NXT's Greatest Export

[S.J. Maximus]

About a month ago I got a whole bunch of responses when I asked who you guys felt was the Most Disappointing Call-Up in the history of NXT. You can view that thread here http://forums.wrestlezone.com/showthread.php?p=5568793#post5568793


This time around I hope to get the same type of responses as I ask the exact opposite question: Who has been the most satisfying call up in the history of NXT? Make it more about just accolades; make your decisions based on impact, ability, talent, connection with the crowd and anything else you can think of!

The poll permits only one choice but you know I love lists and lengthy explanations of your opinions so the more the merrier; just make sure you back it up.

For my top 3:

3. Kevin Owens - There are so many successful choices to choose from for this list but would it really be complete without the Prizefighter? The thing that draws me to KO is his flawless execution of his character. Apart from Brock Lesnar, he is literally the only person in the WWE who doesn't come off as "playing a part". Despite the nature of the scripted promo every line he delivers comes off as completely legitimate and off the cuff. While some use ring time to blatantly call spots and others rely on classic cliches to tell a story, KO has an incredibly mastery of ring psychology that prevents the audience from ever suspending disbelief. His run in NXT was brilliantly done and I think he had one of the better call-up moments ever. The only problem I've had with him has been his booking, he started off hot beating Cena and then floundered in random programs before reaching the top of the mountain. The sky is the limit for KO and I wouldn't be surprised if he tops this list when it's all said and done.

2. Charlotte - There are 4 Horsewomen, they are all extremely talented, and they are all responsible for the "Women's Revolution" but it is clear that WWE feels there can only be one face of the Revolution. In 10 years when we look back at the shift from the Kelly Kelly era to the Horsewomen we will not remember Submission Sorority (who quickly became Team PCB), we will not remember the spiteful reign they gave Nikki Bella to disrespect AJ, we will remember all of the classic matches Women's Title matches battled on ppv and Monday Night Raw. So far, Charlotte has performed in 100% of those classic matches and has completely raised her game. She has shed the stigma of "Ric Flair's Kid" and has become her own self, the Ruler from the Queen City. She is the best promo in her division and her division is arguably the best in the company. As much as I'd love to put Sasha (and Bayley and Becky) onto this list there is only one woman who is 12-0 in ppv title matches and her name is Charlotte. The first time I ever watched NXT it was solely to watch her (with Ric in her corner) battle Nattie (with Bret in her corner) for the championship, so she will always have a special place in my heart when I think about NXT.

1. Seth Rollins - It can be argued that (other than Finn Balor) Seth Rollins is the only man to successfully transition directly from NXT main event to WWE main event. I've always treated the Shield as one entity and didn't really look into them as individuals until Evolution told them to either adapt or perish. It was Rollins who really shone bright for me in those matches and then as fate would have it he would be the one to turn on his brothers and join the Authority. That set in motion one of the better WWE World Title runs of the 21st century as Rollins became the man and the true workhorse for WWE Television. 'Dangerous' or not, I think we can all agree his matches are among the most entertaining in all of wrestling and he is definitely no slouch on the mic. He has had the honor of being the only WWE New Era wrestler to main event a ppv with Sting and has also put on title matches with other WWE Legends such as Brock, Cena, and Randy Orton. The only call-up with a better resume is Roman, but I don't think anyone has a better work ethic or overall body of work than the Jesus of Crossfit.

Honorable mention: Roman Reigns (by far the best resume of a call-up), Dean Ambrose (The WWE Universe loves the Asylum), Sasha Banks (It takes 2 to make a legendary rivalry), Rusev (he has been a midcard staple since his debut), Big E Langston (things got scary in late 2013 but they look great now), Xavier Woods (the kayfabe creator of the most over tag team in WWE deserves mention), Paige (extremely memorable debut and first year), Finn Balor (he is still undefeated)

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I went with Kevin Owens, but I can easily understand anyone picking Owens, Charlotte or Rollins as the top "export" from NXT.

One reason why I chose Owens is that he's such a departure from the mold of what's more "typical" in WWE in that Owens is mostly a regular looking guy, on the chubby side, who doesn't live in the gym. Owens does keep in shape, he does workout only much of what he does is cardio. Just because you don't have a six pack doesn't mean that you're not healthy. There are and have been guys on the roster with Herculean physiques but who get gassed if a match goes to the 10 minute mark because they're so focused on looking like superheroes. WWE has been evolving the past number of years into a more well rounded company that has different types of guys.

Seth Rollins is a guy that will genuinely be one of the top guys in the company for the next decade. He simply has all the tools in the ring, on the mic, as a character, etc. Like Owens, he has a strong work ethic, he's willing to do the extra work and he busts his ass.

