15 MORE Failed Experiments From WWE Developmental
10. Oliver Grey
As one half of "British Ambition", Oliver Grey was positioned as the being on the same level as future megastar PAC (then billed as Adrian Neville) when the pair became the first ever NXT Tag Team Champions in 2012.
The duo somewhat unexpectedly defeated The Wyatt Family in a tournament final in February 2013, but Grey's time with the title was devastatingly short-lived. The Brit tore his anterior cruciate ligament a little over a month into the reign, forcing Bo Dallas to step in as a makeshift champion in order for them to drop the belts to Luke Harper and Erick Rowan in May.
By the time Grey returned a year later, the landscape of NXT had changed so drastically that his sad release felt inevitable. Neville had gone on to become Heavyweight Champion of a brand that was being held up as WWE's most critically acclaimed product since the turn-of-the-century creative boom. He fell short in a Battle Royal to determine a number one contender for his former friend's gold that didn't even air until he'd already been released.
It brought about the end of a two year run in the system having also spent time in FCW, but Grey - working as Joel Redman in the aftermath - continued his career unabated, He remains at large, clocking well over 400 matches for multiple independents as well as All Japan since his exit.