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WWE Survivor Series is known for debuting legendary wrestlers. NXT's Keith Lee might already be a staple on the Yellow Brand, but this past Sunday night, he really put himself on the map - possibly for good. The men's 15-Man Elimination Tag Team match between WWE's three brands came down to Lee and Roman Reigns (another Superstar who made a name for himself at a past Survivor Series). Keith Lee came close to winning the whole thing.
So, what's next for 'The Limitless One?' As NXT head honcho and water spraying enthusiast Triple H put it, Lee's stock is "through the roof"
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So, let's take a look at five different ways WWE might have us bask in his glory.
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Get it? Because that's his catch phrase and... whatever. Shut up. Let's get started.
#5 Feud for the NXT Championship
With Adam Cole having defeated Pete Dunne at Survivor Series, a new challenger for his NXT Championship is going to have to be decided on. And that man is going to be...
Tomasso Ciampa. Duh.
Ciampa is clearly the top face in the company right now - especially with Johnny Gargano out with an injury. On top of that, 'The Sicillian Psycopath' is due for a match to reclaim the title he never lost in the first place.
But, this is wrestling, so hold your horses a second. Lee also has a lot of momentum coming out of that great showing at Survivor Series, and it's possible that WWE might want to capitalize on that and fast track him into an NXT Championship program. How that would actually manifest itself is, of course, an issue on its own, but it's certainly not outside the realm of possibility.
#4 Feud for the NXT North American Championship
NXT's version of the Intercontinental Championship, the North American Championship, might be just the stepping stone Keith Lee needs right now.
The current champion, Roderick Strong, also had himself an impressive PPV when he defeated IC champ Shinsuke Nakamura and United States Champion AJ Styles. That's some good momentum to have going into NXT's weekly show this Wednesday, and he should have a challenger with an equal amount of energy behind him, as well. Not only does Strong need to brag on TV about his victory, but Lee needs a crowd-popping moment following Sunday's event, as well.
Lee vs Strong would be an amazing mid-card treat for TakeOver: Portland in February, especially if we get more of NXT's efficient story-building. Imagine Lee getting a number of chances at Strong's title, only to have The Undisputed Era interfere time and again. Then, come February, we finally get their final match - maybe even NXT's first-ever Hell in a Cell?
Whatever the payoff match turns out to be, a victorious Keith Lee standing with the North American Championship title raised above his head would not only make for a great visual, but would also be the first sign of many good things to come for 'The Limitless One.'
#3 Form a faction of babyfaces to take on Undisputed ERA
As they say, there's strength in numbers - and if there's one thing Keith Lee knows, it's strength.
Now, this point isn't mutually exclusive from the previous two entries on this list. Quite the contrary. We could very well see a team of faces - say Lee, Tommaso Ciampa, Matt Riddle, a returning Johnny Gargano, etc. - banding together to counter-act the ERA's constant interference in their title matches (or just matches in general).
Historically, factions have worked better as heels, but babyface groups aren't unheard of. Degeneration-X spent quite a bit of time as faces while feuding with the Nation of Domination, the nWo Wolfpac was incredibly popular in the WCW days, and the The Union... well, OK... the less said about them, the better. But, they were still a thing, so it counts!
In fact, back in the early 1990s, Sting and his pals formed a loose collective of faces called the "Dudes With Attitudes". It wasn't an official group, just the name given to other good guy wrestlers sick to death of being on the receiving end of attacks by the Four Horsemen. Lee's War Games team would be a good start to a group like this.
#2 A move to RAW or SmackDown
Now, normally, this would be considered a "call up" to the "main roster", but after NXT's dominance at Survivor Series on Sunday, that feels less the case. Call it a "lateral move", if you will. Or call it a "call up." I don't care. I can't hear what you're saying, anyway.
But, while NXT has certainly moved up the chart in regards to fan perception, the fact of the matter is that both RAW and SmackDown - for the time being - simply draw more viewers than NXT does. Can that change in the future? Sure - maybe even the very near future. But, it won't happen overnight (if it happens overnight, I am going to feel so stupid).
Meanwhile, Vince McMahon and his company might want to strike when the iron is hot. In fact, word has it that McMahon himself is very high on Lee - more on that in a minute - and we could see this very thing happening in the next few months.
However, a move to either the Red or Blue brand could simply be the icing on the cake. In fact, things really could be limitless for Keith Lee.
#1 A major RAW or SmackDown title win - right away
A great way to make a brand new star is to have them win a major title as soon as they debut - or, at least, very shortly after. It happened with Paige and Carlito and, well... these folks.
Word has it that not only would Vince McMahon like to have Lee on either RAW or SmackDown, but that he feels he would make a good opponent for current WWE Champion Brock Lesnar.
Imagine Keith Lee doing what Roman Reigns, Samoa Joe, and Braun Strowman were unable to do on their first try (or at all) - defeat Brock Lesnar for his World Championship. Now that's some glory to bask in.
Of course, there's also the Intercontinental and United States Championships to consider, in case you didn't want to push Lee too hard, too quickly. But, if WWE has plans on moving him to one of the more (at the moment) visible brands, having him win a title right away is a brilliant way to establish him as a dominant force in said brand.
And, look at the guy. How do you not make him a dominant force wherever he goes?
But, what do you guys think? How you do imagine WWE using Keith Lee going forward? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
And, while you're at it, head over to our WWE page and rate last night's Survivor Series matches!
