10 NXT Stars That Failed On The Main Roster (And Why)

Although he never won a title in NXT, Matt Clement - as Mike Dalton - won the FCW Heavyweight Championship and the Tag Team Championship, the latter with none other than Leakee, the future Roman Reigns.

Initially, his NXT run was rather more undistinguished, and being repackaged as a narcissistic male model was considered his final shot at getting over before his release.

However, as Tyler Breeze, Clement rapidly became a firm favourite even as a heel, using the showboating role to showcase his flair for character and flawless timing. Far tougher than the gimmick would suggest, Tyler Breeze could hang with anyone, even being earmarked to face the legendary Jushin 'Thunder' Liger at TakeOver: Brooklyn.

When he was called up in October 2015, fans were justifiably concerned. Unlike similarly-themed legends like Rick Martel or Lex Luger, Breeze was small and slight: not Vince McMahon’s type at all.

It didn’t matter to the WWE office how good a wrestler Matt Clement was, nor how great a character Tyler Breeze was. Called up (like so many others) by a disinterested creative team with no long-term plan, Breeze was only saved from undercard limbo through his partnership with fellow abandoned pretty boy Fandango. They may not wrestle a whole lot, but their backstage antics are Smackdown’s most entertaining segments.