7 Troubling Signs For WWE's NXT Call-Ups
Newest superstars have a lot working against them, namely WWE.
If you’re a regular NXT viewer, this week’s episodes of Raw and SmackDown presented a mixed bag for you.
You most likely are huge fans of Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa, Ricochet and Aleister Black, and while you’d hate to see them leave the friendly confines of the black and gold brand, you obviously want the best for them. At the same time, you realize that being elevated to the main roster is not necessarily what’s best for them. You’ve seen this story before.
WWE’s current main roster is littered with the carcasses of former NXT standouts who wowed audiences at TakeOver events, only to take up residency during PPV kickoff shows and in various moronic segments on Raw or SmackDown. And you might almost want the current crop of NXT superstars to stay put until the climate improves.
But that’s not what happened. Although it was unclear on Raw, it looks like the NXT superstars will become main roster mainstays.
Knowing that this might well be a permanent thing, it casts a different light on the situation, and it raises several concerns, which we’ll explore here. But it should be noted right away: This writer is rooting for all four wrestlers and for WWE to prove this column wrong. Don’t let four of the brightest NXT call-ups in recent memory go the way of so many others.
Let’s take a look at the troubling signs surrounding these recent NXT call-ups…
7. Lack Of Communication
You’ve got to start off with the revelation from Dave Meltzer that Triple H, the godfather of
NXT, was unaware that four of his best wrestlers were being called up to the
main roster.
That’s a huge flashing “warning” sign right there.
Many fans have griped about how NXT wrestlers’ successes and storylines, and even their characters, don’t transfer over to the main roster, creating problems. But when the man primarily responsible for the development of said superstars isn’t even aware that they’re heading to Raw, then that’s a huge problem.
It was so bad that it was reported that Vince McMahon’s original plan was for Ricochet to face new Intercontinental Champion Finn Balor… because, reasons. Thankfully, giving away a match like that with no buildup and no advertisement was avoided for now.