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Former NXT Champion and North American Champion Keith Lee made his RAW debut this week, and he was immediately thrust into a feud with Randy Orton. Fans were split on the changes WWE made to Keith Lee, as he entered to a different theme from what he used in NXT, and his look was altered.
WWE doesn't always hit the mark when it comes to NXT call ups. There have been plenty of instances when a star is a success in NXT, but that same success didn't translate to RAW or SmackDown. There have been instances when the character was changed too much from their NXT personas that fans had grown used to.
When WWE have got their NXT call ups right, they have created huge stars. Here are five call ups from NXT to RAW or SmackDown that WWE pulled off well.
#5 Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn is currently off WWE TV, but his callup from NXT to RAW was impressive. Zayn dropped the NXT Championship to Kevin Owens at NXT TakeOver: Rival, ending his reign at sixty-two days, and was then moved to the Red brand.
In May 2015, Sami Zayn made his first appearance on RAW in his country, Canada. Zayn was introduced by WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart as a challenger for John Cena's United States Championship. Being a hometown hero, Zayn had an amazing reception from the crowd.
Cena and Zayn put on a brilliant match, although the challenger was unsuccessful in his shot at the United States Championship. After the match, he received a standing ovation from the audience.
Sami Zayn's recent run has had it's ups and downs, and the performer won his first main roster championship this year. Zayn became the Intercontinental Champion at Elimination Chamber, and successfully defended the title at WrestleMania. However, he was stripped of the title after being unable to defend it, and at the moment is still on a break from WWE TV.
#4 Kevin Owens
Like Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens' first appearance on RAW was to step up to then-United States Champion John Cena. Unlike Sami Zayn, however, Owens launched an attack on John Cena and stamped on the United States Championship belt. At the time, Kevin Owens was the NXT Champion, which he had won after defeating Zayn a few weeks earlier.
Shortly after Owens debuted on RAW, he faced John Cena in a non-title match at Elimination Chamber and won. The pair then faced off again at Battleground for the United States Championship, but Cena was successful in his title defence. Throughout this time, Owens was still the NXT Champion. He later dropped the belt after a lengthy 142-day reign to Finn Balor at The Beast of The East.
Kevin Owens was an instant hit following his debut on RAW. The star was involved in high-profile feuds from his first day as a RAW superstar, showcasing his ability to carry big storylines. To this day, Kevin Owens is still a huge part of the WWE roster.
#3 Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, and Sasha Banks
In 2015, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, and Sasha Banks dominated the women's division in NXT along with Bayley, and the group was dubbed the Four Horsewomen. When the three women made their debut, the WWE women's division was still called the Divas Division, and Nikki Bella was the holder of the Divas Championship, the only women's championship title in WWE at the time, apart from the NXT Women's Championship.
The trio made their debut on RAW to support Paige (Flair and Lynch) and Team B.A.D (Banks) against Team Bella. The debuting women were announced by Stephanie McMahon, to an amazing reception from fans.
The teams were formed, and all nine women brawled in the ring. The scrap ended with all three NXT call-ups holding the members of Team Bella in their signature submission moves, displaying the trio instantly as dominant figures in the women's division.
The call up of Flair, Lynch, and Banks from NXT to RAW was a huge step in the Women's Evoluion of WWE. All three of the women have gone on to have shining WWE careers and have become a few of the biggest names in modern wrestling.
#2 Samoa Joe
In January 2017, Seth Rollins was feuding with Triple H. In an episode of RAW in January, the pair were interrupted and Rollins was ambushed from behind by NXT star Samoa Joe, who shocked fans by trapping him in the Coquina Clutch and choked him out in the middle of the ring. This moment resulted in Joe aligning with Triple H.
Before his debut on RAW, Samoa Joe was one of the biggest stars of NXT. He had been the NXT Champion for 121 days, followed by a brief 14-day reign after winning the belt from Shinsuke Nakamura in a re-match at NXT TakeOver: Toronto. Samoa Joe became the first performer in history to be a two-time NXT Champion, and his second reign ended after Nakamura won the title back in Osaka, Japan.
After Joe moved from NXT to RAW, he began strong with an undefeated streak, beating top stars such as Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn.
Due to a few injuries, Samoa Joe is currently working on RAW as a commentator, and his work behind the table has been met with praise by fans.
#1 Paige
In 2013, Paige became the inaugural NXT Women's Champion after fending off many other talented performers, in a tournament for the new title. On the 2014 RAW after WrestleMania, Paige made a surprising appearance to congratulate Divas Champion AJ Lee.
However, the moment sparked an altercation between the pair after Lee slapped Paige and challenged her to an impromptu Divas Championship match.
Paige managed to reverse AJ Lee's Black Widow submission into the Paige Turner and pinned her rival to become the youngest-ever WWE Divas Champion at 21 years of age . She was also the first and only WWE superstar to hold the NXT and Divas Championships at the same time.
Once Paige moved to RAW, she was forced to relinquish her NXT Women's Championship.
She successfully defended the Divas Championship until late June 2014 when AJ Lee won it back, leading to the title going back and forth between the pair as they engaged in a long feud.
Even though Paige was forced to retire due to injuries at just 25 years of age, she achieved a lot in her short stint as an in-ring performer, in NXT and the main roster. She has continued to be a part of the company, working in many different non-wrestling roles including as SmackDown General Manager, while also leading the team of Asuka and Kairi Sane, dubbed the Kabuki Warriors.
