Abe Odeh applies his expertise to the WWE NXT UK roster to see who has potential to excel on the main roster shows like Raw and Smackdown.

Since the first United Kingdom Championship Tournament in January of 2017, we have yet to see a single UK star make a full-time jump to the main roster. Although the official WWE  NXT UK brand didn’t kick off until October of last year, there are just some superstars whose proper introduction to the world is long overdue.

We can all agree that the main roster is a bit crowded and some superstars still need to be given a defined role. However, we’ve seen underutilized guys in the past like Jinder Mahal and Mustafa Ali get a push out of nowhere. If another opportunity arises, these men and women will be ready.

The Obvious from WWE NXT UK

Pete Dunne

I don’t understand what’s taking so long. From the moment he won the NXT United Kingdom Championship two years ago, fans have seen his astronomical potential. Pete Dunne has been apart of multiple TakeOvers as well as produced some of the best WWE matches of this generation. He lost his rematch with Walter on WWE NXT UK this week so hopefully there’s already plans for his future in place. There’s really nothing left for him to do in developmental.

Toni Storm

I’d say she’s one of the most universally adored wrestlers in the whole world. Every time she performs it’s like we’re watching the future of women’s wrestling. Toni Storm is a Mae Young Classic winner, current WWE NXT UK Women’s Champion, played a big part in the Evolution pay-per-view, and she’s only 23 years old. There’s nobody like her on NXT or the main roster so she’s sure to make a big splash whenever they’re ready for her.

Tyler Bate

The great thing about Tyler Bate is that he’s capable of being used in a variety of ways. He has the talent to compete on the main shows, could elevate 205 Live, or get over as a tag team with Trent Seven and Moustache Mountain. This is a great time to remind you that he won the inaugural UK Championship Tournament at age 19. He just had a birthday and he’s still younger than Toni Storm.

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Lesser Known, All the Potential from WWE NXT UK

Zack Gibson

There is nobody in the entire company that attracts heat like Liverpool’s Number One. It’s rare to find a guy that can incite a riot just from breathing on a microphone. Gibson is another former UK Tournament winner and would have been my pick to dethrone Pete Dunne if Walter didn’t do it. Back in 2016, he caught my attention just from one triple threat match I watched of his on YouTube. Fast-forward to the 2018 tournament, I was pleasantly surprised to discover he’s even better than I remembered. Making him the inaugural tag champ on NXT UK was 100 percent the correct decision because there’s sure to be even more gold in his future.

Jinny

The Fashionista from Knightsbridge is currently one of my favorite female wrestlers in the business. Where other narcissistic wrestlers are obsessed with themselves, Jinny is different because she carries herself like everybody else is beneath her. Her promos are top-notch. And you’d never be able to tell by watching her but she’s somehow only been wrestling for four years. On NXT UK, Jinny’s recently become a manager to Jazzy Gabert which she’s sure to knock out of the park.

Mark Andrews

He’s such a fantastic wrestler but I don’t see him prospering in Vince’s WWE. Unless Triple H gets more creative freedom, Andrews’ size and style will always limit his ceiling. Andrews would have been a star among the original cruiserweights where Paul London and Brian Kendrick ruled Smackdown’s tag division. That all sounds contradictory to the point of this article but it would have been a crime not to mention him. There should always be a place in wrestling for someone with his talent.

Noam Dar

Dar is the only guy on this list that got to have an extended role on Monday Night Raw back when the cruiserweights were featured on the main roster. Him an Alicia Fox were always entertaining together and looks like a million bucks every time he’s on screen. Noam Dar would have already competed on the main roster’s midcard if it was up to me.

The In-Between

WALTER & Rhea Ripley 

If you asked any UK fan, they’d tell you that they could both flourish on the main roster. And I agree – just not right now. I feel they’d both be better served running the NXT UK brand. WALTER just began what should be a lengthy title reign, especially since there is no foreseeable competition in his way.

Rhea Ripley should win the belt back from Toni Storm and become the first two-time champion. Although she’s just as young as Storm and Bate, she hasn’t been wrestling as long and just came into her new metal persona last year. She’ll always be bigger and stronger than most of the other girls so her future is bright, regardless.