WWE NXT: Announcing the NXT March Madness Bracket

I've got the fever that comes with March Madness, much like most sports fans. I feel like filling out a bracket already, even though the field of 68 has not yet been announced.

So I had an idea to feed the urge until Sunday and beyond, as well as incorporate wrestling into the excitement in the month of March.

Since the NCAA Tournament is about the dreams of young athletes, I thought that WWE NXT would be a nice parallel.

As I watched the fifth season premiere on Tuesday (and nearly regretted it), I thought about the idea of the unique format for this season of NXT. WWE was trying something different, so I thought I would do the same.

I would put all 22 men who have ever been on NXT (the eight from season one, eight from season two and six from season four) in a bracket to see who is the best contribution from the show.

The bracket would have to show not just who was the best person to come through the show, but it should follow a "who would win if they fought" scenario.

The most important part of this project is that I will have no input whatsoever on the outcome. This is left squarely up to the Bleacher Report audience to decide which men advance to what rounds and who ends up as the victor.

Here Is Your Bracket...

I'm sure many of you have never seen a 22-man bracket before. I know that I certainly haven't. When I thought up this idea, I assumed that season five would produce six new NXT rookies, bringing the total to 28 and making for a less complicated bracket.

However, just as NXT adjusted with their Redemption season, so did my bracket. In fact, a few rules came out of it.

1) The three winners of the three previous seasons (Wade Barrett, Kaval and Johnny Curtis) will automatically gain the top three seeds. They have earned that right by winning their respective seasons. When I thought that six new rookies would make it 28 rookies, these three men, along with the fourth overall seed, would have gotten first-round byes.

2) The six men in this season's Redemption edition are the final six seeds. All six will make up the opening round by playing the six lowest seeds among those not in Season Five of NXT.

3) The top six seeds will play those who survive the opening round. The other two matchups that make up the second round will be number 7 vs number 10 and number 8 vs number 9.

The following are all 22 seeds in order, followed by a summary of the opening round matchups. Voting information will be placed in the final slide as well.

No. 1 Seed: Wade Barrett

The winner of the very first NXT season, Wade Barrett has seemed to be destined for greatness since we met him. His pro was Chris Jericho, the only NXT pro to have already been a world champion at the time of his NXT stint.

Barrett was groomed to succeed from the start. His mic skills were as good as his in-ring ability. While a lot of press was on Daniel Bryan and Justin Gabriel was wowing audiences on a weekly basis, Barrett was quiet and consistent on his way to victory.

After winning NXT, Barrett showed up on an episode of RAW and debuted the Nexus that night. It made a major splash and, with Barrett at the helm, the "winds of change" that he spoke of during NXT seemed to be blowing in.

The group was becoming more dominant, affecting WWE Championship matches in the process. Barrett could never win the title thanks to his growing feud with John Cena.

It eventually became too much for Barrett to keep control of and, when CM Punk became a part of the group, Barrett was ousted as the leader.

He would pop up on Smackdown going after The Big Show. Once it seemed like Barrett would be on his own, he debuted another group, The Corre. He recruited Ezekiel Jackson and brought over former Nexus members Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater.

While the group has not had their way with Smackdown, they have made an impact with the group being focused on one another and not just one person, like Barrett's Nexus was.

No. 2 Seed: Kaval

Wrestling fans knew Kaval was from his days in TNA as Low-Ki and Senshi. When he was announced for Season 2 of NXT, many were excited but the same amount of fans were cautious.

They had seen how Daniel Bryan was treated in Season 1 of the program and feared that Kaval would be buried as well in season two.

Then, it was announced that he would be teamed with Lay-Cool, the first female pros in the show's history. This did not look good.

However, Kaval did look good in his season. Week after week, Kaval impressed us all with his very unorthodox moves. He even developed some charisma, something that seemed to be his weak point. His deep voice did not seem like it would lead to him cutting good promos, but he held his own.

More importantly, in a season where it looked like Michael McGillicutty would be handed the title, Kaval was awarded the honor of Season 2 winner.

Kaval's post-NXT stint was not long. He often got buried to show the dynamic that NXT rookies were not as good as WWE superstars and would have to lose often. One of Kaval's rare wins was in a match against The Big Show.

He didn't pin the big man or make him tap out. He didn't even win by DQ or countout. Kaval won the match for simply surviving five minutes in the ring with the giant.

It earned him a spot on the Bragging Rights team for Smackdown, only to have Tyler Reks re-debut and take the spot from him minutes later.

Kaval is no longer with WWE. The two parties agreed to terminate the contract after Kaval had nothing to do in the eyes of WWE creative.

After his pay-per-view match for the Intercontinental title against Dolph Ziggler, it was harder to see Kaval until he was just gone.

A fun fact about Kaval: his theme music came from FCW, where it was used by Season 1 winner Wade Barrett.

