If you're not watching NXT by this point, you're doing yourself a disservice. The reality-television-program-turned-promotion has developed numerous current WWE stars and provided a platform to former independent stars to be introduced to casual WWE fans - the likes of Shinsuke Nakamura, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Seth Rollins, etc. gained quite a following in NXT before being promoted to the main roster, despite already having an impressive enough resume to perhaps debut on the main roster. Moreover, emerging talents like Velveteen Dream, Lio Rush, and Johnny Gargano, among others, are becoming primed for main roster competition.

As a result, NXT has essentially become a third brand for WWE and, within the confines of a one-hour show, it provides non-stop excitement on its weekly TV show as well as memorable TakeOver shows before every WWE PPV. The wrestling is on par - or better, depending on who you ask - with WWE, while the storylines are well-developed and original. One of the main problems of the brand is that it often loses its best talent, but it always seems to replenish. In the past year alone, it lost multiple NXT Champions in Drew McIntyre, Bobby Roode, and Andrade "Cien" Almas. Yet, it still has main event draws like Aleister Black, Velveteen Dream, and EC3. There's also diversity in age on the roster with older and younger talent trying to reach the main roster.

15 Older: Ricochet - 29

Trevor Mann AKA Prince Puma AKA Ricochet isn't exactly old by WWE or even NXT standards, but it's somewhat surprising to learn that he's 29 years old, especially if you aren't an avid follower of New Japan or the independent wrestling scene. The Kentucky native looks as though he could be in his early-to-mid 20s and definitely wrestles as though he's a youngster. The high-flyer does things few can do in the ring, but you have to wonder how much longer he can continue those high-risk moves as he advances into his 30s and beyond.

Fortunately - and rightly so - it seems as though WWE is fast-tracking his call to the main roster, which makes sense given past superstars like The Rock have touted him as the future of the promotion. Despite being under 205 pounds, he definitely has the potential to compete in the main event scene of the main roster and it would be foolish for WWE to use him elsewhere. So, while he's older than you might think at first, you soon after realize 29 still isn't that old when you hear him list his inspirations:

"Well, my style is a combination of all my favorite wrestlers growing up, between AJ Styles, Matt Sydal (aka Evan Bourne), Amazing Red, Jack Evans and a lot of The Rock. But I try to take something from all those guys and combine it into what I wanted to be inside the ring."

14 Older: Tino Sabbatelli - 34

If you only watch NXT TakeOver events, you probably aren't all that familiar with Tino Sabbatelli, but he has actually been signed to WWE since 2014 and has been competing on NXT TV since 2016, when he began teaming with Riddick Moss. The duo were together for nearly two years, but were unable to get ahead of teams like Sanity, DIY, or the Authors of Pain, but Sabbatelli turned on Moss earlier this year. Yet, similar to the end of DIY, Sabbatelli has since been sidelined with a torn pectoral muscle. The worst part is the former NFL player is already in his physical prime as he is 34 years old and is prime to be passed by other younger wrestlers in regard to main roster promotion.

Sabbatelli shares a similar gimmick to that of EC3 and always got more heat than Moss, suggesting he could be a decent heel moving forward, but his latest setback could certainly play a part in derailing his career, especially when it seemed as though he was poised for a singles push. Conversely, some time away from NXT and his potential return could give his career a boost similar to how it did for Tommaso Ciampa.

13 Under 25: Tyler Bate - 21

It's not often that anyone under 23 years old enjoys a large amount of success in the WWE. Randy Orton became the youngest World Champion when he won the title at just 24 years old and while Tyler Bate isn't a World Champion, the fact he was the first ever WWE UK Champion at just 19 years old is an incredible feat to say the least. Bate won the 16-man WWE UK Championship Tournament in early 2017, defeating Pete Dunne in the finals. The fact that WWE would trust a teenager as the inaugural champion says a lot about how they feel about his potential. He held the championship for a few months before losing it to Dunne.

Given the fact he's quite small in statue, his promotion to the main roster - he currently competes on 205 Live - hasn't necessarily been the best move for his career, although he does seem to be being pushed on the show, having recently scored a fatal four way victory over 205 Live veterans Kalisto, TJP, and newcomer Kenny Williams. Bate, like most UK wrestlers, is also gaining experience working outside of WWE:

"We get the best of both worlds: being able to work for the WWE and still do the independent shows. Us being at the WWE ... we've kind of taken our buzz and our popularity now from the WWE show to the independents and now widened the range of independent fans."