When it comes to Charlotte, the simple truth is that nobody has done more to make women's wrestling on WWE's main roster matter more than she has. Charlotte has really come into her own, especially since ditching her old man as her valet, and is one of the most consistently strong heels on the roster. She comes off as a smug, hypocritical bitch, yet it's hard to argue how good she is and that makes it easier for fans to "dislike" her all the more. It's bad enough to put up with someone if they're an asshole, but it's 10 times worse if that asshole is damn good at what he/she does. While she does take elements of her father's persona, thos elements aren't enough to overshadow her own talents.

 

[mral82]

So are you just talking bout the Full Sail University NXT or the NXT that was on SciFi/SyFy for a few years ya know the In between the end of ECW days to the Full Sail U days.
So if you go by that the greatest has to be even though his career ended it's gotta be Daniel Bryan was NXT's Greatest Export as he headlined and Main Evented WM.

 

[Dagger Dias]

The correct answer is Seth Rollins. When you look at successes on the main roster, genuine talent, and the moments they have provided.... Seth Rollins is at either at the top or near it in each category. Let's take a look at each option in the poll though.

Seth Rollins
Rollins my pick for NXT's greatest alumni. He has been successful on the main roster and needs to be one of the focuses going forward. All the potential in the world as either a face or a heel and already a former multi time World Champion. His Wrestlemania cash-in is still one of my favorite moments in recent memory.

Kevin Owens
Runner up for me is Kevin Owens. Much like Rollins, tons of potential to be a top star for the foreseeable future. He should remain the Universal Champion for a long time until someone has been built up enough to dethrone him, it would be what is best for both the Universal Championship and for Raw. He's hilarious yet still being a good heel in his promos, and his in-ring work speaks for itself. His stuff with Jericho has been gold lately.

Roman Reigns
No matter what WWE may want us to think, the greatest NXT alumni is clearly NOT Roman Reigns. His push has been very forced and it turned many fans away. I still like the guy, but Rollins, Ambrose, and Owens are all superior in every capacity.

Dean Ambrose
He's been doing excellent over on Smackdown. As much as I like the guy I cannot pick him over Rollins or Owens, however.

Charlotte
If we were only asking this question about the women then Charlotte is the correct answer. At the rate she's going, she should still be in the discussion, that is a success for not just Charlotte but the womens division as a whole.

Sasha Banks
She's been awesome and will continue to be. Unfortunately, I cannot pick her when Charlotte and a number of male NXT alumni have all been better so far.

Rusev
His US Championship run has been great. That is not enough to make him the greatest NXT alumni. Not by a long shot. He more than proved me wrong so far at least. I hated the guy 2 years ago.

Finn Balor
In the long-term he has tons of potential. He has not been around on the main roster long enough to be in this discussion. Yet. I hope he returns soon.

Paige
It's between Paige and Charlotte among the women in this discussion. Charlotte's recent success makes me have to pick her. Paige is the better in terms of genuine talent though.

Big E
Nope. He's been extremely funny and entertaining in the New Day but his successes are nowhere near some of the others in the poll.

Becky Lynch
I might be the biggest Becky Lynch mark on this forum, yet even I can admit she should not be on this poll. Not yet anyway. In the future, maybe. If we're talking genuine in-ring talent then she's certainly one of the best NXT alumni. Other than Paige, she IS the best of the women.

 

[@smarkmouth]

I went with Kevin Owens, but I can easily understand anyone picking Owens, Charlotte or Rollins as the top "export" from NXT.

That's how I feel about this thread, but I popped in to point out a glaring omission; Enzo & Big Cass. They remain trailing behind the three aforementioned, but are definitely more valuable than others on that list.

I only bring them up because I believe they have benefited the most out of being put in front of a larger, live crowd. Full Sail loved them, no doubt. But the second they hit RAW, they made themselves more valuable than they were at an exponential rate. Enzo's preamble is virtually tailored for crowds of thousands, not hundreds.

Once more, I just felt their names, as a unit, belong in this discussion. My own vote goes to Kevin Owens, but I can't argue that without being redundant to what's been discussed.

 

[The Samoan Heritage]

There's two people on that list that are above the rest.

Seth Rollins- Has been the face(/heel) of Raw for the last two years. Ambrose can say he's been the "work horse" of wwe, but it has been Rollins, imo. He can wrestle, he's one of the few guys good on the mic, and he constantly gets a reaction from the fans.

Charlotte- Has had the most success of anyone on this list. She has really impressed me.

Charlotte is 7-1 in pay-per-view matches in 2016, the most pay-per-view wins of any competitor in the WWE this year, male or female. She is 13-2 all-time in WWE pay-per-view matches, including a perfect 11-0 in singles matches. No WWE superstar in history has had a better record through their first 15 pay-per-view matches.

Now she's 12-0 in singles and 15-2 in ppvs. She's had a longer championship reign than Rollins and Roman, and like Balor, she's also the "first" of a new championship. I personally am not a huge fan of hers, but I can see why wwe has given her the ball. She's heads and shoulders above the rest of the women, and even some of the men.