{"id":203409,"date":"2025-08-23T14:17:19","date_gmt":"2025-08-23T19:17:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=203409"},"modified":"2025-08-23T14:17:19","modified_gmt":"2025-08-23T19:17:19","slug":"wwe-rising-stars-fading-stars-nxt-edition-evans-rebounds-williams-doesnt-miss-a-trick-monroe-brings-the-glamour-hendry-is-not-believable-steele-stumbles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2025\/08\/23\/wwe-rising-stars-fading-stars-nxt-edition-evans-rebounds-williams-doesnt-miss-a-trick-monroe-brings-the-glamour-hendry-is-not-believable-steele-stumbles\/","title":{"rendered":"WWE RISING STARS &#038; FADING STARS \u2014 NXT EDITION: Evans Rebounds, Williams Doesn\u2019t Miss a Trick, Monroe Brings the Glamour, Hendry is Not Believable, Steele Stumbles"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-1310314249\" class=\"pwtor-before-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><hr \/><b>SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... <\/b>\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?show_id=3076978&theme=light&playlist=false&playlist-continuous=false&autoplay=false&live-autoplay=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=false&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"140px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<hr \/><\/div><p>A proving ground for young talent as well as veterans new to WWE style, NXT programming gives wrestling fans a peek at tomorrow\u2019s main roster stars. Most of today\u2019s Raw and Smackdown wrestlers did time on NXT first. However, a number of NXT wrestlers fail to make an impact on the main roster (e.g., Toni Storm, Keith Lee, Blair Davenport), or never make it there (e.g., Kassius Ohno, Velveteen Dream, James Storm).<\/p>\n<p>Part of the joy of watching NXT is trying to predict who is main roster bound and who won\u2019t cut it. The eve of NXT\u2019s Heatwave is a great opportunity to do just that.<\/p>\n<p>Who\u2019s killing it on NXT and who\u2019s floundering? Let\u2019s take a look:<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Rising Star of the Week: Je\u2019Von Evans<\/h3>\n<p>Evans can bump like no one else on the roster. Although he won this week\u2019s number one contender\u2019s match against Trick Williams, he made his opponent look phenomenal in the process.<\/p>\n<p>A lightweight (billed at 170 lbs), the Young OG is easily tossed around the ring by a variety of opponents. Not that he needs help \u2014 Evans is perfectly capable of launching himself when taking offense, in a manner reminiscent of Mr. Perfect or Shawn Michaels.<\/p>\n<p>His incredible athleticism makes Evan\u2019s offense nearly as impressive. His leaping ability is unmatched, which makes his leaping cutters and double spring tornillo splash look beyond impressive.<\/p>\n<p>This week his most impressive stunt was being shoved off the top rope by Williams before soaring through the announce desk \u2014 a fall which would have made Mick Foley take notice. Although he hit hard, Evans finished the match without any apparrent injury.<\/p>\n<p>Evans\u2019s only weakness is his mic skills, which need a bit of work. For this reason, Evans seems unlikely to win the title on Sunday. However, after only 16 months in NXT, this 21-year-old has plenty of time to develop his promos.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-2864423234\" class=\"pwtor-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>The Young OG\u2019s phenomenal athleticism and impressive ring skills make him a can\u2019t-miss prospect for the main roster. It\u2019s only a matter of time before Raw or SmackDown gets \u201cbouncy.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Runner-up: Trick Williams<\/h3>\n<p>On the mic and in the ring, Williams can truly do it all. If there\u2019s a hole in his game, I can\u2019t see it.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s talk about it.<\/p>\n<p>In his time in NXT, Williams has unexpectedly risen from Carmelo Hayes\u2019s hype man to a main event star in his own right. He\u2019s collected a number of accolades in the process, including capturing the NXT North American Championship once and the NXT Championship twice. Trick is the first WWE-contracted wrestler to ever hold the TNA World Championship.<\/p>\n<p>His reign as NXT champion electrified fans, garnering incredible momentum which was cut short by an ill-advised heel turn. His heel run has been limited by fans\u2019 desire to cheer him and chant \u201cWhoop That Trick!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Williams is the best all-around performer in NXT and is more than ready for a main roster whose main event scene is suffering a dearth of Black men. With the right booking, the sky\u2019s the limit for this top-notch talent.<\/p>\n<h3>Second Runner up: Blake Monroe<\/h3>\n<p>Monroe knows her character and is incredibly effective in her role. As a beautiful, blonde mean girl, the former Mariah May is everything that Tiffany Stratton was supposed to be.<\/p>\n<p>Her promos opposite Jordynne Grace have showcased Monroe\u2019s malice and cowardice, making fans want to see this villain get the beating she deserves.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-224603675\" class=\"pwtor-content-1 pwtor-entity-placement\"><!-- Tag ID: pwtorchcom_test_300x600 -->\r\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __300x600\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Monroe\u2019s ringwork seems competent if nothing special, but her Heatwave Match with Grace will be her first real test. If the two can pull off a compelling, PLE-worthy match on Sunday, Monroe will cement her position as the NXT women\u2019s division\u2019s fastest rising star and future champion.