No. 3 Seed: Johnny Curtis

Those who follow FCW know a lot about Johnny Curtis. Those who don't watch NXT online have no idea who this guy is. This is Johnny Curtis, the winner of the fourth season of NXT. Curtis was given the title 10 days ago when he outlasted runner-up Brodus Clay.

Curtis floated under the radar when those who saw NXT believed that Derrick Bateman was the man to win the season. He was eliminated shy of the final two.

Focus was then shifted onto the big man Brodus Clay, who was very destructive throughout the season. However, Curtis was given the victory for the season.

Along with his pro, R-Truth, Curtis will have a future chance at the WWE Tag Team Championship.

No. 4 Seed: Daniel Bryan

The highest non-winner in this bracket goes to Daniel Bryan who, ironically, was the first man ever eliminated in NXT history.

Daniel Bryan was extremely hyped to win NXT but was paired with The Miz and began a massive feud with him. He also received some heat from Michael Cole, which still exists in some respects to this day.

Bryan was given a heavy work load, forced to wrestle some great competitors and often wrestle injured. Despite that, he was voted to the top of the very first NXT poll. It was not until he stated that he should go home that he was close to being eliminated.

Bryan's logic was that he could not win so he did not deserve to be there. Bryan was one of three men to be eliminated in one night. He then was a part of the first night of Nexus, but was believed to cross the line by choking ring announcer Justin Roberts with his own tie.

Bryan was fired for the act, only to be brought back for SummerSlam in the seven-on-seven match against his former Nexus teammates.

He was eliminated from that match thanks to interference by The Miz. This revitalized the feud with The Miz, leading to Bryan winning the United States Championship, the first NXT rookie to win a singles title.

Bryan has held it ever since. As of today, he has been champion for 174 days, about 50 days shy of The Miz's first reign, which was one of the longest reigns since the title was recognized by WWE.

No. 5 Seed: Justin Gabriel

Justin Gabriel was one of the most exciting rookies in NXT history. His 450 splash is a move rarely seen by high-fliers since it is so difficult to do correctly.

Gabriel has dazzled audiences ever since, but his mic skills hurt his chances in Season 1. Gabriel made it to the final three and the Season 1 finale before being eliminated in the first of two eliminations that night.

Gabriel joined the Nexus and often was the final shot of an ambush with his 450 splash. He also had some great matches against John Cena and showed that he could be a major player in a few years.

His greatest contribution is with Heath Slater as a tag team. Together, they have been three-time tag team champions, including their current reign.

No. 6 Seed: Heath Slater

The One Man Rock Band gets the sixth seed thanks to his improving ability in the ring. Heath Slater has vastly improved from that guy who barely could show emotion from being spit in the face with an apple by Carlito.

His mic skills are a little stale, but he has improved his wrestling enough to stay this high on the bracket.

Slater was eliminated just shy of the finale in season one and hasn't been known for much since. He has been a three-time tag team champion with Justin Gabriel.

However, most of what Heath Slater is known for these days is the fact that John Cena referred to him as the girl from Wendy's.

Now as a member of The Corre, Slater may be in store for a boost in credibility.

No. 7 Seed: David Otunga

A year ago, David Otunga was seldom known. Those who did know him referred to him as Jennifer Hudson's fiancé. Now, he is a man with such raw talent that could make it in the wrestling business.

Otunga's in-ring ability has been the main problem with The A-List from his debut in Season 1 of NXT. His mic skills are above everyone else who came out of that season and one of the best of any NXT rookie ever.

Otunga was the runner-up to Wade Barrett in season one. He seemed at one point like he wanted to hop over Wade Barrett and run the Nexus on his own.

Once Barrett left and CM Punk stepped in, Otunga seemed to be the first assistant to the New Nexus. Now, Randy Orton has punted his skull, seemingly taking him off television and back down to the developmental territory.

No. 8 Seed: Alex Riley

I have been a huge fan of Alex Riley since he debuted in the second season of NXT. He had the charisma, the look, and the in-ring ability to stick around for a while.

His gimmick as the Varsity Villain was not going to cut it. It may be the thing that kept him from winning his season.

Riley finished third in his time on the show, behind the son of a Hall of Famer (Michael McGillicutty) and a man who owned the indies (Kaval).

His speech after being eliminated is probably the best promo in NXT history.

After that, Riley began following around The Miz and was there when he won the WWE Championship. Alongside the champ, Riley fought amongst main event talent.

However, he was recently in a steel cage match against John Cena. With the loss to Cena, Riley is no longer in the corner of The Miz.

No. 9 Seed: Michael McGillicutty

The son of "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig, Michael McGillicutty was the odds-on favorite from the beginning of Season 2.

McGillicutty was the only rookie in that season to reach six victories and was the last to gain his first loss in the competition.

