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On December 17, 2018, WWE announced that the following NXT Superstars will be called up to the main roster; EC3, Lacey Evans, Nikki Cross, Lars Sullivan, and Heavy Machinery. While at one point, the main roster call-up was considered as a highpoint of a wrestler's career, the same cannot be said right now considering how many of the NXT Superstars have failed to carry their success from NXT to the main roster.
An interesting thing about these call-ups is that neither of these call-ups has won a championship in NXT. Hence, many people have debated if these call-ups were made a little too early as there still are many talents on the main roster that aren't being utilized properly.
In the last week, we saw a glimpse of each of these talents on both Raw and SmackDown Live, fueling the speculations as to which brand will they end up on. Here are some predictions where these talents might head to.
#5 Heavy Machinery to Raw
The duo of Tucker Knight and Otis Dozovic have made quite a name for themselves in a very short period of time. Heavy Machinery isn't just your regular tag team. The amazing in-ring chemistry between the duo is worth watching. Heavy Machinery also has a gimmick that can get over with fans very easily.
Otis Dozovic quickly caught the eyes of the fans during the past week on both Raw and SmackDown Live due to his hilarious acts with Alexa Bliss and Becky Lynch. Raw's tag team division is comparatively weaker than Smackdown Live's.
Apart from Bobby Roode and Chad Gable, Authors of Pain and The Revival, Raw's tag team division lacks the firepower that SmackDown Live has. Considering the recent rumors of the Revival asking for their release, Heavy Machinery is almost destined to be part of Monday Night Raw.
#4 Lars Sullivan to SmackDown Live
Lars Sullivan is WWE's typical "Big Guy". The 6ft 3inch wrestler quickly earned the approval of backstage officials not only because of his size but also due to his amazing in-ring performances. Lars Sullivan did not take long to make his name in NXT as he quickly made his way to the top, squashing a heap of superstars on his way. Sullivan however, failed to win the NXT Championship as Aleister Black handed him his first pinfall defeat in NXT.
Sullivan hasn't just impressed the crowd and the officials, he has also managed to impress the Universal Champion Brock Lesnar who flew to WWE's Performance Center in Orlando, Florida to train with Sullivan. However, recently there were reports that Lars Sullivan had anxiety attacks which have put his debut on the main roster on hold. Lars Sullivan is likely to end on SmackDown Live as Raw already has a decent number of 'big' wrestlers. Sullivan could be the powerhouse that SmackDown Live needs.
#3 Lacey Evans to Raw
Lacey Evans is far from the typical blonde wrestlers WWE has signed in the past. Apart from her distinguishable looks, Lacey Evans has a personality that sets her apart from most of the women on both Raw and SmackDown Live. Lacey Evans started her career in WWE in 2016 on a not so high point as she was mostly used as an enhancement talent, losing to several talents.
Evans quickly turned things around as she started calling herself as the Lady of NXT. She even has impressive victories over the likes of Dakota Kai and Candice LeRae. On the main roster, Lacey Evans is more suited to Raw as compared to SmackDown. Ever since Alexa Bliss's injury, the women's division of Raw has been dominated by a handful of wrestlers. Lacey Evans could very well be the fresh face that the brand needs
#2 Nikki Cross to SmackDown Live
Nikki Cross has been in NXT since 2016. Her call-up was bound to happen sooner than later. In NXT, Nikki Cross was part of the stable Sanity which also consisted of Eric Young, Alexander Wolfe, and Sawyer Fulton. She would even interfere in many of the matches of his male counterparts.
Nikki Cross garnered attention for her wicked mind games and psychotic acts, earning her the nickname, the Twisted Sister of NXT. As a singles wrestler, Nikki Cross was involved in many crucial feuds, most notably against Asuka and Shayna Baszler. Cross was involved in the first ever Last Women Standing match where she lost to the defending NXT Women's Champion Asuka.
The Twisted Sister of NXT should end up on SmackDown Live, which her former companions of Sanity are also part of. Her inclusion in the division will be a fresh light not just for the women's division but also for Sanity who hasn't had much to do as of late.
#1 EC3 to Raw
EC3 has had a fantastic turnaround in his career. After a disappointing run with WWE as Derrick Bateman, EC3 made a name for himself in the independent circuit and TNA. This prompted his former employers to sign him again as EC3 made his debut in NXT in 2018. Unlike Lars Sullivan, EC3 was never able to earn a title match for the NXT Championship. EC3 was notably involved in feuds against Lars Sullivan and Adam Cole.
Unlike the rest of the call-ups, EC3 actually has made a name for himself at a bigger stage. Although EC3 does not have big victories in NXT, he still has proved himself as an overall package during his run in TNA and NXT.
EC3 could be both a face and a heel. A dynamic character like EC3 is desperately needed by Raw which has been producing a subpar product as of late.
