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

2. Dean Ambrose

NXT Roster 2012
AEW

As Dean Ambrose, Jon Moxley achieved everything he possibly could have within a system seemingly designed to squeeze all of his real self out of his on-screen persona.

A disrupter early into his tenure with FCW, the former independent favourite built stories with Mick Foley and William Regal via social media buzz despite the man himself wanting very little to do with that side of the game. He was the performer fans spoke of in hallowed terms, and made good on the promise as The Shield's psychotic element during their peak years. 

As a solo babyface and somehow even more so as a heel, he was hobbled by WWE comedy to the point that he hated what he did for a living, but that hasn't been a problem since his 2019 exit. A revelatory G1 Climax run that summer reestablished his credibility as a worker in league with an AEW career that has highlighted and cemented his status as a measurable draw. No one wrestler highlights the gulf between actual pro wrestling development and the quirks of "WWE developmental" than the former 'Lunatic Fringe'.

 
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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 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. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, 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