A WWE Hall of Famer, The Visionary - 3 WWE stars who have a protégé in NXT
One way aspiring wrestlers can get into WWE and other promotions is to attend a wrestling school. Many pro wrestlers like the Dudleys, Brian Myers, Seth Rollins, and Lance Storm have had their schools.
Instead of being signed right out of college to WWE's NIL program, a student can learn the craft at the school of a current or former superstar. For example, Emma and former star Tyler Breeze both trained at Lance Storm's academy.
AEW also notably has the Nightmare Factory, which was started by Cody Rhodes, Dustin Rhodes, and QT Marshall. Current AEW stars Red Velvet, Anthony Ogogo, and Julia Hart came through its doors.
It’s been 10 years since I trained with @LanceStorm at #SWA! Stopped by the school yesterday in Calgary to meet the students and have a catch up! So many awesome memories! Doing Lances class was one of the best things I ever did! https://t.co/psMXyF4wOV
The current NXT roster features a variety of independent wrestlers as well as second and third-generation stars. It also features some protégés of current WWE talent.
Here are three WWE performers with protégés in NXT.
#3 Roxanne Perez is a protégé of Booker T
.@BookerT5x celebrated with @roxanne_wwe after #WWENXT went off the air 🙌 https://t.co/y6adkU3OmA
Perez came from Booker T's Reality of Wrestling School in Texas. She began training when she was a teenager and won that promotion's women's championship three times.
Her progress was so great that she began using "The Prodigy" moniker. The quick ascent led her to hold the Ring of Honor and NXT Women's Titles at different points this year.
The new NXT Women's Champ made history by becoming the first Women's Breakout Tournament winner and the first Women's Iron Survivor in the brand's history.
Booker T is certainly a proud teacher since Perez won the Iron Survivor match and dethroned Mandy Rose for the NXT Women's Title within the last week.
#2 JD McDonagh has ties to Finn Balor
Before Balor joined WWE, he had a wrestling school in his home country of Ireland. One of his most famous students is the current megastar, Becky Lynch. The former NXT Champion also has a pupil in NXT in the form of JD McDonagh.
While he is yet to capture gold in his current run on the brand, The Irish Ace has challenged Bron Breakker a few times. He is also a former Cruiserweight Champion.
McDonagh has a similar style to Balor's, as both blend technical moves with high-flying feats. The Irish Ace might be slightly more ruthless in applying these technical moves and submissions. Could he join Balor in Judgment Day soon?
#1 Nathan Frazer is a protégé of WWE star Seth Rollins
A glimpse into the future. https://t.co/tHQWKDQe1J
Current NXT speedster Nathan Frazer trained at the academy of one of pro wrestling's top stars. In 2018, he started at Seth Rollins' Black and Brave Academy. After training, he quickly appeared in dark matches for AEW before signing with WWE.
Frazer primarily wrestled for NXT UK before moving to the US earlier this year. During his tenure as a member of WWE's third brand, he's vied for the North American Championship. He also had a Best-of-3 series of matches with Axiom.
It's easy to see Rollins' influence in Frazer's move set. He uses suicide dives, a Phoenix Splash, and several strikes similar to The Visionary. Frazer could join his mentor's side in the next two years, depending on how long Triple H keeps him in NXT.