Grading every NXT call-up to WWE in 2017

Sometimes a Superstar is called up from NXT and you just know they’re destined to succeed in WWE. Other times, it’s not so simple.

Someone can have the greatest run in the history of NXT but when they make it to the main roster, a familiar phrase is posted all over social media: “I hope WWE doesn’t mess this up.”

Looking back to last year, 2016 saw the successful main-roster debuts of Baron Corbin and Alexa Bliss, among others, and the not-so-successful debuts of Apollo Crews and Simon Gotch.

In this article, with the exception of Asuka, who has only just debuted, and Killian Dain and Tian Bing, who made appearances at WrestleMania but remain in NXT, let's take a look at all seven 2017 call-ups and give them a grade from A to F.

#1 Samoa Joe

Samoa Joe was brought in as Triple H's "Destroyer"

After almost two years in NXT, Samoa Joe made his WWE main-roster debut when he attacked Seth Rollins on Raw in January. The beat-down was so brutal that it re-injured Seth’s knee and he only just returned in time for his long-awaited match with Triple H at WrestleMania 33 – a show “The Destroyer” wasn’t even on.

Not the best of starts, you might say, but things have gotten better and better for Joe as the year has developed. He featured in the main event of three straight pay-per-views between June and August, during which time he won the Fatal 5-Way match at Extreme Rules and reportedly impressed Brock Lesnar during their encounters.

Considering the way some former NXT champions have been booked in WWE, this has been a brilliant first year on the main roster for “The Samoan Submission Machine”.

Grade: A

#2 Austin Aries

As a commentator, Austin Aries was already involved on the main roster at the start of 2017, but his in-ring WWE debut came in March of this year.

“The Greatest Man That Ever Lived” entered into a three-month-long feud with Cruiserweight champion Neville, losing matches for the title on three straight PPVs, and then, out of absolutely nowhere, it was announced that he was released by the company.

Whatever the reason for his departure, it’s a shame. Aries was entertaining on commentary and his match against Neville at WrestleMania 33 was one of the best on the card. Had he still been with the company, he would have certainly received a higher grade, but it was ultimately a disappointing run in WWE for the former TNA star.

Grade: D

#3 The Revival

The Revival are one of the best tag teams, if not the best, to come out of NXT. Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder don’t care about fancy maneuvers or fan reactions; they simply want to hurt people and rack up wins and title reigns. As the catchphrase goes: no flips, just fists.

Sadly, injuries to both Superstars – first Wilder and now Dawson – have restricted them to just five appearances as a duo since their main-roster debut in April.

They won all five of those matches, so WWE clearly has plans for them, but they’ll have to wait until Dawson is fully healed from a bicep injury that will keep him out until early 2018.

Grade: N/A

#4 Tye Dillinger

Tye Dillinger’s first WWE appearance came during the 2017 Royal Rumble match, when he entered at No.10 (of course) and lasted 5 minutes, 27 seconds before being eliminated by Braun Strowman. However, his SmackDown Live main-roster debut came two nights after WrestleMania 33 in April.

“The Perfect 10” defeated Curt Hawkins and Aiden English during his first few weeks in WWE but, up until his recent win over Baron Corbin and the Triple Threat match for the United States Championship at Hell In A Cell, he was used sparingly and largely forgotten about.

The way Dillinger has been used so far is exactly as expected, but it would be nice to see him involved in more meaningful storylines in the months to come.

Grade: D

#5 Shinsuke Nakamura

Shinsuke Nakamura is a two-time NXT champion

Shinsuke Nakamura will go down as one of the most charismatic Superstars in NXT history, but it cannot be denied that his three major WWE feuds so far – with Dolph Ziggler, Baron Corbin and Jinder Mahal – have all failed to deliver.

There have been some positives, such as the win over John Cena on SmackDown and the crowd reaction at Money In The Bank when he faced off with AJ Styles, but "The King of Strong Style" just isn’t connecting with the WWE audience in the same way he did with fans in NXT.

In fairness, the way he has been booked leaves a lot to be desired, but of all the call-ups from NXT to WWE over the last five years, this one has been the most disappointing.

Grade: E

#6 Elias

WWE doesn't have Slammy Awards anymore – they didn’t in 2016, at least – but if they did, Elias would surely be a contender for Breakout Star of the Year. After all, this is a guy who was hardly involved in storylines in NXT and didn’t have a single match at a TakeOver event.

Whether he’s facing the likes of Dean Ambrose and Jason Jordan on Raw or getting hostile crowd reactions for his guitar playing, “The Drifter” has been a constant presence on our screens since his first WWE appearance in April.

For someone who was rarely used in NXT, this year couldn’t have gone much better.

Grade: B

#7 Bobby Roode

Bobby Roode has undergone a change of attitude in WWE

The only major negative of Bobby Roode’s main-roster run so far was during the October 10 episode of SmackDown, where he featured in one of the worst and most awkward segments of the year when both he and Dolph Ziggler seemed to forget their lines during a promo.

Other than that, the man who was once a despicable heel champion in NXT has transformed into an entertaining babyface whose attempts to shout “GLORIOUS” multiple times per match have quickly turned him into a fan favourite.

It’s not been a spectacular start to life in WWE for Roode, who has defeated Aiden English, Mike Kanellis and Ziggler since his debut, but it’s still early days.

Grade: C

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Edited by anirudh.b