12 Older: Roderick Strong - 34

Roderick Strong looks like a younger and more athletic Dennis Reynolds (shoutout It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia fans), but he's not exactly a youngster himself. The Undisputed Era member is 34 years old and has been developing a name for himself in professional wrestling since 2003, when he began working for Ring of Honor, where he eventually become a two-time ROH World Television Champion, one-time ROH World Tag Team Champion, and one-time ROH World Champion. He made a brief appearance in WWE back in 2005 when he was defeated during Kurt Angle's "3-Minute Hometown Hero Challenge," but wasn't signed by the company until 2016, when he joined Austin Aries (his former ROH tag team partner) in the second annual Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament.

While he hasn't technically won a championship in NXT, he is now a NXT Tag Team Champion since joining the Undisputed Era and replacing the injured Bobby Fish. His affiliation with the Undisputed Era could pave a way for him to earn a call to the main roster in the near future, but given the fact he will turn 35 years old in July, he could only have a few years of full-time wrestling left.

11 Older: Aleister Black - 33

Aleister Black, the Dutch-born wrestler, isn't exactly a spring chicken. The 33 year old is technically on the back-end of his career and has already worked more than 14 years across Europe and in Japan. He didn't sign with WWE until 2016 and began competing as Tommy End, first in the company's WWE UK Championship Tournament. However, early in 2017, vignettes began being shown for the Aleister Black character and it quickly took off. He scored a win over "Cien" Almas in his debut match at NXT TakeOver: Orlando and, within a year, has become the promotion's Champion.

His career progression has been pretty amazing and he's one of the most surprised by his progress:

"That's what I keep telling myself and every year I tell myself that it's not going to get any better and then I find myself in the United Kingdom and I'm wrestling for some of the bigger promotions in the United Kingdom and I'm like 'well, if this is it this is it,' and all of a sudden I'm wrestling in Italy and I'm wrestling in Switzerland and I'm wrestling in Poland and Spain," he explained on the E&C Pod of Awesomeness. "And I'm like, 'wow this is getting crazier but if this is it then this is it. It's not going to get any better."

It has gotten better. And it's going to continue getting better.

10 Under 25: Taynara Conti - 22

Taynara Conti has been used sparingly on NXT TV, but the 22 year old Brazilian has already achieved a WWE first when she became the first Brazilian, male or female, to compete in a WrestleMania match. You might have missed it, but she took part in the WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal, where she was eliminated by all three members of the Riott Squad. Prior to that, she took part in the Mae Young Classic, losing in the first round to Lacey Evans. Her first NXT televised match was on November 1 against Nikki Cross in a match she lost. She's behind the likes to Shayna Baszler, Kairi Sane, Dakota Kai, Cross, and Bianca Belair on the NXT women's roster, but the fact she's still 22 and has already been used by WWE gives a strong indication of her potential.

For the time being, the Brazilian babe is typically referred to in news stories by wrestling websites for outfits she wore in images posted to her Instagram, but once she's used more on TV she'll be talked about more for her improving in-ring abilities. Baszler - and even Cross - should almost certainly earn a main roster call up later this year, which would leave an opening in the NXT women's roster. It's on Conti to impress enough to earn an increased role with the promotion.

9 Older: Tommaso Ciampa - 33

We previously compared Tino Sabbatelli's situation to Tommaso Ciampa and the former DIY member is similar to Sabbatelli in that he's not exactly on the beginning stages of his career. He's actually 33 years old, although if you went by his beard alone, you might have thought he was actually older than that. Regardless, the Boston, Masschusetts native doesn't exactly have a long and fruitful career ahead of him, especially given the bumps he has taken alone in his feud with Johnny Gargano. Ciampa has been wrestling since 2005 and actually worked for OVW in 2007, but was released after just a few months. He used that as motivation to improve on the independent circuit and with Ring of Honor, where he was a one-time ROH World Television Champion and looked incredibly different with a mohawk and no distinguished beard.

