Ranking WWE's First Ever NXT Class - From Worst To Best

19. Emma

NXT Roster 2012
WWE.com

Emma was one half of what was at the time arguably the best WWE women's match of all time when she narrowly lost to Paige at NXT Arrival in March 2014.

While she wasn't entirely defined by the contest in the aftermath, it absolutely raised hopes and expectations for her. Her gimmick - a happy go lucky, clumsy (and slightly stupid) babyface - was immensely popular inside the supportive walls of Full Sail University, but when the WWE main roster didn't have the patience or creative energy to actually get it over gradually, the bubble literally and figuratively burst.

Once a supposed work-rate favourite, she was suddenly more of a gems-and-rarities type, popping in for lowkey classics such as her TakeOver: London battle with Asuka before unexpectedly getting released in 2017 after a shambolic failed repackaging as Emmalina. A 2022-2023 comeback didn't go much better, but she's never really struggled for work in the industry, such is her ability to shore up an ailing division with a relatively steady hand. 

 
Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett