Ranking Every NXT Call-Up From Worst To Best

3. Dean Ambrose

Dean Ambrose
WWE.com

There are no surprises with the top three NXT graduates, and it's absolutely telling that they were amongst the first - almost as if the man running the shop actually cared at the time. The Shield made one of the all-time great debuts at Survivor Series 2012, soon establishing themselves as the company's most popular act in forever.

Dean Ambrose fared worst out of their 2014 split, his 'wacky' character frequently failing to hit the mark - along with the general quality of his output. A sudden WWE Title win did nothing for him; it was only when he returned from action after a lengthy spell out, jacked and having shaved off his literal lunatic fringe, that Dean felt like a big player again. He's a heel now, because if anything's worth capitalising on, it's cancer.

Editorial Team
Editorial Team

Benjamin was born in 1987, and is still not dead. He variously enjoys classical music, old-school adventure games (they're not dead), and walks on the beach (albeit short - asthma, you know). He's currently trying to compile a comprehensive history of video game music, yet denies accusations that he purposefully targets niche audiences. He's often wrong about these things.