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At the outset, let me say that while, on paper, I'm a Community Manager at Sportskeeda Wrestling, the honest truth is that like so many of you, I'm a professional wrestling fan first. I think the Wednesday Night Wars are great for fans, and because it's entertainment at the end of the day, I'm glad that we don't need to pick sides.
That said, with the help of Andruew Tang at SPW and Vinayak Sodhi at Wrestle Square, I recently had a chance to interview 'The Cleaner' Kenny Omega for Sportskeeda. You can check it out in the link below.
The major takeaway from this interview that sent the internet into overdrive mode was the fact that Omega said that AEW would present 'real stars, not developmental talent'. While NXT did certainly start out as the developmental brand for aspiring WWE Superstars, I wonder if the tag still holds true because NXT has evolved into WWE's third brand.
So, I just thought that we'd take a look at some NXT talents who do not quite fit the developmental tag per se (I'm not going to count people who've already been on the main roster like Breeze, Fandango, Gargano, The Street Profits, etc.) and could show up on the main roster tomorrow and still be big stars!
#5 Adam Cole
Let's begin with the champ and the face of the promotion, Adam Cole. Even though he's been in the Royal Rumble, he's technically never been a part of the main roster. This is a man who looks like a rockstar, works incredible matches and coincidentally, has a better half who's the face of the women's division for the competition.
Nobody who watches an Adam Cole match or segment can describe him as developmental talent. He's got the mark of a Superstar on him!
#4 The Velveteen Dream
The Velveteen Dream is probably the most unique character in all of WWE right now and this includes the main roster. He is the personification of flamboyance and sheer elan, getting into the mind of his opponent long before he steps into the ring with interesting things that he does with his ring gear. What is truly outstanding is how adept he is at what he does at the tender age of 24.
A lot of legends like Triple H and John Cena have praised the man to the moon and expressed their admiration for what he can do, touting him as a Superstar to watch out for. While he may not exactly be Adam Cole or Johnny Gargano in the ring, he is certainly no slouch, putting on great matches with everyone that he shares the ring with. Also, unlike a lot of the NXT talent at the moment, he is also not a small guy, and his size should play in his favor when the man goes up to the main roster soon.
Or maybe with NXT coming to the USA Network, this is not something that he's planning to do and NXT will be his home for the foreseeable future!
#3 Pete Dunne
I know that some of you may question the fact that Pete Dunne deserves to be in this list, considering he's not exactly the best promo. But he's got a very unique style in the ring, where he can make up for his lack in size with some sadistic and vicious thumb-twisting moves that certainly make him a character in his own right.
We all know about Pete Dunne's run with the United Kingdom Championship and this is a record that will probably not be surpassed in a long time. This is a man who has his gimmick down pat, and who has emerged from the shadows of once being called the next Daniel Bryan, to become the first-ever Pete Dunne.
There is no way that Dunne can be described as a developmental talent because he can work circles around most people in the current professional wrestling world. It doesn't matter whether he is facing someone who's smaller to him or even significantly bigger, he can adapt and mold his style to tell a compelling story when the bell rings.
I can certainly see him being a breakout star in the main roster, much like his idol Daniel Bryan was.
#2 Shayna Baszler
I know that a lot of people are not really convinced that Shayna Baszler is ready for the big time. Her matches are solid and they are believable, but they're not out and out 'this is awesome' worthy matches that NXT has become synonymous with, especially at TakeOver events. And yet, I put her ahead of candidates like Candice LeRae and Dakota Kai because she knows her character inside out.
Shayna Baszler is a bully and flanked by two other intimidating women with Mixed Martial Arts backgrounds, she is truly a force to be reckoned with for the babyfaces. In fact, I can already smell the cashflow from a feud against someone like Becky Lynch or Charlotte Flair in the main roster, considering these women have never faced off against someone like her because Rousey's gimmick was completely different. Even when Rousey went heel, she never took joy in inflicting pain like Baszler.
I think it's only a matter of time that Shayna Baszler moves up to the main roster because her talents will be far better utilized there having accomplished everything in NXT. She's worked out all her kinks and certainly doesn't fit the 'developmental talent' bracket anymore.
#1 Matt Riddle
Matt Riddle is just one of those guys that you're compelled to like. So much so that Kenny Omega went to Twitter and pretty much confirmed that there are exceptions to every statement and that Matt Riddle was his 'bro'.
What makes Riddle such a gifted performer is that he incorporates his MMA background into his professional wrestling skill-set and he wrestles a style that is very diverse and distinct from the others. Moreover, his 'gimmick' isn't really so much an act but just an amped-up version of who the man really is, 'the King of Bros'.
It'll be very hard to go wrong with Matt Riddle once he comes to the main roster considering the fact that he has a great look, he has a gimmick in place unlike a lot of NXT talents who're currently struggling to find their footing, he's already got dream feuds lined up with Goldberg and Brock Lesnar, and he's well-liked backstage as well.
Did I mention that he's also a great in-ring competitor? I think it's only a matter of time before he becomes NXT Champion and the face of WWE's erstwhile developmental brand.
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