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The 2023 WWE Draft promised to shake things up in World Wrestling Entertainment, and it certainly lived up to that guarantee. A new World Heavyweight Championship has been unveiled, some champions are brand exclusive, and a wealth of talented performers now have an assigned brand.
Of the dozens of wrestlers drafted to RAW, SmackDown, or as Free Agents, 18 come from the NXT brand. This includes Monday Night RAW picking up Indi Hartwell, Apollo Crews, JD McDonagh, Zoey Stark, Odyssey Jones, Indus Sher (Jinder Mahal, Sanga, and Veer Mahaan), Katana Chance, and Kayden Carter.
SmackDown picked up a handful of impressive stars as well, selecting Isla Dawn, Alba Fyre, Cameron Grimes, Pretty Deadly (Elton Prince and Kit Wilson), and Grayson Waller.
Lastly, Xyon Quinn and Von Wagner have joined the Free Agents pool, meaning they can continue to appear on NXT for the time being.
Out of the 18 stars selected, some will become big-time hits, while others may not quite make it to the top. This article will look at a handful of stars who not only may make it to the top but do so before 2023 comes to an end.
Below are four WWE Draft call-ups who are most likely to win a world championship this year.
#4. Grayson Waller could potentially win either the WWE Championship or the World Heavyweight Championship
Grayson Waller was a top star on NXT who was drafted to Friday Night SmackDown. He began his wrestling career in 2017 and signed with WWE in March 2021. He regularly appeared on 205 Live just prior to the brand being shut down.
The Australian star has all the makings of a top guy, and he could be fast-tracked to a world title. Given that he's on SmackDown, the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship seems most likely. There is another option, however.
Waller could potentially win the Men's Money in the Bank Ladder Match set to take place this summer. If he does, he'll have a guaranteed title opportunity and could potentially target the new World Heavyweight Championship.
#3. Zoey Stark could win a top title this year
Zoey Stark is a former NXT Women's Tag Team Champion who was drafted to Monday Night RAW. She's been wrestling since 2013 and signed with WWE in January 2021. She had been a staple on NXT ever since until being selected to join the red brand.
The talented Stark is one of the first NXT stars who were drafted to appear on television. While being interviewed on RAW, she saw Nikki Cross and talked down to The Twisted Sister before going on to defeat the former RAW Women's Champion the very same night.
With momentum already building, Zoey could go on to win the top championship on the red brand. Whatever the title will be remains unclear, however, as the RAW Women's Champion is on SmackDown, and the SmackDown Women's Champion is on RAW. Regardless of how it shakes out, Stark could win a women's world title before 2023 comes to an end.
#2. Indi Hartwell could win RAW's Women's Championship
Indi Hartwell had a lot of success on NXT. She's competed on big-time Premium Live Events and has even held both the NXT Women's Championship and the NXT Women's Tag Team Titles. She was recently drafted to WWE RAW.
Upon joining WWE's main roster, Indi immediately reunited with her "family." Johnny Gargano, Dexter Lumis, Candice LeRae, and Indi all make up The Way, a faction that once dominated NXT and now hopes to do the same on RAW.
If the stable hopes to dominate, Indi may target a top women's championship. Just as with her fellow Australian Grayson, Hartwell could win the Money in the Bank Ladder Match and proceed to cash in for a championship match before the year ends.
#1. Odyssey Jones could shockingly win the World Heavyweight Championship
Odyssey Jones was one of the most surprising selections of the 2023 WWE Draft. He first began training in 2019 and has limited experience in the years since, thanks to both the pandemic and injuries. Still, he was drafted to Monday Night RAW.
Despite being a surprising choice as a draft pick, Odyssey could go on and make a big-time splash as part of the main roster. The super heavyweight is 6'5" and weighs 405 pounds, making him one of the biggest men in the entire company.
With his size, charisma, and potential, Jones could make waves in a hurry. He may end up making a splash on the main roster similar to that of Braun Strowman, surprising even the biggest doubters.
Could the big man become a top star and the World Heavyweight Champion before 2023 comes to a close?
