WWE NXT: The Future's STILL Brighter Than You Think…

So, did you take my advice back in April (y’know, the first one of these articles I wrote) and start watching NXT? If your answer to that is no, then you, my friend, are a fool. A foolish fool of foolhardy proportions. The fooliest of fools. You’re the one ring to fool them all. And I pity the fool who hasn’t been watching NXT, because you’ve been missing what has frequently been the best solid hour of wrestling on TV. That’s okay, because once again I’m here to bring you up to speed and let you know which NXT stars you should be expecting to make the jump to the main shows in the future…

It’s been 6 months since we last visited the world of NXT to see just who was ready to take that next step up to the main stage, and what a difference those 6 months have made. Adrian Neville and Corey Graves have been working the house show circuit to get them ready for the main shows, as has Leo Kruger. Paige has been awarded the first ever NXT Women’s Title. And Bray Wyatt? Well, I’m sure you’re all well aware of The Wyatt Family and their awesomeness by now. Just remember who clued you in on them months ago, okay?

Sure not everyone has been successful, Kassius Ohno has (from the look of things) been shipped away until he starts to work out to the required level (thanks Triple H), and Conor O’Brian floundered for a while until NXT recently resurrected The Ascension as a unit (albeit unfortunately without the cool hand light thingamajig gimmick). But that’s the beauty of NXT, it’s allowing us a glimpse into the developmental world and the evolution of wrestlers and their characters. So with that in mind, here’s my picks for the “NXT wave” (see what I did there) of up and comers ready to make a mark on the main shows.

Emma

Who is she?

Emma started out as Tanille Tayla (a trainee of Lance Storm, no less), working for promotions such as Shimmer and Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling (as well as several promotions in her native Australia). Tanille was offered a WWE developmental contract in 2011, but chose to tend to a recurring shoulder injury first, meaning her move to Florida was delayed until 2012. She made her debut as Emma on NXT Television in January 2013, as a clumsy ditz heel, but by April had rapidly become a favourite with the Full Sail crowd.

Why should I care?

If you ask anyone who’s watched NXT over the last few months, they should be able to tell you all about Emma. They’ll tell you all about her bubbles (and they are her bubbles) and her now famous (or should that be “infamous”) dance. In fact, I got some stick following my last article for not including Emma or her Emmalution, which is why I’m trying my best to resolve that now.

I’ll be honest, at first I didn’t get it. It was just a goofy wench who couldn’t dance and couldn’t even skin the cat when she tried to do it to enter the ring. Meh. Then it happened again the next week. And then again the week after that. Which is around the time I noticed that I was wearing a big goofy grin of my own as I watched Emma try and fail each week with her entrance and her dancing. Then the weirdest thing happened. She actually managed to skin the cat into the ring during her entrance and got a HUGE pop for it. Like, an unrealistically huge pop. So huge in fact that I was certain they’d piped it in, or added in post-production.

Then it happened again the next time she was out, with the added bonus of bubbles! I can’t really explain why Emma is so great. It’s definitely one of those Marmite situations where you’re either gonna love her or hate her. Me? I love her to bits. She’s so ditzy and adorkable that it’s a joy to watch. Add that in with the reactions she’s drawing from the NXT crowds, and WWE could have an unexpected sleeper hit on their hands here. Personally I’m interested in seeing if the enthusiasm of the NXT fans spreads to the main show crowds should Emma work her way onto Raw or Smackdown. The Emmalution is coming, so you may as well get on board now.

Bayley

Who’s that then?

Not a lot to say here unless you’re a big fan of Shimmer. Bayley started out as Davina Rose in 2008, working mainly for Big Time Wrestling and Shimmer. In fact, there’s not a lot of info out there. All I can find out is that she spent 4 years working with Shimmer and was trained by Serena Deeb? Oh well, it’s not where she’s from that concerns us, it’s what she’s doing now…

Why should I care?

Because she is the literal embodiment of the term “adorkable” as her new NXT character. Basically Bayley is the ultimate starstruck fan, except she’s a wrestler. If you can find it, I suggest you go and find the promo from NXT where she met Ric Flair and marked the hell out. In a similar fashion to Emma, I can’t exactly put my finger on what makes Bayley so entertaining to watch week in, week out. The hugs, the marking out, the not wanting to hurt her opponent, I dunno, the whole package just clicks. It’s a testament to Bayley’s abilities as a character that she gets this to work, as it could just as easily have bombed without trace if we didn’t buy into the person portraying the character. But like I say, Bayley is the human embodiment of cuteness in everything she does. I just want to hug her and tell her everything’s gonna be okay. Which it is.

Sami Zayn

Who’s that then?

