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2022 has been a pivotal year for WWE. Vince McMahon finally retired, turning over the reins of Creative to Triple H. Being a former wrestler, the latter had a different view of how to run a roster. His early success with NXT is proof of his skills.
One big difference that The Game has implemented has been to bring back some wrestlers released during the mass budget cuts of the last two years. He took control during SummerSlam weekend, re-signing many stars.
Bayley returned from injury along with IYO SKY and Dakota Kai. Sky was in NXT while Kai was released. The three women formed Damage CTRL. Along with those women, Bray Wyatt, Braun Strowman, Candice LeRae, Johnny Gargano, and Hit Row were also brought back to WWE.
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Other stars officially became main roster performers in WWE. Here are the grades for those stars who have debuted on the main roster since SummerSlam.
#8 Giovanni Vinci is an underrated performer
Vinci was a part of Imperium in NXT but left the group once Gunther and Ludwig Kaiser were promoted. He continued to put forth great matches but eventually rejoined the group on SmackDown once Triple H assumed creative duties.
He seemed a bit out of place as a singles star but seemed at home once he rejoined the faction. They had a great showing in the Donnybrook Match at Extreme Rules, likely due to the stars' chemistry together.
Despite being a part of an ascending group, Vinci is still slightly lost in the shuffle. Until he and Kaiser regularly start competing in tag team matches, his grade will be lower than it should be.
The grade for Vinci: C+
#7 Legado Del Fantasma should flourish on SmackDown
Legado Del Fantasma was one of the lynchpins of NXT for the last three years. They were an integral part of the brand, while McMahon and Triple H were in charge.
The group debuted on SmackDown by attacking Hit Row. Due to Hit Row's severely limited time as a group and pre-mature call-up, fans didn't know how to react.
Legado also added Zelina Vega, an excellent mouthpiece for any star, to its ranks. They always had the potential to rule NXT but never got an extended chance. The group is still relatively new, but Santos Escobar has already advanced in the World Cup Tournament.
The grade for Legado Del Fantasma: B-
#6 Dexter Lumis is yet to have an official match on RAW
The former NXT star is like AEW's Orange Cassidy - the fans either like the gimmick or hate it. Lumis doesn't speak but says a lot with his facial expressions. He's tormented The Miz since his arrival on the WWE main roster.
Lumis can go in the ring and differs from most of the roster on RAW and SmackDown. Once he gets more in-ring action, his grade can improve.
He's a hard star to grade, as his introduction has been a mixed bag. Johnny Gargano has actually spoken for Lumis since the two were aligned in NXT.
The grade for Lumis: C+
#5 IYO SKY and #4 Dakota Kai are the WWE Women's Tag Team Champs
Both SKY and Kai were foundational members of NXT over the last four years. SKY won the NXT Women's and tag team titles, while Kai won the tag titles with Raquel Rodriguez.
Alongside Bayley, the two stars debuted at SummerSlam. In their short tenure on the main roster, they've won the WWE Women's Tag Titles twice. They should have won the original tournament but luckily captured the belts a few weeks later.
Both women are solid in-ring performers, and joining Bayley gives them instant credibility. Had they won the tournament to crown new titleholders, then they'd likely be getting a higher grade.
The grade for Kai and Sky: B+
#3 Johnny Gargano and #2 Candice LeRae are back in WWE
Gargano and LeRae took time off last year as LeRae was pregnant with the couple's first child. Both were officially free agents who had options on the table.
While LeRae could have opted to retire, Gargano could have gone to any other promotion. However, both stars returned to WWE as members of RAW. LeRae has had a few matches and has been on the outside of the feud between Damage CTRL and Bianca Belair's team.
Gargano is in the middle of The Miz/Dexter Lumis controversy. Fans either enjoy it or don't like it. Storylines aside, the in-ring action has been great for both Gargano and LeRae. Once they finish up their current angles, hopefully, they will move on to bigger and better challenges.
The grade for Gargano and LeRae: Gargano (B), LeRae (C+)
#1 Solo Sikoa has a bright future in WWE
Once Sikoa debuted in NXT 2.0, it was only a matter of time before he joined Bloodline on SmackDown. He spent a year in NXT before joining his family at Clash at the Castle in early September.
The main-roster version of Sikoa is already better than the NXT version. That star was a solid in-ring worker but lost in several attempts to win the North American Title. Even when he lost cleanly, the face performer constantly felt that he deserved another shot.
On SmackDown, he acts as the tough guy for the Bloodline. Since his promotion, Sikoa has looked like a formidable threat to anyone in WWE.
The grade for Sikoa: A-
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