The Ultimate NXT Draft: Picks 61-70

NXT definitely has too much talent, because picks 61-70 has a great mix of established stars and young wrestlers with TONS of potential. I start with a potential pick, and Jonah ends with The Finest.

61. Joe selects Lacey Lane

Joe: Lacey Lane is building up quite the following, and I think she is going to have a big impact when she starts making frequent appearances on TV. She’s very athletic and brings a lot of fire to the women’s division, despite her diminutive size.

Jonah: Lane sounds like a pretty good wrestler and has a good athletic background. She played D II basketball which is impressive considering I tower over her. Looks like a good pick for you here Joe, well done.

62. Jonah selects Danny Burch

Jonah: Danny Burch is interchangeable with Oney Lorcan and I got him 30 picks later. He’s good in the ring, and has a good brawling style. He and Lorcan got over with their wrestling ability and he should continue to do so.

Joe: Jonah, I’m convinced you’ve never seen Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch wrestle. Burch is solid, but Lorcan is FIRE. I hope your organization becomes a reality and you can officially make Marty Jannetty the commissioner, logo, and sommelier.

Jonah: I would absolutely hire Marty Jannetty just to fire him, Vince loves to do it. I’ve seen them wrestle quite a bit and I think they’re both talented, just that they’re equally talented.

Joe: Jonah, it’s impossible for me to believe that. Burch is nowhere near the level of Oney Lorcan, and you even said that Lorcan went too late at pick #32. If you thought these guys were even, why would you wait another 30 picks to take him? Come on, just admit that Burch is fine but nothing special.

63. Jonah selects Ridge Holland

Jonah: Here is an example of a great name change, because Luke Menzies is a terrible name. Holland is a former professional rugby player who’s big and looks like he would kick your ass. He’s also a pretty good looking dude, and he’s taken to wrestling pretty quickly since he’s only done it since 2016.

Joe: One of those picks that’s too early to tell much of anything with him. He hasn’t shown a ton in the ring, not a ton of personality, but at least Jonah thinks he’s cute.

Jonah: If you’re allowed to talk about guys being handsome, why can’t I?

Joe: I’m just making observations; I’m not going to stop you.

64. Joe selects Zack Gibson

Joe: People get so mad at Zack Gibson that they remove their shoes so they can stand in socks or barefoot on a nasty ass arena floor. This is way too low for Zack Gibson as he has an abusive style in the ring that is entertaining, and anybody who can generate that kind of heat is a-ok by me.

Jonah: Man this guy is super British. He did win the second NXT UK tournament and is the current NXT UK Tag Team Champion so he should have probably gone earlier. Also, getting British people to take of their shoes is apparently really easy, no wonder they lost the Revolutionary War.

65. Joe selects Brennan Williams

Joe: Brennan Williams was actually a legitimate NFL player as he was drafted in the third round by the Houston Texans. Things didn’t work out for him in football so he has since made the transition to wrestling. With the NFL background, he has tons of athleticism, and people have really gotten behind him as the “Sultan of Sit.” His big thing is just sitting down really hard in the corner, and I know that sounds stupid, but that’s because it actually is very stupid. Still, it’s really fun to chant, “Holy sit.” With the size and physical skills, he could be special, but there is definite bust potential which is why I was able to acquire him this late.

Jonah: Well Tino Sabatelli was a second round pick so I guess he’s super legitimate. Williams is a big guy with a good look who’s athletic, so plenty of potential there, but the sultan of sit thing doesn’t sound great. I mean no one can ever do it as well as Earthquake did.

66. Jonah selects Noam Dar

Jonah: Man Noam Dar was awesome when he talked about Alicia Fox. Plus we’re boys because he’s from Israel. I mean he’s also a good wrestler, plus him saying Alicia Fox is probably the most charisma I’ve seen from anyone in the last 15-20 picks.

Joe: Can’t deny that I laughed every time Noam Dar said, “Aleesha Faaaaaaaaaaaaawx,” and I was strongly considering taking him in the near future. I feel like he is one of many guys whose potential was hurt by 205 Live where a run on NXT or even NXT UK would have turned him into more of a viable threat. I know he’s been doing NXT UK stuff lately, and he has a very punchable face which is actually a good thing in pro wrestling.

