts, so maybe it's time to move some talent back into the mix.
6. Glorious Bobby Roode
Bobby Roode has carved out a place on the main roster as a solid mid carder--exactly what he hoped to avoid when he left Impact wrestling.
Returning to NXT would be a fantastic idea. Roode was INSANELY over in NXT, and his skyrocketing popularity may have prompted the WWE to move him up to the main roster too quickly. Another NXT championship run might do a world of good for the Glorious one.
7. James Ellsworth
Despite being buried on the main roster, and repeatedly losing matches to women, Ellsworth is still quite popular. He's the perpetual underdog, and pro wrestling fans love underdogs above all else.
Ellsworth doesn't need anything from NXT, but perhaps NXT needs something from him. He is a widely recognized international talent that has reached the heights of success often denied to men of his size and appearance. But the NXT audience cares most about wrestling ability, and Ellsworth has proven he can keep up with men like AJ Styles. No problem.
There you have it; Seven athletes that would be better served working in NXT. Questions or comments? Please leave them right below.
