Post NXT Call-Ups: Where Do We Go From Here?

It’s been two months since the latest WWE brand extension that saw six of NXT’s top stars called up to the main roster and many more have followed since. While it is exciting to see stars like Finn Balor, Bayley, and American Alpha all on the main roster where many believe they belong, a looming question seems lost in the cracks: what happens to NXT now? Thin rosters are always a concern whenever a brand split such as this happens, but NXT already had a moderately slim roster before the call ups, and now it seems that the roster is as thin as ever, but I see this as a unique opportunity.
With these stars gone, we have seen new stars step up and take the mantle in a way that, although not forgotten, the new main roster stars are less missed. Samoa Joe and Shinsuke Nakamura have taken over the main event scene. With Joe’s dominance over Finn Balor and his monster-like heel persona, he is the ultimate main eventer. He has proven over the years his ability to become the face of a promotion and whether he’s a face or heel, the audience is behind him 100%.
On the other end of the spectrum right now, his new arch nemisis, Shinske Nakamura. Nakamura winning the title in such a brutal and spectacular match has only raised the bar on his otherwise dazzling NXT career so far. Despite english not being his first language, he has no problem on the microphone getting his message across and his in ring ability is something you have to see to believe. The feud between Samoa Joe and Nakamura could eclipse that of Balor vs. Joe, which is no easy task to complete. Something about Nakamura taunting Joe and pushing him to his boiling point, and Joe retaliating and injuring Nakamura just screams main event feud. This feud, unlike many of the feuds we are seeing on the main roster lately, has everyone captivated and eager to tune in week after week to see what’s next.
NXT also has a fantastic mid-card roster right now as well filled with stars that who all have main event potential, and most likely will be there soon. Guys like Austin Aries and Bobby Roode, who have proven themselves as main caliber stars in TNA will undoubtedly be knocking at the door of the NXT championship very, very soon. Guys like Tye Dillinger and Hideo Itami are proven NXT talent and I believe can easily carry the NXT Championship mantle with no issue. Triple H has been amazing signing these talents and we keep seeing newer and more amazing signings that could easily rival the main card in the near future if they chose to.
The three main faults with NXT right now are their tag team division, the women’s division, and the mid card. These three have suffered from the callups and lack of mid-card title. Adding a new championship to those who haven’t quite made it to the top yet would greatly benefit stars like Dillinger until they hit main event status. I understand not wanting to add too many titles for a one hour show, but it would help prevent an amazing show from getting stale and having wrestlers fight for seemingly nothing more than bragging rights.
The women’s division has long been boasted as returning the WWE to its glory days of stars like Trish Stratus, Lita, and Jaquline unlike the main rosters approach to using untalented models in bikini contests. While I enjoy watching ladies prance around in bikinis as much as the next guy, it was a crime and unfair to all the actual talent that is out there. NXT allowed female wreslters like the Four Horsewomen, Alexa Bliss, Nia Jax, Bayley, and even Carmella to showcase true talent. The Women’s division of the main is on fire right now, sure it’s not perfect, but it is closer than ever before. While it’s truly amazing to see these women put on showcases like never before in WWE, the NXT Women’s division desperately needs rebuilt.
Asukua is an amazing champion; dominant, fierce, and seemingly unstoppable, but what about the rest of the division? Stars like Billie Kay and Ember Moon are quickly rising, but there is still much left to be desired. Given a few months and some new signings, I’m positive they can rebuild the division and should have no problem gaining new stars. The signing of Ember moon and seeing what she can offer has me absolutely convinced that the current lack of star power is only temporary.
The tag team division is another issue currently, however not as dire as the women’s. Teams like the Revival, TM61 and the new monster team The Powers of Pain are easily carrying the load right now. All three teams have their own unique style that makes for compelling tv, but we need more teams to prevent too much overlap in matches. Johnny Gargano and Thomaso Ciampa have proven to be a fan favorite team that along with their epic “glorious-bomb” videos on twitter, have the kind of in-ring chemistry that is unparalleled. The only issue with “DIY” is they are being called up to the Raw cruiserweight division and a bitter blood-feud between the two has been teased for many weeks now. Unfortunately, we cannot count on them as a tag team in NXT much longer, although an entry into upcoming return of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic seems like a no-brainer.
The added impact of the upcoming stable “sanity” which sees Eric Young make his NXT return and lead a group of NXT up and comers has so much potential to bring back the “stable era” that sees groups of stars dominate others. This has been much needed and asked for time and time again and has fallen on deaf ears to the higher ups until now. I am so excited to see where this goes and what could possibly come from it.
Overall, if you aren’t watching NXT, you are seriously missing out on quality wrestling. Sure, ten bucks a month might seem like a lot to some people, but aside from the ppv’s every couple weeks now, NXT is easily worth your money and time. Living in Florida, I have yet to see an NXT show, but I will be remeding that very soon. I certaily hope to see you there and make sure to tune into NXT Wednesday nights! At the very least, get the free trial of the WWE Network and check it out for yourself!