10 Wrestlers Who Can Succeed Finn Balor As NXT's Icon

7. Rich Swann

He’s barely featured since signing for NXT in 2014, but Rich Swann is one of the most naturally likeable babyfaces in WWE, development or otherwise. Appearing only in a handful of televised NXT appearances so far, Swann finally looks set to leap into the spotlight through the Cruiserweight Classic, and a strong performance in his tournament debut next Wednesday night (and beyond) should see him fly up the NXT card.

It’s not just his exciting wrestling style and infectious charisma that make Swann such an affable competitor, but his backstory. Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Swann’s father was murdered when he was just 14 years old, and his mother passed away a couple of years later.

Stricken by grief, Swann fell-in with a rough crowd and became hooked on cocaine. With his future looking increasingly bleak, Swann witnessed the same person who’d introduced him to the drug die of a heart-attack. It was the wake-up call he needed to get his life back on track, and with his aunt’s help, Swann finished high school, and dedicated his life to professional wrestling.

With NXT and the CWC placing an emphasis on wrestlers as personalities rather than gimmicks, Swann is in a great position at the moment. Let the man be himself on NXT television and he’ll soon win the crowd over, and establish himself as one of developmental’s most popular acts. A born entertainer, it’s only a matter of time before Swann shoots to prominence.