10 Best Ever NXT To WWE Call-Ups

Graduating with honours.

Roman Reigns NXT
WWE

Established in 2012, NXT has been the breeding ground for WWE's stars of tomorrow for nearly six years, and it now boasts a collection of graduates capable of rivalling just about any independent promotion in the world.

The NXT experiment has been such a resounding success that it seems incredible to think that, just a decade ago, the company was still using barely-watched, minor-league territories like OVW and FCW to break in the new guys (and then, all the while, wondering why so many of them buckled under the pressure of the main roster spotlight).

Not all of those who made the leap from Full Sale University to Raw or SmackDown have reached the top of the mountain, of course. For every Seth Rollins or Sami Zayn, there's an Apollo Crews or Adam Rose - wrestlers who have, for various reasons, been unable to build on their initial promise.

But enough of them have made the grade for us to believe there's something in the water down in Orlando (or at the very least: a diligent scouting team with the phone number of someone in Ring Of Honor).

Note: this list will be comprised strictly of graduates from the NXT brand. Daniel Bryan and the rest of the 2010-era "rookies" don't count.

10. Rusev

Roman Reigns NXT
WWE.com

Fans are growing so despondent over the state of Rusev's WWE career that it's easy to forget the barn-storming start he made to life on main roster back in 2014, when he went on an undefeated streak that lasted more than a year.

Losing to John Cena at WrestleMania 31 seemed to completely derail his momentum. It wasn't long after that he kayfabe split from long-time manager Lana, a storyline that ended in disaster when the pair announced they had become engaged in real life.

Since then, the Bulgarian Brute has been largely left to toil at the lower end of the mid-card, but the enduring popularity of Rusev Day is proof that he is still a valuable member of the SmackDown roster all the same.

For how long, though, we're not too sure. Recent reports have claimed that the former US Champion is on the brink of handing in his notice, so frustrated is he with being continually overlooked for a spot in the main event.

Contributor