As for the charisma thing, the pick before was a guy who has got the act of sitting down over, and six picks ago was Malcolm Bivens who got a WWE contract strictly based off charisma.

67. Jonah selects Aliyah

Jonah: Aliyah is young, attractive, on TV and decent in the ring. She’s of Iraqi descent, and as we all know I keep it international. She’s got potential and is already good enough to be on TV, plus I just love potential picks.

Joe: I was very happy that you went with Aliyah, who I would have liked to have, but I think her tag partner is significantly better than her.

68. Joe selects Vanessa Borne

Joe: It was clear that now was the time to pounce on Vanessa Borne who I think is very underrated in the ring. She obviously has a good look, but she has shown enough flashes that I think she will be a very good pro wrestler on top of that. I would say both her and Aliyah are still figuring out their characters, but there’s progress, and I’m looking forward to seeing how she develops in the future.

Jonah: This is a good pick, I just like what I have seen a little more out of Aliyah. Borne definitely would have been a pick in the next round for me. She’s got some good potential, I do think she needs to work on her character as “bitchy” has become quite a cliche in today’s women’s wrestling scene.

69. Joe selects Deonna Purrazzo

Joe: 69th pick is a lady, nice. But Deonna Purrazzo is also good in the ring. They haven’t quite pulled the trigger on really giving her a push on NXT TV, but I think she has the skill-set to be an important part of it and would be very surprised if she doesn’t make an impact on the main roster in a few years. I probably waited too long to take her so I feel very fortunate that she fell to me at this point.

Jonah: I was more disappointed in this pick than your other one. Deonna Purrazzo has shown good in ring skills so far. She’s got a good look and just needs a character, well and also some real TV time. Purrazzo is a steal here, good pick.

70. Jonah selects Kona Reeves

Jonah: A tip for the NXT booking team, if you’re going to repackage a guy to try and get him over, maybe don’t have him lose every match he’s in. I’m pretty sure Reeves won his first match back, but has jobbed in every other match. He does put in a good showing against guys much higher on the card than he is, which means the WWE does see some potential and will actually give him a real push at some point. His in ring skills are actually pretty good, and I like his look. I think I said this in our last draft review, but he’s better suited as a creepy heel, his eyes are freaky.

Joe: Is Kona Reeves the next CJ Parker? You can see flashes of something, but the way he’s packaged means that I do not want to see him at all. Maybe he’ll quit WWE (I’m not sure if that’s allowed anymore), go to Japan, and become Milk Stevenson.

Previously in the NXT Draft:
Picks 1-10

Picks 11-20

Picks 21-30

Picks 31-40

Picks 41-50

Picks 51-60

The Ultimate NXT Draft Review: 52-61

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 51, and we are now at the penultimate portion of the list with picks 52-61.

52-53. Jonah selects Chris Atkins and Dallas Harper
Joe: Chris Atkins got released, and even though Dallas Harper’s twitter says he is NXT signed, he hasn’t wrestled for two years, and the man hasn’t tweeted for 21 months. Is Dallas Harper alive? Dallas, if you’re reading this, please tell us that you’re fine, or better yet, OH SO FINE.

Jonah: Chris Atkins, good look, good size, got on NXT TV in losing efforts but that seemed like a good sign for the future plus he’s Australian.  He got released and he’s done with wrestling. Dallas Harper is still 6’9” and oh so fine, but I can’t find any article that says he was released.  So he may still be employed, and if he is, he’s the next Roman Reigns.

54-55. Joe selects Dan Matha and Nikki Storm
Jonah: Dan Matha is one of my favorite wrestlers because his only TV appearance was heavily hyped all night, then he got destroyed by Samoa Joe.  It was amazing. He really needs to get off the gas if he ever wants to make the main roster, or just avoid every drug test ever like Jinder Mahal does.  Nikki Storm is someone that I couldn’t believe I didn’t take in the draft. My brain just crashed and I thought she got taken earlier. It’s embarrassing.  Nikki Storm is Nikki Cross, a very talented woman’s wrestler who is actually held back by the group Sanity. Still, she’s a great wrestler and has a great character, she will be a future champion on the main roster where she is headed.  Also, fun fact, she’s incredibly pretty out of her crazy makeup and get up. Check her out in her past roles, stunningly beautiful.

