With the upcoming WWE draft on July 19th, many NXT stars have been rumoured to be getting a call-up to either Raw or Smackdown to help flesh out the roster.
While this is great news for some of the talent down on WWE’s developmental brand who are deserving of a chance on the flagship shows, it does not necessarily mean that they will be able to transition smoothly to the main roster. Some talents have gotten over in NXT but have failed to make an impact after making the step up.
So, let’s look at 5 NXT stars who may struggle to get over on the main roster…
#5 Mojo Rawley
This may be a fairly biased choice as I am not a fan of Mojo in any way, shape or form. I hate his voice, his face, his ring gear, his face, his move-set and did I mention his face?
Rawley was paired with Zack Ryder to form the Hype Bros about a year ago, but the future of this team is uncertain since Ryder has been given a more prominent role on the main roster. However, if they are to continue with this alliance, it is possible that it would be elevated to the main roster with Rawley joining Ryder on either Raw or Smackdown after the draft on July 19th.
While teaming with Ryder would help Mojo, I don’t think that he would be a success long term on the main roster and would soon begin to irritate the fans rather than be embraced by them, or maybe that’s just me.
#4 Blake & Murphy
Former NXT Tag Team Champions, Blake & Murphy, are a solid tag team and have had some good matches during their 2-year stint on the developmental brand. However, over recent months they have lost some of their momentum and have been seemingly overtaken by newer, fresher tag teams such as American Alpha.
Regular NXT viewers will be aware that Blake & Murphy appear to be heading for a split having already parted ways with Alexa Bliss and tensions teased between the pair after a losing streak. Personally, I’m not sure this is a good idea as I don’t see either of them being successful as singles competitors and they’d be better off together even if they have gotten slightly stale recently.
Although they can be exciting to watch in the ring, their lack of charisma and depth of character means they would likely struggle if called up to the main roster and would be nothing more than an enhancement team used to get other teams over.
#3 Elias Samson
Elias Samson has only been a member of the NXT roster for a short while but has been one of the most underwhelming additions to the roster in recent years.
This might be a harsh judgment as he is being compared to the likes of Samoa Joe and Shinsuke Nakamura, however, that is the nature of the beast in the current wrestling climate and if he can’t stand out in NXT then he is likely to struggle on the main roster also.
Samson’s ‘Drifter’ gimmick has garnered a lot of heat for him and although that is a good sign, it doesn’t seem to be a persona the fans love to hate and is more like an Eva Marie-style dislike for the character which doesn’t bode well for the future.
Samson is a decent in-ring worker and I’m sure he has a lot more to show the NXT audience when given the chance but, judging on what he has shown thus far, it is unclear whether he has enough to become a star in WWE.
#2 The Revival
The Revival are doing some excellent work in NXT currently and are arguably the best ‘heel’ tag team on the entire WWE roster.
However, for this to work on the main roster they would need to be booked as strong as they have been in NXT over the last few months. Their recent matches against Enzo & Cass and American Alpha have been master classes in the art of tag team wrestling and both Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder have shown that they would be great assets to the main roster if and when they get the call-up.
For The Revival to become stars themselves they would need to pick up the win on a regular basis, whether that be a clean win or by using underhanded tactics. But considering the 50/50 booking in WWE over the last few years, I fear that Dash & Dawson would struggle to establish themselves as a legitimate tag team in the eyes of the fans and could become just another tag team.
#1 Bayley
Allow me to preface this by saying that I am a huge fan of Bayley and her story over her 4-year NXT tenure has been one of the best in all of wrestling in recent memory.
However, that might be the problem.
Bayley’s story is a large part of her appeal and while the fans that have followed her journey love the character, the main roster fans who may not be as familiar with her are unlikely to care for her as much. Her success on the flagship shows will largely depend on how her character is booked and it would be very difficult for the WWE to replicate the amazing story she’s had in NXT on either Raw or Smackdown.
I truly hope that this won’t be an issue for Bayley and that she goes on to have a long and prosperous career on the main roster, she certainly has the potential to be one of the biggest female stars the WWE has ever produced and her already substantial fan base will no doubt continue to show their support for her when the former NXT Women’s Champion does eventually make the transition to the main roster.
