CM Punk has named Carmelo Hayes, Trick Williams, and Oba Femi as NXT stars he wants to face before his career ends, calling WWE's developmental brand an "embarrassment of riches."
In an interview with Complex, the WWE World Heavyweight Champion discussed the depth of talent in WWE's pipeline and expressed concern he might not have enough time to work with everyone he wants.
It's an embarrassment of riches. I'm gonna run out of road before I wind up having chances to work with all these guys. I want to work with Carmelo. I want to work with Trick. I want to work with Oba.
Punk praised the current state of WWE's roster, noting how much deeper the talent pool has become compared to earlier eras.
In the past, when you looked at a Royal Rumble roster, you could maybe pick less than five guys who could realistically win. Nowadays, it's legit at least a dozen. You can look at the whole roster and think, 'This guy could win a Royal Rumble.'
Lexus King Reminds Punk of Himself
Among the NXT prospects catching Punk's attention is Lexus King, who he compared to his own early career trajectory. Punk noted that King faces similar skepticism from critics that he once experienced.
A guy like Lexus King is viewed more like me back in the day, where people look at him and think, 'I don't know if I get it.' So he has to work that much harder. And he's really open to ideas. His mind is not closed.
Bron Breakker as Current Threat
While discussing NXT graduates who have already made the main roster jump, Punk acknowledged Bron Breakker as someone with unlimited potential who will eventually challenge for his title.
Punk noted that any championship challenger will have to contend with facing "the best in the world" - a label he has no intention of giving up anytime soon. With the World Heavyweight Championship serving as his armor heading into WrestleMania season, Punk is positioning himself as the measuring stick for WWE's next generation.
