Tye Dillinger's Redemption Story Must Feature NXT Championship Gold

The lovable underdog has long been a staple of WWE—a character who generates legitimate emotion from fans eager to see them overcome the odds and exceed at levels they could never have imagined.

It is one of the most reliable characters Vince McMahon and WWE Creative have at their disposal, so it should be no great surprise that they would jump at the opportunity to prominently feature those underdogs on Raw, SmackDown and NXT.

Tye Dillinger is the latest performer to fill the role—an enhancement star-turned-breakout performer whose act caught on with audiences and led to a push that even his most passionate fans could not have seen coming.

Just a sizable push will not suffice, though. To properly tell Dillinger's story of triumph and redemption, he must achieve greatness via an NXT Championship victory.

Or so history tells us.

Precedent

In 2013, Daniel Bryan was the best wrestler on the planet and a performer behind whom the WWE Universe had thrown its support. He entered arenas to massive ovations of "Yes!," and management had no choice but to give him the main event push fans had demanded.

He rose from tag team comedy act to main event star on the strength of his popularity. The fans demanded his ascension, and at WrestleMania 30, he defeated Triple H, Randy Orton and Batista in one night to win the coveted WWE World Heavyweight Championship. 

That victory represented the power an underdog character could have and the raw emotion it could create.

Just one year later, at 2015's NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn, another beloved babyface capitalized on a groundswell of popularity to achieve her shining moment and reaffirm just how much an underdog could enhance the product.

Bayley, a lifelong wrestling fan who dreamed of one day standing in the center of a McMahon-owned ring with a championship held high overhead, entered Barclays Center for a showdown against the cocky, confident Sasha Banks.

Every match she wrestled and every angle she partook in built to that moment. Every loss she endured built sympathy for her and forced her to question herself. But with every win that followed, her confidence increased, and the support of the audience's love and adulation grew more unwavering.

She defeated Banks in one of the most emotionally charged matches in WWE history and realized her dream, much to the delight of a fanbase that had watched her rise through the ranks and work hard to get to where she was and then celebrated with her when she finally achieved greatness.

Dillinger finds himself in the same situation.

He was never intended to be the star he is today. He was a glorified enhancement talent—a good hand who had a knack for getting others over. His role was an important one, but it was also one with a distinct ceiling. Hard work, an entertaining "Perfect 10" gimmick and untapped charisma have him riding a wave of momentum into 2017.

Redemption

NXT has already planted the seeds for a Dillinger redemption story.

After a disappointing defeat at the hands of Bobby Roode in Toronto last November, Dillinger admitted that he may not have what it takes. That promo sparked a feud with Sanity in which Eric Young attempted to play on that frustration by recruiting Dillinger to join him.

That is the type of program Dillinger needs right now: a structured rivalry with credible heels that allows him to enjoy an extended role on television and that garners more sympathy and, by proxy, support from the NXT fans.

He needs to prove he belongs by beating top competitors. There is no better way to establish him as a credible, high-profile babyface than by having him overcome the numbers disadvantage and emerge victorious en route to bigger and better things.

Primarily, he needs an NXT Championship showdown with Roode.

Champion

It was after two consecutive losses to Roode that Dillinger began questioning his ability to succeed in NXT, so what better poetic justice would there be than for The Perfect 10 to prove himself elite by dethroning Roode?

For Dillinger's story to be complete, simply appearing in the Royal Rumble match and basking in the cheers of his faithful is not enough. He needs to achieve championship glory and prove that he belongs among the elite performers in NXT.

He has the support of the audience, the in-ring ability to perform at the level of a Roode, Young, Samoa Joe and Shinsuke Nakamura and a charisma about him that engages fans. He is the complete package but is in need of strong, confident booking from WWE Creative.

There is no reason why, when all is said and done, Dillinger cannot stand tall atop the NXT roster. A veteran of the developmental system and a star exclusive to NXT, he can be that brand's face for the foreseeable future.

It all starts, though, with him overcoming defeat, his own personal doubts and the best wrestlers the industry has to offer to become champion.