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Not all seeds grow in all soils, and NXT may or may not be the best environment for these superstars. For fans who have followed the WWE for a long time, the developmental brands have always had a certain appeal.
It was in the early developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling, utilized in the Attitude and Ruthless Aggression eras, that such future stars as Brock Lesnar and John Cena first cut their teeth in sports entertainment.
Over time, the developmental league shifted from Ohio Valley Wrestling to Florida Championship Wrestling. FCW would also produce future world champions, such as the Big Dog himself Roman Reigns.
Then, Florida Championship Wrestling evolved into NXT, ostensibly the 'developmental' brand of WWE but fast becoming the most crowd-pleasing brand that WWE currently offers. NXT's overall presentation is delightfully old school, with a great deal of emphasis on in-ring performance as well as a slower build up to storylines that are seen on the main roster.
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This provides a fertile ground for some superstars, such as Bayley who had been the biggest star in NXT until Asuka arrived and began her historic streak. On the other hand, other superstars just seem to do better on the main roster, like Drew McIntyre.
The question always comes up as to which NXT wrestler should make the jump to Raw or Smackdown Live and which ones should stay put. It's become so much of a trope that Velveteen Dream even parodied it on his tights, which had been emblazoned with "Call Me Up, Vince" in the glittered script.
Here are five NXT stars who are definitely ready for the main roster, and five who need to stay on the yellow brand for a while longer.
Ready to move up to main roster #1: Dominik Dijakovic
When you hear the words 'six foot, seven inches tall wrestler' a certain image probably comes to mind. One of a big, slow man who mostly stands around and lets better wrestlers bounce off of himself.
You'd be dead wrong if you thought that applied to Dominik Dijakovic. Not only is the big man quick on his feet, but he can also take to the air and perform insane diving moves as if he were a cruiserweight. The last time pro wrestling has seen a combination of power and agility like this, it was in the late, great Mike Awesome.
Why he's ready for the main roster: Dijakovic has been wrestling for several years and has completed his journeyman phase. He has the looks and talent to go far in the WWE.
Should remain on NXT #1: The Street Profits
The Street Profits have plenty of charisma and are blossoming into talented in-ring performers as well.
However, they may not be ready for the main roster as of yet. One must only look to the example of Heavy Machinery, who didn't spend much time in NXT before being drafted up to the main roster, and now have seemed to flounder.
A good tag team takes time to really gel together, and while the Profits have been teaming together for years they just aren't on the level of teams like the Usos or the Revival. Given the crowded, often underrepresented tag team scene in WWE's Raw and Smackdown brands, the Street Profits might want to remain on NXT a while longer.
Why they should remain on NXT: The Street Profits need a bit more seasoning, and time to fully develop their characters before they make the jump to the high-pressure main roster.
Ready to move up to the main roster #2: Kushida
The man known as Kushida is no stranger to fans of both Japanese promotions and Ring of Honor. Kushida teamed for years with Alex Shelley as the Time Splitters, which is where he came by his 'Marty McFly' ring garb and gimmick.
Kushida has been a wildly successful junior heavyweight wrestler in his native Japan, and reports started circulating last year that WWE was interested in him. Sure enough, Kushida would sign with WWE and is now on the NXT brand.
However, many fans and critics believe that the Time Splitter should have skipped ahead of the line and just made his debut for Raw or Smackdown due to his age and experience as well as megastar status.
Why he should move up to the main roster: Kushida is probably entering the last five to eight years of his career, and if WWE wants to get the maximum yield out of the talented man they need to move quickly.
Should Remain in NXT #2: Kona Reeves
The big man Kona Reeves has already tasted championship gold on the independent circuit. He reigned as the World Extreme Wrestling champion shortly after his debut, based mostly on his size and ability to work the microphone.
WWE quickly snapped up what they considered to be a blue chip talent, and put him into their developmental brand of NXT. So far, Kona Reeves hasn't done a whole lot on the brand, but his role seems to be gradually expanding. There are indications that WWE is very high on the young Hawaiian native, and that could mean an early trip up to the main roster, which just might be a mistake.
Why he should remain on NXT: Kona Reeves has more experience under his belt, but his character and delivery aren't fully developed yet. More time on camera in NXT should help him with this.
Ready to move up to the main roster #3: Roderick Strong
Roderick Strong has been wrestling for almost twenty years, and in that time has racked up twenty-two championship reigns, including wins at PWG, where he was the world champion.
The longtime ROH stalwart made his WWE debut for the NXT brand, but he has also filled in on 205 Live and for NXT UK. This is because Roddy is one of the most versatile, skilled, and adaptive wrestlers on the planet.
In terms of technical ability, Strong is one of the best out there in terms of execution and depth of move set. He's also an underrated promo man and has the classic good looks of a babyface wrestler. His term with the Undisputed Era seems to be coming to an end, so what should be next for Roddy?
