NXT: 10 Biggest Breakout Stars Of 2020 (So Far)

The millennial generation has a tendency to live in the 'woe is me' of the moment, claiming this to be the 'dirt worst' when all it is is another version of the cack that came before. However, when it comes to the misery of 2020, the point may be apt. This has been an absolute dog of a year, from political upheaval to the global pandemic that saw 20% of the world's population living under lockdown. A few celebrity deaths don't really come close.

The pro wrestling world has suffered in its own way, with empty arena shows and mass redundancies. NXT has trundled on in the face of it all, with stunted feuds and rushed matches coming together in the hushed surroundings of the WWE Performance Center, sucking life out of momentum and grinding the development of some to a dismal halt. This is a pretty wretched time to be a professional wrestler.

But let's not get bogged down in the unrelenting misery of it all, because life, lemons, lemonade, or something like. A small handful of performers have been able to located sugar and water to compliment the lemon that is 2020, winning championships, making statements, scoring wins and being really creepy in the process. These are NXT's breakout stars of 2020; so far, at least.

WWE NXT UK Champion WALTER might be conspicuous by his current absence from TV, but his cohorts in IMPERIUM certainly haven't let the side down. Marcel Barthel and Fabien Aichner captured the NXT Tag Team Championships last week, making the most of Timothy Thatcher's patience running out to European Bomb Matt Riddle into oblivion. Will Thatcher's past with RINGKAMPF make its way to NXT TV? Time will tell.

Such speculation can wait, as now is the time for Barthel and Aichner to celebrate a major accomplishment. Both men have been signed to the company for a number of years, turning wheels and picking up losses in developmental until the arrival of WALTER and the establishment of IMPERIUM, a stable that finally provided the Europeans with a purpose.

What does the future hold for the faction? It is easy to argue that the title change might not have happened if the world wasn't locked down, but that is neither here nor there. Moving forward, IMPERIUM are going to play a major role on NXT TV. Barthel and Aichner hold the tag titles and will look to establish their dominance in a division that is going through a transitional phase, while WALTER will have his eyes on Pete Dunne's record NXT UK Championship reign. Der Ring General is more than halfway there already.