How would they debut if there was no NXT?

[The Scarred One]

One of the hottest storylines going on right now in not only WWE, but all of professional wrestling, is the Nexus invasion. It's something different as it involves these young up-and-comers who have banded together to take over the WWE.

But if there was no NXT, how would any of the 16 NXT rookies have been introduced to the WWE Universe?

Now personally, I enjoy NXT. It gives the young guys a chance to showcase their skills without being fed directly to the wolves on either RAW or SmackDown. Hell, if there had been NXT a couple of years ago, maybe guys like Colt Cabana and Chris Harris might have had better success during their time in WWE.

But at the same time, it's better for the WWE to not introduce all the guys at once post-NXT. The concept is to introduce the next breakout star, much like American Idol crowns only one winner at the end of each season. The one or two guys that stand out can be introduced as free agents getting signed to either brand, while the others that failed to impress can either be sent back to developmental or be released.

But back to the topic at hand: In Wade Barrett's case, maybe he could've been introduced along with Drew McIntyre as the WWE's version of the British Invasion with William Regal as their manager/occasional partner. They could then split apart through the WWE Draft.

For Justin Gabriel, maybe he could've be introduced as sort of a fallen angel/dark angel gimmick with someone to act as a mouthpiece for him. For David Otunga, they could probably play on his reality show past much like they did with the Miz. For Michael McGillicutty, perhaps he could've been brought in, under his real name or variation thereof, as the fourth member of Legacy.

But if there was no NXT, how would the rookies from both seasons have been introduced onto RAW or SmackDown? Which of them would stick around, which would be sent back to development for further polishing and which would be heading to the unemployment line?

 

[Dum Dum Dudley]

I totally agree about Colt Cabana and Chris Harris not living up to the potential they had, but obviously pre-NXT, guys were given a gimmick, thrown on TV and then the gimmick was tweaked in order to work. The Ringmaster became Stone Cold Steve Austin, Flex Kavana became The Rock, 'The Blueblood' Hunter Hurst Helmsley became 'The Game' HHH, etc. I would argue that even today, if the gimmick is solid or near-enough solid so that it can be tweaked, you can have success through vignettes and a 'normal' tv debut i.e. Kofi Kingston.
I think some of the NXT season 1 gimmicks that were used were solid enough to work for those who had them if they had debuted traditionally. I could see Skip Sheffield as a big, friendly Southern-American giant but you also have the option to turn him heel and have him play the role he plays today. 'The One-Man Rock Band' Heath Slater was another gimmick that would have had some success because it was something a little different. NXT kind of creates gimmicks for the superstars immediatley and the majority of them work such as Percy Watson and Alex Riley. The only one i have a slight problem with is Kaval because it isn't THAT noticable as to what is his gimmick. If Kaval was to debut on SD! on Friday, i would have vignettes air that put him over as a cocky heel who declares that he is a wrestler, not a superstar and have him declare he is the best technical wrestler there is. Perhaps pinch a few aspects from Miz and Jericho but overall, the majority of the NXT gimmicks write themselves.

 

[CanadianCrippler12]

Everything Dudley says made perfect sense, I mean we didn't have NXT 14 years ago when Rock Stone Cold and Triple H came in to the WWE, they had their old gimmicks and their ideas and that's what's mising now. If you look at Heath Slater, they could've gave him a total rocker gimmick with a jacket and guitar as a weapon, and aAlex Riley since he's the "Varisy Villian' they could've said he came to the WWE with his high school sweetheart, some Diva from FCW like Jamie Keyes and they could be a couple on SD! so really it's possible for a lot of new up and comers to Debut well without NXT like Dos Caras, the writers just need a little bit of imagination

 

[Wade's Public Transit Bomb]

Chris Harris said in an interview last year that the WWE process destroyed his passion for wrestling. He was never sent to development and he pretty much just sat around waiting for something. I really think if you ain't really into what you are doing, of course you are going to do it half ass.

I am sick of people talking about "British invasion" thing when it comes to Wade. The guy is much more than that: He is a bare knuckle fighter who will kick ass for money. All of his imagery has some sort of symbolism to it. If you couldn't think of something, just have the guy do a slow build up of ripping through Raw's mid card or something. Don't just label him as "just another British guy".

