5 Most successful members of Adam Rose's Rosebuds group
It is often said that the success of a pro-wrestling stable depends on how many new stars are created. The association is supposed to be a launching pad for future main eventers - so it all depends on how many of the stable members can remain relevant even after the dissolution of the group.
Triple H's Evolution stable is a classic example - hailed as the perfect stable, it gave breaks to both Randy Orton and Batista to step up and become future WWE champions, with both going on to headline WrestleMania. The same outcome didn't happen when Orton went on to form his Legacy stable with Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase. Both Rhodes and DiBiase were midcard at best and their push soon withered away once the stable was dissolved.
If creating future world champions is the clinching criteria, which is the greatest stable in pro-wrestling of the past decade? The Shield comes close, with all of their members going on to become future world champions. But in sheer case of numbers, they trail one of the least talked-about groups in wrestling history - Adam Rose's Rosebuds.
Let's be honest, the Rosebuds were just nameless characters who accompanied party man Adam Rose to the ring. Neither the group nor Adam Rose got over on the main roster - but it doesn't mean that members of his Rosebuds squad didn't achieve success later in WWE.
This list takes a look at the five most successful former Rosebuds in professional wrestling. Please note that the Superstars who failed to make the cut include Elias, Carmella, Kalisto, Zelina Vega, Nikki Cross, Deonna Purrazzo, Mia Yim, Scarlett Bordeaux, Mandy Leon, Leva Bates and QT Marshall.
5. Sami Callihan
Sami Callihan is an independent wrestling scene icon, having made a name for himself with brutal matches in Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) from 2008-13. He has also been part of ROH, Evolve and Dragon Gate USA. So it was no surprise when he signed a WWE NXT contract in 2013.
Dubbed as Solomon Crowe, Callihan's death-defying style never resonated with WWE. He was relegated to dark matches in NXT and his first scheduled television match was cut from the broadcast. Callihan suffered a broken tibia and eventually left the company in 2015 just after seven months of his televised debut.
In between all of that, Callihan also created history when he became the first Rosebud shown on TV. His blink and miss appearance was as the official DJ for Adam Rose and he was never seen in that role again. After his WWE release, Callihan has paved a path for himself in pro-wrestling, appearing in Lucha Underground, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, New Japan Pro Wrestling, and IMPACT Wrestling.
He has gone on to win more than 30 titles on the independent circuit, most famously becoming the IMPACT World Champion, engaging in a well talked about feud with Tessa Blanchard.