10 NXT Stars WWE Let Slip Right Through Their Fingers
1. Derrick Bateman
NXT's fourth season was every bit as atrocious as the previous three, but it did feature a plethora of talented up-and-comers. Among them was Derrick Bateman, who was saddled with a goofy look and character yet made the most of everything he was involved in.
He probably would have won the competition if he didn't suffer an injury so close to its conclusion (the finale was set to emanate from his native Ohio, after all).
That didn't stop Bateman from returning to NXT months later in an effort to earn a main roster contract. He rarely wrestled on Raw or SmackDown, so a majority of fans might not even realize Ethan Carter III was once under contract to WWE, but anyone who did follow his work on NXT: Redemption knew how entertaining he could be.
He toiled around in the revamped NXT for a time in 2012 and 2013 before getting released that May. Mere months later, he showed up in TNA as Dixie Carter's nephew EC3, and as silly of a moniker as that seemed to be, his connection to the company's president led to him embarking on an undefeated streak that lasted over two and a half years.
With two TNA World Heavyweight Championship reigns to his credit, EC3 has already achieved quite a bit in his near-three years with the company and is one of the few real main event players left.
Needless to say, WWE's loss was TNA's gain.