Rami Seibi may be better known to some of you as El Generico. If you don’t know that name hang your head in shame, then go do some research because you’ve been missing out big time. I personally recommend you going and finding out some of his work with Kevin Steen from the last…geez…8 years?! You will not be disappointed.

Why should I care?

Because Zayn is currently lighting NXT on fire with his performances. His recent series with Antonio Cesaro was an absolute joy to behold, and the final 2 out of 3 falls match between the pair is a solid contender for MotY. I’ll openly admit that I was one of the masses who were outraged at the very idea of taking Generico out of his mask, then I heard the name Sami Zayn and the outrage only amplified.

As it stands I’m quite happy to suck up all that bile I was producing and say that I was wrong. Working without the mask has added another element to Sami Zayn, and the performances he’s put in have blown away any illusion of him not working well in a WWE environment. The performances have launched Sami directly into the NXT title scene in short order, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see Sami gain the title then make the transition to the main shows in a similarly short timeframe.

Xavier Woods

Who’s that then?

You may better recognise Austin Watson as the one time Consequences Creed from TNA fame/infamy. Yes, the same Consequences Creed who lost his lunch in the middle of a ring during a match. Well he’s moved on from being shoehorned into tag teams based on making puns from his name (remember Truth and Consequences, or how about Lethal Consequences?) to a WWE Developmental contract and a total gimmick overhaul (picking himself up a PhD or two along the way, seriously). Gone is Consequences Creed and his lack of defined gimmick, to be replaced by Xavier Woods and his love of all things 90s.

Why should I care?

Not only is he now the owner of the best entrance music in NXT (since Wyatt left, anyhoo), he also has one of my favourite current NXT gimmicks of being simply a 90s kid. He’s got 90’s hip-hop for his entrance, his ring gear proudly displays that his power level is “over 9000”, and he’s billed from Angel Grove. If those references mean nothing to you, then we can no longer be friends.

Just to reiterate. HE’S WORKED POWER RANGERS INTO HIS GIMMICK!! From the call of “it’s Morphin’ Time!!” to his Power Rangers communicator watch interrupting his promos, to his bio telling us that Woods was trained by Zack Taylor in Hip-Hop Kung-Fu at the Angel Grove Community Centre, everything about his gimmick brings a smile to my face.

Now don’t get me wrong, Woods still needs some work. His moveset definitely needs some polish and his Honour Roll finishing move is all style and no real substance, but Woods just seems to have an infectious enthusiasm that’s caught on with the NXT crowd. If he can avoid being snatched away by Rita Repulsa and Goldar, Woods should be a hot prospect for the future.

Enzo Amore

Who’s that then?

BA-DA-BOOM…the realest guy in the room! In fact very little is known about Enzo Amore’s history. He appears to have mostly bypassed the Indy Circuits, seemingly making NXT his first real home when it comes to wrestling. I’ve managed to find out that Enzo started out as Eric Arndt from Hackensack, NJ, and he’s spent time as a manager of Hooters (I sh*t you not), a DJ, and a piano mover, but that’s literally all I can find. All you need to know is he’s a certified G and a bona-fide stud, and you can’t teach that.

Why should I care?

You know those rare occasions where a chickensh*t heel is so damn good at what he does he inadvertently gets himself over by trying to get booed? That’s Enzo Amore. For some reason this brash Jersey boy just struck a chord with the NXT crowds. Maybe it’s the exaggerated personality, maybe it’s because his promos are instantly quotable, maybe it’s simply because what he does stands out as so different from anything else in NXT right now, but Enzo Amore has found himself a following with the Full Sail crowd.

He’s now teamed with Big Cass (Colin Cassidy), which has been a complete rejuvenation for Cassidy also, with the big guy looking way more motivated than in any of his other appearances as “generic tall guy #3”. The duo are rapidly becoming one of the most over teams on NXT and it really wouldn’t surprise me to see them challenging The Ascension for the tag straps in the very near future.

I know I’ll probably wind a few of you up the wrong way by saying this, but I can’t shake the notion that Enzo reminds me more than a little of the late, great Eddie Guerrero. Big Cass and Enzo running a “Lie, Cheat, & Steal” gimmick? I’d be all over that and you should be too. Unless the mush between your ears is too S-A-W-F-T…SAAAAAAWWWWWWWFFFFFT!! You chicharoo.

Tyler Breeze

Who’s that then?

You may possibly recognise Breeze from his earlier stint on NXT as Mike Dalton. If you really pay attention to developmental territories, then you’d also be aware that Mike Dalton was also FCW Heavyweight Champion for a short while in early 2012. Obviously this means that someone somewhere saw good things in Dalton, but not enough for him to immediately make it onto NXT television in any major way. Cue one gimmick overhaul, and enter Tyler Breeze, the most gorgeous man NXT has ever seen.

Why should I care?

