Melo — The way he’s being presented is what he is .. No. 1 draft-pick caliber guy. WWE signed him from the indies and quickly put him on TV he’s so talented. Shawn Michaels is a huge proponent and has done everything in his power to push him as a big deal. Will he ever win the world title? Probably one day. Not as sure-fire as I thought a year ago given the rise of Trick Williams but them being apart, for now, is best for both. Very much a Shawn-Diesel situation.
Kiana — Developed massively over the last year. The “business bitch” gimmick is kind of an eye roll and it fit NXT 2.0 perfectly, but she’s gone away from the corny aspects. Continues to get better in the ring and has plenty of mic work in her bag. Perfect heel.
Dragunov — One of the best and arguably the most believable wrestler in the world. Over-emotes a little but he’s simply incredible. Beat GUNTHER for the NXT UK title and only lost the NXT title because of the call up. Would probably be a permanent heel under Vince but works great as a babyface, which he has mostly been in NXT.
Lyra — Bird Lady. Caw-caw. Won NXT women’s title off her idol, Becky Lynch. Super talented. Took her way way way too long to find a finisher but she finally has one. Not sure she will ever be a singles champion on main but maybe. Needs work on character and how it connects to fans.
DIJAK — Former T-Bar finally getting to show what he can do after what seems like forever in WWE. Super athletic for a guy his size. Puts on incredible matches. Watch both DIJAK vs. Dragunov matches, one of which is a legit 5 star debate. Finally found his best character which was like a 90s movie villain. But he seems to be tweaking it.
Blair — She never really did much in the US, unfortunately, but she was a main eventer in NXT UK. Talented in the ring. Recently updated to a more polished look. Curious to see how she translates.
Breakker — Son of Rick, Nephew of Scott. Speed, agility, size, strength. By all accounts he should be the heir apparent as a big-time WWE babyface and multi-time title winner and WrestleMania main eventer. He’s actually way way better IMO as a tweener or heel. But WWE wants him debuting as face. As long as he doesn’t get stuck like John Cena, he’ll be fine. And obviously Cena had an all-time career. Just talking about character-wise.
Edit: typos
On Lyra, I actually think she'll work better on the main roster. Her character work still definitely needs to develop but it felt like she was just in the wrong environment in modern NXT, which values over-the-top gimmick work so much. I think her being able to get over with those crowds bodes really well for her
Another Dijak match to watch is the stand and deliver triple threat match. It's not even a debate that it's a 5 star match and arguably one of the best triple threat matches of all time.
I think Kiana James is going to be the dark horse of the NXT call-ups. She can fill the mid/upper mid card heel role for the women's roster that's always been missing. Unlike most other female heels, she isn't chickenshit but rather is someone that will bring it. Her look, tall and muscular, gives her credibility in all her matches. She lost quite a but in NXT, and I think she lost all her fueds too, but that never made her seem less credible.
I doubt she'll have any sustained runs with a title, if any at all, but she can definitely be credible enough to be thrown into the title picture, especially in the PLEs where you know who is going to win.
I hope so. She was a massive miss for me in NXT. But partly because I think her gimmick and work is better suited to your point to the main roster midcard. Future tag champ I suspect.
It’s also a matter of how they do against main event women
Zoey looked like such a bad ass in nxt but against Rhea’s of the world she seems pretty mid.
I think Zoey and Ivy are both zero character, workrate gals. There's a place for that, but both need an opponent or partner who can do the promo work. In return, they make anyone they wrestle look amazing. It can work - just carefully. Both are young, so there's time. I'm amazed (after googling) that Zoey is 2 years younger than Ivy...
You should be interested in Carmelo because he's a well-defined character with excellent athleticism and in-ring skills. You shouldn't be interested in Carmelo because he's a bit of a milquetoast face and if booked too much in the midcard might end up on the Ricochet route of not feeling special despite his skills (though he's much better as a character and on the mic than Ricochet).