I think the problem with NXT as a whole.. Only about half of the guys you could see being worth something. Wade was mos def a stand out last season as was Danielson.. But I think Wade's standing out was much more impressive because not a lot of people knew who he was.

 

[Remix]

From the Top:

Wade Barrett:

He could have debuted at pretty much any point in the last couple of years and been successful. He has the charisma and ring skills to pull off being called up in any situation. He could have cone up as an enforcer, a tag team partner for somebody or as a singles man and been successful.

David Otunga

He'd still be in FCW right now. On NXT he had the time to display his mic skills. If he'd been on one of the other shows, even ECW he wouldn't have gotten that time.

Justin Gabriel

He'd have gome up to ECW, had some good matches, cut some bad promos and been sent to one of the other two brands where it'd be sink or swim time. Given the high importance of mic skills it'd likely be the former though like Shelton Benjamin he'd have a cult IWC following.

Heath Slater

Well, he's a bit shit really. He, like Gabriel would have come up to ECW, fail to get over and then go back down to FCW like Tyler Reks and DJ Gabriel before him.

Darren Young

See: Heath Slater.

Skip Sheffield

Skip is a beg fella who can move around well and has a fair amount of charisma. I'd guess that without NXT he'd have debuted either as somebodies enforcwer (in which case he'd be his current SKIP SMASH PUNY OPPONENT persona) or as a gentle giant type guy (as his Yep, yep, yep, What it do? persona). Either way, he'd get over enough to survive and eventually get a decent push.

Michael Tarver

When let off the leash (as he has in Nexus) he's damn good. Like most of the guys he'd probably debut on ECW where he'd thrive, get over and piss off to one of the important shows where, barring major incident he'd be very successful.

Daniel Bryan

He'd debut on Raw, take issue with something (probably the Miz not being a wrestler) feud with whomever pissed him off, put on great matches and get over and in general do rather well for himself. So long as he didn't strangle anybody with their ties.

Michael McGillicutty

Depending on when he debuted, he'd either do very well or very badly. Before he got called up to NXT he mic skills were at Morrison levels of shitness. Now he's at least competant and good enough in the ring to do ok. he'd get the usual ECW debut and WWE would decide from there.

Kaval

See: Daniel Bryan, only on ECW.

Alex Riley

Probably on ECW, possibly with a valet. While he does need a little work on the mic (he lacks focus) he'd get over enough to be shipped off to a brand which matters

Percy Watson

Like the Majority he'd show up on ECW cut some promos, get over and get shipped else where.

Lucky Cannon

On ECW with even odds of getting over or failing hard. If not Back to FCW and/or unemployment if he does, or to Raw or Smackdown.

Husky Harris

On ECW with his brother. They'd probably follow the same course as the dudebusters. i.e. get nowhere.

Eli Cottonwood

As a monster heel somewhere. He'd succeed in that he'd have a long term spot on the roster but he'd never be a huge star.

Titus O'Neill

Green as grass. Arrive on ECW one day, stay for a couple of weeks, go back to FCW and probably get fired.

 

[Code_Master]

Well i am going to do like Unsex just did

From The Top:

Wade Barret(starting point: RAW)
-He should be not promoted by vignette but by william regal raving on that the biggest and badest englishmen ever will be arriving soon
-So upon his arrival he would dominate by destroying jobbers left and right until he gets some bigger push

David Otunga(starting point:SD)
-he could easily get some heat by playing the A-lister mega star with some vignettes like claiming that when he arrives the show will finaly have some star power
-He could easily get over as a heel by beating some jobbers/lower mid card guys but i would see him challenging the mid-card title but he would not win he would fade and dissapear

Justin Gabriel(starting point: ECW)
-he would absolutely need a manager/mouth piece not because i dont think he can talk but he would fit well with the silent but deadly kind of gimmick and it would work face or heel but preferabely face
-i would see him as a major player for the highspots he brings that wow factor to my eyes

Heath Slater(starting point: ECW)
-the one man rock band i would see him like a christian if heel the guy who burst into a fit after a loss
-or as a face he could be a fan player hes got a lot of charisma but in the end he will be sent back to FCW

Darren Young (starting point: SD)
-now hes a funny one Darren young could so easily form the tag team with percy watson and even be super faces or sour party boys as heels
-they would go directly to SD because they need tag teams these days and they don't seem half bad

