5 More of NXT’s Biggest Failures

In the past, we’ve looked at some of NXT’s biggest failures from over the last six years. With the likes of Solomon Crowe (Sami Callihan), Kenneth Cameron (Bram) and ‘The Cowboy’ James Storm all surprisingly failing to get over with the right people, NXT lost out on some pretty talented individuals. Since then, plenty of budding WWE superstars have been and gone through the black and gold brand, with only a select handful of tryouts making it onto NXT TV and finding success.

As with all industries, not everyone with the promise of success will actually live up to their potential, which isn’t usually down to just the one person’s fault. Since we last studied NXT’s biggest failures, there have been a few more performers that have slipped through the cracks and been considered massive flops during their run in NXT.

We’re going to run down NXT’s next 5 biggest failures, make sure you leave your own disappointments in the comments below.

 

1. Kassius Ohno

‘The Knockout Artist’ recently broke headlines with shocking release and confirmed return to the indie scene and his former title of Chris Hero. Ohno was one of the OG superstars of NXT in it’s very first form, putting together some hidden gems for the WWE Network with the likes of William Regal, Richie Steamboat and Adrian Neville. He briefly returned to the independents to adopt a new style to match his more burly aesthetic but eventually returned home to massive fanfare.

Even though Kassius was considered one of NXT’s hottest stars upon his return, he failed to capture the NXT Championship and fell down the ranks into the position of being the token veteran that would be used to put over newcomers. Although Ohno seemed like he suited and enjoyed the role more than most, it was a far cry from his status as Chris Hero.

Ohno was one of the first NXT superstars to jump across ship to the UK sister show. Ohno was used to put together some fantastic matches overseas, but again, never made it to the main event scene. Ohno’s star was well and truly fading, naturally he found himself on the list of released superstars and is once again seeking a career revival in the many indie promotions that are pining for some rolling elbows in the near future.

Kassius should have, and would have, been a big deal in NXT if they let him run wild as a hot prospect, rather than keeping him in the wings for the occasional rub. Granted he did have some great matches during his time there, but none nearly on the level as those we’d seen previously in PWG, RPW and other indie brands.

 

2. Alex Shelley

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7qmuf7

Alex Shelley made his triumphant NXT debut during this year’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Classic, reforming his NJPW alliance with KUSHIDA to battle the Grizzled Young Veterans in the first round. Many of wrestling fans had the two penned for a huge run at the cup and even the NXT Tag titles then after, but that wasn’t to be, as both Shelley and KUSHIDA found themselves eliminated by the Vets in that first round contest.

Shelley was a huge get for NXT during a time of transition and quest for ratings supremacy. The former Motor City Machine Gun was looking for a big run in the big time, but following the Dusty Classic, his services were no longer required. KUSHIDA quickly returned to singles competition and Shelley started taking bookings in ROH and other typical locale.

It’s a shame that WWE didn’t make the most of Shelley’s star-power and his Tag specialities. Regardless, it was great to see him featured under the WWE umbrella for just the one match. Perhaps we’ll see Alex Shelley return at a later date, but for now he’ll go down as a product that they unfortunately allowed to become a failure.

 

3. Candice LeRae

If I could include both Candice LeRae and her hubby Johnny Gargano in this one post then I would, but I can’t honestly justify putting ‘Johnny TakeOver’ into the failures list just yet, but I imagine sooner or later he’ll be considered one of their biggest dropped balls if he carries on with this awful heel run. This also goes for LeRae, but even as a babyface, she wasn’t getting anywhere anytime soon.

Having been constantly booked as a plucky underdog, LeRae failed to generate any momentum when challenging Shayna Baszler for her NXT Women’s Championship. Candice could have easily become the biggest female star on their roster, if she was positioned in a similar was to Gargano. Instead, she was given one too many losses and featured too often alongside Gargano throughout his feud with former friend, Tommaso Ciampa.

Instead of becoming her own viable star, she was simply Gargano’s partner. Considering how fantastic she was at breaking conventions on the independent scene in her inter-gender rivalries with the likes of Joey Ryan, there’s a lot of missed potential here on NXT. WWE could have used her former glory as the perfect chance to start breaking into the inter-gender territory, something they’ve failed to accomplish in the past.

Alas, Candice is now digging her heels into the Mrs. Gargano character and we continue to cringe more and more each week.

 

4. Hideo Itami

The man now once again known as KENTA, Hideo Itami was one of the first big international signings for NXT in 2015. Itami arrived on the scene and was immediately credited as one of the hardest-hitting stars from the indie scene and fans were ready to see him clash with some of America’s biggest stars. Unfortunately for him, he happened to debut around the same time as fellow international hit, Finn Balor. Itami and Balor were paired for their first big match and naturally, Balor shined over Hideo in their victory over The Ascension. That began Itami’s downfall in NXT.

Hideo quickly fell down the card and was lost in the shuffle among the plethora of other signings that were made throughout the year. Itami did manage to make ways for a bunch of other Japanese stars including future NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura and the aforementioned Cruiserweight star, KUSHIDA, but ultimately he failed to leave any remarkable impression on the roster, even after battling with Bobby Roode for the NXT title after returning from injury.

Itami spent more time out with injury than he did making a name for himself in the ring. This wasn’t any fault of his own of course, but a real shame when considering how far he has come since departing the company. It was just bad timing all round for Itami.

 

5. EC3

It’s going to be tough to not mention his abysmal run on the main roster, but even during his time in NXT, EC3 would be considered a massive failure. EC3 arrived alongside Ricochet and instantly became a huge hit with the fans, with the expectation of him achieving massive things in his second run with the company.

Before EC3 could get off the ground running, he was instantly shoe-horned into some petty mid-card scuffles that barely managed to get him over. EC3 failed to pick up any significant victories, including his first big championship match over WrestleMania weekend. It was all downhill from there for the ‘Top 1 Percent’, who barely scratched the surface with his potential yet was never given any prominent roles on shows.

When EC3 was called up to the main roster as part of Vince McMahon’s attempt at restoring some drama to RAW, everyone thought they were hitting the reset button and giving him a soft reboot so he could finally unleash the charisma and talent that his fans knew he had kept tucked away. Of course, this wasn’t to be, and he’s now seeking a career revival on the indie scene once again.

A real shame.