5 NXT Superstars who may never leave the brand

#1 Tommaso Ciampa

Tommaso Ciampa has said that he never wants to leave NXT.

The Superstars featured previously on this list may well prefer to stay in NXT, but nobody has ever gone quite as far as Tommaso Ciampa - who stated last year that he would rather quit WWE altogether than leave the brand.

Speaking on Lillian Garcia's "Chasing Glory" podcast, Ciampa bluntly addressed his feelings on the possibility of him leaving NXT for either RAW or SmackDown.

"If I have to go to RAW or SmackDown then I’m gonna retire. I would love to produce or coach or be a part of it, but there’s no way I’m taking on that load and going, ‘Yeah, I’ll just have a six-month run and then call it quits.’ I just won’t do that. It’s not worth it to me."

That may seem like an extreme course of action, but Ciampa clearly feels very strongly about remaining an NXT Superstar. In many ways, it is easy to see why.

The 35-year-old has a history of injuries, including a neck injury that forced him to relinquish the NXT Championship last March. The nature of the NXT schedule means that Ciampa can massively limit the number of matches he takes part in each year - a privilege that he likely would not be afforded on the main roster.

Ciampa, it should not be forgotten, already has experience of performing on WWE's flagship shows. He debuted, alongside Johnny Gargano, on the February 18, 2019, edition of RAW. The pair performed as a tag team following their debut but were largely presented as a midcard act. The run would be abruptly ended by Ciampa's above-mentioned neck injury, but it is understandable that he is not in any rush to trade a top spot in NXT for a midcard role elsewhere.

Ciampa has a good relationship with NXT boss Triple H and enjoys working for him. A departure from NXT seems very unlikely for the former champion.