15 Ups & 13 Downs For WWE In 2017
12. Inconsistent Call-Ups
NXT's conveyor belt has been keeping WWE's main roster stocked with a constant supply of fresh talent since 2012, but developmental success doesn't always translate to Raw and SmackDown, as 2017's graduates are more than aware.
Former NXT Champions Bobby Roode and Shinsuke Nakamura have both gone from 'The Guy' to 'A Guy' in remarkably quick fashion, with 'The King Of Strong Style's' slide from particularly egregious. Elsewhere, Tye Dillinger is lucky if he even makes it to television these days, having not wrestled since October 8th. Elias has been surprisingly enjoyable on Raw, but the failure of his recent bout with Roman Reigns suggests his ceiling is the midcard, and The Riott Squad already resemble a lame Absolution tribute act, minus Paige's star power.
On the plus side, Asuka has successfully recovered from a needlessly competitive set of matches with Emma to pick up exactly where she left off in developmental, and Samoa Joe's transition was seamless. The recently returned Revival, too, were doing great things prior to their injuries, but it'll be 2018 before we see their best work.
Not every developmental prospect is going to stick on the bigger stage, but NXT's batting average nosedived in 2017. Rectifying this should be prioritised.