19. Sami Zayn
Coming in at No. 19 on our countdown is the first example of quite a few talents who haven’t really been used properly since being promoted to the main roster. But that doesn’t mean things can’t change for them in the future. Let’s talk about Sami Zayn.
The former NXT Champion had an amazing run in the black and gold brand, with some calling him the best white-meat babyface of our generation. Unfortunately, since being brought up to the main roster it seems that Vince McMahon doesn’t really know what to do with a talent like Zayn. This isn’t something that should be a surprise; McMahon at his age doesn’t know how to properly book several wrestlers on his extremely deep, very talented roster.
But luckily for us, this countdown isn’t here to talk about present-day WWE. We’re here to talk about its future. And sooner or later, McMahon is going to have to step aside and let his daughter Stephanie McMahon and her husband Triple H (who already runs NXT) take over the reins to the ship. When this happens, it will be time for talents like Zayn to once again show the world what made them so great in NXT to begin with.
We need to look no further than the NXT brand itself over the last several years to see just how many wrestlers were ruined by Mr. McMahon since being brought up to the main part of his roster. Just because they are suffering now doesn’t mean it will last forever.
We have hope if Zayn can stick it out that he will be an integral part of the WWE brand for years to come. We all deserve to see more the Zayn who feuded with Kevin Owens and less of the one being stuck in Corey Graves’ Electric Chair.