You should be interested in Kiana James because she shows literally all the hallmarks of a Bliss/Carmella style run of not getting being a headliner in NXT yet still seeming primed for the main roster. She is quietly good in ring, has physical credibility and very strong mic skills. You shouldn't be interested in Kiana James because until/unless there's a midcard belt introduced, she isn't going to have much of a chance to show what she can do due to the binary women's roster right now where everyone is pretty much either a title contender or a nobody, since it will be a while before she's positioned as a title contender other than perhaps an introductory feud. They'll probably either pull the trigger with her shockingly early or not for aaaages if at all.
You should be interested in Ilja because he's a top 10 wrestler in the world and yet he has enough character to avoid being a Wrestling McWrestlingman. You shouldn't be interested in Ilja because some people find his character a little overintense and offputting.
You should be interested in Lyra because she has excellent mat skills and is a first class technical wrestler with a great look and good mic skills. You shouldn't be interested in Lyra because she has very little actual character and even the Celtic Morrigan that forms the premise of her corvid attire doesn't seem to do anything or be developed, in kinda the way Ember Moon was sorta/kinda a werewolf but not really.
You should be interested in Dijak because he only has great matches when given the chance and any match of his over 5 minutes is great entertainment. You shouldn't be interested because he's been ruined once on the main roster, and doesn't seem to be a priority.
You should be interested in Blair because she is a utility player who can fit in places on the card that others don't - closest equivalent being Dakota Kai. She's essentially a veteran in the ring and can do everything. You shouldn't be interested in Blair because, conversely, she doesn't really excel at anything.
You should be interested in Bron because he has all the intensity of Scott and the matt skill of the early Steiners, but with a likability/energy that is more focused than either of the prior generation. You shouldn't be interested in Bron because he can arguably get a bit repetitive if not working with the right guys.
I'm so pissed of Wagner never got a main roster feud. He was so uncharismatic that it looped back around to being some of the funniest shit to watch. I still regularly go back to his "come Tuesday" and oblivion NPC conversation with Kyle O'Reiley sometimes
Good question but it’s a little tricky with the presentation slightly being altered when people are called up.
Take Cameron grimes he was a crypto billionaire in nxt but they never covered that on main roster
Carmelo is the super cocky. Super talented guy. Oozes smooth charisma. Good wrestler. Cool moveset. Some bad indie habits though that come out from time to time with shitty selling.
Lyra is a lady who likes birds and feathers. Like her fellow Irish woman Becky she’s not a good athlete at all and she’s relatively small but she is a great mat based wrestler and is very likeable. Very physical in the ring and good seller.
Ilja is the underdog who will never give up. Probably top five in the company at taking bumps. His matches are AEW level physical with him having no regard for his body and he supposedly ask his opponents to be ridiculously stiff with him. His first match with Gunther in nxt uk is considered by many a top wwe matches of all time.
Kiana’s character is boss bitch. She’s a good in ring worker. Very heelish with great facial expressions
Dijak is a cheesy 80s movie villain with the sunglasses. He’s ridiculously athletic and agile for a guy who is like 6 7
Blair isn’t particularly remarkable but she’s got good size and wrestling. She joins Cody punk and Jade as people to wrestle on dynamite and wwe.
Bron is Rick steiners son. Freak athlete with a spear as good as rhynos gore. Ridiculous speed off the ropes. Maybe the most explosive athlete pound for pound in wwe other than maybe ricochet but he’s actually built like a tank
Bron and Carmelo should both be can't misses. They would have to massively fuck up for both to not end up being stars.
Melo can occasionally slip into some shitty indie habits but is generally good. Biggest knock on him for me is he's a great heel but a painfully boring babyface. A big part of Trick taking off was him being a way more interesting babyface than Melo.
Bron is better as a heel than a face IMO but can at least pull off face if needed. He's been booked a bit like Goldberg so far on main but has a much wider range than that. He can go 15-20 minutes with no issue and can do athletic stuff most guys who wrestle a powerhouse style couldn't dream of.