Because Tyler Breeze is Derek Zoolander (for all intents and purposes). I’ll happily admit I wasn’t sold on the character after his debut, but over the following weeks Breeze has gone from one trick pony to a damn entertaining character. This was only topped off by him coming to ring to chastise CJ Parker in his best Zoolander-esque voice. The only thing missing is that Breeze can obviously turn to his left.

Again this seems to be a case of a heel doing his job so well that the FSU faithful can’t help but applaud him. There’s even regular “Tyler’s gorgeous” chants when he graces us with an appearance these days (although that commute from his seasonal residence in Milan each week must be a killer). Sure we’ve seen very little of Breeze actually working matches, but the dude’s trained by Lance Storm, he’s bound to be more than competent between the ropes? Now that Breeze seemingly has a discernible character I’m expecting big things. I think he’d be a great heel addition to either of the main rosters, and I can’t wait to see his entrance played out on a Raw or Smackdown set.

So there you go. 6 more hot prospects currently being put through their paces at the brand new WWE Development Centre, who you can expect to see landing on a main show near you soon. But what do you think? Have I missed anyone? Have I mentioned anyone you don’t agree with? Then by all means, feel free to comment below and put me right!

Until NXT time…

Cookie	Description
_pxvid	This cookie is used for detection of the browser and distinguishing whether it is a real user or malicious bot.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Advertisement".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics	This cookies is set by GDPR Cookie Consent WordPress Plugin. The cookie is used to remember the user consent for the cookies under the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-non-necessary	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Non Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance	This cookie is used to keep track of which cookies the user have approved for this site.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-preferences	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Preferences".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-uncategorized	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Uncategorized".
CraftSessionId	This cookie name is associated with the Craft web content management system, where is functions as an anonymous session identifier.
csrftoken	This cookie is associated with Django web development platform for python. Used to help protect the website against Cross-Site Request Forgery attacks
DSID	To note specific user identity. Contains hashed/encrypted unique ID.
JSESSIONID	Used by sites written in JSP. General purpose platform session cookies that are used to maintain users' state across page requests.
PHPSESSID	This cookie is native to PHP applications. The cookie is used to store and identify a users' unique session ID for the purpose of managing user session on the website. The cookie is a session cookies and is deleted when all the browser windows are closed.
viewed_cookie_policy	The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.

Cookie	Description
b30msc
btc
CMST
cref
d
gpl
i
icts
ig_did
mdata
na_rn
na_sc_e
na_sr
na_srp
session_depth
visitor-id

Cookie	Description
__gads	This cookie is set by Google and stored under the name dounleclick.com. This cookie is used to track how many times users see a particular advert which helps in measuring the success of the campaign and calculate the revenue generated by the campaign. These cookies can only be read from the domain that it is set on so it will not track any data while browsing through another sites.
__stid	The cookie is set by ShareThis. The cookie is used for site analytics to determine the pages visited, the amount of time spent, etc.
_ga	This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to calculate visitor, session, camapign data and keep track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookies store information anonymously and assigns a randoly generated number to identify unique visitors.
_gat_gtag_UA_60765351_1	Google uses this cookie to distinguish users.
_gid	This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the wbsite is doing. The data collected including the number visitors, the source where they have come from, and the pages viisted in an anonymous form.
ad-id	Provided by amazon-adsystem.com for tracking user actions on other websites to provide targeted content
demdex	This cookie is set under the domain demdex.net and is used by Adobe Audience Manager to help identify a unique visitor across domains.
DigiTrust.v1.identity	Registers data on visitors’ website-behaviour. This is used for internal analysis and website optimization.
dmvk	This cookie is set by DailyMotion who display videos, it registers statistical data of visitors' behaviour on the website.
gid	This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the wbsite is doing. The data collected including the number visitors, the source where they have come from, and the pages viisted in an anonymous form.
GPS	This cookie is set by Youtube and registers a unique ID for tracking users based on their geographical location
is_unique	This cookie is set by StatCounter to determine how people are using the website
is_visitor_unique	This cookie is set by StatCounter to determine how people are using the website
sc_is_visitor_unique	This cookie is set by StatCounter to determine how people are using the website
v1st	This is set by DailyMotion to display videos.

