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WWE NXT will be moving to Wednesday nights in just a few short weeks, thereby laying the groundwork for a more competitive wrestling landscape as all the talk centers around WWE's budding rivalry with AEW.
And while WWE is not without its share of ups and downs, NXT has been a consistent source of quality pro wrestling programming since its relaunch under Triple H in 2014. With the benefit of pre-taped television, NXT has quickly developed a reputation for easy-to-digest storylines that lead to unforgettable in-ring showdowns.
The less-is-more format will undoubtedly be challenged with an additional hour of television in a live format—not to mention the competition on another network—but certain talents should be able to instantly assert themselves to a larger potential audience. .
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NXT is known for developing cult favorites that shine before an intimate crowd with specific tastes at Full Sail University.
And as the Yellow and Black brand prepares for an even bigger spotlight, a combination of established acts and stars on the rise could quiet whispers of the Wednesday night showcase jumping the shark end. Instead, NXT could embark on yet another positive evolution.
Whether it's entertainment value, promo ability, in-ring bonafides or a combination of all three, NXT will need to find the happy medium between what made it great while on the WWE Network, and just what could make a brand filled with unknown stars connect with a more mainstream viewing public.
WWE featuring main roster stars on NXT is all but a formality, but if stars established on other brands become the bread and butter of NXT, it will be no better than Raw or SmackDown Live, which could doom the tertiary flagship to the same fate as the ill-advised WWE ECW program that it originally replaced.
To succeed on its own merits over the long haul, Paul Levesque and Co. will need to look to certain talents who have already proven to be assets under the NXT umbrella.
#5 Velveteen Dream
Between all the copy-and-paste prototypes of highly athletic pseudo-acrobats with varying degrees of storytelling ability, very few individuals within the entire wrestling industry possess the amount of star power necessary to potentially transcend the genre to a mainstream audience.
Velveteen Dream is one of the exceptions.
As an androgynous tough guy with wildly entertaining mind games that make for re-watchable segments each week on NXT, Velveteen Dream oozes the very charisma and intangibles that separate perennial main eventers from good hands.
The fact that Velveteen Dream, arguably the promotion's most popular Superstar, is yet to capture the NXT Championship makes a potential chase a must to play out on NXT TV when it moves to USA.
Velveteen Dream is not a finished product in the ring, but at just 24 years old, he has all the time in the world to fulfill his promising potential as a wrestler.
Even when he does, wrestling will be just one of the many aspects of Velveteen Dream's persona that will make him a must-watch performer on Wednesday nights.
#4 Montez Ford
The Street Profits are hit-or-miss on RAW, where they can be a bit much. The duo has dazzled as a tag team in plum spots as the opening match of NXT TakeOvers, but Montez Ford's breakout potential as a WWE Superstar is palpable.
In addition to promo ability that showcases a unique style of delivery, Ford is one of the most athletic man in a WWE Performance Center that houses some of the best athletes in the world.
During the WWE PC Combine this past Spring, Ford topped both the men's broad jump and vertical jump in addition to landing in the Top 5 in ring agility. Ford's athletic stats would mean very little in this business if he had no personality, but his jump-off-the-page charisma only makes him a more exciting prospect with the coveted ability to entertain both in and out of the ring.
#3 Matt Riddle
Matt Riddle has such a knack for attracting attention to himself, he took a seemingly real-life feud with Goldberg and made himself the talk of WWE's watch-along channel.
In a rarity for the digital series, Riddle's entertaining account of bumping into Goldberg backstage at SummerSlam was made into its own video clip, amassing an impressive 257,000 YouTube views and counting.
Riddle's background as a mixed martial artist gives him an air of legitimacy similar to how Brock Lesnar's mystique is enhanced. Featuring Riddle could help NXT maintain the real sports feel that has made it such a hit for the WWE Network.
Riddle carries just about all of the physical qualities Vince McMahon and WWE officials value, but somehow manages to do so without coming off as a milquetoast everyman. If The Original Bro continues to perform admirably as a rising star in NXT, he'll be one of the brand's keys to success.
#2 Johnny Gargano
With one instant classic after another, it could be safely argued that Johnny Gargano is one of the best WWE performers over the last decade. As insane as that sounds, Gargano has developed a reputation for epic battles, and it's difficult to imagine NXT on USA Network without Gargano continuing to put on excellent performances.
Gargano has been one of the more tenured acts on NXT, and this will go a long way in helping him come off like a major star on national television as a beloved figure in Full Sail University.
Gargano had a brief stint on the main roster alongside Tommaso Ciampa, however circumstances outside of their control forced Gargano back to NXT when Ciampa required neck surgery.
The move back down to Full Sail was a blessing in disguise as it allowed Gargano to resume his heavily lauded feud with Adam Cole in his latest series of great matches.
#1 Shayna Baszler
Being a heel in front of a hardcore crowd with ironic tendencies is among the greatest challenges in pro wrestling, but Shayna Baszler pulls it off effortlessly.
Though up-and-down at NXT TakeOvers, where Baszler's matches are often slotted in the popcorn spot while the crowd takes a breather before the main event, the Queen Of Spades is one of the more complete characters on the entire roster.
As a dominant champion with a mixed martial arts background, Baszler's impressive run could find more success on a television platform, as opposed to a stacked lineup on TakeOver where fans can only be invested in so many matches.
In Baszler, NXT on USA would be gifted with a seemingly unbeatable champion whose run of dominance can coincide with a title defense on television against a worthy underdog. If Baszler is anywhere near as good in these matches as she typically is on TV, featuring her on the new-look NXT is a must.
