New WWE Gimmicks In The Works For Several NXT Superstars

Big changes ahead for some of WWE's young hopefuls.

Wesley Blake Buddy Murphy NXT Tag Team Champions
WWE.com

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, big changes are in the works for some of NXT's less prominent wrestlers.

WWE officials have reportedly been looking for new gimmicks for Blake, Murphy, Steve Cutler, Tino Sabbatelli, Dan Matha, Riddick Moss, Aliyah, and TM-61, who have each achieved a mixed bag of success in their respective NXT runs.

Blake and Murphy were NXT Tag Team Champions for 219 days in 2015, but their momentum died when they lost the belts to The Vaudevillains at TakeOver: Brooklyn. Alexa Bliss (their manager at the time) left them in the dust, the duo's relationship fractured, and they've struggled for regular appearances ever since.

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TM-61 reached the finals of last year's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament, but were written-off television this past week. Shane Thorne is set to miss several months through knee surgery, and it's likely that he and partner Nick Miller will return under their new gimmicks.

Aliyah has appeared on a number of recent NXT shows and lost to Carmella on SmackDown a few weeks ago. Sabbatelli and Moss were part of last year's Dusty Classic, Matha has made just a single televised appearance, and Cutler lost to Roderick Strong on this week's NXT TV.

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There's no word on what these gimmicks may entail or when they'll debut as of yet.

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Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.