5 WWE Superstars Who Are Defying The NXT Call Up Curse
The NXT exceptions, because rules are made to be broken, pinned or made to tap out.
With ongoing critical acclaim and stars like Matt Riddle, Kushida and Adam Cole, NXT feels less and less like the developmental show, and promotion from niche Network exclusive to weekly television is surely going to change the way acts move between brands. After all, does the “main roster” really feel like much of a promotion anymore? We could see the death of the traditional call up model, which might come as a relief.
NXT was a proving ground for many top WWE stars including The Shield, Bray Wyatt and the Four Horsewomen. Sadly, in recent years NXT fans have come to dread their favourites being misunderstood, badly booked, tinkered with or otherwise ruined by Vince McMahon. Look at Asuka, Kairi Sane, EC3, SAnitY. It's become a running joke but a grimly unfunny one.
Many would welcome superstars being allowed to stay and flourish on the new two hour NXT. Some Superstars could even follow in the footsteps of Breezango by returning there from main roster purgatory.
That said, recent months have shown there are still worthwhile roles to be had on Raw or SmackDown. A handful of former NXT superstars have endured faltering starts only to come out the other side shining all the more brightly.
5. Heavy Machinery
Called up to the main roster along with Nikki Cross, Lacey Evans and poor, poor EC3, Otis and Tucker didn’t get off to the best start. Assigned to neither SmackDown or Raw, the call ups all ended up looking like lost souls instead of hotly contested free-agents.
Otis leering over Alexa Bliss was confusing. Having the pair stomp around Lacey Evans like some sort of 21st century Bushwhackers hardly suggested an act with longevity.
It took the genius of then tag team champion Daniel Bryan to change their fortunes. Working his typical magic, he made Heavy Machinery look like credible, serious opponents and title contenders at two successive pay-per-views.
Away from Bryan’s superlative gifts Heavy Machinery are unlikely to ever push beyond an upper midcard comedy role. Nonetheless the pair have some crowdpopping moves and have found a niche for themselves on the main roster.