It’s time to look back on what was, to put it politely, an eventful year in NXT. Let’s kick it off by fondly remembering six released superstars we’ll miss the most.

6. Keith Lee: He left over a year ago, but to me Lee is still NXT. It’s where he did his best work. This has been said many times before: he will go down as one of the biggest botched call ups in WWE history. I’ll never understand how he didn’t accomplish more, other than getting new ring gear and a nickname. Sleep easy, Bearcat. You will always be Limitless to me. 

5. Ember Moon: There was a stretch in 2021 when Moon was arguably the best wrestler in the best woman’s division in the world. If a wrestling company doesn’t want someone who is beloved by the fans and produces top quality in-ring work, then I don’t know what they want. And it should have been Moon in War Games this year defending the old school. Imagine that. Booking that makes sense. What a concept.

4. Ever-Rise: These guys worked their asses off in 2020. They were on 205 Live. They were on NXT. They were pandemic all-stars, showing up anywhere the E needed a goofball heel team to do the job. They were treated like losers and they still got over. You know why? Yes, you do. Because Ever-Rise RULES!!! It’s a damn shame they never even got a cup of coffee with the tag belts. After all, they had their own mugs. 

3. Bronson Reed: Athletic big man? Check. Rock solid in ring? Check. Good story? Check. Built like Roman Re…ummmmm. Don’t give me that crap about how he’s “too old” at 33 and they want younger wrestlers. There’s nothing wrong with only getting seven good years from a guy who got himself over the old fashioned way: between the ropes. You can sell a lot of t-shirts in seven years.   

2. Aleister Black: It was painfully obvious from the moment Black was introduced as “guy in closet” that WWE had no idea what to do with him. And who can blame them? It must be tough writing for one of the best strikers in the business. With a great presence. And a well developed character. Booking Black must have been as hard as writing recipes that contained cheese.    

1. Swerve Scott:  WWE is desperate to attract a younger audience, so what do they do? Cut the guy who actually performs the actual rap music that a younger audience actually listens to!!! Of all the wrestlers who got their future endeavors in 2021, Swerve is the one that most makes WWE look completely out of touch. But I will put some of this on Swerve’s shoulders. He should have been more Samoan.

Now that I’ve gotten that out of my system, I promise the other lists will only focus on the absolute best of the best…which is what NXT used to do.