Joe: Yeah, I have not been a big fan of Dan Matha, but apparently all the new rage for the kids is the “drip.” I’m not sure what drip means, but Dan Matha says that he goes drip, drip, drip. I assume it doesn’t mean he has a drippy dong (Almost Heroes reference), but I do have to assume that it’s related to Ol’ Drippy, one of the greatest side characters from Aqua Teen Hunger Force. If his new gimmick is that he’s mold, I am ALL IN.

Fun fact: The main reason I drafted Nikki Cross is because she was going by her real name early on at NXT house shows which is Nikki Glencross. Well, my wife heard Nikki Breadcrumbs, and I would very much get behind a wrestler with the last name Breadcrumbs. But yeah, she’s got a great character and is fun in the ring. I don’t have high hopes for her immediate future as the WWE can only have one woman’s storyline going on at a time unless your Dad dies where they can do a second shitty storyline, so I’m kind of hoping her debuting soon means after WrestleMania.

Jonah: Ol’ Drippy is the best face character in the past 20 years, he heals the sick.

56-57. Jonah selects Daria and Kenneth Crawford
Joe: Incredible picks by Jonah here. Daria is now Sonya Deville and although they haven’t done anything important with her yet, they have given her good losses where it wouldn’t be shocking to see her get a big push in the next year or so.

As incredible as that pick is, it ranks nowhere near how good the Kenneth Crawford pick is, as that man is now known as Montez Ford. If we redid this draft, there is NO WAY that he makes it out of the top ten if I can draft him as a single wrestler as opposed to being stuck with Angelo Dawkins as well. Montez Ford has natural charisma and incredible athleticism. He is still just scratching the surface, and even though I shit on Angelo Dawkins, I do love Street Profits, and I think it has been very valuable for Ford’s development. Still, I want to see them break up as I really would love to see an NXT singles run for Montez, because that is really where he can unleash his full potential. The sky is the limit, and as much as I hate to admit it, this is the single best pick in the draft.

Jonah: Yeah I got back on the winning track with this round.  Sonya Deville will probably be a Women’s Champ at sometime. She’s a good talent just middling along right now due to booking.  She’s also an open lesbian, and I like diversity in my picks. She’s got a good shot at being the first openly gay champion in the WWE.  Montez Ford is awesome, he’s super talented in the ring to go along with his crazy charisma. Hopefully he doesn’t get stuck on 205 Live, he’s a star.

58-59. Joe selects Cezar Bononi and Noah Kekoa
Jonah: Cezar Bononi is on NXT TV, he loses almost every time, but he “puts in a good showing” in a loss.  Usually that means that they have future plans for the guy. He’s got good size, a good look and is good in the ring.  Noah Kekoa is Kona Reeves, The Finest, I guess. He’s on TV, has a character, but also loses pretty much all the time. The Finest is a gimmick that doesn’t fit him well in my opinion.  I think he should be a Patrick Bateman American Psycho type, there’s something about his eyes, they’re disturbing. Anyways, two wrestlers that are still signed and have some potential, good picks.

Joe: I have seen signs of potential in Bononi. No idea whether it will turn into anything, but I would probably take his ceiling over Kona Reeves who basically has the talent of a modern-day Virgil. Maybe he becomes EC3’s butler?

60-61. Jonah selects Uriel and Gabriel Ealy
Joe: I haven’t seen the twins in months. They seem like nice guys, but their in ring work so far couldn’t blow a feather away.

Jonah: One of the twins got released which probably isn’t a good sign for the other.  They’re big guys so I thought they’d get a tag team push, guess not. Gimmick of a guy who has a twin we never see sounds like a fun one to me, let’s give it a try.