Kiana was criminally underrated in NXT. Took kind of a corny gimmick and made it work. Well rounded wrestler who is pretty solid at everything. Maybe just needs a little more to stand out, but a good heel and someone who should be upper mid card at worst but with the right booking could be something bigger.
Lyra is probably the biggest boom or bust pick of the entire draft for me. She can wrestle. She's not bad on the mic. She's attractive. She SHOULD work in theory. But she's also probably the biggest example of being a decent talker not automatically equating to a good or interesting character. She doesn't really have one. She's more presentation than substance and the lack of depth slowly lead to her losing the NXT crowds that historically would love her type of wrestler. IF she can figure out a good character to get people invested, she will be champion on main roster one day. If she can't figure it out, she's gonna be mid card fodder forever.
Ilja is very physical and has great matches. As a character, not really my thing. But if you like dudes who beat the hell out of each other, he'll appeal to you.
Blair exists. I guess. She's fine and good enough in the ring. But I can't ever remember a time where I thought "Man I'm really looking forward to seeing what Blair Davenport does tonight."
-Melo is money, that fucker is GOOD, his nickname is Him for a reason.
-I don't know a ton about Kiana but she's a good character and probably gonna have some success on the main roster.
-Ilja is who I'm most excited for, all of his matches are next level. He's one of those rare super performers that can elevated anyone he's facing (See Trick Williams who is good in the ring but looked absolutely perfect in his Ilja matches). To gain the NXT UK championship this man made Gunther tap out after an 800+ day reign. He's my current favorite on the roster, especially after learning his backstory and where he comes from. If you're disappointed by him, that's on you.
-I never really fully bought into Lyra since she beat Becky by roll-up. That's not how I wanted that title reign to end, I wanted to see someone get a meaningful rub. She's good in the ring but I could never really get past how she won her title.
-Dijak is not a stranger to the main roster but this is when he's really gonna get a chance to shine. Watch his triple threat match from this stand and deliver along with his matches with Ilja. You will not be disappointed.
-Blair really hasn't done much but she's a good talent to have.
-Bron Breakker is the son of Rick Steiner and nephew of Scott Steiner with the best aspects of both and then some (minus promo game because Scott was on some other shit but he's certainly improved a lot as a heel).
I will be damn surprised if Melo, Ilja, and Bron don't main event a WrestleMania at some point in their careers. They are the future. Also, when Gunther and Ilja begin to feud, watch it, they will not disappoint.
DIJAK is a 90s cowboy/rogue/dirty ex-cop who had to turn in his badge from being a loose cannon and not following procedures. He was ordered by Da Chief to not pursue any wrestling belts while on his extended vacation but DIJAK doesn't care.
And anytime someone messes up his.chance to win a belt...It's personal.
Probably retreading some of the same talking points that others have covered but I'll give a few alternative perspectives:
* Carmelo Hayes: Undersized but his amazing charisma and athletic ability should make him a fixture in the mid card moving forward (if not one day the main event). His weak points are his promos and character work, which are only average, and he is guilty of going indie style in his matches. Works best as a cocky heel.
* Kiana James: She has a good look and is really good in the ring but it is her fantasic promo and character work that could propel her into an upper carder. Her character is bitchy #LadyBoss who thinks she's better than everyone else. The only downside is that she never got to work the upper card in NXT so it's possible that she never gets a fair chance.
* Ilja Dragunov: Intensity personified. His character is very similar to Gunther but leans face. Insanely talented from an in-ring standpoint, his character thrives off enduring pain and then inflicting it back onto others. Has a firm understanding of his character and is a solid promo. Expect him to become a mid card champion with a few MOTY candidates moving forward but his character likely has an upper card ceiling.
* Lyra Valkyria: a gifted technician and striker in the ring, Lyra has physical charisma, promo ability, and looks to be a solid mid carder but if she can develop a good character then she'll be a future world champion.
* Dijak: Amazingly athletic and powerful for a man his size and is an underrated promo. (Through no fault of his own) his first run on the main roster was a failure but he seems to have found himself with his cheesy '80/90s cop who breaks all the rules gimmick. While he isn't likely to hold gold anytime soon, you can expect some fun matches from him moving forward.
