ryan satin
FOX Sports WWE Analyst
With the summer of 2023 in full swing, a handful of WWE Superstars have stood out as talents to watch out for in the coming months.
It’s been a year since Triple H took over as WWE’s chief creative officer. In that time, many Superstars who had been released or left were brought back into the fold, and a crop of new NXT faces were introduced.
Unlike summons of the past, however, Triple H largely kept what made those characters popular in NXT and gave them a chance to sink or swim.
These are the five fighters who clearly rise above the tide.
1. Maxxine Dupri
All you need to do is listen to the crowd each week on Raw to know that Dupri has a bright future ahead of her. There’s something magnetic about his screen presence, and audiences seem interested in his journey.
Take, for example, his first match this month.
As you can see above, the WWE rookie got quite a shock for simply hitting a suplex! That’s how you know people are engaged in what she’s been doing with Alpha Academy ever since they paired up on screen.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Dupri make waves in the women’s division early next year.
2.Grayson Waller
Waller has been one to watch since he began appearing on NXT.
He has everything you need to become a WWE star: charisma, in-ring ability, good looks, confidence and more.
Edge returns to challenge Grayson Waller in Waller’s first main roster match
“The Grayson Waller Effect” has also been a new addition to SmackDown, and his debut against Edge in SmackDown’s main event inside Madison Square Garden made it clear that the company has high hopes for the young superstar.
As Edge told him after the match, Waller can swim, and I’m sure it will only be against the current.
3. LA Knight
I recently wrote about the outpouring of support surrounding LA Knight, but even after failing to win the Money in the Bank briefcase, their reactions are still as strong as ever.
If this holds up, a case could be made for injecting Knight into Bloodline’s lore, so he can challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed Universal Championship at some point in the future.
He’s one of the few Superstars on SmackDown who gets huge outbursts of babyface, and leveraging that in some way would be smart.
4. Pretty Deadly
These two Brits were a standout act on NXT and their momentum has continued to build since they made it to the main roster.
Case in point: Elton Prince and Kit Wilson earned a tag team title shot last month in just their third match on SmackDown (after defeating five other more established teams).
Pretty Deadly grabs their win against the Street Profits
Then after that, they held their own against two of WWE’s most popular wrestlers, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, in a huge show in the UK.
They also have a lot of charisma and a great catchphrase, so it’s simply a matter of time before the WWE Universe yells “YEAH BOY!”
5.Zoey Stark
Stark, by becoming Trish Stratus’ backup, has quickly earned the newcomer tons of TV time in a prominent position.
Zoey Stark and Trish Stratus embarrass Becky Lynch on Monday Night Raw
On top of that, you get to sit under a legend’s learning tree every week, while also getting the chance to battle top stars like Becky Lynch, as well as compete in matches like Money in the Bank.
Zoey showed a lot of promise in NXT and Triple H was clearly a fan of her work.
Gaining more experience in this position will surely bode well for your future.
Ryan Satin is a WWE analyst for FOX Sports. Satin previously appeared on FS1’s “WWE Backstage” and founded the Pro Wrestling Sheet, where he published countless stories as editor-in-chief. Follow him on Twitter @ryansatin.
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