WWE NXT: 5 Superstars on the Rise

Which WWE NXT stars have been improving their stock at Full Sail University?

WWE NXT has gone through various “rebuilding” phases since the 2016 WWE Draft. This saw top talents leave in one fell swoop, along with the subsequent call-ups of Bayley, Samoa Joe, Shinsuke Nakamura and the Revival in the months afterward. It made it clear others had to step up, which took a while, but has finally happened.

We’re seeing new faces across the championship scene for all three titles in NXT, most of which stepped up after NXT TakeOver: Orlando. These stars are taking over not only the No. 1 Contenderships, but the upper-echelon of the roster. It’s representative of the roster steadily being restacked with quality talents that can be seen as viable challengers to titles.

Which Superstars are on the rise, however? Five have been pinpointed as we near TakeOver: Chicago.

WWE.com

5. Hideo Itami

For a WWE NXT career that once had so much promise, Hideo Itami has seen his stock plummet, due to missing most of the past two years with injuries. The time missed has seen the likes of Kevin Owens, Finn Balor, Shinsuke Nakamura, Samoa Joe and Sami Zayn pass him by, moving to the main roster.

However, Itami is finally healthy and being given an opportunity for the NXT Championship. He first has to defeat Roderick Strong, but if you follow the spoilers, you may know how this already goes down.

A title match for Itami would be his first since joining NXT in 2014. He could have had one way before NXT TakeOver: Chicago, but it’s better late than never at this point. The Japanese Sensation could go down again at any point, so NXT might as well give him a shot while healthy for the moment.

A strong showing at TakeOver — if Itami secures the win on this Wednesday’s WWE NXT — would give Itami plenty of momentum and revitalize his stalled career. It’s a potentially risky move by giving him the NXT Championship, but if there’s an opportunity, it’s on May 21.