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The elevation of top NXT stars Oba Femi, Je’Von Evans, Trick Williams, and Jordynne Grace to the main roster has left a gaping void at the top of the card. Four top spots have been emptied, with many performers eager to fill them.
The months ahead are a time of great opportunity in NXT, when new stars will be made and others will fall short.
Who’s positioned to hit new heights in 2026, and who’s floundering? Let’s evaluate.
Rising Star of the Week: Ricky Saints
After nearly a year of struggling in a babyface role including lackluster reigns as NXT Champion and NXT North American Champion, Saints has finally hit his stride as a heel.
Never lacking for intensity, Saints has taken to the role of villain with relish and has been stealing scenes ever since. His outrageous claims of driving Oba Femi out of NXT have infuriated the live audience. Saints’ ring work is not fantastic, but certainly good enough given his charisma.
Saints is the clear favorite to win the upcoming 6-man ladder match to crown a new NXT Champion. Even if the New Orleans native fails to win the title, he’s positioned to challenge whoever does as the top contender.
2025 was a tough year for Saints, but in 2026 NXT belongs to “The Absolute.”
Runner-up: Jada Parker
For the past year Parker has been a star waiting to happen. She has a magnetic presence which captivates audiences, who enthusiastically chant “Ms. Parker” whenever she appears. While still inexperienced, her ring work has improved and is more than serviceable. Her entrance video invokes a character from Grand Theft Auto, a culturally relevant reference that suits her well. Parker is natural and engaging in promos, but she defied her popularity by persisting as a heel.
For all of her potential, Parker spent most of 2026 losing. She has challenged for the WWE Speed title, NXT North American title, and NXT Title and always came off like a legitimate threat, only to come up short each time in a pattern reminiscent of Jordynne Grace. After participating in a battle royal in early October, Jaida was taken off NXT TV, seemingly to refresh her character.
Parker made a surprise return to NXT last week, interrupting and ultimately attacking Blake Monroe. She embraced a babyface role for the first time, much to the delight of the NXT fans, who had been cheering her on for the past year regardless of her heelish behavior, Parker seemed natural and motivated in challenging Monroe.
Monroe, a successful heel and powerful personality in her own right, is the perfect foil for Parker. Monroe’s bougie narcissism contrasts well with Parker’s gritty authenticity.
Finally aligned as a babyface and pitted in a major storyline against another up-and-coming talent, Ms. Parker is at last on track to realize her star potential.
Sparks will fly.
Second Runner up: Shiloh Hill
Hill is an anomaly.
The winner of WWE LFG Season 2, Hill debuted on NXT in December, and has already made quite an impression. Removing his prosthetic tooth to reveal a gap in his teeth is a truly unique way for him to power up towards the end of a match. A pair of comedy matches with Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo in recent weeks have been a lot of fun. With a unique personality, Hill really shines in his ability to tell an engaging story.
I don’t quite understand his character: a mix between a redneck and a hacker, Hill comes off like a happy-go-lucky Gen-Z Bray Wyatt.
PWT Talks NXT hosts Nate Linberg and Kelly Wells are particularly impressed by Hill. While I don’t share their enthusiasm, I must concede that Hill has something special.
This past week Hill defeated Josh Briggs to qualify for the six-man ladder match to crown a new NXT Champion. While unlikely to win, Hill is positioned as a top contender only one month after his debut.
On track to be a featured performer in the months ahead and possessed of a unique charisma, Hill is undoubtedly one to watch in 2026.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
Check out the latest episode of “PWT Talks NXT” with Kelly Wells and Nate Lindberg, part of the PWTorch Dailycast line-up: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “pwtorch” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
Fading Star of the Week: Tony D’Angelo
Once a top-featured act, this 5-year NXT veteran has been featured in the worst way in recent weeks.
After years of playing an Italian American mafioso, his D’Angelo Family finally disbanded in July of 2025. NXT invested a lot into the Family, but the idea that a crime family moonlighted as a professional wrestling stable was a bit too much for fans to swallow. The angle was too silly to be taken seriously, and it was past time for D’Angelo to move on.
Tony D disappeared from NXT TV for 5 months before a surprise return at December’s NXT Deadl1ne, in which he attacked Je’Von Evans after his Iron Survivor Challenge victory and faced off with then-champion Oba Femi. D’Angelo seemed destined to face Femi for the title, but it was not to be. Femi departed for the main roster, surrendering his title.
D’Angelo would reappear week after week, assaulting a variety of wrestlers during and after their matches, with no expression on his face and no explanation for his attacks.
This week, he attacked both competitors after two singles matches, beating up four men in another pair of unprovoked, nonsensical attacks. Confronted by general manager Ava and a pair of security guards, D’Angelo inexplicably surrendered, allowing himself to be handcuffed and arrested while betraying not a hint of emotion.
These repetitive attacks have left viewers confused and frustrated for too many weeks in a row. Presumably, D’Angelo will explain his actions next week and establish what his new character is about and what his goals are.
D’Angelo’s story had better be good, because the buildup has been brutal.
First Runner-Up: Josh Briggs
After five years on NXT, Briggs hasn’t found his niche. At 6 ft 8 inches, Briggs is a convincing big man with impressive power moves and strength. His betrayal of tag team partner Yoshiki Inamura this summer led to a successful heel run in which he was able to command a great deal of heat from NXT audiences.
However, just when Briggs started to build up momentum he was booked to lose match after match, to the likes of Je’Von Evans and Tavion Heights. Relegated to a gatekeeper role, Briggs faded from TV, only to reappear this week in another losing effort to newcomer Shiloh Hill.
Briggs has a lot of upside, but time is running out for him to make an impact in NXT.
Oh, and the cheesy smoking skull Briggs wears on his shoulder has got to go.
Second Runner-Up: Jasper Troy
Billed at 6 ft 5 inches, and 340 pounds, this former offensive lineman is just big enough to play the role of a powerhouse monster. The men’s winner of the inaugural WWE LFG season in 2025, Troy debuted on NXT in May with some fanfare. He immediately challenged Oba Femi and competed for the NXT title in his second match on the brand.
Troy’s power and intensity were impressive enough, but his mic work failed to impress and his inexperience between the ropes was obvious. After only a few matches, the big man disappeared from NXT for months.
Soon after his return to action in October, Troy defeated Grande Americano to become the new WWE Speed Champion. The speed format fits inexperienced wrestlers like Troy well, limiting them to short, manageable matches. However, in his one title defense, he was outshined by the more athletic and skilled Tavion Heights, even as Troy retained the title.
Aside from his physical frame and demeanor, there’s little to recommend Troy. After plenty of TV time and featured matchups with talented opponents, he doesn’t seem to have progressed much in the ring or on the mic.
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