5 Most Notable NXT Alumni (Who Never Had A TakeOver Match)

Elias is one of the few performers who has fared much better on the main roster than on NXT. This is a rare occurrence, given that almost everybody is elevated and made to look strong during their developmental tenure before they inevitably become mid-carders or jobbers after any initial attention they are given on Raw or SmackDown dies down.

Elias Samson, as he was known before he became subject to Vince McMahon’s random love of monomial names (see also: Cesaro, Rusev, Big E, etc.), was hated during his initial run in Florida, attracting levels of ‘X-Pac heat’ that had only really been seen previously during Bo Dallas’ forceful presentation as a generic babyface.

Booed incessantly during his performances on the guitar or in the ring, ‘The Drifter’ seemed destined for obscurity. Reactions to his initial push led to his announced match with Apollo Crews at TakeOver: Dallas being relegated to television instead. A subsequent injury and general apathy about his return meant he never came close to that level again, though he did win the crowd over with his final appearance (after coming up short in a loser leaves NXT match) as ‘El Vagabundo’, a very thinly disguised take on his persona.

Now that Elias has performed in a high profile slot at WrestleMania, his lack of TakeOver appearances probably doesn’t keep him up at night. He will always stand out as perhaps the most notable name to not have one on his CV, however.