Strangely enough, one thing that's become clear since the rise of NXT is that Triple H doesn't wield as much power in WWE proper as people thought. "The Game" is head of creative for the developmental territory and has largely chosen to book the company around great workers, hiding their weaknesses and promoting their talents. Once they get to the main roster, though, they aren't booked with the same level of care. Former NXT Champion Kevin Owens debuted in WWE with a huge victory over John Cena, but subsequent losses to Big Match John dulled his edge and left him firmly in the midcard. The Lucha Dragons debuted on Raw to fanfare the night after WrestleMania 31, but have since struggled. Still, no fall from grace has been as pronounced as that of Neville. The longest-reigning NXT Champion ever, Neville also debuted the night after WrestleMania, and before long, his win-loss column started to look lopsided. He failed to defeat Bad News Barrett in the King of the Ring tournament, then spent months in a feud with Stardust. Today, the ultra-talented grappler is largely directionless, with many believing that his size has hurt him. It didn't in NXT, but WWE is a whole different place.
Scott Fried is a Slammy Award-winning* writer living and working in New York City. He has been following/writing about professional wrestling for many years and is a graduate of Lance Storm's Storm Wrestling Academy. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/scottfried.
*Best Crowd of the Year, 2013