The Two NXT Stars Who Are Ready For A Main Roster Call Up

Nikki Cross
Source: WWE

There’s a reason why WWE tends to call up its big NXT prospects in the week following WrestleMania. It’s during this time that the most eyes are on the product. Excitement might reach fever pitch during WrestleMania weekend, but that energy is intensified in the more intimate surroundings of the Raw and SmackDown after Mania. It’s at these shows that the most loyal, rabid, rowdy wrestling fans make it their mission to be heard.

Introducing an NXT wrestler at this time not only gives them the opportunity to start out strong with a raucous response, but it’s also a “smarter” crowd who are more knowledgeable of the wrestlers’ current character traits and catchphrases. This can increase the feeling that the debuting star is a big deal, with new viewers drawn in by the pull of WrestleMania or Ronda Rousey getting a crash course in what the new guy or girl is all about. Imagine Enzo and Cass’s big Monday Night Raw debut the night after WrestleMania 32 without the crowd loudly screaming their signature ring entrance.

It’s a pretty safe bet that this trend will continue, and the two nights following WrestleMania 34 will see their fair share of NXT wrestlers making their Raw and SmackDown debuts. There’s a good number of talents that could make the step up, with NXT’s current roster as strong as it has ever been. I’m just focusing on a couple of names here though. The man and woman who I feel could make the most impact in the post-WrestleMania landscape.

 

The Velveteen Dream

Velveteen Dream
Source: WWE

The Dream has been making a bit of name for himself down in NXT. His character, lazily described as an homage to the late, great Prince, has been an unexpected hit with the knowledgeable Full Sail audience. It feels like a bit of a throwback to the early days of the brand, when it wasn’t unusual to see a silent movie star competing against a male model. It’s also a role played with utter conviction by Patrick Clark, making it so much easier for the audience to buy into.

Velveteen has stolen the show in his last two NXT TakeOver outings. First, in an absolutely career making feud and match against Aleister Black, and secondly, against Kassius Ohno in another performance that had the live crowd eating it up. It’s a real mark of Velveteen Dream’s meteoric rise that he was able to hold his own in two very different matches against two relative ring veterans. When the bell rang to end both encounters, it was The Dream’s name that was on everyone’s lips.

It may seem a little soon to promote him to either Raw or SmackDown, but there are several reasons why I think WWE would be keen to add him to one of their main rosters soon. Firstly, Velveteen is a legitimate home grown talent and somebody who is a real shining example of what NXT should be providing. The Dream only began his wrestling journey in 2014, training with and competing for Maryland Championship Wrestling for one year. In 2015, he got his first big break, being chosen to compete on that year’s Tough Enough revamp. From there, he was quickly signed up to NXT and began competing in live events mere months later.

WWE have been involved with the majority of this young superstar’s career and development, something that cannot be said for a lot of the recruits to the brand. Names like Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and Adam Cole were hot acts on the independent scene for years before they got a look in. They came in ready made, just missing that little bit of WWE polish. With Velveteen Dream, WWE can point to the fact that he is a home grown talent in every sense of the word, which is something that Vince McMahon has a huge preference for.

velveteen dream
Source: WWE

As I said previously, he is exactly the type of talent that NXT should be producing on a more consistent basis. I love that we get to see wrestlers like Samoa Joe, Bobby Roode and Shinsuke Nakamura steam roll through NXT on their way to the main roster, but the end goal should always be to develop stars of that calibre in-house. Given the truly amazing facilities available down in developmental and the embarrassment of riches in terms of trainers, this shouldn’t be something out of the ordinary.

Also, consider that several big names in the current WWE landscape almost skipped the NXT TV experience entirely. Braun Strowman was little more than an Adam Rose Rosebud (remember that?) before his big Raw debut as the newest member of the Wyatt Family. Similarly, Roman Reigns was barely a footnote in developmental, much less lauded than his Shield brethren, Rollins and Ambrose. Calling up Velveteen Dream while he is hot but not too hot could help him avoid the difficult transitional period that wrestlers like Tyler Breeze, Tye Dillinger and The Ascension suffered (or in some cases are still suffering through). WWE know what they have with Velveteen Dream and may want to capitalise on it sooner rather than later.

 

Nikki Cross

Nikki Cross
Source: WWE

Nikki may not be the first name that springs to mind from the women’s roster, as current champ Ember Moon is a strong possibility. However, as great as Moon has become in the ring, her character work isn’t all it could be. Yes, she has the cool entrance and the brooding look, but I still have no idea who or what she is supposed to be. I’m not entirely sure she knows either.

The Iconic Duo of Billie Kaye and Peyton Royce are also near the head of the queue, but I have a strong feeling they would get too lost in the shuffle. Yes, I do enjoy their dynamic, but it feels a bit too similar to what Alexa has been doing on Raw or Carmella on SmackDown. Without a strong, creative reason for their call up, I feel they would struggle.

Which brings us to Nikki Cross. A great in ring talent with a very strong grasp of her character who, importantly, offers a new dynamic to whichever brand she is assigned. She has a certain unpredictability to her that I love, a raw energy that, if utilised properly, could see her really shake the pot.

At just over five feet tall, she’s Alexa Bliss without the sense to know when she’s outmatched. She could be a lone renegade in a division that has increasingly become about gang attacks and alliances. It’s a dynamic that could easily see her playing face, heel, or somewhere in between.

nikki cross
Source: WWE

Cross has ten years of ring experience under her belt. The latest round of women call ups prior to this year’s Royal Rumble saw some less seasoned grapplers making their way to the main roster. The likes of Liv Morgan, Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville would benefit greatly from continuing their wrestling education in the ring against Nikki. Conversely, she could immediately move into great matches and feuds with the likes of Charlotte, Becky Lynch or Asuka. Hell, WWE could do a lot worse than pairing her off against Ronda Rousey to help the former MMA star gain some much needed in ring credibility.

Overall, Cross seems like the most logical call up to me. She’s incredibly talented, has a strong grasp of character and, perhaps most importantly, she brings something unique to the table. WWE has worked hard to give each woman on the roster their own edge. Something beyond the simple “all women hate each other” mantra that the company seemed to be working under until 2015. Cross is her own woman with her own motives who would add an unhinged flavour to whichever roster she is assigned to.

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