Several of today's stars have made a name of themselves while working their way up the WWE ranks. Typically that has meant competing on the independent scene and then joining NXT.
By the time they are brought to either the Raw or Smackdown roster, these men and women have earned their opportunity to be a part of WWE. Some talent, however, haven't been prominently featured by the company.
These men and women are a part of the promotion, but aren't seen or heard about as much. It isn't because they aren't very good, or that their role isn't as significant, it's simply because they haven't had the chance to show their worth for a prolonged period of time.
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There is no doubt that a number of these men and women will become a focal point for NXT, Raw or Smackdown Live, but unfortunately that isn't the case now. If there is one commonality amongst all five of these men and women, it's that they have blazed a trail for themselves on the independent scene.
Who exactly made our list and why do fans need to know about them? The short answer is that they are incredibly talented and need to be highlighted for fans, ones they need to become more familiar with, as 2017 has arrived.
Here are five lesser known WWE stars that you need to know about.
#5 Dori Prange (Heidi Lovelace)
While on the independent scene, Prange was one of the premier female wrestlers around, competing under the name Heidi Lovelace. Her early training came while she was a part of the Shine promotion.
During her time on the circuit, she has competed predominately for Shine and Shimmer, two women's wrestling focused companies that are among the biggest in North America. A few years ago, she tried out for Ohio Valley Wrestling, where she faced current Women of Honor wrestler Taeler Hendrix.
Like fellow NXT Signee Kimber Lee, Lovelace has competed all over North America.
Also read: 5 lesser known facts you need to know about Finn Balor
Throughout her career, Prange has earned accolades and championships, whether it was capturing the Young Lions Cup XI cup in Chikara, the Ohio Valley Women's Championship, or being ranked number 20 in Pro Wrestling Illustrated's top fifty females of 2016.
Her acclaim and achievements are supported by her contemporary ring style, which includes finishing moves such as the Shining Wizard, a tornado DDT into a snap suplex, and her Heidi-Can-Rana, which is a Hurricanrana driver.
Current WWE superstar Bayley has mentioned she is most looking forward to facing Prange at some point, high praise for the newcomer.
#4 Kimberly Frankele (Kimber Lee)
Much like her male counterparts, if the name given to her in WWE doesn't ring a bell, then maybe her longstanding ring name from the independents will. Under the name Kimber Lee, Frankele did it all on the independent circuit.
She competed alongside former tag team partner and current TNA wrestler Allie as The Kimber Bombs. The duo actually captured the Shine and Shimmer Tag team championships simultaneously.
Lee has been a mainstay competing for such prominent North American promotions as Chikara and Smash Wrestling.
If you haven't seen Lee perform, then you are truly missing out, as this top female started her career training at the Combat Zone Wrestling academy under current 205 Live and Raw Cruiserweight star Drew Gulak.
Lee is a quick learner, has been able to elevate herself in less than six years of active competition, and is now a part of the NXT women's division. She was recently seen on television facing Ember Moon in a losing effort.
However, don't allow a loss to take away from what Lee can achieve both in and out of the ring. Her skills only further highlight just how much the women's revolution in the WWE will grow.
#3 Sarah Bridges (Crazy Mary Dobson)
A trainee of Taka Michinoku, Bridges competed on the independents under the name Crazy Mary Dobson. She was a mainstay on the circuit, competing for a number of promotions throughout the United States including briefly competing in Ring of Honor.
What is interesting to note about Bridges is that even though she is just getting her feet wet competing on NXT house shows, she has appeared in the WWE on a number of different occasions.
She was a rosebud alongside Adam Rose, a makeup artist for The Miz, and an extra in a spoof of a Viagra commercial (once again featuring The Miz.)
In 2015, Bridges competed under the name Sarah Dobson in televised NXT matches, losing to current Smackdown Women's Champion Alexa Bliss, Becky Lynch, and the current number one contender for the Raw Women's championship Bayley in separate matches.
She also competed as part of a live Wrestlemania promotion party in a winning effort.
This past fall, Bridges officially signed with the WWE and reported to their Performance Centre. For 2016, she was considered one of the top fifty female wrestlers in the world according to Pro Wrestling Illustrated.
One has to wonder how long will WWE wait to unleash the crazy one on its fanbase. Rumors have also stated that she could be the mystical Sister Abigail.
#2 Aleister Black (Tommy End)
If the name doesn't ring a bell, then fans may know him by the name that he's competed under during his time in Europe and the United Kingdom. As Tommy End, Black competed for such promotions as Progress Wrestling and Insane Championship Wrestling.
End also traveled the world working for promotions such as EVOLVE, Pro Wrestling Guerilla and Combat Zone Wrestling.
If winning means anything, then it must be noted that Black won a great deal of his matches, and as a result became a champion, primarily in the UK.
As part of Westside Xtreme wrestling, End captured their United World and World Light Heavyweight championships, and held one half of their World tag team championships alongside Michael Dante.
You likely haven't seen him compete as part of NXT yet, as he has only competed on their house shows.
He is listed as just under six feet tall, but don't allow his height to sway you, this Dutch born performer is a force to be reckoned with, and is someone fans should keep their eyes on when he appears on television.
#1 Oney Lorcan
If you've seen the menacing Lorcan compete for NXT, you can be forgiven if you haven't thought about him all that much. His slender yet muscular build may not stand out. However, when we look a little deeper, you realize that Lorcan is more than just a look.
During his time on the independent scene, he competed around the world as Biff Busick. He is as technically as sound as anyone in the ring. His stiff uppercuts and submission style manoeuvers previously made him a mainstay all over the North American independent scene.
In fact, he competed for such notable promotions as Combat Zone Wrestling, where he captured their world championship. He has also competed in Pro Wrestling Guerilla, Dragon Gate USA and Gabe Sapolosky's EVOLVE promotion.
An eight year pro, Lorcan was trained by former WWE stars Funaki and Lance Storm. While many wrestlers are still finding their footing at this stage of their career, Lorcan has faced some of the best workers in the world, making the speed of his learning curve more pronounced.
While his role in WWE's NXT promotion isn't clear at the moment, that isn't to say that great things won't come his way.
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