10 Best WWE NXT Wrestlers Of 2017
3. Aleister Black
When WWE signed Tommy End, the decision to change his name either underscored a non-committal management perception or, simply, was a result of the trademark whims of a company with no fixed philosophy. Mercifully, the rechristened Aleister Black was awarded a push befitting his incredible talent.
So many WWE superstars were lumbered with generic rock themes at the turn of the decade. Black in contrast is the first truly metal WWE superstar, the presentation of whom is an incredible spectacle; lurching to the ring like a Hammer Horror villain - only far cooler and far more intimidating - Black models that aesthetic stripped entirely of its camp theatrics. In the ring, this translates to a futuristic amalgam of strong style and deathly serious psychology, the latter deployed impeccably to cast him as a muted, magnetic and and massively credible badass. Arguably wrestling the best NXT TV matches throughout the year, Black's is an unassumingly diverse and invariably thrilling CV, for a man with such a defined in-ring style aligned with his stoic persona.
A deserved recipient of NXT's winning long-term booking formula, Black is a genuinely great, understated performer as well as a great and unique pro wrestler.