8 Wrestlers Who Stayed In NXT Far Too Long
Full Sail University is a blessing and a curse.
NXT has revolutionised the concept of developmental territories in professional wrestling. Though still operating with the primary aim of building main roster stars, NXT has become a brand in its own right, and its weekly show regularly trumps Raw for quality.
The system has been instrumental in rebuilding WWE’s roster over the past few years, and many of the company’s top stars cut their teeth in NXT. Four of WWE’s current singles champions came through the Performance Center and although not every NXT graduate makes it on the main roster (hi there, Bo Dallas), the bulk of WWE’s current main event scene is comprised of developmental products.
NXT isn’t a flawless system though. Most of their top wrestlers usually make a name for themselves on the main roster, but WWE have developed a nasty habit of keeping such performers in developmental way longer than necessary. Wrestlers are often left spinning their wheels in front of Full Sail’s 400-person audience long after learning all they can in NXT, and that’s a problem.
Some will argue that WWE need to keep some of NXT’s biggest names around to preserve its value as a brand, but NXT operates at a loss and its viewership is a fraction of Raw and SmackDown’s. As beloved as it is, NXT is very much a secondary brand, which makes the talent logjam even more inexplicable.
Including current wrestlers who should’ve moved on a long time ago, here are 8 wrestlers who stayed in NXT far too long.
8. Enzo Amore & Big Cass
Enzo Amore and Big Cass have been a huge success on Raw. They’ve not spent much time chasing championships, but they’re one of Raw’s most popular acts, and it’s only a matter of time before they’re installed at the top of the division. Enzo has the crowd in the palm of his hand every time he’s on the microphone, and while neither Enzo nor Cass is the most technically refined wrestler, they’re extremely marketable.
They started working together in NXT back in the summer of 2013, but didn’t start making serious strides until the following year. Enzo broke his leg in November ‘13, but their popularity had already starting peaking by the time he faced Sylvester LeFort in a hair vs. hair match in September ‘14.
The duo’s trademark catchphrases had caught-on, and they were drawing massive pops. Spring 2015 saw them feud with NXT Tag Team Champions Blake and Murphy: they were unsuccessful in their first attempt (May 2015), and that’s when they should’ve been called-up. WWE had no intentions of putting the straps on Enzo & Cass, so why continue feeding them to teams like The Revival and American Alpha when they could’ve been popping main roster audiences?
Enzo & Cass perfected their act a long time ago, and their last 12 months in NXT saw little progression. They’re shining now, but they could’ve been doing it a long time ago.