Which NXT Stars Will Thrive on the Main Roster in 2015?

2014 has been a great year for the young stars down in NXT. As one of the main shows on the WWE Network, the roster of developmental stars have earned rave reviews from past wrestlers and fans, competing in fantastic matches and compelling rivalries. This Thursday, these efforts will culminate in their final live special of the year, Takeover III: R Evolution.

In the main event, Adrian Neville will defend his NXT Championship against Sami Zayn in a battle about the will to be a champion and Zayn’s desperation to show he can hold the gold. Hideo Itami and Finn Balor team up to take on former tag team champions The Ascension. Charlotte defends her Women’s Championship against former BFF partner Sasha Banks, and the tag team titles are on the line as The Vaudevillains challenge holders the Lucha Dragons.

On paper, this is looking to be their biggest show ever, and with the debut of Kevin Owens also in the offing, it should once again demonstrate that NXT is one of the best wrestling shows on today. But, the goal for these superstars is to one day graduate onto the main roster, competing every week on RAW and SmackDown against established stars.

2014 also had a large number of stars moving from NXT to WWE. However, few of these enjoyed a sustained amount of success. Rusev and Paige have proven the exceptions. The Bulgarian has dominated all opposition, winning the United States title, whilst Paige became the youngest Divas Champion in history on her debut. But names like Xavier Woods, Emma, Adam Rose and Bo Dallas have experienced mixed fortunes, often being lost in the shuffle.

With the hazards of the main roster firmly demonstrated by the career trajectories of these stars, it seems appropriate to consider which NXT stars will likely progress onto the main roster in 2015. Here, I have selected 10 of the biggest prospects that have shown they are more than ready to make the transition to major shows. Who will thrive, who will survive, and who will take a nosedive?

Adrian Neville

The current NXT Champion is one of the most capable and exciting superstars down in NXT. His Red Arrow finishing maneuver seems to defy the laws of physics, and has propelled him into perhaps the greatest high-flier in professional wrestling today. Every superstar that has previously held that title have moved onto the main roster in short order, from the amazing success of Seth Rollins, to the mixed achievements of Big E and Bo Dallas.

So, there is no doubt Neville will make the main roster, but will he be able to reach the heights he has climbed to in NXT? His height could be an issue, but he has shown a capability to have strong matches with any opponent in spite of their size. Neville also still requires work on the microphone if he is to be a major titleholder in WWE, but he can allow his ring skills do the talking at the start. In the new generation of WWE, Neville will at least be a future Intercontinental Champion.

Sami Zayn

Sami Zayn has a quality that many superstars will struggle with constantly throughout their careers, and that is an ability to immediately connect with the audience. He is a sympathetic and hard-working babyface, an ultimate underdog. He will constantly be knocked down, but will get back up asking for more, and that has endeared him to the crowd at NXT ever since he debuted.

Zayn has been ready to jump to the main roster for a while now, his matches with Cesaro in particular have been heralded as some of the best matches of the past two years. As a darling of the independent scene, he has paid his dues, and has the potential of the likes of CM Punk, Daniel Bryan and Seth Rollins to turn that into success in WWE. Could he one day be World Champion? I think among the NXT roster currently he is one of the most likely simply for being a perpetual underdog and its potential as an awesome feel-good moment.

Hideo Itami

The Japanese star has reportedly been struggling to find the perfect balance between the WWE style and the strong style he has performed most of his career. But, when that finally clicks into place, he should become a prevalent star in both NXT and then WWE. Arguably, he is the least likely in this list to make it onto the main roster in 2015 due to time this transition may take, and he be held back in NXT to make sure it is not over-saturated with graduates.

Obviously, there are other factors that may keep him in Florida for a little longer, such as the language barrier...