2018's NXT call-ups: How successful will they be?

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Will the Ominous Man from Amsterdam be as ominous on Raw or SmackDown?

All eyes will be on WrestleMania for the next couple of months, but beyond it, the roster will shake up with an influx of NXT talent. It's always a time of anticipation and trepidation for NXT fans, as their favourites haven't always been handled well. For every Asuka, there are scores of Finn Balors, Bayleys, and Bobby Roode. Shinsuke Nakamura was very nearly a casualty.

There are nine call-ups we're likely to see at some point in 2018. While their NXT runs are, as we've seen many times, not always indicative of main roster success, we can combine that with main roster tropes to get an idea of how well they'll do.


#1 The Authors of Pain

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All indications are that the Authors of Pain will get called up after WrestleMania. Though they'll compete in the Dusty Tag Team Classic, there's truly nothing left for them to do. Their presence is badly needed to shake up a stale tag team division.

With their size, strength, and brutal offence, the Authors of Pain make for perfect monster tag team champions. Should Paul Ellering make the jump with them, promos won't be a problem either. A feud with the Usos is a particularly mouthwatering prospect.

Chance of success: high

#2 SAnity

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SAnity is also in limbo right now, as there's nothing left for them to do in NXT. A call-up after WrestleMania for all four members is likely.

Unlike the Authors of Pain, though, SAnity isn't a group that easily falls into a character type, and as we've seen with "Woken" Matt Hardy, the main roster doesn't have a good track record of dealing with complex characters. Their presence will be welcome in the tag team division, but it's unclear how far they'll go.

As far as Nikki Cross is concerned, she'll be a great asset to whatever division she's in. Exciting performances, particularly in extreme rules matches, are guaranteed. But with Ronda Rousey's arrival, and Asuka and Charlotte lying around, there's a ceiling she'll be unlikely to break through.

Chance of success: fair

#3 The Iconic Duo

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The Iconic Duo hasn't been seen in NXT so far this year. They didn't appear in the first women's Royal Rumble match either. There's evidently nothing for them to do in NXT and a post-WrestleMania call-up has been rumoured.

The Duo is a good advertisement for the creation of a women's tag team division, as it's unlikely either of them become women's champion anytime soon. In the absence of a tag team championship, their role will be to act as antagonists to get the top players in the division over, but not to become the top players themselves. In essence, it will be an extension of their NXT career.

Chance of success: fair

#4 No Way Jose

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No Way Jose's name has been mentioned as a potential post-WrestleMania call-up. He won't go far on the main roster, though. He's basically a high-profile jobber in NXT and that's where he'll remain. He'll succeed in that role, but he's not destined for greatness.

Chance of success: poor

#5 Andrade "Cien" Almas

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After his battle for the ages with Johnny Gargano last week, Almas' stock has never been higher. Yesterday's tapings confirmed what we've all suspected - the NXT Champion will be defending his title at TakeOver: New Orleans against Aleister Black. He'll likely drop it there.

Whether Almas gets called up immediately afterwards is up in the air. He could be on the way to a rematch in Chicago or Brooklyn and then make the jump after SummerSlam, but he'll almost certainly arrive on Raw or SmackDown at some point this year.

Almas has been a revelation since joining forces with Zelina Vega. With her at his side, WWE has at last found the Latin American star it's been desperately seeking to replace Rey Mysterio. Alberto del Rio failed in that role, but Almas has the formula to succeed.

The perennial threat on the main roster for international talent is to be pigeonholed into the role of foreign heel, and that's the kiss of death. One need only look at Rusev since the Rusev Day gimmick started and compare it to his earlier foreign heel character to see the difference. Fortunately, the treatment of Asuka and Shinsuke Nakamura so recently suggests that WWE may, after decades, finally be turning the corner on this, but those two could easily be the exceptions that prove the rule. We did just suffer through 6 months of Jinder Mahal, after all.

Will Almas meet this fate? Will he immediately win the U.S. title for the sake of Mexico? Let's hope not. He's better than that and can easily be a main event player on whatever show he's on. Fortunately, his work and WWE's desire for a top Latin star make me cautiously optimistic.

Chance of success: good

#6 Ember Moon

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Ember Moon is unquestionably the worst NXT Women's Champion in that title's prestigious history, although that will soon change. The dreadful feud with Shayna Baszler will continue into New Orleans, where the War Goddess is certain to drop the title.

Ember might have a rematch in Chicago or Brooklyn, but like Almas, she'll make her way to the main roster at some point this year. Unlike Almas, her prospects aren't nearly as high.

For one, she doesn't have a mouthpiece to get her over like Almas has Zelina. She also doesn't have those "it" factors that connect her to fans. She's fabulous in the ring with the best finisher in the company, but her promo and character work is dire. For her sake, I'm hoping she goes to SmackDown, although that will only salvage an even bigger disaster. Giving her a mouthpiece would be the best thing to do.

As good as Ember is in the ring, I just don't think she'll get far on the main roster. Hopefully, I'm wrong.

Chance of success: poor

#7 Drew McIntyre

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If reports are to be believed, Drew McIntyre should be returning from injury sometime around WrestleMania. It wouldn't surprise me if he's immediately called up to the main roster. The NXT landscape doesn't have much room for him at the moment.

McIntyre's last main roster run was disappointing, but he's a different man today. Fans won't forget his 3MB status, but he is the most talented of the three. He looks like a star, can put on star matches, and cut good promos. He could easily be one of the top five guys on either Raw or SmackDown. He wouldn't look at all out of place standing in the ring with Roman Reigns, John Cena, AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, Braun Strowman, or Brock Lesnar.

We still don't know if that's how he'll be booked, though.

Chance of success: good

#8 Shayna Baszler

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Shayna Baszler will win the NXT Women's Championship in New Orleans. The only doubt I have about it is if they want to call her up to the main roster early, given Ronda Rousey's arrival. If that's the case, Ember will squeak by, but it's unlikely.

Shayna is set to reign for a while and then get called up before 2018 ends. There is a certain charisma to her and her bully character has been done with finesse, but she is green in the ring and her promo work needs improvement.

Regardless of any weaknesses though, her rocket push and her association with Ronda Rousey guarantee success regardless of her flaws.

Chance of success: high

#9 Aleister Black

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Aleister Black will return to where it all began for him in NXT, with a match against Andrade "Cien" Almas. The match in New Orleans will be a more difficult challenge for him than the match in Orlando, but Aleister Black is set to prevail and take the NXT title.

Black should have a good reign, with him probably dropping the title to either Adam Cole or Johnny Gargano before the year is out. His call-up won't be far behind, though we might not see him until early 2019.

Aleister Black's silent charisma, swift ring work, and intriguing character make him NXT's most popular star, but as we've seen with the likes of Bray Wyatt, WWE doesn't have a great track record with acts like his. Messing him up would be a travesty, as he could easily be a main event fixture and even the franchise player of whatever show he's on. I'm salivating at the prospect of him against AJ Styles for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 35 in a passing of the torch moment.

But that's getting too far ahead of myself. WWE is anathema to complex storytelling. Aleister Black is great in the ring and the fans love him, but that's no guarantee of success. WWE has messed slam dunks up far too many times to count. Let's hope that this isn't one of those times. It will ultimately be up to them.

Chance of success: fair


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