4 Wrestling Talents That NXT Dropped The Ball On

One of the main talking points in wrestling over the last couple of years has been the rise of NXT. Since beginning in 2012, it has steadily gained momentum, earning plaudits for the quality of its matches, storylines and the level of character development offered to its performers. It wasn't until early 2014, however, when both the weekly television show and 'Takeover' events began airing on the WWE Network, that its popularity truly began to skyrocket, as more and more fans steadily became drawn to something that puts main roster programming to shame on a regular basis.

Many of the biggest names in the WWE today, ranging from Seth Rollins to Sasha Banks, have come through NXT, continuously replaced by new talents keen to emulate their success. Many of these, particularly in the last year or so, have been notable names from wrestling's independent circuits, such as Finn Bálor.

Not everybody that has been a part of NXT has been a success, however, as the number of individuals that have been given their marching orders is much higher than the number who have made the step up to the main roster. There are some performers, however, who the WWE may regret letting go, given their existing calibre or subsequent successes elsewhere.

Four such talents will be looked at in due course, though only individuals that were never promoted to the main roster but made at least one appearance on NXT, either in televised or dark matches, have been considered for inclusion.

Much attention has been given to the ongoing 'Divas Revolution' within the WWE over the last few months. Whether you perceive it to have been a success or a failure thus far, it has gotten people talking about women's wrestling, which was mostly treated as a joke and an afterthought within the WWE until NXT came along.

There were just a handful of female wrestlers within NXT to begin with, amongst them Paige and Emma. Their early counterparts included Audrey Marie and Sofia Cortez, the latter of whom first came to WWE by way of 2011's edition of Tough Enough under her real name, Ivelisse Vélez.

Ultimately, Vélez took part in just three televised NXT matches before her release in August 2012, which she later attributed to her reporting of head trainer Bill DeMott for mistreatment (something he was repeatedly accused of by other talents over the next two years and eventually fired for). 

Whatever the truth, she has since made a name for herself as part of Lucha Underground, which has been a refreshing alternative to the WWE since its inception last year, given its high octane Mexican-inspired style. Having put on a number of solid performances and achieved 7th place on the annual PWI 'Female 50' list in February 2015, she has proven herself superior to many of the WWE 'Divas' that still find themselves employed.