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

There are those that believe that Sami Zayn is in the position he’s supposed to be: that the best possible use of his athletic, fearless, hard-hitting style, his peerless selling, his naturally squeaky-clean yet credible babyface demeanour, is to be the WWE’s whipping boy, the man who always loses.

After all, the card is pyramid-shaped for a reason. Not everyone gets to join the main event carousel, and not everyone’s necessarily cut out to instantly sell a million units of merchandise a year, or however much the Cenas and Reignses clear. WWE has a place for everyone, and everyone in his (or her) place.

So (the theory goes) WWE have elected to take the most naturally likeable babyface they’ve had since Daniel Bryan and give him a glass jaw. After all, to create a true underdog hero you have to believe he’s bound to lose in order that you can root for him to win.

And then there are those who recognise that this is wishful thinking. The idea doesn’t work on the main roster. On NXT, sure, but not on RAW or SmackDown - because WWE don’t have the consistency to follow that kind of long-term booking, and because Vincent Kennedy McMahon looks at guys like Zayn (or Christian, or even Bryan) and thinks they’re wrestling’s red-shirts.