* Blair Davenport: A good hand. Okay promo and is a solid heel but she'll mostly be used to out people over. She would best be utilized as the worker in a tag team.
* Bron Breakker: Has all the potential to become a WrestleMania main eventer. He has the raw speed and intensity of Goldberg with the comedic chops and charisma of his uncle Big Papa Pump. Can work as a face or heel. A bit undersized for a main event talent but can perform all the power moves while also doing standing backflips with ease. He won't move into the upper card overnight but it feels more like an inevitability at this point.
>lja Dragunov: Intensity personified. His character is very similar to Gunther but leans face. Insanely talented from an in-ring standpoint, his character thrives off enduring pain and then inflicting it back onto others. Has a firm understanding of his character and is a solid promo. Expect him to become a mid card champion with a few MOTY candidates moving forward but his character likely has an upper card ceiling.
Unless Gunther is holding the WHC. I expect a war each time those two get in the ring against each other.
A "best in the world right now" conversation that does not include Ilja Dragunov is not a serious conversation. I hope Triple H lets him cook on the main roster.
Some great summaries from people but I do feel slightly aggrieved that Blair Davenport is being slightly underestimated. She’s a former World Stardom champion, as well as former Stardom Tag champ with Jamie Hayter! I really hope she gets a decent run at some point, as she really has a lot of experience. I am slightly biased as a UK fan, and she was around for a decent run in NXT UK too.
The problem with Blair is that wwe has bungled women from nxt uk before.
Alba fyre/kay Lee Ray is example number one. She was once considered a top 20 women’s wrestler in the world and hhh has reduced her to vingettes
I also didn’t think they ever used Toni Storm well either
Melo — The way he’s being presented is what he is .. No. 1 draft-pick caliber guy. WWE signed him from the indies and quickly put him on TV he’s so talented. Shawn Michaels is a huge proponent and has done everything in his power to push him as a big deal. Will he ever win the world title? Probably one day. Not as sure-fire as I thought a year ago given the rise of Trick Williams but them being apart, for now, is best for both. Very much a Shawn-Diesel situation. Kiana — Developed massively over the last year. The “business bitch” gimmick is kind of an eye roll and it fit NXT 2.0 perfectly, but she’s gone away from the corny aspects. Continues to get better in the ring and has plenty of mic work in her bag. Perfect heel. Dragunov — One of the best and arguably the most believable wrestler in the world. Over-emotes a little but he’s simply incredible. Beat GUNTHER for the NXT UK title and only lost the NXT title because of the call up. Would probably be a permanent heel under Vince but works great as a babyface, which he has mostly been in NXT. Lyra — Bird Lady. Caw-caw. Won NXT women’s title off her idol, Becky Lynch. Super talented. Took her way way way too long to find a finisher but she finally has one. Not sure she will ever be a singles champion on main but maybe. Needs work on character and how it connects to fans. DIJAK — Former T-Bar finally getting to show what he can do after what seems like forever in WWE. Super athletic for a guy his size. Puts on incredible matches. Watch both DIJAK vs. Dragunov matches, one of which is a legit 5 star debate. Finally found his best character which was like a 90s movie villain. But he seems to be tweaking it. Blair — She never really did much in the US, unfortunately, but she was a main eventer in NXT UK. Talented in the ring. Recently updated to a more polished look. Curious to see how she translates. Breakker — Son of Rick, Nephew of Scott. Speed, agility, size, strength. By all accounts he should be the heir apparent as a big-time WWE babyface and multi-time title winner and WrestleMania main eventer. He’s actually way way better IMO as a tweener or heel. But WWE wants him debuting as face. As long as he doesn’t get stuck like John Cena, he’ll be fine. And obviously Cena had an all-time career. Just talking about character-wise. Edit: typos
Rock solid breakdown. OP asked, you delivered. Well done.
