10 WWE Superstars Who Failed To Rejuvenate Their Careers In NXT
2. Justin Gabriel
As awesome as The Nexus was early on in their run, many of the original members of the group didn't have great singles careers, including Justin Gabriel. He had always been one to watch on NXT's first season, but his lack of mic skills was what cost him the contract.
Once The Corre disbanded in mid-2011, Gabriel should have been the breakout star from the group, but instead his tremendous talents were put to waste. He struggled on the SmackDown brand and never seemed to find his footing as a singles star, coming up short in his matches more often than not. His short-lived tag team with Tyson Kidd in 2012 also did not do him any favors.
Along with Drew McIntyre, Jinder Mahal, Tyson Kidd and others, he journeyed over to NXT in mid-2012 and clashed with the younger talent. His in-ring skills were still undeniably good, but he was never going to be warranted the opportunity to shine because by then he was damaged goods.
His most notable run in NXT came when he turned heel last summer and reunited with Kidd, giving fans hope that WWE would finally be doing something with him. However, he sparingly appeared on the show up until his departure in January.