The job done by Triple H with NXT over the past few years has been borderline flawless. Triple H took a developmental brand with a show most fans weren’t even aware of and made it a huge success story. NXT became home to the best wrestlers from all over the world. Signings like Kevin Owens, Finn Balor, Samoa Joe and Shinsuke Nakamura proved anyone with the right talent could get a chance to wrestle with the same character they had success with in other promotions. The women’s division in NXT forced the main roster to give the ladies a chance thanks to the rises of Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch and Bayley.

Triple H essentially turned NXT into a super independent promotion that branches over to the main roster. Stars like Adam Cole, Aleister Black and Ricochet have been set up to lead NXT into the next chapter as it continues to grow as a brand. Triple H and his scouting team are always looking to add to the top free agents on the market to improve NXT. Even former WWE talent like Drew McIntyre and EC3 have factored in the plans. We will look at the current free agent market when it comes to ten wrestlers Triple H may be considering for NXT along with seven he needs to stay away from.

17 Considering: Will Ospreay

The United Kingdom wrestling scene has produced many new young stars in recent years. This is the reason Triple H decided to start a UK Championship while signing stars like Pete Dunne, Tyler Bate and Trent Seven to contacts. However, NXT was unable to acquire most of the top tier UK names at the time. Will Ospreay has been among the top high-flying wrestlers in the world in recent years.

Following an incredible run on the independent circuit, Ospreay received an opportunity with New Japan. Currently, he is the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion and one of the faces of the junior division. Ospreay has accomplished a lot at the young age of 24 years old. Triple H is looking to add the top international stars. Ospreay’s success in Japan and on the UK indie scene makes him a hot commodity with youth on his side.

16 Stay away: Joey Ryan

There is no debate that Joey Ryan has become a huge hit on the independent circuit. Following his release from Impact Wrestling a few years ago, Ryan decided to go all in on his character. The sleazy character work of Ryan made him a successful comedy wrestler that occasionally has an intense feud.

Ryan teamed with Candice LeRae in PWG to become a very entertaining inter-gender tag team. The genre of inter-gender wrestling became the bread and butter of Ryan. Many of his matches on local independent shows are against female wrestlers. While Ryan does a good job on the independent circuit, his style would never be allowed in WWE. If you take away his gimmick, Ryan has no chance to succeed which makes him a poor fit for NXT.

15 Considering: Tenille Dashwood

Recent years have shown that Triple H is not above admitting WWE made a mistake when letting wrestlers go. Drew McIntyre was fired by WWE and became a top name on the independent circuit. Triple H took note of this and signed him to NXT for a main event role. There’s no reason why Triple H wouldn’t do the same for a top women’s wrestling name that WWE dropped the ball with.

Emma was a great success for NXT in the first credible women’s wrestling feud down there against Paige. Triple H was reportedly her biggest supporter, but Vince McMahon had no interest in pushing her on the main roster. Following her release, Emma is wrestling under the name of Tenille Dashwood and is achieving great success. Tenille is having great matches for Ring of Honor and other top independent promotions. You must believe Triple H is paying close attention to bring her back with an even bigger name value.

14 Stay away: James Storm

Triple H helped end the negative stigma that used to be associated with TNA wrestlers. It was believed for years that WWE had no interest in signing anyone from Impact Wrestling due to the negative reputation of the company. However, Triple H ending this unwritten rule led to AJ Styles, Samoa Joe and Bobby Roode all becoming fixtures in WWE. The former TNA stars have added a lot to WWE’s roster.

One name to have a chance with NXT before turning it down was James Storm. Following a few appearances for NXT, Storm went back to Impact for a significantly bigger contract. This looks like a less wise decision today as Storm is already gone from Impact again. Storm reportedly has interest in NXT. Unfortunately, he is now older and has less of a celebrated name. The younger stars in the Performance Center provide more upside than Storm.

13 Considering: Keith Lee

The use of outside talent at Axxess this year showed that Triple H wanted to give a few non-WWE wrestlers the chance to perform for the company. WWE’s relationship with Evolve and Progress each led to top independent wrestlers having matches with NXT talents. Keith Lee successfully defended the WWN Championship against Kassius Ohno in an impressive bout.

