The Ultimate NXT Draft Review: 31-40

In June of 2016, so now nearly two and a half years ago, Lukewarm Jonah and I got together to do an NXT Fantasy Draft. We are going to focus on the NXT roster as the transition from NXT to the main roster or just the progression within NXT provides some fascinating talking points. Although we did a fairly good job, there were definitely some big time misses and some amazing steals. We've already broken down the top 30, and now we get to 31-40 which may be our weakest group of picks throughout this entire draft.

31. Joe selects Liv Morgan

Jonah: Liv Morgan is another very good pick.  I thought she was very talented in the ring, but her gimmick was that she was from New Jersey and she was dating Enzo Amore.  I mean that’s about as terrible as one person can be. Her joining the Riot Squad and never mentioning New Jersey again has been a big step forward for her, and she dropped a couple hundred pounds of worthless crap by breaking up with Enzo.  The future is bright for Liv, the Riot Squad is a super weak evil group, but it has helped Liv move on and I think she’s a great pick. I would move her up in a redraft.

Joe: You’re actually higher on Liv Morgan than I am due to the fact that her only personality trait is pink tongue. I’m not saying she has no personality, just that she has not been given any chance to show one so it’s hard for me to see a bright future. I’m good with the pick as opposed to impressed by it.

Jonah: Not from New Jersey, not dating Enzo, that’s a great gimmick.

32-33. Jonah selects Sawyer Fulton and Rich Swann

Joe: Both gone, but at least they are midcard talents in MLW.

Jonah: I told you Sawyer Fulton was full of potential and you laughed.  Now he’s killing it in MLW after being a founding member of Sanity. If he doesn’t get hurt there, he’s the next Roman Reigns, fact.  Rich Swann was awesome and was a cruiserweight champion. He was super charismatic and excellent in the ring. If this was the NFL, they would have suspended him for two weeks and he would have already re-won the Cruiserweight Championship.  But he got fired for putting his hands on a woman, and even though the charges were dropped, I’m glad the WWE actually showed a little bit of guts by releasing him. However, Swann was a great pick here, he went up to the main roster and won a championship and was over.  Pretty damn good for the 30s.

Joe: Let’s skip over the value that two guys that are gone provided, despite one winning a less prestigious championship than the Hardcore Title and move on to “the WWE actually showed a little bit of guts by releasing him.” Maybe I’m being too cynical, but this gives the WWE WAAAAAAAAAAAY too much credit. Rich Swann was a disposable talent in their eyes, and that is why they made an example of him. It also seems like a very good possibility that they saw him as disposable because they don’t give a shit about black talent. Randy Orton could punt a woman’s head on camera, and he’d still keep his job while WWE says they take these issues on in a case-by-case basis.

Jonah: Randy Orton has a disability, IED, he just can’t control himself.

34-35. Joe selects Blake and Murphy

Jonah: Wesley Blake has been re-branded as a Forgotten Son.  I’m not sure how well the gimmick will go, but at least he’s on NXT TV and winning matches.  There are a lot worse places to be. Also, at least he knocked up Sara Lee. This is about the right place for him to get drafted in a redraft.  Buddy Murphy is the Cruiserweight Champion, he really reinvented himself to become a cruiserweight singles competitor. I’m not sure how far he’ll get or how long his career as a cruiserweight in the title picture will be, but he’s done well for himself.  He definitely moves up in the redraft, if only to talk to him about how to pick up women because he’s been in a years long relationship with Alexa Bliss. The man has literally invaluable knowledge.

Joe: These dudes FUCK, and that makes them great picks. The Forgotten Sons have been forgettable so far, but eh, it’s something. Meanwhile, Buddy Murphy has been stealing the show at the last few pay per views and is probably only behind Daniel Bryan for his ability to wrestle as a heel as he combines some bending of the rules with just straight up wrestling talent. I think he’s going to have a good run at 205 Live, but I’m hoping to see him make the transition to the Raw/Smackdown level in a year or so.

Also, Buddy Murphy’s secret to get hot chicks is that he’s a super buff and athletic guy with an accent. Ladies tend to like that combination.

Jonah: 0 for 3, better move to another country so I’m 1 for 3.

36-37. Jonah selects Sara Lee and King Constantine
Joe: Both gone, but at least Sara Lee got knocked up.

Jonah: The NXT draft was tough when it got deep because Joe actually lives in Florida and I live in the northwest.  That gives me a better life in every single way, except that I don’t get to go to NXT house shows and see the up and comers.  Sara Lee was an attractive wrestler that the fans loved, so naturally she never even made it to NXT TV. She’s still training and did get knocked up by Blake.  King Constantine was 6’10”, 300 pounds of muscle with an impressive amatuer wrestling background. He was undefeated in singles matches in these NXT house shows, so clearly they saw something in him.  I honestly thought he was a future star. He got released and I haven’t found anything on him.