McGillicutty had the talent to do it, but the charisma did not seem to be genetic. His mic skills were drastically flawed and he cut likely the worst promo of the season once he lost to Kaval.

That is saying something, since that was the same season where Titus O'Neill used a catchphrase that made no sense and Eli Cottonwood went on about his mustache.

McGillicutty was one of the reasons that John Cena joined the Nexus, costing him the match that made him do so. Both him and Husky Harris joined Nexus at that point and seemed to be in good company and poised for an impact.

However, the group began to crumble and pretty soon, it was McGillicutty's time to get punted away by Orton.

No. 10 Seed: Brodus Clay

Brodus Clay is a bad man. The man was runner up in this past season of NXT and we weren't sure if we would ever see him again.

However, Alberto Del Rio brought him to RAW to compete against Christian. Even though he lost, he should be grateful for television time.

Johnny Curtis, the winner, has yet to debut. Half of the six rookies from that season are back on NXT looking for Redemption.

Derrick Bateman is off doing God-knows-what (getting knee surgery-ED.). Brodus Clay is still working. Not only that, but in terms of this tournament, he is a dark horse.

No. 11 Seed: Husky Harris

I like Husky Harris and his look. The son of Irwin R. Schyster and grandson of Blackjack Mulligan, Harris was a special individual.

I was pulling for Husky due to his large stature, his unusual speed, his unique look, and his ability to cut a promo better than some pros on that season.

Harris did not get very much respect during his season, on the bottom of many NXT polls before finally being eliminated.

I felt like he had a serious chance to win a season. I personally believe that if he had been held until Season 4, he could have been the winner.

No. 12 Seed: Derrick Bateman

When watching NXT online, I kept one eye on the show and another on the live chat going on at the same time. A large majority of the fans on the chat seemed on the bandwagon of Derrick Bateman.

When the prize of Season 4, a tag team title shot with your pro, was introduced, Bateman seemed to be the only one to fit the bill.

His attitude with his pro, Daniel Bryan, was second to none. Nobody had the chemistry that the two of them did. I still can see the duo as a formidable tag team.

Bateman may have been the most charismatic in his season and, if it was purely about potential, Bateman would have won his season.

I doubt that we have seen the last of Derrick Bateman, especially after the shock that came from his elimination a few weeks ago.

No. 13 Seed: "Showtime" Percy Watson

Consider "Showtime" Percy Watson to be your upstart potential Cinderella in this tournament. Watson has a lot of energy, feeds off of momentum very well, and has a positive attitude that is infectious.

Watson started out hot during Season 2 and was second on the initial NXT poll. Watson would stay within the top four until he was eliminated in fifth place.

Watson was one of the few NXT rookies not only with a gimmick, but one that actually worked. Since NXT, Watson has resurfaced in dark matches at WWE shows.

No sign of Watson being brought onto the main roster, but I was a little surprised that he was not brought into the NXT Redemption season.

No. 14 Seed: Eli Cottonwood

One word: mustache.

That is the thing that you think of when it comes to Eli Cottonwood, the tallest NXT rookie. I picture him much like that solid automatic qualifier from a mid-major conference.

Cottonwood never really wrestled any high-profile matches, but his credentials and size make him dangerous against anyone.

While you may laugh at his awkward stature and small amount of pure wrestling ability, but he's a bad dude and in a fight, you might not want to bet against the tall man.

After all, he doesn't have mustache. And neither do you. But if you did have mustaches, his would be the best mustache.

No. 15 Seed: Skip Sheffield

Remember this guy? They actually referenced him on NXT this week.

Skip Sheffield has had a lot of problems in his WWE career. He actually joined WWE as a part of their $1,000,000 Tough Enough season, the same season that brought The Miz to the company. Sheffield lost pretty early on, but went through the developmental channels.

He came back for the first season of NXT. Originally, he had MVP as a pro, but that was changed at the last minute to William Regal.

The Cornfed Meathead was a very big guy that seemed like he might be a menace to deal with in the ring. However, he never really got out of the blocks and was the first man to be voted out via the poll.

As a member of Nexus, Sheffield was believed by many to be the Batista to Wade Barrett's Triple H. Translation: Sheffield was the second star to come out of the group.

However, Sheffield became injured and that idea quickly fell apart. Sheffield has been out ever since and, while he has watched every other original Nexus member leave the group or get punted in the skull, Sheffield waits in the back, collecting dust.

When he returns, Sheffield may get that push that he seemed to be promised so long ago. Watch out for him.

No. 16 Seed: Michael Tarver

I can't really explain why, but I thought that Michael Tarver deserved more than he got. His gimmick seemed to me much like that MMA-type guy that WWE has been looking for for years. They thought they had it with Daniel Puder until he grew cocky and left for real MMA.

Tarver's gimmick was very cool to me. He referred to himself as Mr. 1.9, which meant that he could knock someone out in 1.9 seconds. The problem: he never did. Tarver's father was a sparring partner for Mike Tyson.