It has been reported that WWE has strong interest in Lee. The big man is agile and pulls off incredible moves for someone of his size. There is also an inherent charisma for Lee that will make him a promising prospect if he joins WWE. Lee took a bet on his talent by turning down an ROH tag team spot to become a singles performer in Evolve. The potential interest from WWE proves it was a success as Lee is now a top free agent.

12 Considering: Tessa Blanchard

The women’s division for NXT has always been one of its biggest strengths. It has been a bit of a transition period in recent months following the exit of Asuka. Ember Moon struggled to get established as the NXT Women’s Champion and is now out of the picture as a new member of Raw. Peyton Royce and Billie Kay joining SmackDown also creates a weakness on the heel side for NXT.

Expect to see many new names join the NXT brand in the upcoming months. One talented woman to have momentum on her side is Tessa Blanchard. The second generation wrestler is smooth in the ring and has charisma on the microphone. Tessa is a top free agent as shown by being the first non-Bullet Club name announced for the anticipated All In show. A talent like Blanchard would greatly improve the NXT women’s division moving forward.

11 Stay away: Mandy Leon

The independent circuit is starting to develop more talented women’s wrestlers. ROH’s Women of Honor division is an interesting new addition that could present a new opportunity for more ladies to make a living wrestling outside of WWE. Not all the ladies in the ROH women’s division are proving they have the talent to compete with the WWE women’s division.

Mandy Leon is one of the weaker ladies in the Women of Honor division. The strength of Mandy would see her be used in the older WWE era of eye candy. Leon does have personality and a good look, but her in-ring work is just not up to par with the names WWE have been adding over the past few years. Mandy is one women’s wrestler Triple H needs to keep away from NXT.

10 Considering: Fenix

WWE has done a good job tapping into the international markets when it comes to Japan and the United Kingdom talent. One genre of wrestling to be ignored for the most part is lucha libre. WWE has not had a thriving luchador on their roster since Rey Mysterio with both Sin Cara and Kalisto failing to reach a high level. Andrade Almas signed but ditched his mask and wrestled a traditional WWE style.

There are a few relevant names on the market to get established over the past few years with Lucha Underground and other promotions bringing in the Mexican stars. Fenix is arguably the most interesting of the prospects. With many comparisons to Mysterio, Fenix is a top independent star at the young age of 27. Triple H could sign Fenix to get established in NXT before becoming the next major luchador on the main roster.

9 Stay away: Silas Young

Triple H has found success by signing many former Ring of Honor stars. From Kevin Owens in 2014 to Adam Cole in 2017, ROH talent have proven they are instantly ready for WWE when joining NXT. However, that doesn’t apply to all wrestlers that worked for ROH. The current ROH roster has some stars but many of their mid-card guys are not capable of performing at a high level.

Silas Young is someone that has been getting a ROH push for about four years now with little to no progress of moving up. As the current ROH TV Champion, Young is hurting the credibility of a title that is quickly fading away. This is the case of at least one ROH performer that would add nothing to the roster of NXT or WWE.

8 Considering: Matt Riddle

Matt Riddle has become one of the most successful former MMA stars to convert to the world of professional wrestling. Despite not wrestling for WWE, Riddle has cemented his legacy as one of the best free agents on the market today. Most of Riddle’s top work has come in Evolve where he originally joined the company due to Triple H’s relationship with it. Triple H requested Evolve give Riddle a chance to start his career in the respected independent promotion.

However, Riddle and WWE never came to an agreement regarding his future and Riddle has thrived on his own. The future of Riddle is clearly bright as he’s already great with just a few years of experience. Triple H has had Riddle on his radar for years and the improving status should only add more temptation. Riddle brings a combination of legitimacy and charisma to the game second to no one else on the independent circuit today.

7 Considering: Santana Garrett

Santana Garrett is arguably the top women’s wrestling talent on the market today. The combination of athleticism, personality and a marketable look make her a great asset for WWE. Garrett has been wrestling for countless independent promotions all over the world over the past few years. The name value of Santana has seen her become a top star for the MLW women’s division as that company tries to move forward.

Triple H has shown interest in Garrett by having her work various NXT matches in non-contracted appearances. Both sides have not been able to find an agreement, but the fact that she is brought in for NXT now and then show he has faith in her talent. Santana has the potential to become a major star and a full-time role in NXT would be a great start.

