5 Female Indy Wrestlers Who Would Thrive at WWE NXT

The independent wrestling circuit offers WWE firecrackers and warriors to replenish the NXT Divas division.

With Paige, Summer Rae and Emma all on the main roster and Charlotte likely to join them, there's a need for new talent to step into Full Sail University. Women like Mia Yim offer the combination of skill, youth and marketable looks that make them great potential fits for WWE developmental and beyond.

Being a tremendous wrestler doesn't automatically make one an ideal candidate for WWE's female ranks.

After all, WWE signed Sara Del Rey, one of the best mat workers in the business, and made her a trainer, not a wrestler. One assumes that her age (she's in her 30s) and the fact that she wouldn't make it in the modeling world played a part in that decision.

The company has signed pageant queens and fitness models with no prior wrestling experience. For its Divas, photo shoots are just as important as mat acumen.

Otherwise, JoJo would have been on the radar.

Scouting the indies for wrestlers who would fit into the WWE mold is not simply a case of identifying the best in-ring performers. Women like Cheerleader Melissa and Madison Eagles are likely not what company officials are looking for, despite their talent.

The following are female wrestlers who are still in their 20s and have both the athletic ability to cut it between the ropes and the kind of look WWE has sought in the past.

Hikaru Shida

• Age: 26
• Height: 5'5''
• Weight: 125 pounds
• In-ring experience: Six years

Hikaru Shida is a riveting dynamo.

Her fun, electric energy will translate well to WWE. She flies around the ring, showing quickness and an exciting in-ring style that will get fans behind her early on.

She's spent the majority of her career in Japan, working for promotions like OZ Academy and Ice Ribbon. That experience, in a country that takes its women's wrestling seriously, is sure to have her better prepared than the majority of women who head to NXT.

Shida's strengths lie in her agility, leaping ability and kicks. Being so photogenic doesn't hurt either.

Cherry Bomb

• Age: 29
• Height: 5'5''
• Weight: 125 pounds
• In-ring experience: Nine years

Cherry Bomb would immediately be one of NXT's best technical wrestlers.

She's fluid in the ring and does a variety of moves well. Her best asset, though, is her showmanship. Her matches are elevated by her dramatic facial expressions, excellent selling and in-ring storytelling skills.

The Canadian is already proficient at implementing the nuances of the art form.

Credit nearly a decade's worth of wrestling experience for some of that. After honing her craft in Shimmer, Ice Ribbon and Ring of Honor, Cherry Bomb is well-prepped for the NXT stage.

Hania The Howling Huntress

• Age: 24
• Height: 5'5''
• Weight: 128 pounds
• In-ring experience: Six years

Whether she's leaping into the air to deliver a spinning kick or flipping onto her opponent from a standing position, Hania the Howling Huntress grabs the audience's attention.

She's athletic and quick with a good foundation in technical wrestling. Those skills and her build will remind a lot of fans of Sasha Banks.

WWE is going to want her to change her name (there is already a wrestler on the roster with the initials HHH), but her "spirit warrior" gimmick could catch on outside of the indies.

Pair her in-ring ability with her marketable look and it's a safe bet she can follow up her work with Beyond Wrestling and Chikara with success at the NXT level.

Evie

• Age: 26
• Height: 5'5''
• Weight: 128 pounds
• In-ring experience: Seven years

Evie is the least polished ring worker on this list, but she has shown potential during her early career.

The New Zealand native is speedy and athletic and exudes fun energy. Her foot-on-the-gas style will win fans over, as will her bubbly personality. 

In her bouts for Shimmer and Impact Pro Wrestling, she has often been the wrestler who attracts the most attention. There is something magnetic about her that NXT can surely tap into.

Mia Yim

• Age: 25
• Height: 5'7''
• Weight: 125 pounds
• In-ring experience: Five years

If NXT drafted its talents out of the indy circuit, Mia Yim wouldn't have to wait long before her name was called.

She can fly, mat wrestle and brawl. Her missile dropkicks are artful. Her German suplex is a joy to watch.

Yim wrestled a handful of matches for TNA but has spent the bulk of her career with promotions like Shimmer and Shine Wrestling. There were flashes of greatness during her TNA stint—flashes that point to a bright future.

The fact that she can appeal to the Asian and Asian-American demographic makes her an even more alluring prospect.

Stats courtesy of CageMatch.net.