10 Things You Didn't Know About WWE In 2014
6. Emma, Paige, Rusev, Bo Dallas, Adam Rose & The Ascension Get The Call
2014 brought about the very early days of NXT's golden era, but in order for so many brand new faces (and heels) to get over in such a major way in Full Sail University, the original standouts from the brand's formative days in Florida had to be airlifted to Raw and SmackDown.
It was an unwitting glimpse into the future.
Paige's post-WrestleMania call-up was certainly very committed. Her victory over AJ Lee established almost immediate parity between the two and set up a summer series of matches, and Rusev's undefeated run lasted all the way until a WrestleMania 31 loss to John Cena.
The rest weren't as prosperous. Bo Dallas' one-note joke somehow felt even less than that, Adam Rose's amazing gimmick was badly over-exposed by main roster indulgent, and The Ascension were doomed relatively quickly when the booking didn't protect their unstoppable 1980s aesthetic.
Emma's elevation was perhaps the most egregious error. The dancing and bubbles were popular in NXT due to a deep-rooted relationship the character had built up with the audience. With no such time to build a bond, the influential Aussie was cast as "the funny one" next to Santino and forced to fart out bad WWE comedy.
More stumbled than shone, ultimately, kicking off a run with call-ups that frustratingly continues to this day.