However, Tarver hardly ever threw punches. He always had a different shirt on, being the first rookie to specialize his own t-shirts for the weekly shows.

He also refused to talk much or compete a lot, drawing the most heat of any rookie in NXT history. All that nonsense that Lucky Cannon is doing now? Tarver did it first.

Tarver was singled out at times by John Cena and it was Cena's doing that eliminated Tarver from Nexus.

Then we never saw him until random appearances backstage on RAW and Smackdown. Has he wrestled again on television? No. So frustrating...

No. 17 Seed: Darren Young

Darren Young is the highest ranked of all NXT Redemption rookies, mainly because he doesn't deserve to even be there. Darren Young is already a WWE superstar.

He appeared often on Superstars, has his own theme, and even made it onto RAW for certain matches. Darren Young even has an action figure coming out, yet he is a rookie? Come on, man.

If Darren Young does not win NXT Redemption, then there is likely a problem. Young won his first match this season on Tuesday and won the first challenge. It is his competition to lose, pure and simple.

No. 18 Seed: Conor O'Brian

I really feel bad about how Conor O'Brian has been treated. He is hardly a thought in many fan's minds. Case in point: I almost referred to him as "Colin" O'Brian.

He walked around in Season 4 pretending like he was a rat. He dropped that gimmick for NXT Redemption in order to just be himself, a season-wide theme for most rookies.

O'Brian's story is now being told to fans. If anyone wants to know the entire story, look up his bio and find out how much this guy really has been through.

If things had gone his way, you would likely already see Conor O'Brian in a WWE ring, without a need for NXT.

No. 19 Seed: Byron Saxton

The ECW commentator-turned-NXT rookie is back, one season after surprising some people. Saxton was very cocky but backed some of it up.

Saxton could have even won the season, but he had that little bit of something missing from him. Hopefully he can find it and have a chance to win this season.

I really believe that there is something special about Byron Saxton that merits him staying on the main roster.

With a lot of retirements and some men being sent away to their future endeavors, I would not mind seeing Saxton pop up somewhere.

No. 20 Seed: Lucky Cannon

Lucky Cannon just annoys me. Maybe it is all of the references to luck and it being ironic that his name is Lucky. Maybe it was the fact that his story of being called Lucky is very inspiring. It isn't, by the way.

I think the story goes that he got injured but he ended up pulling through it or something. I'm pretty sure that it isn't even a real story, too.

Now, on Redemption, Cannon has a new attitude, playing off of the heel turn he had at the end of his stay on Season 2. Now, Cannon wears this big robe that spells out the word "Delish" in the back.

It just looks like a little much, especially when he hasn't really proven that he can play a good heel. Time will tell how well Cannon can do.

No. 21 Seed: Titus O'Neill

Titus O'Neill did not really stick around much during his time on Season 2. My one main memory for O'Neill was him being the guy that Zack Ryder wanted to do the dog bark.

In fact, O'Neill did not win a match during his first NXT stint, but did win in his Redemption debut. His pro is Hornswoggle (I wish I was kidding).

O'Neill could potentially stick around this business but he looks on the older side (he's actually 34 at the end of April) and I'm not quite sure how many years O'Neill could make it for if he was on the main roster.

O'Neill may have some question marks on him, but he is not the worst rookie in many people's minds.

No. 22 Seed: Jacob Novak

No, that is not Curt Hawkins. That's Jacob Novak.

No, he is not a member of Right to Censor. He just likes to wear white. Apparently that means that white stands for suck.

Novak is as vanilla as his attire, his moveset is bland and there just doesn't seem to be any upside to him.

Novak is the closest thing to the embodiment of an empty canvas. There just doesn't seem to be anything there. He leaves nothing to be desired. He is the ghost of NXT because, no matter what you do, he is just there.

The heat he garners is not because he is a heel, but because he makes people's heads hurt. I may sound harsh, but please watch him in a match and prove me wrong.

Opening Round Matchups

No. 22 Jacob Novak vs No. 11 Husky Harris

No. 21 Titus O'Neill vs No. 12 Derrick Bateman

No. 20 Lucky Cannon vs No. 13 "Showtime" Percy Watson

No. 19 Byron Saxton vs No. 14 Eli Cottonwood

No. 18 Conor O'Brian vs No. 15 Skip Sheffield

No. 17 Darren Young vs No. 16 Michael Tarver

To vote, list your winners in these matchups in comments below. Voting begins on Saturday and will last until Wednesday at noon.

This is done so that, if you so choose, you can watch NXT Redemption this Tuesday on nxt.wwe.com and decide any opinions on the six rookies right now before voting for or against them.

In an event of a tie, I will break the tie and advance the man who I would vote for.

Have fun with this and I hope to hear from you guys with every single round.