<\/p>\n<p><em>ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW&#8230;<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Check out the latest episode of &#8220;PWT Talks NXT&#8221; with Kelly Wells and Nate Lindberg, part of the PWTorch Dailycast line-up: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spreaker.com\/episode\/pwt-talks-nxt-wells-lindberg-discuss-je-von-evans-vs-trick-williams-fatal-attraction-vs-the-elegance-brand-the-peace-treaty-more--67450184\">CLICK HERE<\/a> to stream (or search \u201cpwtorch\u201d on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"PWT Talks NXT - Wells &amp; Lindberg discuss Je'Von Evans vs. Trick Williams, Fatal Attraction vs. The Elegance Brand, the &quot;peace treaty,&quot; more\" src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?episode_id=67450184&amp;theme=light&amp;playlist=false&amp;playlist-continuous=false&amp;chapters-image=true&amp;episode_image_position=right&amp;hide-logo=false&amp;hide-likes=false&amp;hide-comments=false&amp;hide-sharing=false&amp;hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"200px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Fading Star of the Week: Joe Hendry<\/h3>\n<p>Just a few months ago, no independent wrestler had more buzz than Joe Hendry. With a catchy entrance theme, a winning smile, and a fun gimmick, Hendry received the loudest response of any act on NXT\u2014 especially impressive given his status as a TNA wrestler. It was just plain fun to root for Hendry and audiences enthusiastically chanted \u201cI believe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Then there were setbacks. Hendry failed in his bid to win the NXT title from Ethan Page. He lost to Randy Orton in three minutes at WrestleMania. Soon afterwards he lost his TNA title to Trick Williams. We are finding less reason to believe in Joe Hendry, and fan enthusiasm has waned considerably.<\/p>\n<p>Recent wins over midcareer Wes Lee and Charlie Dempsey have done little to reignite his momentum. Recent skits in which he emerges from unlikely hiding places in response to his name being spoken are funny, but frame Hendry as a comedy figure rather than a main event star.<\/p>\n<p>WWE has little reason to push Hendry until he signs a WWE contract. However, he has confirmed that his TNA contract does not expire until the end of the year. Given the likelihood he will jump ship, TNA seems unlikely to prioritize him in the meantime. This leaves Hendry in storyline limbo, which does not bode well for his significance in storylines on either brand.<\/p>\n<p>Even if he does sign with WWE, it remains to be seen whether he\u2019ll be able to recapture the magic in 2026.<\/p>\n<h3>Runner-Up: Tyra Mae Steele<\/h3>\n<p>As the first female Olympic Gold Medalist to sign with WWE, Steele benefits from a rare sense of legitimacy as a combat athlete. The two other gold medalists to compete in WWE had wildly different careers. Kurt Angle met with phenomenal success, while Gable Stevneson failed and was released after a single televised match on an NXT PLE. Which path will Steele follow?<\/p>\n<p>First impressions weren\u2019t great. In her featured talking segment on this week\u2019s NXT, Steele floundered.<\/p>\n<p>Although she seemed comfortable in her role, partnering with fellow Olympian Tavion Heights representing America opposite egotistical Canadians Chelsea Green and Ethan Page, Steele seemed to overact and failed to connect with the audience. The Philadelphia crowd seemed more interested in cheering for Green than rallying behind its American heroes.<\/p>\n<p>The mixed tag team bout at Heatwave featuring the four will be Steele\u2019s first high-profile match in WWE, and she has a lot to prove. Green is not an idea opponent, being of limited wrestling ability and getting favorable responses from fans following her sympathetic portrayal on WWE Unreal. A USA vs. Canada program may be ill-suited for today\u2019s political climate.<\/p>\n<p>However, a strong showing by Steele here would go a long way toward generating fan interest. Will she rise to the occasion under pressure? Tyra Mae will need nerves of steel.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"PWT Talks NXT - PWTorch NXT Post Show w\/Wells &amp; Lindberg\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YpXAwocaoTM?start=5&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-3367659925\"><div id=\"pwtor-784673202\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\nTHANK YOU FOR VISITING<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>A proving ground for young talent as well as veterans new to WWE style, NXT programming gives wrestling fans a peek at tomorrow\u2019s main roster stars. Most of today\u2019s Raw and Smackdown wrestlers did time <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2025\/08\/23\/wwe-rising-stars-fading-stars-nxt-edition-evans-rebounds-williams-doesnt-miss-a-trick-monroe-brings-the-glamour-hendry-is-not-believable-steele-stumbles\/\" title=\"WWE RISING STARS &#038; FADING STARS \u2014 NXT EDITION: Evans Rebounds, Williams Doesn\u2019t Miss a Trick, Monroe Brings the Glamour, Hendry is Not Believable, Steele Stumbles\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":197046,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,4309,27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-203409","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opnionandanalysis","category-rising-star-fading-star","category-specialists"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-30-at-12.33.31\u202fPM.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203409","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=203409"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203409\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":203420,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203409\/revisions\/203420"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/197046"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=203409"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=203409"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=203409"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}