38-39. Joe selects Hugo Knox and Chris Girard

Jonah: Hugo Knox got released and briefly returned to his former career as a professional soccer player.  I assume he just constantly Flair Flopped whenever anyone gets within 10 feet of him like all soccer players.  Chris Girard AKA Oney Lorcan has done a lot better than I thought he would. He was an indy wrestler, but I just didn’t think he’d catch on in NXT.  He’s probably reached his peak in a tag team, but they’re a popular tag team so well done Girard. You move up a few picks in the redraft.

Joe: As someone who saw Hugo Knox in person a half dozen times, I still stand by the pick. The guy had a ton of charisma and was basically a less talented in wrestling but buffer English version of Alex Wright. Are you saying that is not something you would like to see, because it was very much something that I enjoyed watching. But yeah, this did not turn out to be a good pick.

I think you are greatly underestimating Oney Lorcan. Dude got injured and came back jacked and has been hot fire in his matches with Danny Burch. I have no idea if he has any microphone skills, but his wrestling has been so damn impressive that it might not matter. I’m looking forward to seeing how he develops over the next year.

40. Jonah selects Riddick Moss

Joe: Man, I could have had the quickest analysis of Jonah’s picks ever, but Riddick Moss is still hanging around and actually just came back from an achilles injury. He main evented against Aleister Black at a house show in Largo, and he did it due to the Riddick Regimen. I know he’s mostly been known as the less important guy on a tag team with Tino Sabbatelli, but Moss looked massive, and if he can work on a real angle for his Riddick Regimen, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him have a breakout 2019.

Jonah: Riddick Moss, a guy I picked because he was Finn Balor endorsed.  I got to know him as half of the ex NFL player tag team with Tino Sabbatelli which I already mentioned was a good fit for these guys.  I’m glad to hear that Moss is doing well on the house show circuit. He was a very big dude, and I’m excited to see where this new angle goes for him.  First up, taking revenge on Sabbatelli for his butt implants.

Previous Installments:
Picks 1-10
Picks 11-20
Picks 21-30

The Ultimate WWE NXT Fantasy Draft - Part 2

With Smackdown moving to a live show on Tuesdays, there are plenty of rumors about an upcoming brand split for the WWE. Instead of waiting for the WWE to pull off a disappointing draft routine, the ultimate tag team, Lukewarm Jonah and Hott Joe, came together this past week to have an old fashioned WWE Fantasy Draft. Our goal is to create the best possible roster to create a successful, moneymaking product.

We knocked out the main roster in parts one, two, and three, with a review added at the end. But this week, we focus on NXT. With 73 superstars, we had to break it into two parts, with part one earlier this week. So let's see what Jonah and I did for part two.

36-37. Jonah selects Sara Lee and King Constantine
Sara Lee, female winner of Tough Enough, great prospect.  Already known to a large audience from being on Tough Enough.  Now we’re getting really deep into the draft.  Joe had the advantage living in Florida, but I tried to come out swinging.  King Constantine is the total package.  Number one, he’s got an awesome name, he’s shredded as all get out, he’s a multiple time medalist in amatuer wrestling, and he’s an evil Russian.  After a year or two more of developing he’ll be ready to make his main roster debut and Putin will have probably declared war on us by then.

38-39. Joe selects Hugo Knox and Chris Girard
Chris Girard is a classic indy guy who is getting his chance in the WWE. He's going to be a good worker, and we'll see what he can blossom into when given an opportunity. Hugo Knox is a bodybuilding Brit who likes to dance. That is my jam right there. I laugh every time I see him, but it's definitely laughing with him, because he's basically dancing like he's at the club in the middle of the ring. He'll likely remain as the guy that I love way more than anybody else, but I'm still good with that.

40-41. Jonah selects Riddick Moss and Alexander Wolfe
I actually did my research on these guys.  Riddick Moss is endorsed by Finn Balor.  If Finn says you’ll be good, I believe him.  He’s also 6’2” 250 lbs. So Finn says he can wrestler and he’s got a good look.  Alexander Wolfe has made it on tv a few times as an enhancement talent, but he’s gotten in some offense.  I’ve read a lot of people praising his work, and he’s also the only German to be employed by the WWE so he expands my market into Germany as well.

42-43. Joe selects Aliyah and Thomas Kingdon
Aliyah is another attractive lady who is super young but has gotten a decent amount of matches for her age. She was highlighted on Breaking Ground, and it's clear that the WWE is excited about her potential. Kingdon is just a massive human being. No clue about anything else that he brings to the table.

44-45. Jonah selects Dylan Miley and Josh Woods
Holy crap have you seen Dylan Miley?  He’s 6’3” 285 lbs. Built like Rusev.  He’s raw, but he certainly has the look of a freaking monster.  Josh Woods has a good look, like the partial mask he wears during his entrance, then takes off after his entrance.  He’s also a 4 time All American, and a former National Champion.  That screams superstar to me.

46-47. Joe selects Bronson Mathews and Tucker Knight
Bronson Mathews won Tough Enough and seems to be really disliked by almost everyone in the WWE. Welp, we're at pick 46, so what else do you want me to do? Tucker Knight originally had trunks that looked like a diaper wrapped with duck tape. I think he got rid of those, but he was the only guy left who has gotten TV time, so I think that is worth it.

