10 Wrestlers Who Personify Why WWE Had To Scour The Indies

7. Ryback

Previously known as Skip Sheffield on NXT, Ryan Reeves is now best-known as Ryback. Debuting the character in the Spring of 2012, Ryback was portrayed in an eerily similar fashion to Bill Goldberg's first appearances in WCW. Running through jobbers and enhancement talent (like Heath Slater and Camacho) in record fashion, Ryback was someone WWE clearly had big plans for. They were ready and willing to 'feed him more'. Later that same year, he found himself squaring off with CM Punk over the WWE Championship. Fans did like Ryback, but there wasn't enough about him to ensure he'd cement his status at the top of the card. As hard as WWE have tried with the man, he has flipped between trying to get over as a destructive babyface and a bully-boy heel. Neither alignment has managed to keep him at the top of the card for any sustained period. The plight of Ryback makes it obvious why WWE decided to put so much investment of time and money into their rebranded NXT developmental system. Instead of trying to force the issue with certain stars, there needed to be a platform for growth. NXT allows for that, and WWE have the ability to lure in top independent talent to the brand. Meanwhile, Ryback still continues to drift aimlessly on the main roster.