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For quite some time it seemed that the goal for anyone in NXT was to reach the top of the black and gold brand and then head to either Monday Night RAW or SmackDown Live to further their careers.
We've seen many Superstars follow this route and achieve varying levels of success, like Kevin Owens, Shinsuke Nakamura, Bobby Roode, Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley to name just a few.
However, as NXT continues to grow that trend is becoming less and less of a thing. We're now seeing some of NXT's top stars choose to remain where they are rather than moving to RAW or SmackDown. This is despite the fact that they're ready for that move and that people want to see them on WWE's biggest shows.
Here's a list of 5 Superstars in NXT who are ready for RAW or SmackDown but haven't moved.
#5. Adam Cole could stay in NXT forever
Adam Cole was primed and ready to move up to RAW and SmackDown Live after his feud with former Undisputed ERA member Kyle O'Reilly came to an explosive end.
However, Adam Cole surprised everyone by returning to NXT prior to their last pay-per-view, NXT TakeOver: In Your House, and immediately reinserting himself into the NXT Title picture.
Cole would go on to face NXT Champion Karrion Kross, Kyle O'Reilly, Johnny Gargano and Pete Dunne to become a two-time NXT Champion, but he was unsuccessful.
He has now reignited his rivalry with Kyle O'Reilly and the pair are set to go head-to-head one more time at NXT's upcoming pay-per-view, The Great American Bash.
Following that there's a chance that Adam Cole could then make the step up to RAW or SmackDown, but the longer he stays in NXT, the longer it seems that he'll become one of the show's figureheads who never leaves.
#4. Johnny Gargano has been in NXT forever, but will he move to RAW or SmackDown...again?
Johnny Gargano is Mr. NXT and definitely Johnny TakeOver after wrestling for NXT since 2015 and appearing on almost every NXT TakeOver there's ever been in one way or another.
Whilst he did have a very brief stint on the main roster with one-off appearances on both RAW and SmackDown alongside his tag team partner and rival Tommaso Ciampa, Gargano has exclusively wrestled for the yellow and gold brand.
He currently finds himself leading a new heel stable in NXT which he has called The Way, with former main roster star Austin Theory, his wife Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell.
Gargano seems to have found a spot where he shines in NXT and his current work as the leader of The Way is certainly enjoyable. It very much doesn't seem like he has any plans to move to RAW or SmackDown soon, and I'll be surprised if he ever does.
#3. Io Shirai returned to NXT instead of RAW or SmackDown after a break
Io Shirai is without a doubt one of the most talented wrestlers that WWE has, male or female. So when she dropped the NXT Women's Title and took a break from the black and gold brand many people just naturally assumed that was because she was heading to RAW or SmackDown.
However, Io Shirai had a dramatic return recently, accompanied by the live music of Poppy, to interrupt a ranting Candice LeRae. It seems that Shirai, who has had a storied rivalry with LeRae, would rather stay in NXT to continue it rather than head to RAW or SmackDown.
I'm certainly not complaining as LeRae and Shirai have fantastic chemistry together and will produce some memorable matches with the reignition of their feud. However, it certainly does seem to be somewhat of a waste to keep Shirai away from the likes of Sasha Banks, Bayley and Charlotte.
Admittedly there is still a ton of talent left for Shirai to face in NXT so it obviously wouldn't be the end of the world if she never makes the jump to WWE's two biggest shows. There's certainly room in the women's division for an NXT-lifer like Johnny Gargano. Maybe it'll be her.
#2. Candice LeRae is good enough for RAW and SmackDown but has so much left to do in NXT
Even now that she's part of The Way, I would still argue that a woman of Candice LeRae's wrestling talent has been severely underutilized in WWE NXT. She should absolutely be seen as the women's division's 'Johnny Gargano' but she has yet to win the NXT Women's Championship.
She is the defending NXT Women's Tag Team Champion along with fellow The Way member Indi Hartwell and the stable itself seems to be a fairly dominant force in NXT. But you can't help but feel LeRae could be doing more, and could even be killing it on RAW or SmackDown.
However, like her husband Johnny Gargano, it seems that Candice LeRae is going to stick around in NXT for as long as Triple H will have them there, with the husband and wife duo seemingly determined to help elevate the black and gold brand.
I'd love to see Candice LeRae appearing on either RAW or SmackDown, but it seems she's not in any rush to leave NXT and we could end up seeing her on the black and gold brand for quite some time to come.
#1. Walter is happy in NXT UK as the reigning NXT UK Champion
The reigning NXT UK Champion is currently enjoying a record-breaking run with the title as he has smashed Pete Dunne's record to become the longest reigning NXT UK Champion, and he's adding to it everyday.
To make matters worse for everyone else, and better for Walter, it seems that absolutely no-one in NXT or NXT UK is capable of dethroning him and ending that record-breaking reign.
With that in mind Walter has absolutely no reason to move from NXT UK, where he can make occasional NXT appearances, to either RAW or SmackDown because he's already seen a massive level of success.
Besides, Walter is in NXT UK because he doesn't want to move to America, so it's unlikely we'll ever see the formidable Imperium leader as a full time member of either RAW or SmackDown's rosters.
