October 15, 2018
By Ryan Porzl
Though it's WWE's developmental territory, NXT has become one of wrestling's more popular promotions in recent years. It's almost become a promotion that can do no wrong with their TakeOver specials usually getting critical acclaim, their supposed ability to make stars, and taking credit for a supposed women's revolution/evolution. You even have fans wanting wrestlers to go there despite being already experienced and good enough to be on the main roster. NXT boss Triple H & NXT fans have also acted like it's a third brand that compliments RAW & Smackdown. Meanwhile, Triple H has went from being a pariah who played backstage politics, was an egomaniac, held wrestlers back, & married into the McMahon family to be the Messiah who can do no wrong, has a Midas touch, and will usher in a new golden age once he takes over from Vince. Unfortunately, Triple H and NXT aren't as infallible as one would believe and The Game has made his share of mistakes with certain talent. Over the years, NXT has been able to secure a lot of great talent but for every Finn Balor or Charlotte Flair, they're have been those that the promotion botched and should make fans go "WTF?". Here are a list of wrestlers Triple H & NXT had but either didn't make the best of or downright botched.
Eli Drake- Here's one that most forget. Before becoming the Namer of Dummies in Impact Wrestling, Drake worked for the WWE from 2013-2014 during which time he went by the name "Slate Randell". Despite having everything to be a superstar in ring skills, mic skills, look, and charisma all the while being someone who had potential to be a Wrestlemania main eventer down the road, HHH & NXT did nothing with Drake during his run as Drake debuted in October 2013 and was never used for TV outside of dark matches, had no rivalry, and no title shots. Instead, Drake was used for nearly a year mostly at live events as they didn't seem to know what to do with him. Drake would last work for NXT in May 2014 and was cut that August with him claiming it was cause of issues with WWE Performance Center head coach Bill DeMott. The situation backfired in a lot of ways as NXT lost a great prospect but DeMott wouldn't last much longer as he was forced to resign a few months later after accusations of bullying. In 2015, Drake went to then TNA (now Impact Wrestling) where he's shined as one of their top acts enjoying reigns as the Impact World Champion, the King of the Mountain Champion, & World Tag Team Champion while also main eventing the promotion's biggest show of the year Bound For Glory in 2017.
Alexa Bliss- Alexa originally trained at the WWE Performance Center and turned pro in late 2013. They did appear to see something in her as she was part of Triple H's Wrestlemania XXX entrance along with Charlotte & Sasha Banks but she never did get much a push. Originally playing a bubbly and sparkly babyface, Alexa worked hard and began showing great potential by early 2015 as she was not only talented in the ring but was really shining as a personality and on the mic after turning heel and joining Blake & Murphy. Unfortunately, Alexa seemed overlooked as NXT was pushing their manufactured Four Horsewomen of Charlotte, Sasha Banks, Bayley, & Becky Lynch which left Alexa in the cold. Even after Charlotte, Sasha, & Becky moved to the main roster in the summer of 2015, Alexa still was wasted as she was instead used as a challenger for Bayley in the fall of 2015 & then Asuka in early 2016 despite a good argument could be made she was the most complete wrestler in the women's division. After moving up to the main roster, Alexa started slow but eventually shined as the top heel on the Smackdown Women's Division capturing the Smackdown Women's Championship on two occasions. She then went to RAW where she won the RAW Women's Title three times and the 2018 Women's Money In The Bank while becoming the first to hold both women's title. On top of that, she's excelled far more than Asuka and almost all the Four Horsewomen except Charlotte.
Tye Dillinger- Dillinger has a LONG and interesting history in the WWE. Dillinger was originally in the WWE from 2006-2009 he was in their developmental promotions Ohio Valley Wrestling & Florida Championship Wrestling as Shawn Spears enjoying runs with the OVW Television & Southern Tag Team Championship with Cody and then made it to the main roster as Gavin Spears and worked in the ECW brand before being released in 2009. Fast forward to 2013, Dillinger resigned and went to NXT as Tye Dillinger. Despite his talent, Dillinger spent years as mostly a jobber with little to no direction. Even worse was when he eventually got his "Perfect 10" gimmick and despite growing in popularity, Triple H & NXT still did nothing with him as he was then used to put over Andrade "Cien" Almas & Bobby Roode at TakeOvers. It seemed like they knew his talents but thought they would be better to showcase the latest signing and make them look as good as possible. In late 2016, Dillinger aligned with Roderick Strong, No Way Jose, Ruby Riot, & Kassius Ohno in a feud with the Sanity stable but mostly lost until the blow off where he defeated leader Eric Young in a steel cage match in his last NXT match. Sadly, Dillinger hasn't done better on the main roster but it's still alarming how HHH & NXT didn't capitalize on him and it could mean HHH is picking up one of the nastiest habits of his father-in-law by not pushing a talent who manages to get over on their own because that wasn't part of the plan and even seems to get punished for daring to get over on their own.
Juice Robinson- Robinson is one of those that Triple H & NXT have to be cursing themselves over. Robinson was part of the WWE before NXT as he signed in 2011 and worked in their former developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling as CJ Parker and enjoyed two runs with the FCW Florida Tag Team Titles with Jason Jordan and Donny Marlow (Tanga Loa). After FCW gave way to NXT, Robinson was largely used as a jobber with little to no direction. He was given the gimmick of a hippie in 2013 but it proved so unpopular that he was switched from a babyface (fan favorite) to a heel (villain). He then became a tree hugging type hippie as he would cut promos blaming the NXT fans on the environment but it did nothing for him as he continued to be a jobber most notably being squashed by Mojo Rawley at the first NXT TakeOver special NXT Arrival in February 2014 and then by Baron Corbin at NXT TakeOver: Fatal Four Way in September 2014. By 2015, Robinson's run was so bleak that he actually left on his own by requesting and receiving his release. After leaving, Robinson briefly used the name CJP and competed in CZW's Best of the Best XIV tournament before reverting back to his Juice Robinson name. Since August 2015, Robinson has found work in New Japan Pro Wrestling, the number one Japanese promotion and one of the biggest promotions in the world. Since then, he's achieved popularity and success having many praised matches, forming a tag team with former top star Hiroshi Tanahashi, and winning the IWGP United States Championship. Interestingly enough, WWE seems to realize their mistake and see Robinson's value as rumors have circulated that they're interested in bringing him back.
