On the whole, NXT is pretty darn good. In its current iteration, it’s consistently fantastic TakeOver events absolutely outshine WWE’s main roster programming; even the weekly episodes are really great fun to tune in for. Although things haven’t always been sunshine and rainbows down in developmental, Full Sail University crowds have seen their fair share of failed stars; some being international sensations surrounded by hype and others complete misfires.
The majority of released NXT hopefuls have found themselves successful on the independent scene, but unfortunately won’t be competing under the bright lights of mainstream wrestling anytime soon. It’s a shame as some of the following talent could have gone so far and accomplished so much more. There’s no one reason behind NXT’s biggest failures, a mixture of bad gimmicks and a lack of interesting creative writing led to these names eventually being given the pink slip.
We’re going to run down the five biggest failures from the Performance Center.
1. Solomon Crowe (Sami Callihan)
‘The Draw’ was once under the NXT umbrella, competing as hacker-hero Solomon Crowe. Crowe didn’t have much of a run on NXT TV, never making it to a TakeOver event. His vignettes presented him as a kooky tech-lover, who would often disrupt our regularly scheduled programming to remind us that he exists.
Crowe’s televised career began with him interrupting and attacking CJ Parker, which was his farewell with the company. Solomon failed to captivate the audience and soon became a bit of a laughing stock, with his strange attire and hair-do.
The last we saw of Crowe was in a one-on-one bout with NXT Champion Kevin Owens. Owens obliterated Solomon and so ended his run in the WWE developmental system. Rumours suggest that writers ran out of tangible ideas for the young star and they were stuck in an ongoing loop of trying to find a suitable star to portray Crowe’s sister, who would act as his valet.
Crowe would go on to become one of the most talked about stars of the independent scene, finding himself involved with one of the most controversial spots in Impact Wrestling history alongside Eddie Edwards. Crowe would also star in Lucha Underground as Jeremiah Crane, allowing him to express his inner darkness and captivate audiences in a way much better suited to the young star.
2. CJ Parker (Juice Robinson)
In NXT’s attempt at making a modern-day villain, they turned to CJ Parker and a go-green gimmick. Being named after a Baywatch character and given the ‘surfer’ look immediately set him up as a cringe-inducing act. Parker’s in-ring ability allowed him to stand out in spite of the gimmick, but ultimately he was held back from ever making it out of the undercard.
To Parker’s credit, he did manage to generate a ton of heat from the Full Sail crowd. His vegan/eco-friendly attitude worked wonders for him, but never really netted him much success. He was regularly featured on NXT TV and even made it onto TakeOver events. His one and only memorable moment came during the debut of Kevin Owens at TakeOver: R-Evoltuion, where he busted his opponent’s nose before royally getting his comeuppance.
Parker left for greener pastures and found himself a regular haunt on NJPW events as Juice Robinson, now a former IWGP United States Championship. Robinson has competed in show-stealers against the likes of Kenny Omega, Jay White and Jon Moxley, so needless to say, he’s doing pretty well for himself now free from NXT.
3. Bull Dempsey (Bull James)
Bull Dempsey had a horrendous run in NXT. Being brought in as an unstoppable heel, only to become fodder for rising-star Baron Corbin at TakeOver: Rival, things weren’t looking great for Bull going forward. As time went by, Dempsey was able to repackage himself after being fat-shamed by William Regal one too many times. Dempsey took on the ‘Bull Fit’ gimmick, which was him attempting to channel his inner Simon Dean and become a fitness guru.
It was pretty ugly, reminiscent of something from the Attitude Era when Vince would find slurs hilarious. Dempsey barely made it out of the starting gate with his new gimmick, being defeated by Tyler Breeze and Elias before being shown the door.
Dempsey has now gone on to find some success on the indie scene, often featured in local shows and competing with a smile on his face. Fair play to the guy for carrying on.
4. James Storm
‘The Cowboy’ James Storm arrived in NXT after a pretty successful run in Impact Wrestling. Storm had achieved everything he could in TNA and had to call it quits when the ship started to well and truly sink. Storm was brought in to a huge pop and picked up a few wins on NXT TV. However, for some reason, Storm vanished from TV as quickly as he arrived. He was never given any backstage screen-time, nor did he have the chance to cut a promo and get over with the fans.
Word has it that Storm wasn’t prepared to commit to a full-time WWE schedule, which for a family man, is a difficult thing to justify. Storm was given a quiet exit after his short but sweet run and returned to Impact Wrestling soon after.
Perhaps if it weren’t for the pending debut of Bobby Roode, the other half of Beer Money Inc. might have had the chance to make it big in NXT. Storm has since gone on to compete in NWA and other successful independent promotions, so here’s hoping one day we’ll see ‘The Cowboy’ return for a longer stint.
5. Kenneth Cameron (Bram)
The Ascension underwent quite the evolution over the years. Starting with a vampire-like gimmick, Konnor teamed with Kenneth Cameron, who both fit the image perfectly and brought a renewed ‘edginess’ to NXT. The Ascension gained instant attraction, picking up a few victories over notable teams such as The Usos, but barely got off the ground before Cameron’s release.
Kenneth Cameron was taken into custody and charged with battery, something WWE wanted nothing to do with, especially seeing as it was against Cameron’s then girlfriend, Charlotte Flair. It’s a shame, perhaps if Cameron wasn’t such a brute outside of the ring, The Ascension might have made it a lot further than they have done with Viktor subbing in for Cameron.
The Englishman went on to become Bram, a regular on the global independent scene.
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