Before there was a Performance Center, a WWE Network that showcased inexperienced stars, and before the glitz and glamour of WWE’s NXT brand, the company we all love and hate dealt with developing talents quite differently. NXT has certainly transformed from an episodic television series on the Syfy Network to a 24/7, 365-day brand in just a couple of years. With its success, some may have forgotten, or never knew, the other crop of WWE stars developed before NXT.
The WWE would sign these budding wrestlers to different minor league promotions that was affiliated with the WWE. The matches wouldn’t take place in a sold out crowd of 500 screaming fans, but rather in a high school gym or small venue. If you didn’t watch the matches in person, it would be very hard to watch any of the material from home.
A few organizations stick out more than others when talking about the developmental territories. Ohio Valley Wrestling is the most famous because it produced stars like Batista, Brock Lesnar, John Cena, and Randy Orton. Other promotions like Heartland Wrestling Association, Deep South Wrestling, Memphis Championship Wrestling, and IWA Puerto Rico usually don’t get the same recognition as OVW. Let us also not forget Florida Championship Wrestling, which transformed into the NXT brand you see today.
TheSportster would like to challenge you to a game, let us see if you can remember who these wrestlers were without the use of Google. Enjoy the list!
15. Afa Anoaʻi Jr.
via wikiwand.com
Wait! There’s an Anoaʻi family member who isn’t a part of a major wrestling organization around the globe? If you aren’t familiar with the Anoaʻi name, then you need to get your wrestling history game up. Here’s just a quick list of some of them: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, The Usos, Roman Reigns, and Yokozuna.
Should we list more?
How about Rikishi, Umaga and Naomi. So what happened to Afa? WWE decided to make him FCW’s Southern Heavyweight Championship before they merged the belt with the Heavyweight Championship in 2008. He had small success in the WWE after his stint with FCW, becoming the forgotten member of the stable Legacy. He still works the indie circuit today and can be seen at several wrestling conventions.
The post The 15 Worst WWE Developmental Champions You Never Knew About appeared first on TheSportster.