WWE Draft 2016: Power Ranking the NXT Superstars Likely to Be Selected
Dreams will be realized Tuesday when, during the 2016 WWE draft, six NXT Superstars officially become WWE Superstars.
The announcement by WWE that members of the company's developmental program will be joining either Raw or SmackDown wasn't surprising. What did raise some eyebrows was the number of promotions being granted.
Taking six pieces from NXT's ranks is a big deal, especially from that brand's tag team and women's divisions, which were already thin following call-ups over the past year.
The tag team division lost two of its mainstays following WrestleMania 32 in Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady and The Vaudevillains. The women's division fared worse, as a bevy of popular Superstars—Charlotte, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks, Emma, Dana Brooke and even Eva Marie—were officially promoted to the main roster over the past 12 months.
To NXT's credit, it's been able to reinvent itself. Superstars including Finn Balor, Bayley, Samoa Joe and American Alpha have carried the brand over the past few months. Now, with many top names likely to exit Full Sail University, it's time for new faces to carry the brand into the future.
Tuesday, though, is all about the men and women who will end one chapter and begin a new one as WWE Superstars.
It's time to rank who is likely to get the call to the big leagues.
10. Tye Dillinger
1 of 10
Dillinger is the longest of long shots on this list, but there's no denying that he'd be a deserving choice.
While probably best suited to remain in NXT and continue to rise up the ranks, WWE hasn't been shy about promoting acts that are over, even if it's not in the Superstar's best interest.
The Perfect 10 is reminiscent of Tyler Breeze—a well-rounded Superstar who is immensely popular among NXT faithful. Much like Breeze before him, Dillinger has performed against the brand's best and turned in great performances, but usually in a losing effort.
Breeze continually played second fiddle to Superstars like Sami Zayn, Neville, Kevin Owens, Finn Balor and Hideo Itami. Dillinger is on the same trajectory, as he's fallen short against guys like Apollo Crews, Balor, Shinsuke Nakamura and Austin Aries.
His dedication to NXT could be rewarded, much as Breeze's was when he was promoted in October. Whether that would be the best move for him is debatable.
9. Carmella
2 of 10
The Princess of Staten Island has come a long way from her beginnings as a hairdresser/valet for Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady. Carmella has become a vital piece of the current NXT women's division, a Superstar who has very good matches against anyone she steps into the ring with.
While she's clearly behind some of her fellow NXT opponents, promoting Carmella would serve two purposes for WWE.
First, she would continue to provide depth on the main roster's women's division. The brand split will offer this division more time to shine, but it's already a bit thin. Halving the group among two shows will weaken it further. Bringing up more women from NXT would help.
Second, were Carmella to get drafted onto the same show as Enzo and Big Cass, WWE would reunite a very popular trio. It's something fans would definitely get behind, as long as they continued to allow Carmella opportunities to shine in the ring.
8. Samoa Joe
3 of 10
While promoting the NXT champion would be an unusual step, it wouldn't be unprecedented. Kevin Owens successfully made the leap last year, pulling double duty on both rosters for a short time.
There's no question Samoa Joe is capable of succeeding on the main roster. He's a 16-year veteran who's held titles in Ring of Honor and TNA, among others, before defeating Finn Balor for the NXT Championship. He's wrestled against, and defeated, some of the best in the world, including CM Punk, Austin Aries, Daniel Bryan, Jay Lethal, The Briscoes and AJ Styles.
Whichever brand drafted Joe would immediately put both the opposing show and its own roster on notice.
Hall of Famer Jim Ross is a fan of Joe, and believes promoting him to the main roster also sets up a dream match for WrestleMania 32 between The Samoan Submission Machine and The Beast Incarnate, Brock Lesnar. Ross told SI.com:
"Here is the thing–you’re going to have Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania, and who is his opponent? You can’t wait until January to figure that out. So bring up Samoa Joe and get him hot. He hasn’t lost on television, and build up Samoa Joe-Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 33. Sign off on it, and then work backwards into it–that’s how you do it.
"
A Lesnar-Joe match at WrestleMania 33 would certainly sell tickets. But taking NXT's reigning champion without making an heir to that title a known commodity could be a death knell to the men's division.
7. Alexa Bliss
4 of 10
Much like Carmella, Alexa Bliss has stepped up following the departure of Charlotte, Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks.
Bliss has been one of the best performers in NXT for some time, demonstrating great character development to go along with solid in-ring moves. That character is what could make her a definite asset on the main roster, if selected.
A solid worker who can thrive without a title, Bliss would be equally comfortable in a title match as she would in a secondary feud. In that regard, she's very similar to Emma, another woman who will thrive in the new split-branded WWE.
Whereas fans would question the reason Asuka or Bayley aren't in the title picture immediately upon their call-up, Bliss could easily slide into the role of midcard performer in the women's division, battling the likes of Lynch or Paige while slowly working her way into title contention.
In many ways, she's a better fit for the main roster than the other women in NXT, or even WWE's most recent call-up, Dana Brooke.
This is point in the rankings when we move from potential draftees to likely names to be called. Bliss, along with the next two names on this list, could easily be a new WWE Superstar when the WWE draft is over.
It all depends on how Raw and SmackDown decide to shape their rosters.
6. Austin Aries
5 of 10
With Stephanie McMahon's announcement that Raw will be the exclusive home to a new cruiserweight division, don't be surprised if Austin Aries is drafted to WWE's flagship program.
The Greatest Man That Ever Lived would be a perfect addition to the new division, one likely to feature current main roster Superstars like Kalisto, Neville, potential draftee Finn Balor and even (with a slight cut in weight) Tyler Breeze and Dolph Ziggler.
