The Wrestling Prospectus (NXT 20-16)

Welcome to the Wrestling Prospectus. This is a new series focused on the up and coming prospects of the WWE. The main focus will be on NXT prospects before we expand into the world of foreign and American independent wrestling. The purpose of this weekly series isn’t to run any wrestler down or promote my ideas above others. The goal is simply to highlight the improvements these men and women are making, while considering the exciting future each person holds.

I’m basing each grade off of my two years of experience as an independent wrestler, as well as 25 years as a "smarky mark". I genuinely love this business and want to see everyone succeed. This initial series will cover the top 20 wrestlers on the NXT roster, starting with number 20. Let’s get things started.

20. Alexander Wolfe

This member of SAnitY has been wrestling since he was 13 years old, and brings an understated mat wrestling game to the ring. He is currently limited to wrestling only in tags, and also being a heater for matches. But make no mistake, this guy has talent. Since he hasn’t shown his full capabilities as he did while wrestling in his native country of Germany, it’s fair to say he is being held back at this point. This isn’t a bad thing though. He can be the Ole Anderson of SAnitY (or any group for that matter) and should excel at the next level.

There’s nothing wrong with being the 4th member of a unique stable like SAnitY. But if you're Wolfe, eventually you will want more. He's got to take some chances and step up when his opportunity comes. Wolfe has some fine tuning to do to take full advantage of these future opportunities though. For one, Wolfe will have to step up in promos. He’s not the mic guy for Sanity. That role obviously goes to Eric Young. But like Edge in the Brood, you must be ready when the mic comes your way. Also, Wolfe can blend into the background at times thanks to the more impressive prospects of Killian Dain and Nikki Cross. I’d like to see him add more color to his in-ring attire so he can look more like the wild card of the group. A different color and pattern for his in-ring attire would be a fun start.

Whatever the future holds for Wolfe, the fact remains, it’s all in his hands. He can be a valuable member of the roster that has the ability to move to several different spots in the company. Be it tags, low-card, or mid-card, he can find a home in any of these. Do I see him being a main-eventer at this time? No. But he still has time to make changes before he is locked into a spot.

Projection: Low Card singles/Tag wrestler

19. Velveteen Dream

The artist formerly known as Patrick Clark is a highly projectable talent. He showcased himself well enough on WWE's Tough Enough to be signed quickly after the show ended, and is the first in his class to make any kind of major impact on NXT. He’s working on a character now that needs some tweaking but still has potential. He has a good look right now and great physical body definition. As he matures and adapts to the life of a WWE/NXT superstar, he will eventually be able to add on more muscle. There is so much to like about Patrick. We have seen glimpses of his athleticism with his in-ring work, as well as his ability to draw us in with an outlandish character. He has plenty of time to pull all of this together.

I personally feel like this character has some potential but needs some serious tweaking as well. If he’s supposed to be a heel, I’d say the times have changed for this archetype and he would actually fit more in the Dalton Castle type face. I’m not sure if WWE recognizes this or if Patrick wanted to be a heel and felt like this was the best way to be one. I’d like to see Patrick move this character into being less of a Prince homage (which makes him a face in my book) and more of an extravagant yet lovable type. The character stands out, but so far, I haven’t seen it hit yet.

Something we all need to consider is that Patrick is still 21. He has so much time to develop and learn more about who he is as a performer. He’s such a raw product right now that it’s genuinely tough to project. In these situations, I tend to be more of an optimist unless I see significant character issues. I believe the future is bright for Patrick Clark, but less so for this incarnation of the Velveteen Dream.

Projection: Mid Carder

18. Eric Young

Eric Young joins our rankings at number 18. He’s a polished product and would be considered a high floor/low ceiling prospect. He spent years in TNA/Impact developing himself and can be a solid edition to the main roster with his stable mates of SAnitY. He is solid across the board and can be valuable wherever he ends up. Whether it's the mid card, tags or even the cruiserweights, Young can contribute right away. SAnitY can be a force on the main roster, they just need to get the rest of the projectable talents of their stable up to speed.