While the clock on his career appeared to be ticking as of last year, the feud with Gargano has seemingly breathed new life into his character and his chances at earning a main roster call. It's no longer a matter of if, but a matter of when, especially given the heat he has been able to generate as a leading heel in NXT.

8 Older: EC3 - 35

Ethan Carter III, better known simply as EC3 to WWE and NXT fans, has actually been wrestling since 2002 and is now 35 years old, which is shockingly old if you consider the shape he is in. Without knowing his age, you might guess the one-percenter is in his late 20s at worst, although it's clear he has the confidence of someone who has been in the business for quite some time. In fact, he actually wrestled in OVW from 2007 to 2008 and even competed in NXT from 2010 to 2013, first appearing in season four of the then-reality show with Daniel Bryan as his mentor. Upon his release, he joined TNA/Impact, where, over the course of nearly five years, he established himself as one of the promotion's biggest stars.

He was a two-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion and one-time Impact Grand Champion and it's clear he learned a lot there as he is already being pushed as one of NXT's biggest stars. While that's largely due to his popularity and abilities, you have to wonder if his age has anything to do with an expedited main roster call up, should that be the case. He'll be 36 years old by next year's WrestleMania and that could significantly limit his longevity on the main roster.

7 Under 25: Velveteen Dream - 22

You're probably already aware of Velveteen Dream's age given plenty has been made about it given his already-impressive in-ring abilities combined with his unmatched charisma. Dream, whose real name is Patrick Clark Jr., is among the most over superstars in NXT and has consistently been involved in entertaining matches, which is incredible considering he's still only 22 years old. While he hasn't been given a championship push to this point, he took part in the ladder match to determine the inaugural NXT North American Championship and, in doing so, became the only former Tough Enough competitor to have competed in a 5-Star match as awarded by Wrestling Observer Newsletter's Dave Meltzer.

He's currently engaged in a feud with Riccochet and it seems very likely he will be called up to the main roster by next year's WrestleMania, even though he'll only be 23 years old by then. Despite his lack of experience, he recently received praise from John Cena, who went as far as to declare that he could be "The One." His age in particular signals he could follow a similar path to that of Cena, Triple H, or Randy Orton, although he has much more charisma than the latter.

6 Older: Danny Burch - 36

Danny Burch, whose real name is Martin Stone, has really only just started appearing more on NXT, despite the fact he previously competed for the promotion from 2011 to 2014 and, after a stop in TNA, returned in 2015. He has lost most of the matches in which he wrestled earlier in his NXT run and even lost in his first round WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament match to Jordan Devlin, yet he re-signed with the company on April 29 and appears to be headed toward potential success in the tag team division alongside Oney Lorcan. If that doesn't succeed as planned, it seems unlikely that we'll ever see Burch in WWE as he's now 36 years old and likely on the back nine of his career.

Should that be the case, it would seem as though WWE missed an opportunity to capitalize on his potential as he has won multiple tiles in Europe and holds an impressive 7.75 user rating on Cagematch.com. However, his prior deal with the company was on a part-time basis, while it's expected his new deal is full-time, meaning it's possible we see the company invest more time and resources into his development and spot on the NXT card.

5 Older: Shayna Baszler - 37

Aside from the fact she has a certain imposing presence about her, there's a few reasons for Shayna Baszler's rapid ascent up the NXT women's roster. The current champion is one of Ronda Rousey's best friends, has a unique skill set in the ring, and is already 37 years old. In fact, she'll even turn 38 years old in August, while likely still being in NXT. It's not uncommon for men to compete past 40 years old, but we haven't seen many women stay active beyond that age, without counting Mae Young and The Fabulous Moolah obviously.

However, Baszler is unlike the women who came before her in that she's fully committed to having an established professional wrestling career and already has more than a decade of experienced in mixed martial arts. And while logic suggests she might only last a year or two in WWE given her age, it would be silly to count her out:

"I have always had a desire to prove people that looked past me wrong," she said during a WWE.com interview. "Whether it was because I was a female trying to wrestle or fight in MMA, or because I grew up on the wrong side of town. Everything I've gotten I've had to work twice as hard to earn."

