15 MORE Failed Experiments From WWE Developmental
11. Nikos Rykos
Remembered more for his extremely distinctive and patriotic gear than any kind of extended run on the black-and-gold brand, Nylos Rikos was a one-and-done lights inspector for Keith Lee during the 'Limitless One's breakout 2019 in NXT.
He took a good beating from Lee on the show either side of a prolific run on the indies, stopping only to get one more shot for the market leader as half of the inadvertently hilarious "East Hampton Polo Boys" on a Monday Night Raw later that year. The Mean Street Posse-esque jobbers took a pummelling from The Viking Raiders in a match that existed as much to show the physical and stylistic differences between the two sides.
Despite finding himself overlooked by WWE (and, when it launched, AEW), Rikos has appeared semi-regularly on the circuit, working just under 50 matches for various organisations over the last several, including two shots in the second half of 2025 for Titan Championship Wrestling in New Jersey. The dream of once again making it back to NXT may be over, but the Sparta, New Jersey native has clearly been able to stay busy with wrestling as a side hustle at least.