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Around a year ago, the general feeling among fans was that the glory days of NXT were over. Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Finn Balor had all been called up to WWE’s main roster, while Asuka was left with barely any competition in the women’s division once the Four Horsewomen departed.
But that was then and this is now, and the never-ending conveyor belt of talent at the Performance Centre continues to churn out more and more stars for Vince McMahon and the WWE booking committee to one day get their hands on.
This article will concentrate on the villainous side of Triple H’s NXT roster by picking out five heels whose characters have developed to such an extent that, if called upon, they’d fit in perfectly on Raw or SmackDown Live.
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Apologies to fans of The Undisputed Era, but they haven’t even had their first NXT TakeOver match yet, so they haven't made the list.
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#1 Tommaso Ciampa
Is there a better heel-in-waiting in WWE or NXT right now than Tommaso Ciampa? The former #DIY member’s attack on Johnny Gargano at the end of TakeOver: Chicago was one of the best heel turns we've witnessed in recent years, and it’s a shame we haven’t been able to see him inside a squared circle since then.
A torn ACL is expected to sideline the man formerly known as “Psycho Killer” until at least March 2018, but once he returns — and inevitably feuds with Gargano — it won’t be long until he receives a call-up to the main roster.
After all, the NXT Tag Team title match between #DIY and The Revival at TakeOver: San Antonio was named the best match of 2016 by WWE’s official website, so it's safe to say he's already turned a few heads in his short time with the company.
#2 Andrade "Cien" Almas
There seemed to be a disconnect between Andrade “Cien” Almas and the NXT fans when he debuted. His matches have always been of high quality but his character was lacking believability as a face. It reached a point where he was performing moves to get a positive reaction from the crowd, only to receive boos instead.
However, since turning heel and having Zelina Vaga (Austin Aries' fiancé Thea Trinidad) as his manager, Almas has shown exactly why there were rumours earlier in 2017 that Vince McMahon wants him on the main roster.
It’ll be interesting to see the outcome of his NXT title match against Drew McIntyre at TakeOver: WarGames. If he loses, don’t be surprised to see the third-generation Superstar appearing on Raw or SmackDown Live in the next few months.
He could be added to RAW as SmackDown already has a power couple in Maria and Mike, irrespective of their absence
#3 Billie Kay & Peyton Royce
Iconic? Annoying? Endearing? Irritating? However you want to describe Billie Kay and Peyton Royce, there’s no denying that the two Aussies have the most developed characters in NXT right now and are ready for a spot on the main roster when called upon.
WWE is always in need of female Superstars for Raw and SmackDown Live, even more so in the last year since the 2016 brand split, while NXT currently has more women performers than they need following the influx of talent that featured at the Mae Young Classic.
“The Iconic Duo” have never been the biggest female stars during their time on NXT, but neither were Alexa Bliss or Carmella and look at what they’ve been able to achieve on the main roster.
#4 Hideo Itami
Back in 2014, WWE published an article on its official website featuring a group of future stars who they dubbed “The NXT Five”. Those five consisted of Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Neville, Finn Balor and, you guessed it, Hideo Itami.
While the other four have had varied success on the main roster, Hideo’s only glimpse of the big time came when he made an appearance in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal on the WrestleMania 31 kickoff show in 2015.
Since then, the man formerly known as “KENTA” has been blighted by injuries and, as a result, his popularity has suffered. His heel turn earlier in 2017 was perfectly timed and now, after losing his shot at the NXT Championship at TakeOver: Chicago, it’s finally time to send Itami to the main roster.
#5 Pete Dunne
Maybe, just maybe, we’re jumping the gun here. In fact, we definitely are. After all, Pete Dunne is just 23 years of age and he’s only had 12 matches as part of the NXT roster.
However, there’s something special about the man from Birmingham, England, as proven during the United Kingdom Championship Tournament, and you can’t blame fans for having high expectations following his Match of the Year contender with Tyler Bate at TakeOver: Chicago.
Where he’d fit in on the main roster, that’s a decision for the booking committee, but you cannot deny that “The Bruiserweight” is one of the most gifted and believable Superstars in all of WWE right now.
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