5 WWE NXT Rookies Who Has The Most Potential For Success

Hello, and good day to you! Today, we are talking about NXT Rookies and their potential to succeed in the long term.

With WWE’s NXT rebrand, the key thing I was looking for was a return to basics. For too long, the black & gold brand had lost its way. It was trying too hard to serve as both an equal third show, and as a developmental territory. The identity crisis meant that established talents were enjoying the most success in a place which should be about WWE’s next generation of superstars. After the company booked NXT in to a corner against AEW Dynamite, management admitted its shortcomings by moving to Tuesdays. Yes, NXT had not failed to deliver decent programming, but the focus was long gone. Its special touch had dissipated until it became just another face in the crowd.

While building for the new vision, WWE released several who they felt wouldn’t suit it, along with scouting and signing those who would. Vince McMahon’s management threw out much of what Triple H and his team built, to lay a new foundation for NXT 2.0. The abundance of color is staggering, and it’s understandably difficult for some fans to welcome all the fresh faces. There have been so many debuts in quick succession, and I can’t blame them for feeling overloaded. Ideally, WWE would have introduced talent gradually with the rebranding, so it would be easier to digest. Instead, much like the color scheme, it’s like being splattered with ten buckets of paint.

Change is significant, yet it takes time to adapt. There’s so much potential and I applaud the effort to bring us talent who are likely to have long careers. From the new signings, I have chosen five NXT Rookies who I believe have the most potential for success. Before that, I’d like to talk about honorable mentions who I wanted to include, but they are too new or I’m still deciding:

Honorable Mentions

Odyssey Jones:- I am impressed. It seems like he has the tools to go far in NXT. However, we know little about him yet, other than he seems to be friendly enough to be involved at the InDex wedding. While his attire leaves much to be desired (it represents Syracuse Orange colors), he has natural charisma, which would serve him well no matter which direction WWE needs him to go.

Although he’s already getting in to it with veterans like LA Knight, he needs more time to let us know who he is. In 2019, he set an 800 lb trap bar deadlift record at the WWE Performance Center, beating Otis’ previous record of 775 lbs.

Ivy Nile:- She hasn’t wrestled on NXT yet, but is already a television star after winning the first season of The Rock’s Titan Games. She has worked a match on Raw, in an Underground match against Shayna Baszler, where she was forced to tap out. Trained by Tom Prichard and Kane, there’s a definite intrigue to see how she will go in the ring. The Diamond Mine only recruits those with the potential to be great workers under the mentorship of Roderick Strong & Hachiman.

Joe Gacy:- Are you triggered yet? I’m already seeing a mixed reaction to Gacy, and for good reason. His promo skills have been criticized, mostly because of the pauses and dropping in words like inclusive, male-privilege, safe space, and so on. There’s no structure or point to his words, yet I find it intriguing. I don’t care about politics. I’m neither left, right, or whichever way you want to point. All I know is, when I listen to Gacy, I want to know where it’s going.

He’s not saying anything offensive, but he’s talking in a way which makes you not want to trust him. To me, it feels like he’s a heel masquerading as a warm, inclusive individual who fights against anybody undermining progress in society. For now, he’s telling us this is what he believes in, while doing odd things like hugging Cameron Grimes when he clearly doesn’t want that. He claims everyone should have their own safe space, while hypocritically invading other’s safe space. It’s not a gimmick I associate with politics, more so than political correctness, equality, and other modern day subjects which Gacy will preach about, while also being borderline slimy.

He’s likely to be a delusional, self-professed hero, while doing questionable things. Some will point out that this gimmick pokes fun at anyone who is “woke”. I’m not seeing it, but I can understand why some would think that. Eventually, the truth will come out, and he will admit he was merely pretending to be a kind, sensitive person to get people to care about him, which will garner a ton of heat. Management allowing him to try this is not only placing a lot of trust in him, but it’s pretty bold, even more so after he had been ‘cancelled’. Even if the gimmick flops, he has the confidence on a mic to get over in another way.

Lash Legend:- She has been on TV twice, but I’m already warming up to her. Yes, she may come across like she’s mimicking a talk show host, but few could pull that off. Lash Legend is obviously charismatic, and when you’re so confident out of the gate, all you need is to refine, gain experience, and channel any lessons learned in to a better presentation. She’s also one of the most athletic women WWE has ever signed, as a former WNBA player with many records. You could say she is WWE’s answer to AEW’s Jade Cargill, except this girl can talk your ear off and most definitely will need no one speaking on her behalf.

Tony D’Angelo:- Hey Tony, what if I told you that your character is not one to be messed with? How about we go down to the docks and see what happens when we mess with the D’Angelo family? We’ll be sleeping with the fishes, that’s for sure. Now, when you bring a hard-working fellow like Tony to NXT, remember that this is show business, kid. You accept that in entertainment, it’s all about characters.

You have the big, the bad, and the ugly. Tony may not be a big guy, but I can assure you he will take good care. Long ago, there was a Chico we admired called Razor Ramon. Tony has much in common with an early day Ramon, a bad guy who knows how to do business. He hasn’t even set foot in NXT, yet Tony has weaseled his way in to more character development than most. This gangster knows what’s what, my friend, and you better believe it. Is it unoriginal and dated? Perhaps, yet despite that, I’m willing to give Tony a chance, and not because he threatened to kill my family or anything.

This concludes the honorable mentions, so let’s get right to it with the guy who has the most potential of anyone. Wade Barrett said: “Can we even consider him a rookie?”

#1. Bron Breakker

The Steiner blood is strong in this one. Do the math, Bron Breakker is a genetic freak. There’s nothing normal about him. He’s the son of Rick Steiner and nephew of Scott Steiner. You can bet your sweet ass that Bron spent much of his life learning how to cut promos from them, and now he’s on an edgy product which allows him to channel their energy. Yet, it’s not his talking, which is the most impressive. It’s his work in the squared circle.