The main negative to Young is his age. He’s 37 and that’s no spring chicken in the wrestling game. Because of this, he will probably get passed up for younger talent as they start to show their potential. Young can counter this by showing his versatility and move into different spots. A solid utility player can carve up a nice career for themselves, but because of the currently set limitations, Young will have a tough time finding the main event on Raw or SmackDown.

Young will have an impact (no pun intended). But what you see is what you get. He can be a movable part of the roster that moves up, down and around when needed. His current run as the leader of SAnitY will sadly only last as long as the other members need a leader. That said, Eric could be one of the best utility players in the business.

Projection: Mid Card/Top Cruiserweight

17. Hideo Itami

The former KENTA, is a definite in-ring killer. You can’t deny the hard striking, intense strong style that Itami brought to NXT in 2014 (I’ll come back to that year shortly). Everything Itami does is believable and that alone makes you invest in his matches. He also has a great look about him and maintains great fitness. But that’s basically a must for anyone working the modern Japanese strong style.

2014 folks. The year he debuted, the likes of Kevin Owens, Finn Balor, The Four Horsewomen, Sami Zayn, Neville and Tyler Breeze were making NXT THE hot brand in wrestling. They’re all gone. Nakamura came and went. Samoa Joe. The Revival. American Alpha. Baron Corbin and others have all came and went. And yet, Itami is still in NXT. Injuries have unfortunately wrecked his run thus far and almost completely cut off his momentum. You have to wonder if all the wars he went through before coming to developmental have possibly caught up to him. Itami also is still struggling with his promos, but English is his second language. And if anyone says he should be more advanced at this point, I’d love to see anyone go into another country, learn the language and cut a convincing promo. It ain’t easy folks.

Itami is a little different from other older prospects like Young or Roode. He has so much in ring potential, that you have to wonder if that will get to show for a prolonged period of time. I believe his shot at being a main-eventer is gone. But he can still play a pivotal role in the cruiserweight division if he were to be placed on 205 live. Maybe he can even work his way into the mid card. Hopefully this new side of Itami that has surfaced will rejuvenate his future with the company.

Projection: Cruiserweight/Mid Card

16. Kassius Ohno

Who’s your hero? It’s Chris Hero. Or Kassius Ohno. Whatever he wants to go by one thing is for sure, the matches he puts on are fantastic. As a long time AAW supporter, I had the pleasure of seeing this guy put on "barn burners" with the likes of Ciampa, Gargano and Impact’s Trevor Lee. And anytime you see this guy’s matches, you can’t deny his in-ring talents. Ohno also has the capabilities to cut a solid promo as well. He, like any other talent, needs to be given a solid angle to work with in order to convey the needed emotion. He has the frame work to be a solid contributor to the main roster. But I hope he doesn’t go near it till some things get shored up.

Everyone harps on Ohno’s physique and I get it. I know he’s lost weight and is currently making the needed changes. Obviously, this won’t be an overnight adjustment and will take some time. But hopefully before Kevin Dunn or Vince get a look at him, he will have the weight under control and will be TV ready. One more concern for me has been issues with his back. Ohno admitted that a back injury derailed his last run in NXT and I would hate to see that reappear. His character needs some defining, but he will get that across to the fans the more he appears on TV.

I believe in the in-ring work of Kassius Ohno. The man is a fantastic wrestler with the potential to be a ring general for the company. IF, Ohno makes the needed adjustments and gets back to what he looked like when he was at his best in NXT, Ohno could be a big player. I don’t think he’ll main event pay per views, but could find himself in a similar role as a Cesaro. A position where he is relied upon to have great matches and help elevate other wrestlers around him

Projection: Gate Keeper/Upper Mid Card

Be on the lookout for next week when we run through numbers 15 through 11.

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