10 WWE NXT Superstars You Totally Don't Remember
3. Troy McClain
Imagine being headhunted by none other than John Cena. That happened to Troy McClain, and he excitedly penned a WWE developmental contract in 2013. The fact McClain had been trained by 'Attitude Era' favourites Rikishi and Gangrel was promising too - surely they made sure he had a good head on his shoulders.
This just in: WWE life isn't for everybody.
Despite the strength of his trainers and a star the size of Cena going to bat for him, Troy couldn't gain a foothold on NXT. His motivational speaker gimmick (that debuted on the 19 April 2013 episode) didn't capture the imaginations of WWE fans, and no amount of support behind the scenes was going to change that.
Gerald Brisco was reportedly high on McClain and thought the promotion's top brass should bend over backwards to help him, but WWE released the rookie in September 2014 instead. Likely disillusioned, McClain worked a few matches on the independent scene before vanishing into thin air.