10 Best WWE Main Roster Debuts Of Former NXT Wrestlers
Mainstream success often comes naturally for NXT's biggest stars.
WWE's NXT call-ups have endured a mixed bag of success on the main roster. Good fortune in developmental doesn't always translate to success on Raw and SmackDown, and former NXT title-holders Bo Dallas and The Ascension are living, breathing proof of that. The transition is often rough, and many a budding NXT star has found themselves lost at sea on the main roster.
On the other side of the coin, plenty of wrestlers have made effortless adaptations to life in the spotlight. Kevin Owens, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins have all become world champions, and there are countless other examples. These are the men that Samoa Joe, WWE's latest call-up, will seek to emulate over the coming months, and he'll be doing it off the back of an excellent debut this past Monday.
As is the case with any other wrestler, getting a former NXT star's main roster debut right is vitally important. First impressions are everything, and the bulk of WWE's most successful call-ups debuted with aplomb. There are exceptions, of course, but if you want to be a main roster success story, a strong first appearance is almost critical.
All of the wrestlers within are successful in their own right, but who made the most impact upon arrival?
10. Baron Corbin
Baron Corbin isn’t to everyone’s tastes, and while he has shown demonstrable improvements in recent months, The Lone Wolf faced a tough adaptation from NXT to life on the main roster. There was absolutely nothing wrong with his debut, however, and while Corbin is still establishing himself as a major player on SmackDown, his first appearance on the main roster was a memorable one.
Corbin was added to WrestleMania 32’s Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal with little warning, and few expected him to pull-up any trees during the match itself. The 20-man Battle Royal isn’t one of Mania’s showcase matches, but it’s always a fun distraction away from the title matches, and Corbin impressed throughout. Competing against the likes of Big Show and Mark Henry, Corbin survived all the way to the end, then eliminated Kane to secure himself the victory, and custody of the oversized trophy.
He soon drifted into horrendous feuds with Dolph Ziggler and Apollo Crews thereafter, but Corbin’s debut appeared to position him as a future star. It’s only in recent months that he’s looked like breaking out, however, and WWE haven’t always done the best job of pushing the Battle Royal’s winner. Regardless, Corbin’s immediate success gave him something to bag about, and his debut’s strength is enough to separate him from honourable mentions like Enzo Amore & Big Cass.