5 NXT Superstars that were wasted on the main roster
When NXT was first conceived, the idea was to have a platform that up-and-coming WWE Superstars could use to hone their skills and prepare themselves for life on the main roster.
While many have been able to use NXT as a catalyst for a fulfilling career on RAW and/or Smackdown, there have been plenty of NXT Superstars who have been overlooked.
Today's NXT 2.0 brand is quite different from what it originally was. The early days were used for superstars who needed coaching and development. While some superstars still need that type of personal coaching and teaching, many of them are more than capable of handling a jump to the main roster.
Let's take a look at some of the former top superstars who should have been used better on the main roster. Here is our list of five NXT Superstars who were wasted on the WWE main roster.
#5 - Former NXT Champions The Ascension
The Ascension was originally formed as a stable in 2012. The faction consisted of Ricardo Rodriguez, Raquel Diaz, Tito Colon, and Kenneth Cameron. However, the stable quickly began falling apart and eventually disbanded. In mid-2013, Viktor and Konnor teamed up to create what would become the final version of The Ascension.
Konnor and Viktor completely dominated the tag team scene. They once held the NXT Tag Team Championships for an entire year before being called up to the main roster. Unfortunately, the party quickly came to an end once The Ascension became main roster superstars.
On the December 29, 2014 episode of RAW, The Ascension made their main roster debut, defeating The Miz and Damien Sandow.
Viktor and Konnor had all the makings of a great tag team, but for some reason WWE creative officials did not feel the same way. The Ascension never really got the opportunities they worked so hard for in NXT and they were eventually released in December 2019.
#4 - The Vaudevillains could have provided a lot of class to the main roster
Simon Gotch and Aiden English came together in the summer of 2014 to form the tag team known as The Vaudevillains.
Their style was an old-school, carnival-esque type of wrestling. Gotch and English had a very entertaining persona. From their retro entrance to the way they worked in the ring, The Vaudevillains embraced the vintage vibe and made it look cool.
Despite being heels, The Vaudevillains had a select group of fans who supported them regardless of their roster status. They enjoyed a very successful NXT run, even capturing the tag team titles at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn after defeating Blake and Murphy.
With that said, The Vaudevillains were the type of tag team that didn't necessarily need championship titles to prove their worth. They were unique and entertaining enough without any gold.
The last sighting of The Vaudevillains together was at WrestleMania 33. The duo competed in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal during the pre-show. Just a few days later, Simon Gotch was released. Aiden English would stay a little longer, working various insignificant on-screen roles before being released in 2020.
#3 - The Authors of Pain never got a chance to display their strength on the main roster
Akam and Rezar formed The Authors of Pain and debuted at NXT Takeover: The End, attacking American Alpha and serving notice to the entire fanbase that they were not your average tag team.
Akam and Rezar had a massive in-ring presence. They brought back memories of monstrous tag teams like Demolition and The Legion of Doom. They were a nice change of scenery in a division that needed something fresh and new.
During their NXT run, The Authors of Pain appeared to be on their way to the top of the WWE tag team world. Unfortunately, the grass was not greener on the other side. Once Akam and Rezar made it to the main roster, things quickly fell apart.
For whatever reason, WWE creative officials took Paul Ellering out of the picture and replaced the legendary manager with Drake Maverick. From there, The Authors of Pain never received the push they rightfully deserved and the duo were released in September 2020.
#2 - Tyler Breeze was not used very well after a successful NXT run
Tyler Breeze signed with WWE in late 2010 and was assigned to FCW. He originally worked under his real name, Matt Clement, and was mostly used as an enhancement talent. However, soon after the NXT reboot, Matt was repackaged and given the Tyler Breeze persona.
Breeze was a self-absorbed, flamboyant pretty boy who came to the ring with a selfie stick in-hand. This would prove to be the moniker that worked and gave him the attention he needed.
Breeze got a lot of creative love during his singles run. There was a brief period where he was a top contender for the championship. Despite not winning the title, Tyler was still recognized as one of the yellow brand's top stars. Unfortunately, this trend did not carry over to the main roster.
In October 2015, Breeze was promoted to the main roster. He bounced around from there, but never got a chance to shine as a singles superstar. His best moments came during his tag team run with Fandango while the duo wrestled as Breezango.
Sadly, Breeze was released in June 2021 along with his partner Fandango. Since leaving the company, Tyler has been focusing primarily on his wrestling school, Flatbacks Wrestling, which is located just outside Orlando, Florida. He co-owns the school along with fellow WWE alumni and current AEW star Shawn Spears.
#1 - Bo Dallas never got the chance to make BO-LIEVERS out of the WWE Universe
Bo Dallas is a third-generation wrestler from the legendary Windham/Rotunda family. WWE Hall of Famer Blackjack Mulligan was the patriarch of the family.
Some of the descendants from this family include Barry Windham and Mike Rotunda, who is Bo's father. Needless to say, Bo Dallas grew up with professional wrestling in his blood and in his future.
In 2008, Bo signed with WWE and was assigned to FCW, which was a developmental brand at the time. Bo initially worked under his real name, which is Taylor Rotunda. It wasn't until the birth of NXT that he would begin working as Bo Dallas. Bo would instantly be one of the top superstars on the yellow brand and he carried the title for nearly a year.
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Bo-Lieve Vignettes began airing on RAW in April 2014. Roughly a month later, Bo Dallas made his main roster debut on an episode of Smackdown, defeating Sin Cara.
It didn't take long at all for WWE to drop the creative ball on Bo Dallas. After several insignificant feuds with the likes of Jack Swagger, Mark Henry and a couple of others, Bo's main roster run eventually led to several low-card tag teams, such as The B-Team and The Social Outcasts.
Bo was released by WWE on April 15, 2021, ending a 13-year run with the company. Since leaving the company, Bo has made a limited number of autograph signings and the occasional independent booking. However, he has remained rather quiet for the most part and hasn't been seen very often.