6 Stay away: Alberto Del Rio

The career of Alberto Del Rio has turned into a complete joke. Del Rio was once a WWE main eventer with the potential of becoming a legend. A poor backstage attitude doomed Alberto during his most recent run since his on-screen work wasn’t worth putting up with. Following his departure, Del Rio has ripped WWE and Triple H for their poor treatment of him.

Recent interviews have seen Alberto apologize to Triple H in trying to open back up his options. Del Rio was fired from Impact Wrestling for no-showing the main event of their big WrestleMania weekend show. With no other options left after burning bridges, Alberto will have to get back to WWE to become relevant again. WWE is reportedly considering giving him another chance. If Triple H is smart, he will avoid Del Rio at all costs given the train wreck he now is.

5 Considering: Tetsuya Naito

Triple H was responsible for WWE bringing over Shinsuke Nakamura and Hideo Itami to NXT. Both men were huge stars in Japan for their respective promotions. Triple H started to branch out into signing international stars for NXT and eventually the main roster. Since the Japanese talent are among the best in the world today, there’s no doubt Triple H will be looking to steal more names from NJPW.

Tetsuya Naito is arguably the top Japanese wrestler right now with his talent translating to the United States fan base more than most. The in-ring work of Naito has always been impressive, but his character in recent years have made him a very entertaining all-around performer. NXT would see Naito become another successful transition for a Japanese star signing with WWE.

4 Stay away: Austin Aries

Austin Aries is a rare instance of a top independent wrestling star failing to find major success in NXT or on WWE’s main roster. It could have been different for Aries if he spent more time NXT, but the timing worked against him. Aries suffered a brutal face injury that saw him join the Cruiserweight division and 205 Live as a commentator while injured.

Upon his recovery, WWE elected to make Aries a part of the Cruiserweight division. Reports of his backstage complaints about his role led to WWE releasing him. Aries is finding success on the independent circuit, but controversy continues to follow his career. The negatives that Aries brings to the table are no longer worth the headache that comes with his talent considering how many other great free agents are out there.

3 Considering: Toni Storm

The top women’s wrestling prospect on the free agent market today may very well be Toni Storm. Many fans will remember her from the Mae Young Classic as she was one of the biggest stand out performers from the WWE Network tournament. The in-ring skills, inherent charisma and impressive look of Storm make her the complete package for Triple H to add to NXT.

Stardom, Progress and a few other promotions all have proven that Storm can get over with an array of audiences. As mentioned earlier, the NXT women’s division is in a transition period. Triple H needs to add some players ready to make a huge impact. It would be difficult to find a woman more prepared than Toni to perform at a high level on the bigger stage.

2 Stay away: Sami Callihan

Sami Callihan is the case of someone finding success after a terrible NXT run. WWE signed Callihan as one of their independent wrestling acquisitions. However, Callihan failed to impress as much as his peers. According to Sami, he didn’t get to showcase his true persona and is happier outside of WWE. Callihan’s main wrestling homes today are Impact Wrestling and Lucha Underground.

Following an in-ring mistake that saw him hit Eddie Edwards in the face with a baseball bat, Callihan has become a controversial figure. The decision was made at some point to turn it into a gimmick by bragging about being reckless and talking down to those that disagree with him. Callihan’s negative reputation is a bad sign of him ever returning to WWE. The sad truth is also that he lacks the natural in-ring talent that most other top independent wrestlers have when making the jump to NXT.

1 Considering: Marty Scurll

The success of the current incarnation of the Bullet Club has seen the faction reach a new peak. Between their angles on ROH/New Japan shows and the popularity of their Being the Elite YouTube show, the members of the Bullet Club have become massive stars for professional wrestling. Guys like Kenny Omega, Cody Rhodes and the Young Bucks would have to get signed to main roster contracts right away given their star power.

Marty Scurll is almost as popular as the others with his incredible t-shirt sales for the Villain Club merchandise. Despite being a big deal, Scurll’s career is still ascending while the others are at their peak as top names. Triple H is always looking for talent like Marty to join NXT. Scurll would instantly be among the most over guys on the roster and it would set him on the trajectory to have a great WWE career.