Since 2012 NXT has been the stepping stone from WWE Performance Center to Main Roster and has produced numerous stars such as Kevin Owens, Finn Bálor and Shinsuke Nakamura. However, in addition to the positive ones, there are also numerous negative examples of talents that have quickly disappeared into oblivion again. SPOX analyzes the perspective of eight main-roster candidates.
Kneisel: Clear case of hastily judged: When you first see Dylan Miley aka Lars Sullivan, you start from another Big Sweaty Man, as Vince McMahon is known to adore her. His initial booking as a day-partner-wearer, which showed little more than crossfaces and messing around, did not necessarily help to improve this impression.
But Lars has now proven that he has more to offer than absurdly big hands; the chunk from Westminster in Colorado knows how to convince with his interviews, in which he is an intellectual with extremely short patience, and can now also keep up in the ring. The NXT fans accepted him accordingly and especially during his long-awaited clash with Killian Dain he got off to a good start.
If Sullivan continues to improve in the ring, he can achieve almost anything in the Main Roster. His only problem is probably that he doesn’t stand out as much with his look and mobility as he would have a few years ago. Braun Strowman has normally occupied the role of an agile monster for the next decade.
Potential: B
AbraKagawa: And I thought I was the only one who noticed. What pile of nuclear waste did that man put his hands in? I wouldn’t be surprised if “Get these hands” were meant for him. On the other hand, such a stupid catch phrase could only work on someone like Strowman, who gets everything over, and that’s Sullivan’s problem.
I agree absolutely right: Lars Sullivan is really good in the ring and can also convince at the microphone, but one thing is already quite clear to me: he is one of the better, but also only a Big Men, as we see them coming and going. What he needs most is something that sets him apart from the crowd. He needs to find something to get us to call him in the same breath as Strowman, not Vladimir Kozlov, Ezekiel Jackson or the Great Khali.
But I have no confidence in the writing team. Sure, he’ll land in the main roster and get a big push, maybe even win a midcard title, but then it’ll become clear to everyone that he’s just another, if better, big man and not an ambulance knocking out Kalisto and James Ellsworth killing attitude era flashback.
Potential: C-
AbraKagawa: Was this guy actually born as a heel? From his facial expressions and in-ring style to his ability to play with fans at the age of 24 (!) – Pete Dunne is the perfect heel. So badass that you find yourself either hating or loving him several times and at the end of each, once again fantastic match you just respect him.
Speaking of perfect heels, how strange is it that he is currently working a face program and has actually not changed a bit in his persona? Which is good, because it’s perfect. Nevertheless, we cheer him on as a face as well. That’s probably called the It factor. That he seems to be a triple H favourite will of course also benefit him in the future and I am convinced that Dunne will become the first English WWE champion!
Potential: A
Kneisel: Would I grant Pete Dunne, who is such a fantastic heel that he is allowed to continue the role even as a face and also delivers in the ring basically big, the success you described? Of course! But with the best will in the world, I can’t imagine winning the Bruiserweight World Title. Sure, he is only 24 years young and still has a lot of time in which Triple H could take over the sceptre of WWE and make it big.
But until Vinnie Mac resigns, Hunter has found 17 new favorites and Dunne has slipped into the pecking order. Generally it’s hard to judge his standing at NXT because he’s out of competition as a UK champ. Of course he has strong programs and is allowed to show long, big matches, but you still don’t get the feeling that he could soon become the figurehead of NXT.
With a height of 1.78 meters, his chances are certainly considerably better than those of compatriot Tyler Bate, for example, but the probability that he will “end” at 205 or perhaps as an IC/US champ seems considerably higher.
Potential: C+
Page 1: Lars Sullivan and Pete Dunne
Page 2: Shyna Baszler and Adam Cole
Page 2: The Velveteen Dream and Tommaso Ciampa
Page 3: Johnny Gargano and Aleister Black