10 Specific Ways WWE Could Debut NXT Stars On The Main Roster

9. Aleister Black

The Velveteen Dream
WWE.com

Aleister Black is a stoic presence on NXT television.

He is unflappable - a deathly serious practitioner of the martial arts only moved into a personal response, a response manifested with his awesome striking game, when provoked by the despicable. The most despicable heel on the main roster must provoke Black into showcasing the explosiveness with which he has, perhaps a little too quietly, connected with the Full Sail faithful. The Miz is a contender for most despicable, but his promo work is a little too prodding for an act as delicately balanced as Black's. What is framed in NXT as earnest and dark, Miz would likely make light of, using dreaded winking pop culture references to steer the character into Cheer Up Goth territory.

Randy Orton seems a more suitable antagonist.

He isn't glib; he is vicious, and he boasts a storyline weapon as sudden in its deadliness as the Black Mass. A simple televised game of avoidance and oneupmanship, predicated not on lengthy promos but physical storytelling, would create a genuine sense of intrigue ahead of their inaugural, high-stakes pay-per-view meeting.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!