Why he should move up to the main roster: Roderick Strong is a veteran on the cusp of becoming a ring general and has developed into one of the top ten in-ring performers in WWE, if not all of wrestling. If WWE wants to mix things up on their programming as is their stated goal, they need look no further than Roderick Strong.
Should Remain in NXT #3: Kassius Ohno
Using the ring name Chris Hero, Kassius Ohno has enjoyed a prestigious career on the independent circuit. He's wrestled for PWG, Ring of Honor, and countless other promotions and has title reigns in the double digits.
Many also consider Kassius Ohno to have one of the best minds for pro wrestling in the business. This is why he is on NXT, to help develop the next crop of WWE talent. He also serves a 'gatekeeper' function, similar to one that Kane once served on Raw. That is to say, before wrestlers can move into the main event, they often feud with Ohno first (see Matt Riddle and Kushida.)
But those who have followed Ohno since his Chris Hero days often lament that he's not on the main WWE brands. Should he make the jump, or remain where he is?
Why he should remain on NXT: Chris Hero's accolades speak for themselves, as does his in-ring ability, but he's in the waning years of his career and medical conditions have robbed him of the speed he possessed in youth. Also, some unflattering videos of him fighting with fans at independent shows might cause problems if he had a higher profile.
Ready to move up to the main roster #4: Adam Cole
There's an old proverb that goes like this; Great men don't seek power, they have it thrust upon them.
Everywhere Adam Cole goes, he winds up in command of a stable of heel wrestlers. It happened in Ring of Honor when he led the Kingdom stable in its original iteration. It happened again in New Japan Pro Wrestling where he wound up leading Bullet Club. And it's happened once more in WWE where he leads the Undisputed Era stable.
The reason Adam Cole keeps being put in charge of stables is that promoters hope his natural charisma will rub off on his fellow stablemates. Does his charisma mean he's ready for something beyond the yellow brand?
Why he's ready for the main roster: Adam Cole is a veteran talent with international wrestling experience and multiple title reigns with the 'big belt' in other promotions. He has all the tools he needs to succeed on Smackdown or Raw.
Should Remain in NXT #4: Oney Lorcan
The wily and skilled Oney Lorcan has some impressive accolades on his pedigree. For one, he was trained by ECW original and recognized technical wrestling master Lance "Can I be serious for a moment" Storm. Then he was further trained by WWE tag team champion and announcer Sho Funaki.
From 2008 to 2015, Lorcan plied his trade on the independent circuit. He made it as far as Evolve and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla before he was signed by the WWE. Lorcan is a worldly veteran wrestler and one of the more underrated stars under NXT contract. Does that mean he's ready for the main roster?
Why he should remain in NXT: Given Lorcan's lack of size or impressive appearance, he might struggle to be noticed on the main roster. On NXT he is valued and appreciated for who and what he is, so why would he need to make the jump to the main roster?
Ready for the main roster #5: Velveteen Dream
At various times during NXT's existence, there have been wrestlers who were the undisputed top star in the company, whether they had the NXT championship or not.
Shinsuke Nakamura is one such man, who helped put NXT on the map of fans who may not have seen it otherwise. Triple H himself once referred to Asuka as the NXT brand's 'anchor' and the one wrestler he could not afford to lose to the main roster.
Now, the top draw in NXT isn't the current NXT Champion Johnny Gargano. No, that honour goes to the NXT North American champion, Velveteen Dream. With a combination of charisma, poise, and athletic ability, The Velveteen Dream has proven himself to be a hot commodity; perhaps just what the main roster needs to bump up the ratings.
Why he should move up to the main roster: Velveteen Dream is the type of wrestler that only comes along once a generation. He could be the next Rock or Hulk Hogan if handled correctly.
Should Remain in NXT #5: Matt Riddle
While much of the world's attention was focused upon Ronda Rousey and her pro wrestling debut, Matt Riddle was quietly building a reputation for having transitioned between MMA to sports entertainment with great aplomb.
Riddle's "King of Bros" gimmick and barefoot stylings set him apart from other former MMA fighters turned wrestlers, who tend to be portrayed as more serious characters. Riddle also worked very hard on his in-ring skills, because he wanted to be just as good or better in wrestling than he was in MMA.
Riddle hasn't been wrestling for very long, but he's already been a champion in multiple promotions. Does this mean he's ready for the main roster?
Why he should remain on NXT: Riddle is a future superstar, a potential main event talent for Wrestlemania, but he still needs some seasoning and time to fully flex his creative muscles with his king of bros character.
There you have it; Five NXT stars who are ready to move up to the main roster, and five who should remain on the black and yellow brand. Who would you like to see move up to Raw or Smackdown? Please comment and let us know and as always thanks for reading!
