The Future of the NXT Rookies

[Evil Vito]

<font color=goldenrod>This is something I've been thinking about the past few weeks...and I saw the question posed in another thread, but nobody answered.

Although NXT will have a winner, I find it interesting that their main prize is the guaranteed PPV title shot. Beyond that, they really just get labeled "WWE's next breakout star". They never clarified that the winner will be the only one to get a contract...probably because we will see many of the NXT guys on one of the other two shows even if they didn't win ala Tough Enough and even the Diva Search.

So the question...who do you see moving to the main roster after NXT ends?

Me personally, I feel they've done a great job of building a foundation for everyone except Michael Tarver. If they do something with him in the coming weeks, I could even see him getting on the main roster. If they do move all 8 guys to the main roster though, you can expect some overdue roster cuts involving guys currently there but not doing anything (Slam Master J, Jimmy Wang Yang, etc.)</font>

[Swiss Ultimate]

I'd like to see Shiima Xion get picked up for a developmental gig on NXT. He's just such a cool guy and I love his glam rock gimmick.

[AngryMidjit]

the smilin' ginger could tag briefly with christian, and evil cena could have a quick program with normal cena, and the cowboy guy i don't see going anywhere as he gets ZERO crowd reaction, but the rest could possibly be around for a while. i can see gabriel and/or bryan getting an IC or US title shot soon

[kareru]

otunga will defiantly get a contract, VKM creames his pants over a guy like him

danielson will very likely get a contract and possibly billed as the nxt winner

Gabriel may get a contract but will likley be jobbing for the next few years

wade barrett also may get a contract and be billed as the 'next big thing' but after a short championship run will get future endevoured

darren young will be the first to go he looks like a black john cena and fucking freaks me out, what is he?

[FourFifty]

10 bucks says it'll end like Tough Enough or the <strike>Diva Search</strike> Cunt Hunt. The people that don't win will make it bigger than the people that win the contest.

[FourFifty]

I like how three people resonded all at once.

[AngryMidjit]

but I was first!

[Triple Naitch]

The only guys I could see staying are Otunga, Bryan, Barrett, Slater, and Gabriel. Gabriel will probably be another Evan Bourne type and be stuck with nothing. Slater will probably get 2 or 3 notable storylines in his career. The other three may have a good future.

[Cuse8]

Thank you Vito! I was the one who said somethin but didnt hear much back

I'm stickin with the main-stays after NXT will be Bryan,Slater,Gabriel,Barrett and Otunga.

Darren Young scares me and isnt over at all with the crowd
Trarver has had the least amt of matches so far and thats not a good sign
and Scheffield is built like a truck but has an awful angle

[Swiss Ultimate]

I just like how Bryan Danielson has been able to help get rookies over. It makes me happy that the WWE is doing something right.

[Ermaximus]

Danielson will ultimately win and go on to beat Miz for the US Title and start their fued.

Barrett could easily become the next Jericho with the right exposure and time.

Otunga will do well in the WWE.

Young MUST have an angle against Cena before being future endeavored.

Gabriel will probably team with Hardy or Bourne and win the tag titles before being buried.

Slater: See Gabriel just swap for Christian.

Sheffield and Tarver are both pretty much SOL from this point on though.

[Evil Vito]

<font color=goldenrod>Here's why I think each man can stick around:

-Daniel Bryan: Obvious. He only even went to developmental because he felt he needed to get rid of ring rust. He's definitely got a future regardless of whether or not he wins NXT. He'll likely wind up on wherever the Miz is.

-David Otunga: They definitely seem to be high on him, and he's got a good gimmick that should translate well on either Raw or SmackDown. I would be really shocked if he didn't end up on a roster. He could fit on either show.

-Wade Barrett: Again, he has a good look...and he can definitely talk. I could definitely see Chris Jericho getting him signed to SmackDown, where Barrett will continued to be mentored by the best in the world at what he does.

-Justin Gabriel: They definitely are pushing him in the same manner than Evan Bourne was when he was on ECW. Unfortunately, much like Bourne I'm not sure how much success he'll see on the main rosters...my gut tells me he'd just be replacing a guy like Jimmy Wang Yang or Slam Master J (who would probably be let go to make room for all these new guys). I'd draft Bourne to SmackDown and have him and Gabriel team up.

