5 biggest WWE superstars that didn’t make it out of NXT

Adam Cole inside the WWE ThunderDome
Adam Cole inside the WWE ThunderDome

#4 Ryan Nemeth never moved from NXT to the WWE's main roster

From the outside looking in, being the younger brother of former WWE Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler, is a big weight on your shoulders. Dolph is one of the most talented and consistent performers the company has ever seen.

For Ryan, his WWE career started off on the right track. He formed successful tag teams in WWE's developmental brands FCW and OVW before becoming an NXT star. He was mostly seen as Briley Pierce, an interviewer.

After a while, and some matches in the ring, he was released by the company and has more recently been performing for All Elite Wrestling.


#3 Richie Steamboat never made it out of NXT to join WWE's main roster

The son of Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat had a lot of expectations placed on him when joining WWE. He had all the tools to go in the ring, just like his father. There was definitely high hopes that the superstar could replicate his father's success in the future.

He became one of FCW's biggest stars alongside Big E and Seth Rollins before the NXT rebrand. Unfortunately, he suffered a severe back injury that ultimately ended his career and forced him to retire from in-ring competition. It leaves us questioning what could have been of Richie Steamboat had the career-ending injury not occurred.

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