Cameron Grimes has been riding a tsunami-sized wave of momentum in recent months, proving himself to be one of NXT’s most popular non-main event stars, and making himself must-see TV. These elements could push him to become NXT’s next breakout superstar.
Grimes Had A Slow Start But Showed Charisma
Grimes made his debut in the aptly named NXT Breakout Tournament, putting on some strong performances with his impactful style and throwback look. Whilst he came up short in that tournament final, he’s had the greater success out of the two men in that match. He bounced around numerous lower-level feuds with the likes of Raul Mendoza and Kushida, stacking up victories before a losing effort against Keith Lee for the North American Championship.
Following this came some losses against Damian Priest, Kyle O’Reilly and further unsuccessful efforts at the North American Title. But then came Grimes’ first, real rivalry, and it was against Dexter Lumis. On paper, their feud was ridiculous. Lumis was a creepy, stalker-like figure, yet he was a face, and Grimes was the scared, cowardly heel. The two faced off in a Blindfold Match, a Haunted House of Terror match, and a Strap Match. Whilst people may be split on the success and quality of those matches, one thing was undeniably certain; Cameron Grimes proved that has something special. He was convincing, charismatic, comedic and could switch on being serious in an instant. He showed a range that he previously wasn’t given the opportunity to show, so despite the silliness of the feud, Grimes shined.
'The Richest Man in NXT' Is Gold
After a short break with injury, Grimes returned with a new gimmick – ‘The Richest Man in NXT’ after taking advantage of rising GameStop stock prices. This breathed a whole new life into Grimes, as he embraced this gimmick with every ounce of passion and dedication inside him. He was cocky, carried a swagger, and splashed out his millions of dollars whenever he pleased.
Vignettes and videos began airing of Grimes going about his business, and in one of the pre-recorded segments, none other but ‘The Million Dollar Man’, Ted DiBiase, made an appearance, outbidding, outsmarting, and embarrassing Grimes every chance he got. He began making regular, weekly appearances in these skits. That should tell you everything you need to know about how highly thought of Cameron Grimes is, as he was sharing screen time with a legend and Hall of Famer. These bits were quite simply hilarious, and the two played off each other perfectly.
This all led to a DiBiase aligning with LA Knight, which began a feud between himself and Grimes. To add stakes, DiBiase put his own Million Dollar Championship on the line in a ladder match between the other two. Knight would win, but by this point, the fans were firmly behind Grimes as a face. This was due to the brilliance in his character work. Despite starting out as a heel, it was so endearing and effective that fans naturally bought into it. Whenever that happens, it shows the power of the performer.
Keeping the title from Grimes initially worked incredibly well to make fans get behind him even more. Grimes would lose again, becoming Knight’s butler. This gave the fans even more off-site videos which captured the comedic elements wonderfully again. Following this, Grimes would win the belt, and he was eventually endorsed by DiBiase. The feud and the rub it led to, were all perfect at cementing Grimes as a face.
Cameron Grimes Stands Out In NXT
What makes Grimes work so well is his uniqueness. His accent, his certain pronunciations on words, the way he holds the mic and moves when he talks, are things that set him apart. If someone is to break out, they need to stand out, and that’s what Grimes does with his entire presentation. He has a defined gimmick, a gimmick which is logical, has depth, and allows many avenues to be opened up depending which direction his booking goes in. His catchphrase of ‘Straight to the Moon’ is over with the crowd, and people are fully buying into him being the Million Dollar Champion. How long that will last for is uncertain, but all these elements make him different to anything else on NXT.
In a period where the future of NXT is uncertain, Grimes needs to remain featured. His charisma and simply his entire package, is money (pun intended). If he is prominently featured in feuds like his one with LA Knight, it is within the realm of possibility that a championship challenge could follow, and it’s certainly warranted for Grimes, who has all the capabilities of being the next big star.