WWE NXT: 10 Best Non-Indy Wrestlers
2. Roman Reigns
Love him or hate him, Roman Reigns is here to stay.
Formerly known as Leakee in FCW, Reigns debuted in NXT in late 2012. He looked impressive, but delivered little in the ring or on the mike. Nonetheless, he was being prepared for the push of a lifetime.
At Survivor Series 2012 Reigns made his main roster debut along with Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose. They attacked Ryback and John Cena and would go on to terrorize the WWE for a year and a half as the Shield. Rollins and Ambrose made their names in other promotions on the indie circuit, but Reigns was green as grass.
He was rightfully used sparingly and was always brought in towards the end of their matches to show off his impressive power moves.
Fans have not taken to Reigns since the Shield split up last year. An unexpected hernia did keep him out of the ring for most of last year, leading to a rushed and unconvincing Superstar of the Year win at the Slammys. He went on to win this years Royal Rumble which provoked an even worse reaction than Batista's win the previous year.
At WrestleMania, he failed to defeat Brock Lesnar after Seth Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank contract, but he was at least permitted to look competitive against the Beast.
Roman Reigns is still trying to gain acceptance from the fans today, but what they should accept is that Roman Reigns has come further than any "rookie" has ever dreamed of since graduating from NXT. Now one of WWE's top stars, Reigns can only get better from here.
Believe that!