Previous Installments:
Picks 1-10
Picks 11-20
Picks 21-30
Picks 31-40
Picks 41-51

The WWE Is Ruining... Randy Orton

As a pro wrestling fan, it is a part of our identity to always know how to utilize wrestlers better than the WWE. If WWE would just give me, random WWE fan, a job a the company, ratings would immediately rise to the levels of the Monday Night Wars, despite how television ratings have changed as a whole over the last 20 years. But until that happens, WWE will continue ruining our favorite wrestlers, and that is why it is time to point out the error in their ways. Because of WWE's incompetence, I am literally going to pick a wrestler at random and point out how they could be better utilized, because WWE is ruining everyone in one way or another.

Today, I look at the most accomplished full-time wrestler on the WWE roster, Mr. RKO, Randy Orton.

Randy Orton is a grand slam champion who has won a World Title 13 separate times, so he's had a pretty good run already. The thing is, the guy still looks great, and when motivated, seems to be able to put on top level matches. He's a physical presence that dwarfs most other wrestlers but can move with the best of them. On top of this, he possesses a natural charisma that is hard to find.

Despite all this, I don't give a shit about Randy Orton.

Part of this is that Randy Orton has been around forever, and he's fallen into this "sadistic" character that just wants to punish people. This worked when he was the legend killer, but him going on a grand slam of punting people in the face to now twisting people's earlobes and trying to turn Tye Dillinger into a hard 8 just feels...blah.

I will admit two things. Some people are into it, and it's not totally fair to say something sucks before it has had a chance to fully evolve. Clearly, this angle must be going somewhere, but at the end of the day, it's just not for me.

Instead, I want the WWE to go with the motto of, "What's old is new again." Randy Orton has always done his best work as a heel and part of a faction. Obviously, Evolution was not only the best group he was a part of, but also the best group Triple H was a part of as well. But Orton was also great with Legacy and The Authority. I think Orton might be a heel, but I'm honestly not even sure, because even if he is a heel, he's in that cool heel place that Randy Orton should never be. By all accounts, Orton is an entitled asshole and should never, ever be considered cool. Instead, let him embrace who he is, and let him embrace it with a faction to back him up.

The WWE has really steered away from factions recently. Even with groups like The Shield and New Day, that's only three guys, and because of the Horsemen, I feel like you need at least four guys to be a true faction. In fact, I think a good rule of thumb is whether you can hold all of the titles with separate guys. So, then the question becomes, how do you create a faction with Orton?

Obviously, my first thought was reboot Evolution. H is there, Flair isn't busy, and Batista might be game to show up a few times a year. But I feel like the WWE can do even better by creating a new group to surround Orton with. Here are my top 10 picks since I know WWE will need a lot of options to choose from.

1. EC3 - He'd be a perfect fit in a new Evolution-esque group.

2. Bobby Roode - Roode should be a heel, and he hasn't really shown main event potential, so putting him in a group would strengthen him.

3. Mike Kanellis - He's the representative who can get the 205 Live title. Did you know he was on 205 Live? Neither did I until Wikipedia told me, but this also would get them a valet for the group, making every wrestling fan yell, "Why is she with him?"

4. Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows - The Bullet Club ain't happening. Here's to a new group for these guys.

5. Bobby Lashley - Black Batista

6. The Mighty - Cocky tag team with accents seem like it could work.

7. Lars Sullivan - Terrifying enforcer who actually may have that Brock Lesnar feature where they are even scarier in a suit.

8. Mojo Rawley - Having a celebrity friend always makes people easy to dislike.

9. Baron Corbin - Just a naturally hateable guy who could be an enforcer.

10. Kona Reeves - If EC3 is unavailable, you could keep trying to make The Finest thing happen.

You put Orton as the leader of a group of 3-7 of these guys, and he's without a doubt a world champion contender who could make it so easy to actually cheer for the good guys that he is competing against. If he's in the championship picture, it elevates everyone around him as well giving legitimate contenders for secondary and tag titles.

The only way for Randy Orton to move forward is to look backward. I call this group...Devolution.

Other Wrestlers WWE Is Ruining
Bobby Lashley
Charlotte Flair
Dana Brooke
Dash Wilder
Kane
Kofi Kingston
Mickie James
Nia Jax
Peyton Royce
Scott Dawson
Tyler Breeze