Skip Sheffield(starting Point:RAW)
-now this man i like he sould be majorly built as a major threat with all the anger and the wrath in the world he even has the power to back up his words and he can cut a nice promo
-i would have him have some kind of an undefeated streak and after the streak have him go win the IC/US title fore credibilitie

Michael Tarver(starting point: ECW)
-i actually find tarver not that bad hes credible he could comme in with sick boxer/MMA promos and then arrive dominate and because hes not huge losing won't be a huge WTF

Daniel Bryan(starting point: SD)
-yeah on SD because i don't think he would fare well on RAW with all the huge guys that are there he would not look credible
-but he would come in with the gimmick more expereince that you think or something like that win or lose he would give a show then after some time either a title or a major feud with an established star

Michael Mcgillicutty(starting point:RAW)
-all i can say is that he would have joined Legacy that would have made the group that more intimadating and would have made it easy for him to gain credibility quickly

Kaval(starting point: SD)
-Just make him feud with Daniel Bryan = pure wrestling GOLD

Alex Riley(starting point: ECW)
-the pure athletic jock his gimmick in NXT would work perfectly on ECW and he would be groomed and prepared for the ECW belt before going to RAW or SD

Percy Watson(starting point: SD)
-See Darren Young

Lucky Canon
-Stay on FCW way too generic for anything in my mind

Husky Harris(starting point: ECW)
-a tank with a ferrari engine that is what i agree the most about this he really is great even if he is not carved in granitte he still has the power game with a lot of speed
-start on ecw dominate a while then go on to one of the major show and test your single luck

Eli Cottonwood(starting point: ANYWHERE)
-his sheer size makes him perfect to be some kind of and enforcer bodyguard for a young and up and coming young gun (JoMo, MIZ, Ryder etc...)

Titus O'Neil(Starting point: Beside Ted.Jr)
-he would be perfect as Teds news bodyguard a bigger and more powerfull version of virgirl even when he was in his prime and titus would not even need to speek

 

[Vanderhook]

Wade Barrett:
I like the idea that he'd come to Raw as William Regals new protege. Would work two-fold as we'd get to see Barrett show his stuff and would make Regal relevant again. Perhaps eventually have him turn on Regal and play up his whole "mercenary" gimmick. The guy has it all, he would have done well if NXT wasn't around.

David Otunga
They'd tease him with a lot of vignettes and debut on Smackdown playing up his reality star gimmick. He'd be pushed hard and show competent mic work and potential, but ultimately bumped down to FCW to increase his in-ring skills. If he does well, he might return, but likely wouldn't get the big push he had at first.

Justin Gabriel
Probably would have had him start in at ECW as a generic face and give him a decent winning streak to hype the 450 splash. He'd ultimately go nowhere due to his lack of mic skills.

Heath Slater
He'd be a jobber. Nothing special. Might rise through the ranks and make a name for himself if he showed decent improvement.

Darren Young
Him and Percy Watson would debut as a face tag team on Smackdown. They'd essentially be the face version of Dudebusters -- underused and relegated to mostly Superstars matches.

Skip Sheffield
He's got potential as a great monster heel. I think he'd be on ECW and have an Ezekial Jackson type role. He might also have been a more comedic role and hang out with guest hosts on Raw. I think the former idea would be much better though, because having a big scary and intimidating guy like that as a comedic role could be wasteful.

Michael Tarver
I liked his enigmatic gimmick on NXT and think it could work well in Smackdown or ECW. He could show off a really violent side and be really unpredictable. Basically he'd be a better Mike Knox.

Daniel Bryan
Straight to Raw, where he would basically be doing stuff similar to what he is doing now. Would still have heat with Miz and Cole and go on to have an excellent feud with the Miz that makes both guys look great.

Michael McGillicutty
Legacy written all over him. After Legacy would split he'd probably be a lot like Cody Rhodes where he is in limbo for awhile, given a new gimmick and then we see him sink or swim. He also would have his real name.

Kaval
Straight to Smackdown where he is built up as a more badass Rey Mysterio. A small guy that isn't afraid to pick fights with the big fish. Maybe give him an undefeated streak. Would probably get very over with the crowd and he'd quickly make his way to the upper mid-card.

Alex Riley
I see a situation that's very close to what Jack Swagger did. Probably be even more successful than Swagger. Start on ECW, quickly get the title there, then move to SD or Raw where he hangs out in the upper midcard and then jump to main event.

