The Raw after Wrestlemania made one thing quite clear- that the main roster now looks more like NXT than it ever has. With debuts from Enzo and Cass, Baron Corbin, Apollo Crews and The Vaudevillains- the main roster which is always more crowded than its developmental show looked more crowded than ever.
A look at NXT now gives a totally different picture. There aren’t many long term NXT superstars who were trained at the Performance Centre and came through those years of training to developmental to hone their skills more and then make their way to the big leagues of the lights and glamour of Raw and Smackdown.
There happens to be a surge of already established indy talents. Here are the 5 superstars who need to go back to NXT to add to the product-
#1 Becky Lynch
Well, WWE should push the feud between Emma and Becky Lynch more since there is certainly an entertaining angle out there playing out on social media but it still remains to be see playing out on live TV and that has affected this feud. But Lynch going back to NXT has a lot more meaning.
She is more over as a charming babyface than she was in NXT and given that she’s never won the NXT Women’s Championship and also the fact that Asuka doesn’t have many threats to her title right now gives Lynch’s return to NXT that much more purpose.
Being one of the trailblazing women in NXT’s history after her stellar, show- stealing match at Takeover: Unstoppable , Lynch certainly deserves a run with that prestigious title held by many incredible female performers.
#2 Apollo Crews
It was great seeing Crews on Raw but it would have been better if that was a one- off deal. Crews hasn’t spent a lot of time as much as other NXT recruits like Sami Zayn and Enzo and Cass. Neither has he had the meteoric rise as Kevin Owens and Finn Balor.
Crews simply needs more time to hone his character which is nothing more than an all smiling babyface with an athletic skill set at this point. His gimmick is already wearing out at this point despite the fact that he’s being promoted as being a rather big deal.
Going back to NXT means getting more time to develop your character and then earning your way to the title picture, in Crews case that is a sure shot deal since he’s being pitched as someone to be reckoned with
#3 Baron Corbin
The Lone Wolf has been with NXT for 4 years and his call to the main roster was a long time coming but he is now entangled in a feud with Dolph Ziggler much like Tyler Breeze was when he debuted. Where has that taken him? Ziggler has been written so poorly in the past couple of years that him putting anyone over at this point is not impactful.
Corbin made his first array into the NXT title picture when tension was piling upon between Samoa Joe and Sami Zayn, until they made him pick up a fight with Austin Aries. Here’s what the beauty of NXT has been- giving young superstars the chance to develop their characters and sometimes have credible, experienced superstars to put them over.
Paige was put over by Natalya, so was Charlotte. Zayn was put over by Cesaro. Corbin’s heel persona was catching up and he won at WrestleMania to much fanfare, but he clearly needs to more work on his character.
#4 Tyler Breeze
Tyler Breeze had a great thing going in NXT. He came so close to the winning the NXT championship but never quite made it and that itself gave his story much depth. He was a performer loved and adored at Full Sails, so much so that if he had been given just one chance to capture that title, the audience would accept that.
He was nowhere near the technician that someone like a Zayn is and nowhere near charismatic as someone like Owens on the mic, but he was still that character that had the potential until he was suddenly made to debut on Smackdown. If he goes back to NXT, not only will it be nostalgic, it will add to the charm that is developmental.
And if he’s given a shot at winning the title, it will be welcome as well. And that obviously calls for much growth in the character.
#5 Paige
Paige had been at NXT for so long that you wanted to see her debut on the main roster as soon as possible and when she finally did, the crowd popped big. Now 2 years after her debut, she’s almost lost in the burgeoning women’s division.
But she’s always been one of the most popular stars on the roster and one of the outstanding personalities as well but right now she can also play the role that natalys played for her and Charlotte and NXT. Right now the women’s division is dominated by Asuka and the only challengers to her are Nia Jax and Bayley.
The field is open for other female superstars to take over but there are nowhere near the mark set by her, Emma, Charlotte, Lynch, Bayley and Banks. She can maybe go back and put someone over.