He reminds me a little of Kurt Angle, in the way he has picked it up almost immediately. Wrestling comes as naturally to Breakker as brushing your teeth, and it’s scary how good he is already. I’m not a fan of pushing him so quickly toward the title, but you can’t blame WWE because they have seen more of him than we have. He’s a guaranteed future NXT Champion, if not by the end of the year, then in 2022. The only negative thing is calling him Bron Breakker. What kind of stupid name is that?! Either way, if you can get over with a name as terrible as that? Then you’re special enough to make it anywhere.

#2 & 3. Brutus & Julius Creed

I think the Diamond Mine is doing exactly what it says on the tin. You have a quality leader in Roderick Strong, one of the best workers in the world. Hachiman (Hideki Suzuki) is a teacher of the legendary Billy Robinson’s techniques. Malcolm Bivens is the salesperson telling you why you should care for these guys. It’s a perfect fit, and The Creed Brothers have only had two matches, but boy did they make an impact. Not just in the way they got their names out there, but how they decimated opponents with their stiff offense.

Brutus has an incredible physique and amateur wrestling pedigree as a two-time NCAA All-American, three-time NCAA Academic All-American and AAC Heavyweight Champion. There’s a resemblance to “Brock Lesnar” there, not in the way he looks, but how he’s built and the way he works. Julius is also a former two-time NCAA All-American. Management has praised him for his attitude and willingness to learn. I feel like the brothers will complement each other well. Julius will be more hands on as a complete wrestler, while Brutus is likely to clear up on hot tags. I think Brutus is more likely to succeed as a singles star, but Julius will also do well because of his work ethic. The NXT Tag Team division isn’t safe while they are there.

Julius Creed (left), Malcolm Bivens (center), Brutus Creed (right) #4. Elektra Lopez

Before we go any further, I am not a fan of B-Fab until she learns how to work. She has the look and confidence on the mic, but there’s a long way to go. Lopez however, she’s the real deal. This girl has star power written all over. She carries herself so well that I think they have taken some of the spotlight from Santos Escobar. It reminds me of when Alexa Bliss paired up with Blake & Murphy, and while she was more of a manager, it later became clear that she was getting over and not them.

I think the fact that Lopez isn’t slender helps a lot, because wrestlers are more intimidating when they are powerful. However, knowing Vince, I bet he’ll want her to tone up before she gets any serious push. I appreciate her style of promo too; she makes every word count. Lopez has a Bachelor’s Degree in Global Business and is the daughter of former WWE wrestler Steve King.

#5. Gigi Dolin

Mandy Rose has a new stable called Toxic Attraction, which includes Gigi Dolin & Jacy Jayne. Unlike others on the list, Gigi was signed back in January, and has been part of WWE programming for a while. However, she was slightly repackaged since pairing up with Jacy Jayne, not long before Mandy Rose returned to NXT and sided with them. Technically, she isn’t a rookie in a wrestling sense, because we previously knew her as Priscilla Kelly on the independent scene since 2015. However, the WWE style is unique, so I’m still calling her a NXT rookie for the time being.

In 2018, she received backlash over a spot in a match for an adult focused independent show. During this, she pulled out a tampon from her trunks and stuck it in her opponent’s mouth. Nothing happened despite the footage being posted online until Gail Kim shared her disgust. After it went viral, Angelina Love, Tessa Blanchard and Jim Ross thought the spot had no place in wrestling. Gregory Helms made a tasteless joke about it.

She responded by saying the match took place on an adult-only show. Everyone watching had to prove they were 21 or older, and the spot was a scripted event. The tampon had not been used; it had just been placed in her trunks to get a reaction. She also said that women were held to a double standard because guys like Joey Ryan could stick a lollipop in other’s mouths after clearly having it in his mouth and tights with no repercussions. Reby Sky, Tommy Dreamer, Taz, and Joey Ryan all came to her defense, and Road Dogg did as well, but only after he was reminded of foul things like Mae Young giving birth to a hand in the Attitude Era.

A month before this happened, she married current AEW star Darby Allin. However, after making a couple of appearances for AEW, she announced they were divorced in August 2020. Four months later, she revealed they remain friends. She signed with WWE not long after and changed her name to Gigi Dolin. In her early years, she had worked as a “Gypsy Princess” (or Queen). Later on, she morphed in to a succubus-type figure. With a more gothic and sexual tone, she would psych out opponents by biting and licking them.

We have yet to see this side of her character in WWE, but since Toxic Attraction formed, Gigi has carried a rose around. Usually, this would represent love and passionate romance, but it’s likely used to symbolize how a succubus would prey on men by enticing them in to loving unconditionally. The stable reminds me a little of TNA’s Beautiful People, where they would use their sexuality to empower themselves while demeaning anyone who they felt dropped below their level of beauty. It’s early days for Toxic Attraction, but all three of them have room to improve.

Gigi is sometimes compared to Paige in the way she looks. The fact she’s only 23 with six years of experience, we can already see the parallels. In her first promo for Toxic Attraction, she sounded a little nervous, and some fans chanted “what?!”, but I think she did well considering it was the first time talking live in the ring on WWE TV. I think Jacy Jayne has a ton of potential too, but Gigi has the look, and we know what Vince McMahon likes. They have great chemistry together, and Mandy Rose will mentor them on the ways of the main roster long before they get there, which they will.

Please let me know which NXT rookies you believe has the most potential for success in the comments. There’s plenty of choice! As always, take care and thank you for reading.

Also Read: WWE NXT 2.0 Is An Acquired Taste Of Inspired Rookies & Illogical Booking

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