4 Under 25: Lio Rush - 23

It's a good thing Lio Rush is still only 23 years old with his entire wrestling future in front of him. The former CZW World Heavyweight Champion signed an NXT contract in August 2017 and appeared to be headed toward a long feud with his former tag partner Velveteen Dream, but shortly after sent out a tweet in which he criticized Emma following her WWE release. Naturally, the tweet drew him heat from other wrestlers and he seemed to be buried in NXT. However, he returned in January and is expected to participate in the upcoming WWE United Kingdom Championship Invitation. It also appears as if he has learned from his mistakes.

"I've worked so hard and spent years trying to brand myself and to show the world that Lio Rush is a top prospect in the professional wrestling world. So it was a bit rough to see so many people turn on me for that, but I've owned up to my mistakes. I have said my apologies. What else can you do? You live, you make mistakes, and you learn."

He has plenty of potential and now that the controversy is behind him, we're excited to see where his career takes him.

3 Older: Bobby Fish - 38

The Undisputed Era is one of the best factions in wrestling right now - save for the Bullet Club - with the addition of Roderick Strong. The former ROH World Heavyweight Champion was added to the faction as a result of Bobby Fish's injury, which is expected to keep him out a few more months. Rather than have Fish and Kyle O'Reilly relinquish the NXT Tag Team Championship, Strong was added under the Freebird rule to allow the team - and faction - to maintain its dominance in NXT. While there's little doubt they'll continue to do so, it's hard to imagine a scenario in which the injury benefits Bobby Fish.

Whereas some injuries can prompt returns that give a wrestler a boost, Fish was replaced by the more popular Strong and, coupled with the fact that the New York native is 38 years old, it seems unlikely he'll amount to much, if anything in the WWE. Moreover, Fish will turn 39 in October and, unless he sticks to a strict training and diet regiment, it's hard to imagine him wrestling effectively beyond 42 or so. For now, at least, it seems as though he'll have to be content with his ROH resume, which includes being a three-time World Tag Team Champion and one-time World Television Champion.

2 Older: Kassius Ohno - 38

Like EC3 earlier, Kassius Ohno AKA Chris Hero previously competed in NXT in 2012 before re-signing with the WWE in 2016. The casual fan might assume he was in his mid-30s and still had considerable time left to push toward a main roster call-up, especially since he has seemingly been on the cusp for the past year, but he's actually 38 years old with more than 18 years worth of hard bumps on his body. Despite being unable to get over much in NXT, the former independent star is a one-time CZW World Heavyweight Champion and two-time ROH World Tag Team Champion. He has also won several other championships with other promotions and has even trained dozens of wrestlers from Cesaro and Aleister Black to Gran Akuma and Lince Dorado. He's obviously a valuable asset to WWE, but just not in the ring.

Upon returning, Ohno expressed a desire to be a main event star in NXT, but that simply hasn't transpired:

"My focus is zeroed in on the NXT Championship," he said during a WWE.com interview. "I have accomplished everything I've ever wanted, everywhere I've ever been. Championships, tournaments, you name it. The NXT Championship is something that I don't just want, it's what I need."

Time is running out on his WWE dream; it's too bad he didn't at least earn a courtesy call-up instead of No Way Jose.

1 Under 25: Pete Dunne - 24

We mentioned earlier that Tyler Bate has a bright future ahead of him given he's still only 21 years old, but the man who took the UK Championship off him and has maintained it ever since, Pete Dunne, is also a spring chicken himself. The Bruiserweight won't turn 25 years old until November, which makes his current championship reign all the more impressive. He's also a one-time Progress World Champion and, in 2017, was named the No. 29 singles wrestler in the world in the PWI 500. Few other wrestlers have earned such accolades in their early 20s.

He previously appeared on an episode of Raw in which he defeated Enzo Amore, but has mostly been resigned to the NXT roster, where he is now feuding with the Undisputed Era. His gimmick and impressive in-ring abilities, however, leads many to believe that he'll eventually be promoted to the main roster. Incredibly confident in his abilities, he recently replied with a simple "Yes," when mentioned on Twitter by a UK publication if he would be the first ever British WWE Champion. Anyone who has watched a lot of his matches would be completely OK if that were to happen in the not-so-distant future.