5 NXT wrestlers who are ready for RAW or SmackDown but will probably never move

#3. Io Shirai returned to NXT instead of RAW or SmackDown after a break

Io Shirai

Io Shirai is without a doubt one of the most talented wrestlers that WWE has, male or female. So when she dropped the NXT Women's Title and took a break from the black and gold brand many people just naturally assumed that was because she was heading to RAW or SmackDown.

However, Io Shirai had a dramatic return recently, accompanied by the live music of Poppy, to interrupt a ranting Candice LeRae. It seems that Shirai, who has had a storied rivalry with LeRae, would rather stay in NXT to continue it rather than head to RAW or SmackDown.

I am gonna be brutally honest. I’m TERRIFIED to see my girl @shirai_io go up to the main roster whenever that might be. 🙏🏾 #WWENXT https://t.co/rBjTOg9v0e

— Jordan Turner (@JTTakeover) June 23, 2021

I'm certainly not complaining as LeRae and Shirai have fantastic chemistry together and will produce some memorable matches with the reignition of their feud. However, it certainly does seem to be somewhat of a waste to keep Shirai away from the likes of Sasha Banks, Bayley and Charlotte.

Admittedly there is still a ton of talent left for Shirai to face in NXT so it obviously wouldn't be the end of the world if she never makes the jump to WWE's two biggest shows. There's certainly room in the women's division for an NXT-lifer like Johnny Gargano. Maybe it'll be her.