10 Wrestlers Ready To Become NXT's Top Stars

9. Roderick Strong

Killian Dain
WWE.com

On the subject of 2016 newcomers, Roderick Strong joined NXT as part of last summer's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic and received a solid push with consistent television time. The former indie worker follows a long line of past Ring Of Honor World Champions that joined NXT in the hopes of becoming the next big WWE superstar.

Strong's already had the chance to compete for the number one contender spot for the NXT title in the lead up to NXT TakeOver: San Antonio. In a match that aired on the 21 December 2016 NXT episode, Strong wrestled against Tye Dillinger, Bobby Roode, and Andrade 'Cien' Almas in an elimination match for a chance to face Shinsuke Nakamura for the NXT Championship. Though he eliminated Almas first, Strong fell victim to Dillinger's Tye-Breaker; Dillinger was then eliminated by the match's winner, Bobby Roode.

Despite the technical loss, it was a career win for Roddy. Just to be put in that spot shows exactly who the NXT brass has their eyes on; clearly, Roddy Strong is near the top of the list.

Contributor
Contributor

A former stuntman for Paramount Pictures, Matt enjoys sports, water skiing, driving fast, the beach, professional wrestling, technology, and scotch. At the same time, whenever possible. Having attended many famous (and infamous) shows including WrestleMania XV, In Your House: Mind Games, and the 1995 King of the Ring, Matt has been a lifelong professional sports and wrestling fan. Matt's been mentioned in numerous wrestling podcasts including the Steve Austin Show: Unleashed, Talk Is Jericho, and Something To Wrestle With Bruce Prichard. As a former countywide performer, Matt has been referred to as Mr. 300 for his amazing accomplishments in the world of amateur bowling. He is also the only man on record to have pitched back-to-back no hitters in the Veterans Stadium Wiffle Ball League of 2003.