-Heath Slater: I'm really not a fan of Heath Slater. His ring work isn't bad or anything, but he just is a weird looking dude trying to play a "cool" gimmick of the one man rock band. Still, his only defeat in singles or tag competition on NXT came against Kane...and he was the first rookie to beat a pro (Carlito), so that tells me they have plans for him in the future. Not sure what show I'd throw him on.

-Skip Sheffield: They showed hints on this past episode that he will stop trying to be a crowd favorite and unleash a mean streak. He even said, "the people aren't ready for Skip Sheffield". Him going heel is probably best for him...he's jacked as fuck and that alone could net him a roster spot. WWE usually does "monster newcomer" pushes on a yearly basis and Skip is no exception. Definitely seems like a Raw guy...maybe Regal will continue mentoring him as he mentored Ezekiel Jackson on ECW. Also, give him a new name.

-Darren Young: Young seems awkward as fuck right now, but I think we can all agree where the storyline will go. He'll probably be booted off of NXT early on, then re-emerge on SmackDown with a haircut. He fucked up by not listening to his mentor, and now he's ready to accept straight edge into his life.

That leaves just Michael Tarver...who, like I said, hasn't really done anything of note yet and is the only guy I can't picture on a main roster. That can be fixed pretty easily, though. He's got a good physique...let him play up to his "I can knock you out in 4 seconds" gimmick that he talks about but never delivers on in his promos. Maybe team him with Shad Gaspard or something.

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For what it's worth, I seem to remember before NXT started, the whispers were that everybody was going to "graduate" to Raw or SmackDown, so for that reason I can see everybody making it.</font>

[Jakob Synn]

I'm not really following NXT and I'm sad that I'm not. I mean one of the main reasons is that when it airs here in Vancouver, Canada it's on at midnight on a Saturday night and I don't see myself waiting to watch it.

[Mr. Nerfect]

I think everyone on NXT has a future of some sort. I feel the weakest performer there is Skip Sheffield, and he has size and a gimmick, at least. He's also been with the WWE for like six years now (albeit on and off), so someone must really like him. He's been given the hard task of playing a face (I think) while paired with an uber-heel in William Regal without much development. If he turns on Regal or embraces "heeldom" we'll see a lot better results from him, I think.

Darren Young and Michael Tarver are two guys that I was not completely sold on, but Tarver is winning me over. The way he dresses when he's not competing makes him look like a star, and he just "gets" how to act at ringside and stuff. On Superstars, he has almost had a mini-rivalry with MVP, which I really enjoy. I think they could have some good matches when Tarver is called up.

As for Young -- I was surprised when I read up on him and discovered his favourite wrestlers growing up were like Bret Hart and Ricky Steamboat or something. He seems like the kind of guy who would like the bigger, less mobile dudes. I have to say, after SmackDown!, I like the guy a whole lot more. I think he will find that crowd connection, and I think the WWE are putting a fair bit of faith in him by letting him play the character he is playing, when making him a lot simpler to process would have been easier.

[Evil Vito]

<font color=goldenrod>It's also worth noting that at last night's FCW tapings (they tape three weeks of shows so they are always way ahead), no NXT rookies were used for the first time. They have enough new guys and depth down there that they don't need to, and stands to reason that the NXT guys will all wind up on Raw or SmackDown.

Kinda wonder if NXT is going to work in conjunction with main roster cleanings. By the time this NXT season wraps up it'll have been going for just about 4 months on the nose. All 8 guys find themselves on the main shows (with current jobbers being future endeavored), and then NXT Season 2 starts up with 8 more guys. FCW recruits more people to replace the new NXT guys, and the cycle goes on.

NXT was a great idea. Although some ECW guys are being way underutilized now (Zack Ryder), I much prefer the NXT concept to a 3rd brand that was never really taken seriously in the grand scope of WWE.</font>

[Mr. Nerfect]

One thing I do love about getting rid of ECW, is that now you have the very simple "RAW vs. SmackDown!" dynamic. It's so much cleaner.

[Juan]

Anyone got tomorrow nights lottery numbers?