10 WWE Wrestlers Who Should Have Bypassed NXT
7. Austin Aries
Austin Aries sits in a very similar boat to Bobby Rood, in that he came from TNA with plenty of reputation and talent, which could have been put to great use on the main roster, only to be kept in developmental. But while he did end up joining the brand before its inception, there was still a perfect place for him outside of NXT, and that was 205 Live.
As a smaller performer, there was little guarantee that Aries would find the success he was looking for in the Land of the Giants. Still, his workhorse reputation and quick in-ring presence was a golden ticket to the main roster, and if the timing had been better, then WWE could have built their entire cruiserweight division around him.
If WWE had chosen to throw him onto the main roster right away, then he could have established a reputation quickly. When he eventually transitioned to the Cruiserweight centric promotion, he'd have felt like an absolute top star, which would have worked not only for him but 205 itself. Oh well, hindsight is everything.