10 WWE NXT Stars Who Vanished Without A Trace

10. Richie Steamboat

Richie Steamboat was once viewed as a can't-miss prospect who seemed destined to become one of NXT's main event players ahead of an inevitable move to the main roster further down the line.

Sadly, that never came to pass.

Having made his in-ring debut in 2008 at the age of 21, Steamboat spent the next year training around the globe in places like the Pro Wrestling NOAH Dojo, Carlos Colon's WWC and various spots across Europe. And of course, he had his legendary Hall of Fame father to learn from during all of this.

During his time in NXT's precursor promotion, FCW, Steamboat began to get quite the buzz around him, winning the FCW Heavyweight Champion, teaming with Seth Rollins, and marking himself out as someone to keep an eye on when NXT formally launched in 2012.

The second-generation talent would get to the semi-finals of NXT's Gold Rush tournament to crown the brand's first ever NXT Champion, and a brewing rivalry with veteran performer Kassius Ohno seemed to be a smart fit in terms of giving Steamboat a great, seasoned worker to learn from.

Unfortunately, a back injury would put Richie Steamboat on the shelf towards the end of 2012, and he'd be released by WWE the following year. After that injury, Steamboat was told he'd never be able to wrestle again.

Barring something extraordinary, it stands that Steamboat's last match of his career was at a 21 November 2012 NXT house show - with him just 25 year of age when he had to call time on his in-ring career.