#4 Aleister Black
If NXT does another set of ‘Year-End Awards’ in 2017, Aleister Black vs. Velveteen Dream will surely be up there as a Rivalry of the Year contender.
The bizarre storyline between the two was built around one thing: Dream simply wanting to hear Black say his name. It culminated in a brilliant match at TakeOver: War Games, where Black won before finally uttering his opponent’s name out loud.
Aside from his rivalry with Dream, the man formerly known as Tommy End has made quite the name for himself since debuting in NXT in November 2016, and he even had a match on WWE television, albeit only on Main Event, against Curt Hawkins in April 2017.
It’s a matter of when, not if, the Netherlands-born Superstar makes his way to the main roster. He’s only just getting started in NXT from a storyline perspective – he’s yet to challenge for the NXT Championship, for instance – but it wouldn’t surprise anyone if he’s fast-tracked to Raw or SmackDown Live.