Cookie	Description
__asc	This cookie is used to collect information on consumer behavior, which is sent to Alexa Analytics.
__auc	This cookie is used to collect information on consumer behavior, which is sent to Alexa Analytics.
__qca	This cookie is associated with Quantcast and is used for collecting anonymized data to analyze log data from different websites to create reports that enables the website owners and advertisers provide ads for the appropriate audience segments.
_cc_aud	The cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising.
_cc_cc	The cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising.
_cc_dc	The cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising.
_cc_id	The cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising.
_kuid_	The cookie is set by Krux Digital under the domain krxd.net. The cookie stores a unique ID to identify a returning user for the purpose of targeted advertising.
_px2	This cookie is set by PerimeterX who provide security analyst oversight.
_pxff_tm	This cookie is set by PerimeterX who provide security analyst oversight.
_pxhd	This cookie is set by PerimeterX who provide security analyst oversight.
ab	This cookie is generally provided by agkn.com and is used for advertising purposes.
ad-privacy	Provided by amazon-adsystem.com for tracking user actions on other websites to provide targeted content to the users.
ayl_visitor	This cookie registers data on the visitor. The information is used to optimize advertisement relevance.
bafp	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bafp_t	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_pl	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_rf_8b2087b102c9e3e5ffed1c1478ed8b78	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_rt_8b2087b102c9e3e5ffed1c1478ed8b78	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_t_8b2087b102c9e3e5ffed1c1478ed8b78	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_td_2d31c94105a0aa6d1ceaea0c86c6b656	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bito	This cookie is generally provided by bidr.io and is used for advertising purposes.
bitoIsSecure	This cookies are generally provided by bidr.io and is used for advertising purposes.
bsc	The cookies is set by ownerIQ for the purpose of providing relevant advertisement
CMID	This cookie is linked to advertising and tracking the products users were looking at.
CMPRO	This cookie is linked to advertising and tracking the products users were looking at.
CMPS	This cookie is linked to advertising and tracking the products users were looking at.
dc_id	This cookie is used to deliver adverts more relevant to you and your interests. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advertisement as well as help measure the effectiveness of the advertising campaign. They are usually placed by advertising networks with the website operator's permission. They remember that you have visited a website and this information is shared with other organisations such as advertisers.
did	The purpose of the cookie is to identify a visitor to serve relevant advertisement.
didts	The purpose of the cookie is to identify a visitor to serve relevant advertisement.
dpm	The cookie is set by demdex.net. This cookie assigns a unique ID to each visiting user that allows third-party advertisers target that users with relevant ads.
eud	This cookie is from Rocket Fuel and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
euds	This cookie is from Rocket Fuel and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
everest_g_v2	The cookie is set under eversttech.net domain. The purpose of the cookie is to map clicks to other events on the client's website.
evo5_popin_instance	Prevents an interaction from reoccurring for visitors not accepting 3rd party cookies.
id	This cookie is set by DoubleClick (which is owned by Google) to build a profile of the website visitor's interests and show relevant ads on other sites.
IDE	Used by Google DoubleClick and stores information about how the user uses the website and any other advertisement before visiting the website. This is used to present users with ads that are relevant to them according to the user profile.
io.narrative.guid.v2	This cookie is generally provided by io.narrative.io and is used for advertising purposes.
KADUSERCOOKIE	This cookie is generally provided by pubmatic.com and is used for advertising purposes.
KTPCACOOKIE	This cookie is generally provided by pubmatic.com and is used for advertising purposes.
matchliveramp	This cookie is provided by w55c.net and is used for advertising purposes.
mc	This cookie is associated with Quantserve to track anonymously how a user interact with the website.
mxpim	This cookie is generally provided by mxptint.net for advertising purposes.
na_tc	This is a Social Media sharing tracking cookie.
NID	This cookie is used to a profile based on user's interest and display personalized ads to the users.
nnls	The purpose of the cookie is to identify a visitor to serve relevant advertisement.
pxrc	The purpose of the cookie is to identify a visitor to serve relevant advertisement.
pxvid	This cookie is set by PerimeterX who provide security analyst oversight.
rlas3	The cookie is set by rlcdn.com. The cookie is used to serve relevant ads to the visitor as well as limit the time the visitor sees an and also measure the effectiveness of the campaign.

Cookie	Description
__jid	Cookies set on the website by the third-party commenting platform Disqus.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
disqus_unique	These cookies are set by Disqus so that users can comment on website/platform.
G_ENABLED_IDPS	The cookie is used by Google and is used for Google Single Sign On.
mid	The cookie is set by Instagram. The cookie is used to distinguish users and to show relevant content, for better user experience and security.
na_id	This cookie is set by Addthis.com to enable sharing of links on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter
ouid	The cookie is set by Addthis which enables the content of the website to be shared across different networking and social sharing websites.
ov	This is a generic functional cookie that provides enhanced functionality and personalisation.
ts	This cookie is generally provided by PayPal and supports payment services in the website.
vuid	These cookies are used by the Vimeo video player on websites.

WWE NXT: The Future’s STILL Brighter Than You Think…

Emma

Bayley

Sami Zayn

Xavier Woods

Enzo Amore

Tyler Breeze

You might also like

FIND THE TOPICS YOU WANT...

Recommended for you