48-49. Jonah selects Jeet Rama and Kishan Raftar
I felt kind of bad not taking Tucker Knight since he’s from my hometown of Portland, Oregon, but I’m just not sold on him.  Jeet Rama is a big dude with an athletic background and a sick moustache.  He’s also Indian and teams with fellow Indian Kishan Raftar.  Raftar is also a big guy who was an amatuer wrestling background.  Most importantly, they’re Indian.  If The Great Khali can get India interested, imagine what these two can do.

50-51. Joe selects Gzim Selmani and Sunny Dhinsa
So these guys are actually a tag team, and they have these awesome masks that they wear out to the ring. They are basically Executioners. I have watched them wrestle the Ealy Brothers, and it wasn't very good. Then I watched them against TM 61, and it was really fun. There's something here, so we'll see how far they can go.

52-53. Jonah selects Chris Atkins and Dallas Harper
What happens when you look up Chris Atkins?  You find a picture of him flexing making Arnold look tiny in comparison.  He was also trained by Sgt. Craig Pittman, and he’s Australian but clearly cooler than Murphy.  Dallas Harper made his debut by talking down to the crowd and telling them that he’s 6’9” and oh so fine.  That kind of confidence gets you a spot on my roster.

54-55. Joe selects Dan Matha and Nikki Storm
Dan Matha is a large human being. That’s really all I know about him. Nikki Storm tore it up on the independents and once she debuts, she’s probably going to get a significant push to make an impact. I feel stupid for letting her fall this far, but I’m happy to have benefitted from her falling.

56-57. Jonah selects Daria and Kenneth Crawford
Daria was also on Tough Enough and is a former MMA fighter.  That bodes well for her technical abilities.  She’s also apparently friends with Maria Menoudos, so I assume they’ll be future partners in a Wrestlemania match.  Kenneth Crawford was a marine and I’m a big mark for former military members.  USA USA USA.

58-59. Joe selects Cezar Bononi and Noah Kekoa
I’ve never seen Bononi wrestle, but I did once see him cut a promo. It wasn’t good, but English is at least his second language, and even though he struggled a little, he powered through, so I was pretty impressed with the big man from Brazil. Noah Kekoa got beat up on NXT television a few weeks ago, so he is a wrestler that exists.

60-61. Jonah selects Uriel and Gabriel Ealy
Identical twins and they’re a tag team?  Look out Bashams and Neo Nazis who are in charge of TNA’s production here come the Ealys.  Once they get called up they’re definitely squashing the Usos to establish their dominance.

62-63. Joe selects Mada and Steve Cutler
Mada was on Tough Enough. Did he win? Well, no. Second place? Nope. Third? Nah. I honestly don’t even remember how early he was eliminated at this point, but he’s a big dude, and it doesn’t get much better at pick 63. Steve Cutler was in the military, I think I heard that somewhere, so let’s go for it. I’ll also make up that he’s cousins with Jay Cutler. The bodybuilder, not the quarterback.

64-65. Jonah selects Babatunde Aiyegbusi and Carolyn Dunning
I was more excited than anyone should ever be about drafting Babtunde Aiyegbusi.  There was a lot of hype about him last year.  In the wrestling world?  No, in the NFL when he signed with the Minnesota Vikings.  Clearly that didn’t work out but he’s a physical freak and that’s never a bad thing.  Carolyn Dunning was a model and a bodybuilder.  Like Joe says, can’t have enough good looking women on your roster.

66-67. Joe selects Terrance Jean-Jacques and Danielle Kamella
Terrance Jean-Jacques is a former Iowa wrestler, so he’s totally my jam. He only lasted a year, but enough Iowa rubbed off on him to become the third NXT champion with Iowa ties. Maybe you’ve heard of Seth Rollins and Big E Langston? Yeah, Iowa people are the best. Danielle Kamella has done a bunch of media things, so she should have some charisma on the microphone.

68-69. Jonah selects Jerome Turner and Bianca Blair
Jerome Turner was signed because The Rock said they should sign him, The Rock.  He’s big and a former boxer.  Also, The Rock.  Bianca Blair will be the number one heel in all of professional wrestling within a year.  She’s a crossfitter.  The gimmick I will give her is that of a crossfitter who talks about nothing but crossfit.  Straight cash homey.

70-71. Joe selects Adrian Jaoude and Nikola Bogojevic
Jonah, saying a crossfitter who talks about nothing but crossfit is redundant, as that is the very definition of a crossfitter. Anyway, these are foreigners with amateur wrestling backgrounds, so I’m guessing at least one of them will be the next Iron Shiek. Also, I didn’t want ZZ. God, I am so happy to not have ZZ.

72-73. Jonah selects Macey Estrella and ZZ Loupe
Macey Estrella has a professional wrestling background and was on the SWAT team and a former marine.  Again, I mark for the troops and being a SWAT team member her gimmick is Michelle Rodriguez from SWAT.  ZZ Loupe was the last person available.  He’s famous so I guess that’s a good thing.

We'll be back tomorrow for our final review.