Sami Callihan- Yet another guy Triple H & NXT are kicking themselves over. Callihan was originally signed to WWE back in May 2013 and repackaged as Solomon Crowe and given the gimmick of a computer hacker. Callihan was one of those who was wasted so badly that he didn't even appear on TV until over a year into his run as he made his in-ring debut on August 29, 2013 at a live event but wouldn't appear on NXT TV until February 18, 2015. Even after his debut, Callihan was given nothing to do as he didn't really have any rivalries, had a few title shots, and was left off TakeOvers. Like Robinson, things were so bad that Callihan asked and received his release in November 2015. After leaving, Callihan eventually returned to the independent circuit but was quickly signed by Lucha Underground and debuted in early 2016 as Jeremiah Crane (now Jeremiah Snake) where he enjoyed success including a run with the Lucha Underground Trios Titles with Kobra Moon & Daga. Callihan then took his career to new heights when joining Impact Wrestling in November 2017 and has since established himself as one of wrestling best and top heels after accidentally hurting Eddie Edwards' orbital bone with a baseball bat which got covered by TMZ Sports and has led to a big rivalry with Edwards with Callihan then following with a big rivalry with Pentagon Jr. with both being good contenders for Feud of the Year honors. He then became the first to pin the dominant Brian Cage in Impact at the promotion's biggest show of the year Bound For Glory 2018 in October. Since late 2017, Callihan has also become a top heel in the revived MLW and engaged in another great rivalry with Jimmy Havoc.
Becky Lynch- This may be a weird one but hear me out. Yes, Becky was part of the Four Horsewomen and did get a lot of title shots but it still doesn't outweigh the bad. Becky was wasted for a long time as she signed to the WWE in April 2013 but didn't make her in-ring debut until November and didn't debut on NXT TV until June 2014, fourteen months after her signing. In fact, Becky's NXT run didn't pick up till the end of the year after nearly two years into her run. On top of that, Becky was the only member of the Horsewomen never to have held the NXT Women's Championship despite the fact you can make an argument that she's the most talented of the four. Since moving up to the main roster, Becky has had periods of being wasted but has done better as she was involved in the three way along with Charlotte and Sasha to crown the first RAW Women's Champion (then WWE Women's Champion) at Wrestlemania 32 and has since gone on to become a 2 time Smackdown Women's Champion as well as being the inaugural champion. Best of all, Becky has become one of WWE's most popular acts male or female and has maintained her popularity despite suffering through bad booking, occasionally being wasted, and an ill timed heel turn. Meanwhile, Triple H & NXT's preferred acts like Sasha, Bayley, and Asuka have all fallen by the wayside despite varying degrees of success and while many would argue they suffered through poor booking, so has Becky and they haven't been able to maintain anywhere near the popularity that Becky has.
Kassius Ohno- Kassius Ohno should've been a massive signing. As Chris Hero, Ohno was a big name in the American independents and internationally while forming a great tag team with Cesaro (then Claudio Castagnoli) called the Kings of Wrestling where they were the inaugural CHIKARA Campeonatos de Parejas (Tag Team Titles), two CZW World Tag Team Championships, and two ROH World Tag Team Championships. He also was a former CZW World Heavyweight Champion, led CZW during their promotional rivalry with ROH, had one of the top feuds of the indys with Eddie Kingston (King in Impact), and a big run with IWA: Mid-South having runs with the IWA: Mid-South World Heavyweight Championship as well as a classic rivalry with CM Punk. Though Ohno never possessed the chiseled physique that WWE wants, his look was still decent, he could cut a great promo, and an excellent athlete who could do just about any wrestling styles despite having a 6'6 frame. It can easily be argued that Ohno was someone who could've been a future Wrestlemania main eventer. Sadly, NXT has fumbled the ball not once but twice. Ohno originally came in when NXT began in 2012 and did have his moments including rivalries with Richie Steamboat, William Regal, The Wyatt Family, & did get some shots the NXT Tag Team Championship. Still, Ohno appeared to be more used for new talents when he easily could've been NXT Champion or title contender. Eventually, Ohno was released in November 2013 with rumors being Triple H wasn't happy with his physique though Ohno denied it. Ohno returned to ROH, the indys, and international circuit but sadly began gain significant weight due to back problems and a thyroid issue. Ohno eventually returned to NXT in 2017 and seemed to have a purpose as he replaced No Way Jose as Tye Dillinger, Roderick Strong, & Ruby Riot against Sanity at NXT TakeOver: Orlando in April 2017 but came up short. Afterwards, he did have some moments including NXT Championship opportunities against Bobby Roode at live event and won a rivalry over Hideo Tokoro but by the fall, his stock again began to drop as he would be used to put over newer talent including getting squashed by Lars Sullivan at NXT TakeOver: WarGames in November 2017 & then lost to Velveteen Dream at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia in January 2018. By the spring, it got to the point where Triple H & NXT seemed to be so clueless as to what to do with Ohno that they lent him to the British promotion PROGRESS for their Super Strong Style 16 tournament. While Ohno still occasionally get a title shot from time to time at live events but hasn't been at recent TakeOver's and doesn't have much direction as he seems to be stuck as some gatekeeper.
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