NXT was once seen by many wrestling as the mecca of pro wrestling in North America. A breath of fresh air from the formulaic goings on of what would soon to become known as the “Main Roster” of the WWE.
Bringing in some of the best talent from across the world as well as helping develop some of the future stars of both WWE and pro wrestling, NXT was a breeding ground for fantastic matches and personalities that the wrestling world had ever seen outside of a PWG or Ring of Honor show.
NXT was not only a place where careers were born, it also sparingly became a place where careers were revitalized. Talents such as Tyson Kidd, Tyler Breeze, Dirty Dango (FKA Fandango), Athena (FKA Ember Moon), Finn Balor, Mandy Rose, Apollo Crews, and others experienced success when they returned to the Black and Gold (now 2.0) brand.
NXT’s smaller, more intuitive, crowd coupled with its looser restrictions on match layouts and promos allowed for a more relaxed environment where talents were free to learn and express themselves. As Finn Balor once said, the Main Roster is like a blockbuster movie, while NXT is Broadway.
So in the spirit of that very accurate analogy, here are six current main roster talents that I feel could do well with a NXT refresh.
Dana Brooke
The current 24/7 Champion, Dana Brooke got her start in NXT using her overwhelming power from her bodybuilding background to bully her opponents along with her partner Tenille Dashwood (known then as Emma).
While not the most fluid worker in the ring (a trait that unfortunately followed her to the Main Roster), Dana was able to find a niche thanks to her physical charisma and her relationship with Emma, who could make up for her shortcomings in and out of the ring.
Dana was thrown into the deep end of a somewhat stacked Main Roster in 2016 which had already contained the likes of 20 year old phenom Paige, the Four Horsewomen (Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, and Bayley), and others. Despite a decent showing in feuds with Bayley and Sasha Banks, Dana was quickly lost in the shuffle; hopping from different teams and factions in an attempt to find something to cling to. She currently has something going with this 24/7 story, but it’s a far cry from the potential she showed back in her NXT days.
2.0 would be a fresh start for Dana. Along with refining her in ring and promo skills, there are different avenues for her character to explore. She could stay a baby face and become a favorite in the women’s division, or she could turn heel and link up with her old tag team partner Mandy Rose and join Toxic Attraction.
T-Bar
T-Bar (The former Donovan Dijak, then Domonik Dijakovic) showed lots of promise when he first showed up in NXT 2017. A big man with loads of athleticism to spare, T-Bar managed to eke a repsctable string of matches on the brand (the clear standouts being his series of bouts with former NXT and now current AEW champion Keith Lee).
With his massive frame and physical charisma, T-Bar seemed prime for a massive push on the Main Roster whenever he was called up…then Retribution happened. What could have been a launching pad four five bubbling under talents to become stars, turned into an exercise of poor planning and even poorer booking.
Given a horrible mask, worse face paint, and an even WORSE name, T-Bar quickly plummeted down the card along with his fellow stable mates after various feuds with the Hurt Business, Ricochet, and New Day (though the initial beginnings of the gimmick admittedly had potential).
The only member of Retribution more or less still standing (Ali has returned as a babyface after a long hiatus, Mace has found new life as a Maximum Male Model, and Mia Yim and Shane Thorne were released last year), T-Bar has now found himself making the rounds on Main Event (one of many shows that WWE doesn’t promote).
With rumors of him being repackaged beginning to circulate, 2.0 is the perfect place for T-Bar to get a refresh of his career. His high impact, hybrid style would fit in well just like it did in the Black & Gold era. The brand could also use a credible big man to help guide the younger talents and bring out their potential.
Akira Tozawa
Akira Tozawa in the current WWE space is an example of potential not fully realized.
Making a splash in the first (and as of this writing only) Cruiserweight Classic Tournament, the former PWG and Dragon Gate standout put on stellar performances in matches against Kenneth Johnson, Jack Gallagher, and Mascara Dorada (then known as Gran Metalik, who would go on to be the tournament runner up). His hard-hitting, fast-paced style mixed with his deadly strikes became an instant hit with fans.
Bypassing the original NXT, Tozawa was part of the initial roster for WWE’s short-lived revival of the Cruiserweight division along with various other CWC participants. Tozawa would find some success on the talent sink hole known as 205 Live, becoming Cruiserweight Champion in the process, the division was really just a experiment waiting to be ended.
While his possibly racially insensitive ninja gimmick and the 24/7 title antics are keeping him on TV on a consistent basis, it’s not hard to imagine the kind of matches he could be having if he chose to go down to Florida.
Roderick Strong, Carmello Hayes, Cameron Grimes, Wes Lee, Nathan Frazer, Bron Breakker, Santos Escobar, the newly debuted JD McDonagh and Axiom, and even his old friend Apollo Crews would all be great matches to showcase just how good Akira Tozawa really is.
Cedric Alexander
Cedric is in the same boat as Tozawa as someone who’s potential has yet to be fully realize within the WWE landscape, though it can’t be ignored that in comparison Alexander has had flashes of brilliance.
After carrying the Cruiserweight Title during what was arguably the divisions best era, Alexander floundered a bit on the Main Roster before finally getting something to sink his teeth into in 2020 when he joined the criminally short-lived Hurt Business faction (along with MVP, Bobby Lashley, and Shelton Benjamin).
The heel turn was a breath of fresh air for him and got him much more TV time to show his promo and in-ring skills.
Cedric is a talent that can be a boon to any locker room, he just needs another chance. While his recent tag showing with Mustafa Ali shows a lot of promise if further showcased, 2.0 would really allow him to shine.Drew Gulak
Quite possibly the best technical wrestler on the entire roster since Bryan Danielson left, Drew Gulak is a man who has shown numerous times that he has a lot to offer if given the chance.
Solid on the mic, amazing in the ring, and can even get a laugh out of the crowd. Gulak is really an all rounder that adds to the roster and can fit pretty much wherever you put him.
His talents were on full display during his feud/eventual tag team with Bryan Danielson in 2020 (their match at Elimination Chamber of that year is spectacle that isn’t nearly talked about enough). He languished for awhile after Danielson left, but once again found a brief flash of greatness in his mini-feud with GUNTHER.
2.0 would be a great place for Gulak to reclaim that former glory. Matches with guys like: Roderick Strong, Carmelo Hayes, Nathan Frazer, Giovanni Vinci, Wes Lee, JD McDonagh, Bron Breakker, Cameron Grimes, Solo Sikoa, and Apollo Crews would do great at showing just how much of a hidden gem Gulak really is.
Also, Gulak in Diamond Mine? Yes, please!