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WWE has announced that the 2019 Superstar Shake-Up will take place on Raw and SmackDown Live on April 15-16, one week after WrestleMania 35.
It has become a tradition for WWE to call up several Superstars from NXT after each WrestleMania, with established names including Shinsuke Nakamura, Ember Moon and AOP debuting on the main roster within 48 hours of ‘Mania in the last two years.
NXT Superstars EC3, Otis, Tucker, Lacey Evans, Nikki Cross, Aleister Black, Ricochet, Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa have all appeared on Raw and SmackDown Live in recent months, so it remains to be seen if WWE will go down a similar route to previous years with regards to post-Mania call-ups or whether they have enough talent to work with already.
Despite the high number of main-roster additions of late, there are still several Superstars in NXT who have little left to achieve in WWE’s ‘developmental’ brand and, when the time is right, they have proven that they are ready to make the switch to Raw and SmackDown Live.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the five most likely Superstars/teams that could become part of WWE’s Monday and Tuesday night programming after WrestleMania 35.
#5 Lars Sullivan
WWE began airing vignettes for Lars Sullivan in November 2018 during the Survivor Series pay-per-view. As the weeks went on, more and more NXT Superstars were advertised for – and subsequently appeared on – Raw and SmackDown Live, but there was no sign of Sullivan.
It was widely reported in January 2019 that, on the night that he was due to debut on Raw to set up a WrestleMania 35 storyline with John Cena, “The Freak” suffered an anxiety attack and this is the reason why he is yet to make his long-awaited first appearance on the main roster.
The only official word on Sullivan’s situation came from Triple H, who said in late January during a media call: "There’s a lot of speculation and stories about all people at all times. Lars is in a good place and nothing has really changed. We’re moving forward and you’ll know when you see it."
Assuming Sullivan is ready to debut, he will be one of the leading contenders to be called up next from NXT.
#4 Velveteen Dream
Every time there is a TakeOver event, fans question after the show when Velveteen Dream will make his main-roster debut. The man himself even got the rumours going in August 2018 when, during his match with EC3 at TakeOver: Brooklyn IV, he wore tights containing the words, ‘Call Me Up Vince.’
The 23-year-old recently won the North American Championship from Johnny Gargano at an NXT taping and he will defend the title in a one-on-one match against Matt Riddle at TakeOver: New York on Friday, April 5.
If Riddle wins the match and brings an end to his opponent’s short reign as champion, that will surely mean that Dream is destined to be called up to the main roster in the next few weeks.
Either way, the former Tough Enough contestant has proven himself to be NXT’s hottest prospect over the last 12 months, with John Cena even describing him as “The One”, so we can expect to see him on Raw or SmackDown Live at some point in 2019.
#3 Shayna Baszler
Like Velveteen Dream, Shayna Baszler’s main-roster future largely depends on the outcome of her Fatal 4-Way match against Io Shirai, Kairi Sane and Bianca Belair for the NXT Women’s Championship at TakeOver: New York.
“The Queen of Spades” has established herself as one of the most dominant Superstars in NXT history since she debuted with the brand after the 2017 Mae Young Classic, becoming the first two-time winner of the NXT Women’s Championship when she defeated Sane at WWE Evolution in October 2018.
If Baszler loses her title in New York, that will surely be a sign that the former MMA competitor will be heading for the main roster sooner rather than later.
In previous months, it felt like the NXT women’s division was not built up enough to lose a star like Baszler, but Shirai, Sane and Belair are more than capable of leading the way for the female Superstars after the next TakeOver.
#2 Marina Shafir & Jessamyn Duke
The futures of Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke depend on their fellow Horsewomen, Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler.
If Rousey sticks around in WWE full-time after WrestleMania 35, it would not be a surprise if her MMA Horsewomen joined her on the main roster and became dominant heels to help “The Baddest Woman on the Planet” win matches.
Equally, if Rousey’s schedule becomes more limited after WrestleMania 35, perhaps Shafir and Duke could join Baszler in moving to the main roster to represent Rousey, as well as the 'Horsewomen' name, and to make sure that the UFC Hall of Famer stays relevant during her absence.
As for their goals as a tag team, Triple H mentioned during his most recent NXT TakeOver conference call that there are no plans to introduce Women’s Tag Team titles to NXT right now, so Duke and Shafir’s best chance of winning gold in WWE would be if they moved to Raw or SmackDown Live and entered the women’s tag division.
#1 The Undisputed Era
There comes a time when even the most popular Superstars/factions in NXT reach a point where there is little left for them to achieve with the brand.
The Undisputed Era’s Kyle O’Reilly, Bobby Fish and Roderick Strong held the NXT Tag Team titles for a combined 378 days over two reigns between November 2017 and January 2019, and they have now moved away from the tag title scene following their loss against War Raiders at TakeOver: Phoenix.
Now, with TakeOver: New York on the horizon, the group’s future in NXT appears to rest on the outcome of the 2 out of 3 Falls main event between Adam Cole and Johnny Gargano for the vacant NXT Championship.
Cole is yet to win the brand's top prize, but does he really need the NXT Championship before moving to the main roster? Not really. The winner of Cole vs. Gargano will essentially become the new face of NXT in the absence of the injured Tommaso Ciampa, while the loser is destined to move one step closer to the main roster.
