How successful will the rest of 2019's NXT callups be?

The time for NXT call ups has increasingly become one of trepidation to fans, rather than one of anticipation. We don't need to look far to see why this is the case. The most recent call ups have been sparsely used, telling us that the company doesn't even know what to do with them. Just these past two weeks, EC3, the NXT debutante who appeared to be best suited to the main roster, wasn't allowed to give a good impression.

So, what does that say about the bigger NXT call ups to come, the ones that went on to much more notable success at Full Sail?

A few big names come to mind as likely call ups this year, either after WrestleMania or SummerSlam, which is when the yellow brand's big stars typically land on the main roster. How successful will they be? That comes down to their talents and the role they'll likely be called on to play.

Aleister Black

Will he fade to black on the main roster?

Aleister Black's name has swirled around a lot in recent months as a potential NXT call up. With his unsuccessful attempt to recapture the NXT Championship from Tommaso Ciampa at NXT TakeOver: Phoenix, where he suffered his first clean loss on the yellow brand, it would seem that there isn't much left for him to do at Full Sail. The recent TV tapings suggested this, where he appeared to have little direction.

Aleister Black has a lot of things going for him that could help him succeed on the main roster. He has a unique look, one of the best entrances in WWE today, and is brimming with physical charisma, not needing to say much or anything at all to get his point across. This helps, because while he's serviceable on a microphone, he's not among the company's best talkers. He also brings a unique in-ring style, with the best strikes in the company and one of the coolest finishers out there, one which can come from nowhere and help him get over. Judging by his reactions at the Royal Rumble, he's already got a following, and impressed people with his performance.

On the other hand, there is a risk factor for Black. It's possible that Vince McMahon either views him as an inferior Undertaker or saddles him with a silly, hokey, supernatural gimmick in the manner that eventually ruined Bray Wyatt. It's also possible that the weekly shows will overexpose him. Weekly television could steadily chip away at Black's mystique, especially with more opportunities for the main roster writers to make mistakes.

Verdict: Black will probably do well for himself, as his gimmick lends itself well to huge programs. He won't be the top guy in the company, but he could be a constant upper midcard and main event presence, probably with at least one World Title run. SmackDown would be the better fit for him and he could potentially be the top babyface on that brand, especially if AJ Styles goes to Raw in the Superstar Shakeup.

Shayna Baszler

Shayna Baszler will be dropping her title to Io Shirai at NXT TakeOver: New York. The latest round of NXT tapings make that clear, and this time, she won't get it back. Long overdue for a main roster call up, Shayna Baszler is the surest bet of any NXT talent to make the jump after WrestleMania 35.

Baszler has a few things working against her. She'll be 39 this year, she's not among the elite women in the company in terms of ring work, and she isn't a good promo worker. However, she has a menacing look and presence, which she admirably sells during her matches. Despite her flaws in the ring, she's a believable threat.

She's going to be very successful, however, at least for a while, because of her connection to Ronda Rousey and WWE's desire to promote a Horsewomen vs. Horsewomen match. As such, she'll be featured prominently, at least until that match is over. After that, her fall will be as fast as her rise.

Verdict: Shayna Baszler will be a top player for a while, probably with at least one title reign, until the horsewomen match is over. After it, she'll fade and be used mostly to put other people over.

Adam Cole and The Undisputed Era

Having now lost all of the gold they once carried, and continuing to lose during the NXT TV tapings, it looks like the Undisputed Era are also on their way out of Full Sail. They've done almost everything they could on the yellow brand, and it doesn't feel like them holding all the gold would be anything different compared to what they've already done.

The Raw after WrestleMania looks like as good a time as any for there to be a shock to another system.

Adam Cole is a difficult one to predict. He has almost everything it takes to succeed - a good look, excellent promo work, charisma in spades, and a great ring worker. There's only one thing he lacks, and unfortunately, it's an important thing for main roster success - size.

Even by today's standards, Adam Cole is on the smaller side. He's above the Cruiserweight class, but some 205 Live stars, like Buddy Murphy, have a better build than he does. Mustafa Ali's recent success may give us some optimism, but there's still no telling how far he'll go or how long his push will last.

Verdict: Cole is a wild card. He'll either be a constant Intercontinental/United States title contender with some forays into the main event when needed, or he can easily find himself in the role Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn have occupied for some time - big talking heels that get put into foolish situations and lose.

As for the rest of the Undisputed Era, they're easily one of the best tag teams in the company, and would be an immediate asset to any division they're a part of. Raw's dilapidated division could especially use their services. Depending on how well Cole does, they could go far as a faction, or they could just fall into an abyss. With WWE messing up teams like the Authors of Pain, no one in the tag division is safe or predictable.

Kairi Sane

Kairi Sane appeared at a couple of SmackDown house shows for the first time earlier this month. This is usually a sign that a main roster call up is coming sooner or later. Except a potential feud with Io Shirai, there isn't anything left for her to do in NXT.

She'll likely come on to the main roster later this year, perhaps after SummerSlam. At first glance, she doesn't seem like a good candidate for success. There's the pirate gimmick, the language barrier, and WWE's horrible history of booking babyfaces.

However, if you look deeper, her chances of success are higher than you might think. The reactions she got at the Royal Rumble this year are good evidence. She got some of the loudest cheers of any woman, and some of the loudest boos when she was eliminated. Her recent autograph session for her new comic got a good turnout.

It's not hard to see why she gets these reactions. She has a good look, has charisma in spades, is one of the best women's ring workers, and has one of the flashiest finishers in the company in the Insane Elbow. Kairi Sane is very easy to like. I would argue she's the best pure babyface in the company, and while the example of Bayley looms large, it helps that Kairi is a lot more charismatic than her.

Even the one area that Kairi is lacking in - her talking ability because of the language barrier, isn't as much of an impediment as you might believe. She'll never be able to do 15 minute promos, but her English is very good, with an accent that's easier to understand than Asuka's. Speaking of Asuka, her improved booking also improves Kairi's prospects. Now that Vince has pulled the trigger on a Japanese superstar, it should be easier to do so in the future. Asuka has broken an important ceiling and Kairi can take advantage.

Verdict: Kairi will never be the top woman in the company, but she has it in her to be one of its elite talent, with at least one title run. Once Io Shirai gets called up, she'll be a constant in the tag team title picture.

Tommaso Ciampa

Hard as it might be to believe, he won't be NXT Champion forever. Back in the days of the original DIY, his main roster prospects didn't look so good, but this version of Tommaso Ciampa is a different story.

Though he isn't quite as hot as he was in the first two-thirds of 2018, he's still the most despicable heel in the company. He has a menacing look and presence that perfectly fits his character. He's not the best talker in the company, but he's still better than most. We all know the magic he's capable of putting together in the ring.

Verdict: Ciampa has no real weaknesses. He'd fit right in as an antagonist to the top babyfaces in the company, such as Seth Rollins or AJ Styles. The only question is how far the company is willing to go with him and whether or not they put him in comedic loser segments, as they have a penchant to do with heels like Owens and Zayn, and as they may with Adam Cole. However, given Ciampa's superior look and presence compared to those superstars, I think he has a better chance. A few midcard title runs should be on the cards. He might not be a world champion, but he has a chance, and can feature in the main event when called upon.

Edited by Atharva Papnoi