There is always the talk around the Internet Wrestling Community about certain NXT talents that fans do not want to see move to the main roster.
The track record for many recent talents who have already made the move is certainly not great. While the track record for many of NXT’s past talents going to the Main Roster isn’t great and fans’ complaints are fair, there are certain talents I believe would truly benefit from being on RAW or SmackDown Live!
Before I get into this list, I’d like to highlight Shayna Baszler as an honorable mention. It’s only a matter of time before the “Queen of Spades” shows up on WWE TV and I only say this because of her friend and fellow Four Horsewomen member, RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey.
Tag Teams and many of the Women’s wrestlers are the most underutilized talents on the main roster. Both respective divisions are given the best equal representation on the NXT roster. For Baszler’s sake I don’t want to see her be lost in the shuffle with the likes of Ember Moon, Bayley, Sasha Banks and Asuka; the ones who helped women get noticed under the WWE umbrella. She has a bad ass character with the straight to the point style that could easily be sold to the audience. She is always improving and I would like to see what she could do if given the right opportunity.
I will go ahead and name five right here and yes you will see a recurring theme:
5. Lars Sullivan
Lars Sullivan is a product of the WWE Performance Center.
Billed from the Rocky Mountains, Sullivan on television has been an example of pure brute strength. While his strength is his greatest asset so far in the ring, he has improved tremendously in other aspects of being a wrestler in time and he is only getting better.
He has been able to hold his own against many of NXT’s elite. He did a tremendous job against Aleister Black at TakeOver Chicago in their NXT Title match and did surprisingly well against five other men in the North American Title ladder match at TakeOver New Orleans.
His style fits what the main roster wrestlers are asked of to be. The one thing he needs in order to go from a good main roster talent to a consistent main eventer; a mouth piece. That’s the one thing he needs the most help with. With the right person beside him, I have no doubt Lars Sullivan can be a future World Champion contender.
4. Velveteen Dream
The Velveteen Dream is currently my favorite member of NXT’s roster.
He came into WWE through the last installment of Tough Enough and has been working through the Performance Center ever since. In my opinion, he hasn’t had many bad matches and has excelled when the spotlight is brighter on NXT TakeOver events. He was one half of the 2017 NXT Rivalry of the Year alongside Aleister Black. He has a natural charisma that is infectious. He has the type of charisma that makes it either really easy to love him or to hate him.
You need someone that good on the microphone that can help sell the match forthcoming and he excels on “the stick.” He has the guts to do things that are different; the best example was his tights he wore once which read “Call Me Up Vince.” Velveteen Dream is ready for primetime on the WWE main roster and he seems ready for the challenges that await him once he gets there.
3. Heavy Machinery
Both Tucker Knight and Otis Dozovic are both products of the WWE Performance Center (remember when I said there was a theme here?).
At this point someone reading this will be saying “What have they done on NXT for them to even deserve to go to the main roster.” Remember how Alexa Bliss maybe had one NXT Women’s Championship match during her time there and now is a four time WWE Women’s Champion.
Even all of the Riott Squad; they weren’t on NXT long before getting called up and now they’re a consistent fixture on RAW each week. Heavy Machinery together have great chemistry as a team. Their characters have been developing over time too, Dozovic being the goofier of the two while Knight is the more serious one of the bunch.
With their respective character development alone they would be well suited on WWE television just for backstage segments. Steaks and Weights has a chance to get as over as Enzo Amore and Big Cass’ “Sawft” gimmick. The one thing that works against them is they are a tag team and both main rosters don’t do a whole lot with their tag teams. I still believe they have a chance to find some sort of success “up north.”
2. Adam Cole
Breaking the mold of the theme I had established before, Adam Cole is the only one from the current NXT roster that has an independent cult following that has a chance of sustained success on RAW or SmackDown.
Why do I say that? He’s one of the best talents on any of the brands on the microphone, outside of super kicks he don’t work the typical “indie” style, he has a great look, he has that catch phrase a crowd can get behind(bay bay), and in my opinion he can have a good match with anyone put in front of him.
Do I see the former ROH World Champion being a World Champion on WWE TV? No I do not. However, I can see him being a chaser for the WWE Championship especially if guys like Daniel Bryan or AJ Styles are the champion at that point.
Do I see him being a successful Intercontinental or United States champion? Yes I do.
1. Ethan Carter III
While he had some sort of career on the indies first, EC3 is still looked at by many as a “WWE molded” talent.
EC3 was a product of WWE’s FCW developmental territory, was on season 5 of the original NXT TV program and a slight stint on the main roster as Derrick Bateman, got released, then made a name for himself on TNA and the indies all over as EC3.
With the success he had since his release, much like Drew McIntyre, got brought back into WWE via the NXT brand. He knows the system and how it works. His style of wrestling is also one that don’t fit the typical “NXT mold”. He is another one this isn’t short of charisma and can work the room on the microphone.
He has the look, the character, the charisma, and the talent in the ring. I’m actually surprised he hasn’t been called up sooner. I have a feeling it is only a matter of time, much sooner than later, that we see the “Top 1%” of the industry on either RAW or SmackDown.
For more news, rumors, videos, podcasts and exclusive articles, follow us on Twitter @PWPNation.
