3 NXT prospects who didn't live up to the hype: GOAT's daughter, the next potential Beast
In WWE, NXT, and many other sports, hype can be a good or a bad thing. Too much hype can put high expectations on someone, while lower expectations can lead to a surprise breakout.
With the NXT brand and NIL program, prospects from many sports learn the craft in WWE's mold. They are taught wrestling moves, timing, pacing, taking a bump the right way, and cutting a promo.
Along with Gable Steveson, current NXT stars Tank Ledger and Oba Femi were a part of WWE's first NIL Class.
The WWE Performance Center is set up to mold the future stars of the company. Names like Raquel Rodriguez, Alexa Bliss, Bianca Belair, the Street Profits, and others are proven success stories. While many prospects have turned into main-roster superstars, some signees have had trouble living up to the hype.
Below are three NXT prospects who either didn't pick things up or haven't lived up to the hype.
#3. Parker Boudreaux had high expectations due to his look
When you are billed as "the next Brock Lesnar," living up to that moniker is nearly impossible. While Parker Boudreaux and Lesnar shared visible similarities, that was, unfortunately, where things ended.
Lesnar is an anomaly, a once-in-a-lifetime performer. He was an amateur wrestling standout who translated his skills to the wrestling ring and UFC cage. Boudreaux was a college football player at UCF with aspirations in pro wrestling.
While Brock Lesnar will go down as one of the best in history, Boudreaux had trouble picking things up during the NXT 2.0 era. He was released by the company on April 29, 2022, to the shock of many and has appeared for Major League Wrestling and AEW since his WWE departure but is yet to make a huge impact.
#2. Current NXT star Ava Raine is the daughter of The Rock
Another devastating loss by @JoeGacy and #TheDyad leads to a near breakdown backstage.
@avawwe_ #NXTGoldRush https://t.co/wrrjBuPHF7
Ava had a different hype to overcome - being the daughter of WWE Legend The Rock. The Great One is considered one of the best at giving promos, so Ava had big shoes to fill. She also became the first-ever fourth-generation star signed by WWE.
She was signed to NXT in February 2020 but didn't debut until October 2022. Part of the delay was due to an injury, but most prospects debut within a year of signing. She's seen little action in three matches, with only one singles bout on her resume. The other two bouts were multi-person matches.
Some prospects enter the Performance Center without any wrestling experience yet quickly pick things up. Ava has her family's lineage on her shoulders, and she's still trying to live up to that hype.
#1. Gable Steveson had a prominent amateur wrestling background
Gable Steveson was an amateur wrestling standout, even picking up accolades in the 2021 Pan American Games and the 2020 Summer Olympics. He wasn't the first college wrestling standout from the University of Minnesota to sign with WWE. Fellow Minnesota Golden Gopher Brock Lesnar is his hero.
Steveson signed with WWE in 2021 after a successful collegiate and Olympic career. He was drafted to the red brand as part of the 2021 WWE Draft but is yet to have a match. Steveson did appear at WrestleMania 38 in a segment with Chad Gable.
His most recent appearance came in NXT to offer his help to Eddy Thorpe. In a RAW Underground match, Thorpe will face Steveson's real-life brother, Damon Kemp.
It's been two years and a lot of hype, but Steveson is yet to live up to the high expectations around his signing. Reports from last fall suggested he wasn't progressing as fast as the company hoped. Perhaps his emergence on NXT will kickstart his WWE career.