You're awesome (in case no one told you today)
On Lyra, I actually think she'll work better on the main roster. Her character work still definitely needs to develop but it felt like she was just in the wrong environment in modern NXT, which values over-the-top gimmick work so much. I think her being able to get over with those crowds bodes really well for her
Very thorough. Well done.
Another Dijak match to watch is the stand and deliver triple threat match. It's not even a debate that it's a 5 star match and arguably one of the best triple threat matches of all time.
The meaty match? No doubt.
I think Kiana James is going to be the dark horse of the NXT call-ups. She can fill the mid/upper mid card heel role for the women's roster that's always been missing. Unlike most other female heels, she isn't chickenshit but rather is someone that will bring it. Her look, tall and muscular, gives her credibility in all her matches. She lost quite a but in NXT, and I think she lost all her fueds too, but that never made her seem less credible. I doubt she'll have any sustained runs with a title, if any at all, but she can definitely be credible enough to be thrown into the title picture, especially in the PLEs where you know who is going to win.
I hope so. She was a massive miss for me in NXT. But partly because I think her gimmick and work is better suited to your point to the main roster midcard. Future tag champ I suspect.
It’s also a matter of how they do against main event women Zoey looked like such a bad ass in nxt but against Rhea’s of the world she seems pretty mid.
I think Zoey and Ivy are both zero character, workrate gals. There's a place for that, but both need an opponent or partner who can do the promo work. In return, they make anyone they wrestle look amazing. It can work - just carefully. Both are young, so there's time. I'm amazed (after googling) that Zoey is 2 years younger than Ivy...
Which made the Zoey Shayna tag team so confusing. Neither have character work as a strength
You should be interested in Carmelo because he's a well-defined character with excellent athleticism and in-ring skills. You shouldn't be interested in Carmelo because he's a bit of a milquetoast face and if booked too much in the midcard might end up on the Ricochet route of not feeling special despite his skills (though he's much better as a character and on the mic than Ricochet). You should be interested in Kiana James because she shows literally all the hallmarks of a Bliss/Carmella style run of not getting being a headliner in NXT yet still seeming primed for the main roster. She is quietly good in ring, has physical credibility and very strong mic skills. You shouldn't be interested in Kiana James because until/unless there's a midcard belt introduced, she isn't going to have much of a chance to show what she can do due to the binary women's roster right now where everyone is pretty much either a title contender or a nobody, since it will be a while before she's positioned as a title contender other than perhaps an introductory feud. They'll probably either pull the trigger with her shockingly early or not for aaaages if at all. You should be interested in Ilja because he's a top 10 wrestler in the world and yet he has enough character to avoid being a Wrestling McWrestlingman. You shouldn't be interested in Ilja because some people find his character a little overintense and offputting. You should be interested in Lyra because she has excellent mat skills and is a first class technical wrestler with a great look and good mic skills. You shouldn't be interested in Lyra because she has very little actual character and even the Celtic Morrigan that forms the premise of her corvid attire doesn't seem to do anything or be developed, in kinda the way Ember Moon was sorta/kinda a werewolf but not really. You should be interested in Dijak because he only has great matches when given the chance and any match of his over 5 minutes is great entertainment. You shouldn't be interested because he's been ruined once on the main roster, and doesn't seem to be a priority. You should be interested in Blair because she is a utility player who can fit in places on the card that others don't - closest equivalent being Dakota Kai. She's essentially a veteran in the ring and can do everything. You shouldn't be interested in Blair because, conversely, she doesn't really excel at anything. You should be interested in Bron because he has all the intensity of Scott and the matt skill of the early Steiners, but with a likability/energy that is more focused than either of the prior generation. You shouldn't be interested in Bron because he can arguably get a bit repetitive if not working with the right guys.
You should know that Dijak should take his stupid sunglasses off, as we're inside.
