5 Real-life NXT Couples that were split by WWE 

NXT was one of the shining lights of WWE for almost a decade, ahead of the recent rebrand. The show has allowed many of the company's biggest stars to get their foot in the door and has also been the reason behind several relationships.

Whilst working in NXT, there were many couples that were allowed to be part of storylines together but were then split up when promoted to the main roster. It seems to be a common trend that couples that were on-screen together in NXT were not able to maintain this angle on the main roster.

The following list looks at just five real-life couples who were split when promoted to WWE's main roster.

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#5. Former WWE Superstars Karrion Kross and Scarlett

Karrion Kross and Scarlett came to WWE as a well-known couple after working together in IMPACT Wrestling. The two stars were then aligned together on NXT, becoming a driving force for the brand and one of the most popular pairings.

Scarlett was able to lead Kross to the NXT Championship on two separate occasions until it was clear that his run on the black and gold brand had come to an end. Kross first appeared on RAW as the NXT Champion but was later officially promoted after he dropped the Championship to Samoa Joe.

Kross then surprisingly made his debut on the main roster without his real-life fiancee and WWE also took away the entrance that made him iconic. The company then gave the star a new mask as he appeared to revamp his character following the promotion.

Kross' run on RAW began with a surprising defeat to Jeff Hardy, which was also the first time the star had been pinned in a WWE ring. The former NXT Champion's run on RAW didn't improve and after just a few months he was released from the company.

Scarlett was also released alongside her partner after never officially being promoted to the main roster. Recent rumors now suggest that Kross could be looking to dip his toes into the acting business.

#4. Former WWE couple Mia Yim and Keith Lee

Mia Yim and Keith Lee were released from WWE earlier this year without ever being given the chance to work together on the main roster. The duo was able to show what they were capable of during their time in NXT where they were known as "Yimitless". They were instead pushed as singles stars on the main roster.

Lee was promoted to the main roster following SummerSlam in 2020, whilst his wife followed suit when she was part of RETRIBUTION. The sinister group debuted just a month later on RAW and Yim was forced to then undergo a name change to become RECKONING.

The group didn't last long and Yim was then able to return to her former name, but despite the group splitting in February, Yim was unable to return to WWE TV.

Lee underwent an image change ahead of his release where he was known as "Bearcat" Lee for a few weeks, but this wasn't seemingly enough to save him from the latest round of WWE cuts.

#3. WWE Superstars Alexa Bliss and Buddy Murphy

WWE fans will remember that the impressive WWE career of Alexa Bliss actually began in NXT when she was the valet for Wesley Blake and Buddy Murphy.

Bliss was able to lead the duo to the NXT Tag Team Championships before the company made the decision to split them. Despite the team being one of the hottest up-and-coming duos, Blake and Murphy went their separate ways and Alexa Bliss was promoted to the main roster in 2016.

Murphy and Bliss continued their relationship for several years after this before announcing their split in 2018. Murphy was also able to resurface as part of 205 Live and later went on to make an impact on RAW. He was surprisingly one of the stars who was released from the company as part of their June 2nd talent cull.

Wesley Blake went on to become part of The Forgotten Sons and then The Knights of the Lone Wolf before he was also released from the company as part of recent budget cuts.

#2. Nikki A.S.H and former WWE Superstar Killian Dain

Nikki A.S.H. was known as Nikki Cross during her time on WWE's developmental brand, where she debuted alongside her real-life partner. Nikki and Killian Dane were two-fifths of Sanity, who debuted as a wrecking crew in NXT back in 2016.

Alongside Alexander Wolfe, Eric Young and Sawyer Fulton the stars were able to make a name for themselves in NXT before leaving Cross behind on their main roster call-up.

The company decided that Nikki had a few things left to accomplish in NXT before she was promoted, so the real-life couple were split. Just seven months later, Cross was promoted to the main roster on the RAW brand, whilst her Sanity partners remained on SmackDown.

Dain later returned to NXT as a singles wrestler, whilst Wolfe headed to NXT UK and became part of Imperium. Eric Young remained on the main roster until his release in April 2020.

Killian Dain was released from the company on June 25th and was closely followed by Alexander Wolfe. This leaves Cross as the only remaining member of the team.

#1. Carmella and former WWE Superstar Big Cass

Carmella is currently one half of WWE's Women's Tag Team Champions on RAW, but like many other women in the company, she began her career as a valet.

During her time in NXT, Carmella was the manager of Enzo Amore and Big Cass, who were able to make waves in NXT, even though they failed to lift the Tag Team Championships.

At the time, Carmella and Big Cass had publicly revealed that they were in a relationship. The company decided in 2016 that the Enzo and Cass were ready for the main roster, but Carmella wasn't.

Carmella was eventually promoted later that year, but she was sent over to SmackDown whilst Enzo and Cass remained on RAW.

The couple later became cast members on Total Divas, before their relationship came to an end in late 2017. Cass was later released from WWE, whilst Carmella has since begun a relationship with fellow WWE star Corey Graves.

On Carmella's birthday earlier this year, she revealed that the WWE commentator had popped the question.