11 Wrestling Legends Who Became WWE NXT Trainers

Those who can't do are encouraged to teach, but when it comes to professional wrestling you're going to have trouble commanding the respect of your students unless you've been there, done that, and got the T-shirt (and maybe a few gnarly battle-scars too).

That's why only ex-wrestlers who can boast a couple of decades of experience inside the squared circle are accorded the honour of coaching WWE's stars of tomorrow, and since the inception of NXT in 2012, that policy seems to have served the company well.

Reams of graduates - some of them homegrown, others plucked from the minor leagues - are funnelled through NXT and onto the main roster every year, many of them much more accomplished inside the ring than those who were fast-tracked up the ladder unchecked.

But who are the teachers driving such excellent standards, the eyes and ears of Vince McMahon who - at least in part - get to decide who has a genuine chance at stardom and, conversely, who is likely to fall by the wayside?

It turns out, one or two of them have familiar faces.

Before we get into the top 10, there are a few more trainers who - despite, in some cases, only briefly turning their hand to training - deserve an honourable mention.

Adam Pearce, a five-time NWA Champion who cut his teeth in Ring of Honor, is the most notable example. He's been working with NXT rookies on and off since finishing up his own wrestling career with a match against Colt Cabana a couple of years ago.

Elsewhere, the likes of Shawn Michaels, Scott Hall, Dave Taylor, Mike Quackenbush, and Rocky Romero have all worked on fixed-term "guest trainer" spots within the last few years.