WWE Brand Split 2016: 10 Wrestlers Who Must Stay In NXT
6. Tye Dillinger
Tye Dillinger is one of NXT’s greatest success stories. Having previously worked on WWE’s ill-fated ECW revival in 2008, the former Gavin Spears returned to the company in 2013, former a listless tag team with Jason Jordan, before inheriting his current “Perfect 10” gimmick and reinventing himself as an arrogant showman in the singles division.
Dillinger’s popularity has exploded. He’s taken a potentially-disastrous character concept and turned it into one of the roster’s most popular acts (his appearances regularly garner some of NXT’s loudest crowd reactions), and while he rarely wins, Dillinger has formed a close bond with the fans.
Therein lies the problem. Dillinger, like Tyler Breeze before him, performs an act that’s perfect for smaller rooms, but ill-suited to larger arenas. The compact Full Sail set-up keeps Dillinger closer to the fans, allowing him to build closer connections than he could with people sat in the nosebleed seats in one of Raw or Smackdown’s basketball arenas.
Unless they repackage the hugely-successful “Perfect 10” character, WWE should keep Dillinger in NXT. Besides, with the forecasted talent exodus, Dillinger could finally find a clear pathway to the top of the NXT card, and secure the main event spot that his efforts richly deserve.