10 WWE Main Roster Wrestlers Who Were WORSE In NXT

5. Murphy

Baron Corbin comparison
WWE.com

Murphy’s time in WWE, particularly his success on the main roster, is tainted by his recent blindsiding release. However, Murphy in NXT was little more than a one-time Tag Team Champion who risked becoming a footnote in the rise of Alexa Bliss. Blake and Murphy were a personality deficient team who were deft enough in the ring to get by.

Unlike the other wrestlers on this list, Murphy’s improvement didn’t start on either Raw or SmackDown. He built himself from the ground up on 205 Live, capturing the Cruiserweight Championship and reinventing himself as a high-flying marvel. After conquering the cruiserweights, Murphy soon found himself on SmackDown, wrestling the show’s biggest stars, Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan.

Though Murphy had proven himself as a singles star, it was as Seth Rollins’ disciple that he began to thrive as a sports entertainer.

While the duo only held the Raw Tag Team Championship for 42 days, Murphy grew as a presence. In turning on Rollins and his cliché but serviceable romance with Aalyah Mysterio, Murphy looked ready to thrive. Yet, when the romance angle was abruptly dropped, Murphy was exiled to creative limbo before being released.

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An English Lit. MA Grad trying to validate my student debt by writing literary fiction and alternative non-fiction.