Aries could surely stay in NXT and be a main event-level star, but one has to wonder whether Aries desires more. The savvy veteran could immediately step in and be a legitimate contender—not only among cruiserweights but against larger foes.
Like Samoa Joe, Aries has been a champion at every wrestling stop in his career, battling the best of the best. If there's any question whether Aries can hang with the best in WWE, all one has to do is replay his battle with Shinsuke Nakamura at NXT TakeOver: The End.
Since polishing his character and displaying a more vicious nature, Aries has been among the best performers in NXT of late. Having him on the main roster would be a tremendous boost to Raw's midcard.
5. Shinsuke Nakamura
6 of 10
Make no mistake: Shinsuke Nakamura is an absolute star.
There is electricity every time his music hits. The excitement he brings to audiences is not just measureable, it's infectious. The skill at which he performs in the ring is unquestionable.
NXT was always just a layover in his imminent rise to the WWE main roster. At the WWE draft, fans will finally find out where he will ply his trade.
WWE should be salivating at the potential matchups between Nakamura and main roster Superstars. Seth Rollins. Kevin Owens. AJ Styles. Sami Zayn. Even unremarkable matchups with guys like The Miz, Sheamus and Sin Cara would become spectacles.
He's that good.
The only way WWE holds Nakamura back is to set up a potential NXT Championship match at TakeOver: Brooklyn between he and Samoa Joe. If that's not in the cards, then the King of Strong Style is guaranteed to be one of the newest WWE Superstars.
4. Nia Jax
7 of 10
Like it or not, it appears Nia Jax is about to become a WWE Superstar.
According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Inquisitr), Nia Jax is confirmed as one of the NXT Superstars who will be selected during Tuesday's WWE draft.
Promoting Jax this early in her NXT run seems premature. Sure, she's put on good matches against Bayley and Asuka, but she has yet to have that breakout performance.
B/R's Kevin Wong outlines the ways WWE mistakenly pushed Dana Brooke, and how she's a cautionary tale for treating NXT call-ups. Thrusting Brooke into partnerships with Emma and now Charlotte has diminished her. Would Jax be treated the same, especially since a ready-made relationship with Eva Marie (who's also draft-eligible via the WWE main roster) is such an easy fallback?
Brian Mazique, writing for Forbes, has higher hopes for Jax on the main roster, saying that "Jax has all the tools to be what the WWE hoped Kharma would be—and more." Just as easily, Jax could become the latest version of Tamina Snuka.
3. Bayley
8 of 10
If Bayley's name isn't among the names called during the WWE draft, the level of disappointment among fans would be epic.
How disappointing? It might be on the same level as Rey Mysterio at the 2014 Royal Rumble.
Bayley has waited her turn graciously, becoming, along with Finn Balor, the face of NXT after the departure of three-quarters of the Four Horsewomen. She's watched as those three women stole the show at WrestleMania 32. Sure, Bayley had a championship of her own, but that's not the same as walking down the ramp at WrestleMania with Snoop Dogg.
There have always been questions as to whether her happy-to-be-here character would fit on the main roster. One only has to look back at Emma's first run in WWE to see bubbly doesn't always work.
Bayley, though, is a different breed of performer. She's a storyteller in the ring, on par with Sasha Banks. She's immensely popular with young girls, a segment of the audience WWE would love to capture.
There's nothing left for Bayley to accomplish in NXT. Asuka has taken the mantle as the women's champion and can lead a new group of women—Billy Kaye, Peyton Royce, Liv Morgan and others—into the next chapter of NXT.
It's finally Bayley's time to shine on the main roster.
2. American Alpha
9 of 10
If any tag team is going to make the leap to the main roster, it's going to be Jason Jordan and Chad Gable.
American Alpha is the most complete tag team NXT has ever produced. No one who came before them could match the total package these two Superstars have put together in a relatively short time.
Gifted in the ring and able to handle themselves on a promo, Jordan and Gable have an aura around them. When they step into the ring, fans get the feeling that they are going to witness a great match.
It's no stretch to consider them contenders the minute they enter the WWE tag team picture. Their size, speed and athleticism are on par or greater than the entire division. It won't take long for fans to gravitate to their charisma either, making them immediate babyfaces.
As NXT tag team champions, they have a worthy pedigree. As individuals, not many Superstars can match their credentials.
Losing American Alpha would leave NXT without a big-name babyface tag team, but more are on the way. Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano have great chemistry together and could help fill that role. In addition, TM-61's Michael Nicholls and Shane Veryzer are bound to be fast risers in the division.
1. Finn Balor
10 of 10
For all the posturing and uncertainly shown by Finn Balor on social media, there should be no doubt that The Demon is coming to WWE.
Balor's stopover in NXT was much longer than anyone could have anticipated, but it was definitely worthwhile. Epic battles with Kevin Owens, Samoa Joe and, of late, his swan song with Shinsuke Nakamura made watching NXT on Wednesday nights so enjoyable.
It really doesn't matter whether Balor heads to SmackDown or Raw. He will be a major player the minute he steps into the ring.
On Raw, Balor could be a player in the new cruiserweight division until he is bounced to the main event. On SmackDown, he could be an immediate challenger to either the United States or Intercontinental championships.
Depending on where The Club heads, he could either fall in line or spar with his former Bullet Club brethren.
The possibilities are endless, as are the possible show-stealing matchups with the likes of Seth Rollins, AJ Styles, Dean Ambrose and more.
It's finally time for Balor Club to officially go worldwide.
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