5 WWE Superstars Who Are Defying The NXT Call Up Curse
1. Carmella
It’s easy to forget now but there was a time when Big Cass and Enzo Amore looked set to be fixtures of WWE for years to come. Neither man was an elite superworker but Enzo was great on the mic and Cass was simply tall enough to command the respect of one Vince McMahon. Plus, crucially, their act was over with fans. By comparison, their NXT manager Carmella looked fairly disposable.
A few years on, she’s the not only the last of the trio left in the company, she’s a former Money In The Bank winner and SmackDown Women’s Title holder. Her charisma and steadily improving ring work have made her an asset to the women's division.
Even since losing the blue brand belt ‘Mella has remained relevant. Between the Mixed Match Challenge, dance breaks and 24/7 title shenanigans, her antics with R-Truth have kept her a WWE TV regular.
Currently 24/7 champion and mixing it up with the division’s top stars on TV, Carmella is actually doing better than those who watched her NXT run would have predicted.