Newly-released NXT star Malcolm Bivens deserves another shot at managing somewhere else

Former NXT manager Malcolm Bivens really seemed to be going somewhere. He had a solid stable with The Diamond Mine and had developed a promo style that showed a lot of promise.

But with NXT's continued transformation, the talented mic man now finds himself on the outside looking in.

Bivens was one of several stars released by WWE on April 29, 2022. He and Dakota Kai were two of the most prominent names sent packing by the company. This is apparently part of President Nick Khan's goal of cutting costs wherever possible.

While Bivens may still have some work to do before reaching the level of elite talent, he represented something that WWE is lacking: Someone to eventually replace Paul Heyman as the main roster's top heel manager.

'The Wise Man' won't be able to do this forever, and there should be someone waiting in the wings to fill that role down the line. Bivens could have been that guy, given more time and experience.

Now Malcolm Bivens has been ousted from the NXT roster and must decide what his next move is

Before his time in NXT, Bivens made a name for himself on the indie circuit as Stokely Hathaway, a slick-talking sometimes-wrestler who managed some of today's biggest stars.

He's acted as the manager for MJF and TJ Perkins and has feuded with the likes of Orange Cassidy and Malakai Black. So it would make sense for him to return to that persona and perhaps work with some of those same performers.

Bivens really shined during his time as Hathaway, and it seemed like some of that was taken away in NXT. Perhaps it was him being apprehensive, or it could be that he was held back by the powers that be. Whatever the reason, he never seemed to have the same magic under the WWE umbrella.

Bivens was reportedly asked to sign a new deal in February and chose not to. Perhaps he already saw where his career was headed with the company.

It seems plausible that Bivens/Hathaway will now sign with Tony Khan and perhaps return to the ROH brand, where he could re-capture his former glory and continue to get national exposure.

He has all the makings of being one of professional wrestling's next great managers. He just needs an opportunity to shine a little more and let all of his skills come together on a stable platform.

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Where do you think Malcolm Bivens/Stokely Hathaway will wind up next in the world of professional wrestling? Could he join AEW or return to Ring of Honor? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.