Percy Watson
See: Darren Young

Lucky Cannon
See: Heath Slater

Husky Harris
He'd have a decent run on ECW and then eventually on Raw where he'll hang around the lower midcard and won't really go anywhere, save Superstars matches. Would be a shame though, because he's unique and interesting. This is a guy that I think benefits greatly from NXT.

Eli Cottonwood
Essentially he'd be like Great Khali, only worse. Strong push early due to his size, doesn't get over and sticks around for a long time and relegated to Superstars matches.

Titus O'Neill
He'd never even make it out of FCW in my opinion. Though I like the guy above me who said he'd make a good "new virgil".

 

[Tequila Dave]

Wade Barrett:
Barrett has all the skills that a a WWE Superstar needs to make it big. I could see him debuting on Smackdown with the 'chosen one' gimmick instead of Drew McIntyre, and following his path of being Vince's favourite and winning the IC Championship. However, with his charisma i believe he'd be a lot more over and succsesful that McIntyre is playing that roll.

David Otunga:
I could imagine Otunga getting a reasonable amount of attention due to his relationship with Hudson. I could see him debuting on ECW with a talk show to show off his mic skills. I think WWE would try to exploit his celebrity connections and have him feud at the top of ECW, before moving to Raw where he'd end up falling flat most likely.

Justin Gabriel:
I could imagine him following a similar path as Evan Bourne due to his size and style. He'd probably turn a few heads in ECW, not quite win the big one, then move to Raw/Smackdown where he'd fade into obscurity.

Heath Slater:
I can't imagine much coming out of Slater, maybe he could debut as Christian's biggest fan or protoge on ECW, but after a while turn on him and quietly disappear. Maybe like a Colin Delaney - Tommy Dreamer deal.

Darren Young:
I can't really imagine this guy making it onto WWE TV. Maybe on ECW, get a couple meaningless wins, then disappear. I could also see him and Percy Watson being brought up together as the South Beach Party Boys, that would soon become like the Dudebusters.

Skip Sheffield:
I feel like Sheffield would follow the path of the usual WWE monster. He'd come, look dominant and strong, then fade into nothingess. Happened so many times before. He could possible start as an enforcer, but in the end he's end up jobbing or doing comedy segments.

Michael Tarver:
I love this guy's look, and I think he could be one of the strongest to come through ECW (where i imagine he'd start.) However, once moving him to a new show, i can't imagine WWE using him very well.

Daniel Bryan:
Could see him debuting on Raw and causing quite a stir, someone would probably take issue with him being 'minor league' and a feud would ensue. He could possible debut with Kaval as an indie-themed tag team, but i think it would be better to showcase him has a singles competitor. After that, i really don't know...the possibilities are endless for Bryan, but i couldn't imagine him becoming a true main eventer. Not in the WWE anyway...

Michael McGillicutty:
I really like McGillicutty. I could possibly see him debuting with his father's gimmick, or by taking issue with Dolph Ziggler for using his father's gimmick. Either way, i can see him having some mild sucsess, winning the IC Championship but falling short of the main event.

Kaval:
I could see Kaval following a similar path as i imagine Justin Gabriel would. Turning heads on ECW, fading into obscurity on one of the main shows. Possibly teaming up with Bryan as I said before, but unlikely.

Alex Riley:
I could imagine him coming in with a strong push, possibley taking Ziggler's place as Vickie Guerrero's toyboy and winning some midcard goal. Or teaming up with someone for tag team gold.

Percy Watson:
Like David Otunga, i could imagine Watson having a talk show on ECW at some point, but not focusing much on wrestling. he could also debut with Darren Young as a tag team that would eventually follow the path of the Dudebusters.

Lucky Cannon:
Debuting on ECW with an over-the-top friendly face gimmick that would soon fall flat and see him go back to FCW or get fired.

Husky Harris:
I could see Ted DiBiase Sr. and IRS introducing Harris to Ted DiBiase Jr. who Harris would act as a partner/bodyguard for due to their father's relationship

Eli Cottonwood:
I can't really imagining him debuting at all, or not going far if/when he did. I really don't know how he'd start, but he'd end as nothing.

Titus O'Neill:
Arrive on ECW. Do shit all. Leave.