Performing for WWE is a goal that many professional wrestlers strive for. To make it to the main roster an aspiring pro wrestler must first prove themselves in NXT, which is highly acclaimed for its sense of competition. There are a few independent wrestlers who stand out and could make a fantastic addition to the NXT roster.
Anybody who is a fan of professional wrestling can not deny the fact that WWE NXT has been on fire lately. Triple H has done a great job adding some of the best talent from all over the world to their roster over the past few years.
Stars such as Finn Balor, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Hideo Itami, and Bobby Roode to name a few have all joined WWE through NXT. With recent additions to NXT such as Ricochet and War Machine, it is safe to say this trend will continue.
There are currently hundreds of extremely talented wrestlers on the independent circuit, and there are a few that stick out to me that would fit into the NXT mix quite well.
Travis Banks
Travis Banks, known as The Kiwi Buzz saw, took the British Independent wrestling scene by storm in 2017. Banks is known for his diverse style mixing high flying, strong style, and technical wrestling.
Banks is the current PROGRESS World Heavyweight Champion winning the belt from current WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne. I think Banks would be a good fit in NXT if he is booked in feuds with guys like Adam Cole and Aleister Black. There is a possibility of many excellent matches between either one of these competitors.
In 2017 Banks competed in the states for companies such as ROH, PWG and EVOLVE. In England he is a regular in some of the most prominent independent companies such as Defiant and Revolution Pro. The above video is one of my favorite Travis banks matches where he squares off against Ricochet.
Matt Riddle
Matt Riddle is another independent star who I believe would not only thrive in NXT, but I think could prosper on the main roster. Riddle originally competed in the UFC before he became a professional wrestler.
Right now the WWE seems to be trying to pick up crossover athletes such as Shayna Braszler, and of course with Ronda Rousey showing up at the Royal Rumble. I could see Riddle having quality with the likes of Samoa Joe, Pete Dunne, Johnny Gargano or Roderick Strong.
Riddle is a battle tested athlete who has performed all over the world. Riddle has competed in some of the most Intense matches I have seen in my 30 plus years watching wrestling. In PROGRESS Wrestling Riddle is a former Atlas Champion having some classic matches with Walter for the title. In the video above Riddle is facing Cody in England.
(Editor’s Note: There’s an elephant in the room when it comes to Riddle joining WWE, though he did give other reasons for why he isn’t interesting in signing with them right now.)
Keith Lee
When speaking about top Independent stars in the business, you have to put Keith Lee’s name in that conversation. Lee is known around the world as one of the most agile big men on the independent circuit today. When I was a kid wrestlers came in all shapes and sizes. For a long time after the Monday night war era was over WWE was using talent that fit a certain mold and body type. There were exceptions of course, but now it seems the dawn of the big man is upon us once again. With that being said I think this is a perfect time for Lee to get signed by NXT.
Lee is physically strong, but I have seen him use the type of agility that is very uncommon with his large stature. He has also wrestled all over the world and is the current WWN Live World Champion. Lee won this title in a brutal last man standing match with Matt Riddle at EVOLVE 95. I could see Lee doing big things in NXT including being the champion.
Personally, I would love to see Lee battle stars such as Braun Strowman, Kevin Owens or even Brock Lesnar. On this slide is a video of Lee vs. Donovan Dijak in just one of the epic battles the two have had.
David Starr
Anyone who follows American or British independent wrestling regularly is familiar with “The Product” David Starr. If Dean Malenko is the man of 1,000 holds then Starr is the man of a thousand nicknames. Starr seems to be on nearly every independent show I watch from PROGRESS and Defiant in England to Beyond and AAW in the states. Personally I feel Starr is one of the most entertaining men in the business. I often find myself laughing when Starr is on the microphone.
I could see Starr getting real heel heat in NXT or the main roster. Between his promos and his amazing in ring ability I think signing him would be a huge win for WWE and he could have feuds with any baby face in the company. Below is a video of Starr taking on Jay Lethal from last summer at the Pro Wrestling World Cup.
Next: Wrestlemainia Weekend Goes Beyond Just WWE
Right now one could argue that independent wrestling is the most popular it has ever been. With companies like Impact Wrestling who seem to be signing many stars from the indie scene and companies like NJPW planning on focusing on gaining American fans to their product, WWE will look to continue to sign independent stars to maintain their vast lead on other promotions.