Current RAW stars to undergo massive transformation: 5 main roster stars who need another WWE NXT run

WWE NXT has been given a massive shot in the arm as of late. Numerous stars from the main roster have appeared on the developmental brand, specifically talented free agents and stars of Monday Night RAW.

Baron Corbin, Mustafa Ali, Dana Brooke, Angel Garza, and Humberto Carrillo have all popped up on the brand with the goal of earning gold. Corbin wants the NXT Championship, Ali seems to be eyeing the North American Title, Dana wants the NXT Women's Championship, and Los Lotharios wants tag gold.

While some fans may initially dismiss this as a demotion, moving to NXT, even for a brief period of time, can be extremely beneficial. Superstars can have their characters refreshed, completely changed, or evolved. Wrestlers can avoid feeling stagnant by enjoying a change of scene.

This article will look at five main roster stars who would greatly benefit from a new NXT run. This isn't inherently because they aren't ready for the main roster, but instead to find a new niche or to gain momentum before returning to RAW or SmackDown. Who should make the move?

Below are five main roster stars who need another WWE NXT run.

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#5. Xia Li has been underutilized

Xia Li is a Chinese-born superstar who has been with WWE since 2017. She initially appeared in the Mae Young Classic and went on to become a regular on the NXT brand. As soon as she began gaining some momentum there, she was called up to the main roster.

Unfortunately, Xia's main roster run hasn't gone as many would have hoped. She came in with some fantastic vignettes but was quickly pushed aside and forgotten. She's had brief glimpses of a renewed push only to fall by the wayside again.

If Li wants to gain momentum in WWE, she needs consistency. She's yet to take off on RAW since being drafted earlier this year, so a return to NXT could be what helps keep her on television consistently moving forward. A feud between her and Tiffany Stratton would be quite interesting.

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#4. Shanky has been missing in action

Shanky is a giant. The Indian WWE star stands at an impressive 7 feet and weighs in at over 300 pounds. Despite his imposing stature, he's perhaps best known as Skyscraping Shanky who danced against Jinder Mahal's will.

The big man first signed with WWE in 2020 and went on to compete at Superstar Spectacle. After a brief stay on NXT, he moved to the main roster where he was on both RAW and SmackDown, but hasn't beeen seen in nearly a year.

If the big man has been lost in the shuffle, a return to NXT could help. Veer Mahaan and Jinder Mahal returned to the brand and are now destructive on Monday Night RAW. Could the same happen for Skyscraper Shanky?

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#3. Mace & #2. Mansoor, Maximum Male Models are allegedly getting new gimmicks in WWE

Mace and Mansoor

Mace and Mansoor are real-life friends who became an on-screen duo as part of a unique stable last year. Max Dupri, now once again known as LA Knight, started the stable but was quickly repackaged once Triple H took over creative direction of the company.

Maxxine Dupri took over, leading Mace and Mansoor in hilarious vignettes online but essentially only losses in the ring. She recently jumped from being by their side to being with Otis and Chad Gable of Alpha Academy. This leaves Mace and Mansoor without much to do.

Thankfully, there appears to be hope for the comedic duo. The pair are allegedly being repackaged soon. If that's the case, a return to NXT to fight for the WWE NXT Tag Team Titles could be a great opportunity for them to rebuild momentum and even potentially win their first tag titles together.

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#1. Piper Niven needs a push somewhere

Piper Niven slamming Mia Yim

Piper Niven is one of WWE's most underutilized stars, similar to Xia Li. She first joined the company in 2019, having previously appeared in 2017 as part of the Mae Young Classic. She reported to NXT UK and became a major threat.

After just two years, Piper was called up to WWE's main roster. She appeared on Monday Night RAW as Doudrop. Thankfully, that gimmick was dropped in favor of Piper Niven beginning earlier this year.

While she's back as Piper, she has still not received a steady push. Niven doesn't need to improve her game much, but she does need a big push. A move to NXT could give her the much needed momentum to finally reach the top of the company.