5 WWE stars who received an emotional NXT farewell (and what happened next)

With NXT moving to the USA Network on September 18, there is more focus and expectation on WWE’s black and yellow brand than ever before.

Over 80 percent of the Superstars on Raw and SmackDown Live have been part of NXT at some point over the last decade, including WrestleMania main-eventers Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair.

Now, with the exception of a title win, the highest honour that an NXT Superstar can receive is when they are given an emotional farewell in front of the likes of Triple H, William Regal and the rest of their colleagues and the NXT Universe.

This is usually a sign that they are destined for major things on the main roster. However, in some cases, the next step of their career does not always go according to plan.

In this article, let’s count down five Superstars who received a memorable NXT send-off and take a look at how they were presented on the main roster in the months that followed.

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#5 Shinsuke Nakamura

When did Shinsuke Nakamura leave NXT?

After two reigns as NXT Champion, Shinsuke Nakamura left the brand in April 2017 and became a member of the SmackDown Live roster following his defeat against Bobby Roode at NXT TakeOver: Orlando.

The Japanese star mentioned during an in-ring promo that NXT will always be “home”, prompting applause (and even some tears) from the crowd. He then bowed to the fans as his “Rising Sun” music played in the Full Sail arena.

What happened next to Shinsuke Nakamura?

Nakamura emerged as the winner of two relatively underwhelming PPV rivalries with Dolph Ziggler and Baron Corbin following his move to the main roster.

He also picked up statement victories over John Cena and Randy Orton on SmackDown Live during that time, earning an opportunity at Jinder Mahal’s WWE Championship.

Unfortunately for “The King of Strong Style”, he was unable to win the title from Mahal in 2017 or from AJ Styles the following year, and his 2018 Royal Rumble triumph remains his greatest WWE accomplishment to date.

#4 Bayley

When did Bayley leave NXT?

One year after Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks joined WWE’s main roster, Bayley – the remaining member of the ‘Four Horsewomen’ in NXT – finally bid farewell to the brand after losing against Asuka at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II in August 2016.

Following the match, Bayley knelt down in the middle of the ring and listened to shouts of “Thank you, Bayley!” from the 15,671 fans in attendance. She then hugged Lynch and Banks at ringside before pointing to the NXT logo when she made her way to the top of the stage.

What happened next to Bayley?

The 2016 rivalry between Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks will go down as one of the best women’s storylines of the decade.

Their weekly segments took up a lot of television time on Raw following Bayley’s call-up from NXT, meaning “The Hugger” had to wait for several months to become a key member of the women’s division on Monday nights.

In February 2017, the former NXT Women’s Champion finally took her chance in the spotlight and defeated Flair on Raw to win the Raw Women’s Championship.

Two months later, Bayley retained the title against Flair, Banks and Nia Jax in a Fatal 4-Way match at WrestleMania 33.

#3 Asuka

When did Asuka leave NXT?

Many people predicted Ember Moon to finally defeat the unstoppable Asuka at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III in August 2017, but the Japanese star proved once again that nobody is ready for Asuka by conquering her long-term rival to retain the NXT Women’s Championship.

In September 2017, it was announced that “The Empress of Tomorrow” had been called up to the main roster, meaning she had to relinquish her title after a 523-day reign.

With the rest of the NXT roster gathered on the stage area, William Regal and Triple H congratulated Asuka on her success with the brand before a huge chant of “You deserve it!” broke out in the arena.

What happened next to Asuka?

After defeating Emma on her WWE main-roster debut at TLC 2017, Asuka went on to single-handedly win the Survivor Series elimination match for Team Raw before making history by winning the first women’s Royal Rumble in 2018.

Ten weeks later, her legendary 914-day undefeated streak came to an end when she was beaten by Charlotte Flair in a SmackDown Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania 34.

Then, at the end of 2018, Asuka celebrated her first full year on the main roster by winning a TLC match in the main event of the TLC pay-per-view against Flair and Becky Lynch to finally claim SmackDown’s top prize.

#2 Sami Zayn

When did Sami Zayn leave NXT?

One of the most memorable torch-passing moments in NXT history came at NXT TakeOver: Dallas in April 2016 when Shinsuke Nakamura defeated a legend of the black and yellow brand, Sami Zayn, on his in-ring debut for the company.

Following the spectacular match, Zayn received a standing ovation from the crowd, who sang along to his theme song as he slowly made his way to the backstage area after competing in his final NXT match.

What happened next to Sami Zayn?

Two days after his battle with Shinsuke Nakamura, Sami Zayn participated in a seven-man Intercontinental Championship ladder match at WrestleMania 32.

His ongoing main-roster rivalry with Kevin Owens then continued throughout the summer of 2016, culminating in a victory for Zayn at Battleground in July.

From then on, “The Underdog from the Underground” struggled to make his mark on Raw before he surprisingly defeated Braun Strowman in a 10-Minute Challenge match in December 2016 at Roadblock: End of the Line.

#1 Sasha Banks

When did Sasha Banks leave NXT?

Following their legendary match at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn, Bayley and Sasha Banks battled it out one more time in a 30-minute Ironman match at NXT TakeOver: Respect in October 2015.

Bayley retained her NXT Women’s Championship with a 3-2 victory over Banks, making her long-term rival submit to a scissored armbar with seconds to spare.

Both women received flowers after the memorable encounter, while a tearful Banks dropped to her knees on a stage full of Superstars before being helped back to her feet by Stephanie McMahon and Sara Amato.

What happened next to Sasha Banks?

As Sasha Banks had already been called up to the main roster, the final weeks of the Team B.A.D. vs. Team Bellas vs. Team PCB storyline played out on television before “The Boss” truly began to establish herself as a singles competitor on Raw and SmackDown in 2016.

The former NXT Women’s Champion defeated fellow Team B.A.D. members Naomi and Tamina in singles matches on SmackDown before taking part in a Triple Threat match against Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch for the newly introduced WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 32.

Three months later – and one year after her main-roster call-up – Banks defeated Flair on Raw to win WWE’s top female title.

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