How WWE Failed EVERY Wrestler Released In 2021

"WWE will ruin them on the main roster" is an oft-repeated phrase whenever a popular wrestler moves from NXT to Raw or SmackDown. Cynical it may be, but it holds more merit in 2021 than ever before, given that more former NXT Champions have now been released than progress to win the WWE Title (H/T Inside the Ropes).

The black and gold blueprints forged for Aleister Black and Andrade (who requested his own release) weren't replicated in blue and red. The latter is particularly galling, given that his money act with the former Zelina Vega negated his own need for lengthy English-language promos, while Black was at least partly undone by talking as well. Spending over a year in his darkened closet, begging the roster to pick a fight with him made "momentum" an alien concept to the Dutchman, all the way through to his unexplained removal from television in October 2020.

Hindered as he was by injuries and other issues outwith WWE's control, how could they not find more for Samoa Joe to do? No Brock Lesnar challenger has ever felt hotter than Joe did ahead of Great Balls of Fire, yet his main roster tenure yielded only two short reigns with the meaningless United States trinket belt.

Chelsea Green, Wesley Blake, and Steve Cutler were barely given a chance post-call-up. The IIconics and Tucker died due to needless, inexplicable tag splits. Performance Center monster Ezra Judge never even made television.

As a star-making system, let alone "developmental", NXT has failed. We knew this a long time ago, though 2021's round of cuts brings it back to the forefront.

The system's problems stretch to the top of the kayfabe pyramid as well.

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