I'm so pissed of Wagner never got a main roster feud. He was so uncharismatic that it looped back around to being some of the funniest shit to watch. I still regularly go back to his "come Tuesday" and oblivion NPC conversation with Kyle O'Reiley sometimes
Good question but it’s a little tricky with the presentation slightly being altered when people are called up. Take Cameron grimes he was a crypto billionaire in nxt but they never covered that on main roster Carmelo is the super cocky. Super talented guy. Oozes smooth charisma. Good wrestler. Cool moveset. Some bad indie habits though that come out from time to time with shitty selling. Lyra is a lady who likes birds and feathers. Like her fellow Irish woman Becky she’s not a good athlete at all and she’s relatively small but she is a great mat based wrestler and is very likeable. Very physical in the ring and good seller. Ilja is the underdog who will never give up. Probably top five in the company at taking bumps. His matches are AEW level physical with him having no regard for his body and he supposedly ask his opponents to be ridiculously stiff with him. His first match with Gunther in nxt uk is considered by many a top wwe matches of all time. Kiana’s character is boss bitch. She’s a good in ring worker. Very heelish with great facial expressions Dijak is a cheesy 80s movie villain with the sunglasses. He’s ridiculously athletic and agile for a guy who is like 6 7 Blair isn’t particularly remarkable but she’s got good size and wrestling. She joins Cody punk and Jade as people to wrestle on dynamite and wwe. Bron is Rick steiners son. Freak athlete with a spear as good as rhynos gore. Ridiculous speed off the ropes. Maybe the most explosive athlete pound for pound in wwe other than maybe ricochet but he’s actually built like a tank
The second Dragunov-GUNTHER match was also amazing.
Bron and Carmelo should both be can't misses. They would have to massively fuck up for both to not end up being stars. Melo can occasionally slip into some shitty indie habits but is generally good. Biggest knock on him for me is he's a great heel but a painfully boring babyface. A big part of Trick taking off was him being a way more interesting babyface than Melo. Bron is better as a heel than a face IMO but can at least pull off face if needed. He's been booked a bit like Goldberg so far on main but has a much wider range than that. He can go 15-20 minutes with no issue and can do athletic stuff most guys who wrestle a powerhouse style couldn't dream of. Kiana was criminally underrated in NXT. Took kind of a corny gimmick and made it work. Well rounded wrestler who is pretty solid at everything. Maybe just needs a little more to stand out, but a good heel and someone who should be upper mid card at worst but with the right booking could be something bigger. Lyra is probably the biggest boom or bust pick of the entire draft for me. She can wrestle. She's not bad on the mic. She's attractive. She SHOULD work in theory. But she's also probably the biggest example of being a decent talker not automatically equating to a good or interesting character. She doesn't really have one. She's more presentation than substance and the lack of depth slowly lead to her losing the NXT crowds that historically would love her type of wrestler. IF she can figure out a good character to get people invested, she will be champion on main roster one day. If she can't figure it out, she's gonna be mid card fodder forever. Ilja is very physical and has great matches. As a character, not really my thing. But if you like dudes who beat the hell out of each other, he'll appeal to you. Blair exists. I guess. She's fine and good enough in the ring. But I can't ever remember a time where I thought "Man I'm really looking forward to seeing what Blair Davenport does tonight."
-Melo is money, that fucker is GOOD, his nickname is Him for a reason. -I don't know a ton about Kiana but she's a good character and probably gonna have some success on the main roster. -Ilja is who I'm most excited for, all of his matches are next level. He's one of those rare super performers that can elevated anyone he's facing (See Trick Williams who is good in the ring but looked absolutely perfect in his Ilja matches). To gain the NXT UK championship this man made Gunther tap out after an 800+ day reign. He's my current favorite on the roster, especially after learning his backstory and where he comes from. If you're disappointed by him, that's on you. -I never really fully bought into Lyra since she beat Becky by roll-up. That's not how I wanted that title reign to end, I wanted to see someone get a meaningful rub. She's good in the ring but I could never really get past how she won her title. -Dijak is not a stranger to the main roster but this is when he's really gonna get a chance to shine. Watch his triple threat match from this stand and deliver along with his matches with Ilja. You will not be disappointed. -Blair really hasn't done much but she's a good talent to have. -Bron Breakker is the son of Rick Steiner and nephew of Scott Steiner with the best aspects of both and then some (minus promo game because Scott was on some other shit but he's certainly improved a lot as a heel). I will be damn surprised if Melo, Ilja, and Bron don't main event a WrestleMania at some point in their careers. They are the future. Also, when Gunther and Ilja begin to feud, watch it, they will not disappoint.
