PARKS’S TAKE: Do recent moves in NXT’s men’s division back up the notion that the women’s division has been the strength of the brand?

For discerning viewers of NXT, it’s long been thought that the women’s division on the brand has out-paced the men in terms of overall talent, depth, and main roster potential.

Consider the recent challengers for the NXT Title as proof of this.

But start with the champion himself, Oba Femi, a wrestler who didn’t exactly come out of nowhere, but had not been a long established top star on the brand before winning the belt. He has excelled in the role after winning the title in January at New Year’s Evil. Yes, he’s defended against Trick Williams, and Williams to some had more main roster potential than the man he was sidekick to, Carmelo Hayes.

At Battleground, Femi defended against Myles Borne, a surprise winner of a battle royal to earn the opportunity. Borne had to that point been a cog in the mid-card No Quarter Catch Crew. To his credit, Borne performed well and has a legitimately high ceiling and inspirational backstory.

Borne, though, didn’t feel like someone who was vaulting to the main event permanently by virtue of that opportunity. Likewise, Jasper Troy, the most recent challenge fended off by Femi, not long ago won the first season of WWE LFG and previously had not been established as a threat to the title.

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Then, yesterday on NXT TV, it was announced that next week would feature a no. 1 Contender’s Match with Jasper Troy facing Yoshiki Inamura. Inamura has been a tag team partner with Josh Briggs and has done little in the singles division to earn such a shot.

In some ways, elevating these bit players to the main event is a good thing for NXT, especially since ratings have not substantially sagged because of this. However, it does shine a spotlight on how thin the men’s division is at the top when the booking is forced to utilize previously lower card players instead of drawing from a ready-made set of guys who had been built up over time. That build is happening with Je’Von Evans, Ricky Saints, and others, but not enough and not quickly enough.