Two NXT Stars Make Their WWE Raw Debuts
Ahead of the WWE Draft, two top NXT stars appeared on Raw.
With the 2024 Draft on the way, last night's WWE Raw saw the red brand debuts of NXT stars Ilja Dragunov and Roxanne Perez.
The first match on the show, NXT Champion Dragunov picked up a win over Shinsuke Nakamura in less than five minutes. As noted by Michael Cole on commentary, the Mad Dragon will be a part of this year's Draft, with a main roster call-up in the imminent future of the 30-year-old.
As for Roxanne Perez, the NXT Women's Champion picked up a victory over Indi Hartwell in barely four minutes. While Raw marked the first main roster match for Ilja Dragunov, that wasn't the case for Perez. Previously, the Prodigy worked an October 2022 SmackDown six-woman match, while she's also been a part of the 2023 and 2024 women's Royal Rumble matches.
Where this year's WWE Draft is concerned, that will take place across the 26 April edition of SmackDown and the 29 April outing for Raw. As shown in a backstage segment featuring Adam Pearce, Nick Aldis, and Ava, NXT will very much be a full-on part of the 2024 Draft, meaning some main roster talent could be heading over to WWE's developmental brand to work with younger talent or hone their own skills.