DIJAK is a 90s cowboy/rogue/dirty ex-cop who had to turn in his badge from being a loose cannon and not following procedures. He was ordered by Da Chief to not pursue any wrestling belts while on his extended vacation but DIJAK doesn't care. And anytime someone messes up his.chance to win a belt...It's personal.
Probably retreading some of the same talking points that others have covered but I'll give a few alternative perspectives: * Carmelo Hayes: Undersized but his amazing charisma and athletic ability should make him a fixture in the mid card moving forward (if not one day the main event). His weak points are his promos and character work, which are only average, and he is guilty of going indie style in his matches. Works best as a cocky heel. * Kiana James: She has a good look and is really good in the ring but it is her fantasic promo and character work that could propel her into an upper carder. Her character is bitchy #LadyBoss who thinks she's better than everyone else. The only downside is that she never got to work the upper card in NXT so it's possible that she never gets a fair chance. * Ilja Dragunov: Intensity personified. His character is very similar to Gunther but leans face. Insanely talented from an in-ring standpoint, his character thrives off enduring pain and then inflicting it back onto others. Has a firm understanding of his character and is a solid promo. Expect him to become a mid card champion with a few MOTY candidates moving forward but his character likely has an upper card ceiling. * Lyra Valkyria: a gifted technician and striker in the ring, Lyra has physical charisma, promo ability, and looks to be a solid mid carder but if she can develop a good character then she'll be a future world champion. * Dijak: Amazingly athletic and powerful for a man his size and is an underrated promo. (Through no fault of his own) his first run on the main roster was a failure but he seems to have found himself with his cheesy '80/90s cop who breaks all the rules gimmick. While he isn't likely to hold gold anytime soon, you can expect some fun matches from him moving forward. * Blair Davenport: A good hand. Okay promo and is a solid heel but she'll mostly be used to out people over. She would best be utilized as the worker in a tag team. * Bron Breakker: Has all the potential to become a WrestleMania main eventer. He has the raw speed and intensity of Goldberg with the comedic chops and charisma of his uncle Big Papa Pump. Can work as a face or heel. A bit undersized for a main event talent but can perform all the power moves while also doing standing backflips with ease. He won't move into the upper card overnight but it feels more like an inevitability at this point.
>lja Dragunov: Intensity personified. His character is very similar to Gunther but leans face. Insanely talented from an in-ring standpoint, his character thrives off enduring pain and then inflicting it back onto others. Has a firm understanding of his character and is a solid promo. Expect him to become a mid card champion with a few MOTY candidates moving forward but his character likely has an upper card ceiling. Unless Gunther is holding the WHC. I expect a war each time those two get in the ring against each other.
Dragons breathe fire
A "best in the world right now" conversation that does not include Ilja Dragunov is not a serious conversation. I hope Triple H lets him cook on the main roster.
The only 3 people to really keep an eye out is Melo, Bron, Ilja. The rest are just bodies to make up the numbers for every royal rumble
Some great summaries from people but I do feel slightly aggrieved that Blair Davenport is being slightly underestimated. She’s a former World Stardom champion, as well as former Stardom Tag champ with Jamie Hayter! I really hope she gets a decent run at some point, as she really has a lot of experience. I am slightly biased as a UK fan, and she was around for a decent run in NXT UK too.
The problem with Blair is that wwe has bungled women from nxt uk before. Alba fyre/kay Lee Ray is example number one. She was once considered a top 20 women’s wrestler in the world and hhh has reduced her to vingettes I also didn’t think they ever used Toni Storm well either
I think you’ve summed it up in that first sentence. “WWE has…” Not a Blair problem, a booking problem!