Top 10 NXT call-ups who failed on the main roster
NXT is a wonderful place where wrestlers can learn to create a character that the audience can get behind. It is a breeding ground for new potential superstars; people who will rise to the top when folks like John Cena eventually call it a career.
Unfortunately, success in NXT does not guarantee success in WWE.
See, the Full Sail crowd is a lot "smarkier" than most WWE crowds are. While WWE bounces around the country and sees varying levels of liveliness city by city, the Full Sail crowd always brings their A-game. They also get behind the wrestlers more easily, as they get to see them more than any of us do. While I do admit that they are often obnoxious and try to "become the show" (if you will), they are instrumental in getting new talents over.
So, in this list, I'm going to take a look at 10 superstars that didn't quite get the same treatment in WWE as they did in NXT. This can be for a variety of reasons, whether it's a lack of a connection to casual fans, poor booking, or factors beyond anyone else's control. But for whatever reason, these 10 superstars didn't bring that same magic to the main roster.
Before I begin, I do have a couple disclaimers - the first is that these views are my own and that you are free to disagree with me or to offer alternatives in the comments section. The second is that a wrestler's appearance on this list does not mean that I think that I dislike them or think they're bad. They are here because I believe that they were mishandled on the main roster, and for no other reason.
Anyway, before I bore you to death, let's get on with the list!
#10 Tye Dillinger
How many "10" jokes can we make? All of them. Anyway, I digress -
When Tye Dillinger adopted his "Perfect 10" gimmick near the tail-end of his NXT run, it was pretty apparent that he was the most over guy on the roster. Fans vociferously chanted "10" at any opportunity they could, replacing every number with "10" when Tye would deliver a corner-punch spot or whenever anyone was being counted out. It was pretty cool to see, considering Tye had been toiling in developmental for the better part of a decade and had finally found a way to get the fans to care about him.
He finally debuted in the 2017 Royal Rumble at #10 (heh), only to be kept off television for four months before returning to the main roster as a jobber to the stars. He'd beat guys like Curt Hawkins or Aiden English but then lose to guys like Baron Corbin, Jinder Mahal, etc. After losing to A.J. Styles in a matter of seconds and losing in a Triple Threat for the US Title at Hell in a Cell, Dillinger disappeared once more. He has been used sparingly ever since.
It's evident that WWE officials don't see much in Tye Dillinger. While I never really saw him as a main-event talent, he definitely could've been a serviceable mid-card champion. Unfortunately, over-ness (is that a word? No.) with the crowd doesn't matter to WWE officials. Just ask Zack Ryder.