Predicting WWE NXT Superstars Who Will Get Called Up to Main Roster in 2023

Despite having its own championships and success ladders to climb, NXT remains a developmental system first and foremost. The ultimate goal for every Superstar is to move on and graduate to the big leagues of Raw and SmackDown.

While not everyone is lucky enough to make the cut, a handful of wrestlers get called up every year, normally after WrestleMania to freshen up the rosters.

That season is just around the corner, which means WWE should be looking at who might be ready to make that jump in the coming months—or, at least, at some point in 2023.

Let's toss out some predictions of which NXT Superstars will get called up to the main roster in the next 12 months.

Cameron Grimes

Credit: WWE

Heading into 2022, it was already past time Cameron Grimes should have been called up to Raw or SmackDown. Now that another year has passed, it feels more imperative than ever for him to transition out of NXT.

He's had his time as North American champion and his quick run with the million dollar title. Clearly, he's not a priority to make NXT champion, nor does he have any tag team partners worth going after those titles with.

What else is there left for him to do, other than be the gradually aging veteran on the brand who puts the newer talent over?

While being interviewed by Graham Matthews for WrestleRant, Shawn Michaels spoke to how Triple H better understands communicating future call-ups than how Vince McMahon used to effectively snatch people up out of nowhere. These days, the transitions are smoother.

With that in mind, perhaps that is why Grimes has been off television for a while, having last wrestled on November 8.

He would be an interesting babyface or heel to go straight into the midcard scene and work his way up with room to grow.

Roderick Strong

WWE was very different in May of 2022 when Roderick Strong was denied his request to be released from his contract.

Now that Triple H is in charge, Strong has a higher chance to succeed as a main roster talent under someone who has a better track record of using smaller talent known more for their in-ring talent—as opposed to Vince McMahon's preference for bigger Superstars who are better on the mic.

At this point, his only two alternatives are to hang around in NXT watching The Creed Brothers pass him by or to keep fighting for his departure.

If he's not just looking for a way out to join the AEW family alongside his wife, Marina Shafir, and his former Undisputed Era teammates Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly, he and all parties in WWE should push for him to go to Raw or SmackDown to change things up.

Gigi Dolin And Jacy Jayne

The NXT women's tag team division would have a massive void if Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne were to move up to the main roster, but this has been a long time coming.

All signs were pointing toward Toxic Attraction moving up to the main roster for months, with Dolin and Jayne even temporarily being part of the tournament to crown new main roster women's tag team champions before an injury put a stop to that.

Without Mandy Rose, they're doomed to either repeat their tag team title runs in NXT with less emphasis, or, even worse, be sidelined entirely.

On the main roster, they can either be a standout true tag team in a field where that's rare, or possibly even find another third member—be it Sonya Deville, based on their temporary partnership, or someone else like Carmella.

Katana Chance and Kayden Carter

Toxic Attraction seems like a guarantee, while Chance and Carter is more of a long shot.

However, Chance was a surprise entrant in the 2019 Royal Rumble, meaning she's been looked at as someone to progress to a bigger role for quite some time.

After all these years, WWE finally got around to pushing them in mid-2022. Is that a sign the company is through dawdling on them?

Sooner or later, they're going to lose those tag titles. When they do, they'll have reached their peak in NXT and should transition upward to allow for other teams to step in and get a chance at those belts.

Pretty Deadly

Credit: WWE

A running theme of this list is the idea that these Superstars have already reached their peak in NXT and have to move on in order to progress in their careers.

That is very much where Pretty Deadly find themselves after a run with the NXT UK Tag Team Championships and two reigns with the NXT tag team titles.

Once you've already achieved those accomplishments, rinsing and repeating doesn't have the same punch anymore. It becomes formulaic to see the same wrestlers on top.

Thankfully, they held their own against The New Day and didn't look outclassed. That says a lot about their future capacity to fit in on the main roster, which may be coming soon according to PWInsider's Mike Johnson.

Kit Wilson and Elton Prince are interesting characters who would be fresh faces among the tag team division playground they've yet to play in, wherein they can be great opponents for groups like The Street Profits and Hit Row.

JD McDonagh

Credit: WWE

It is unknown if NXT Europe will have a roster mostly comprised of talent that used to be on NXT UK, or if WWE is looking to do something different with that brand.

One person who is likely moving on to either NXT Europe or the main roster is JD McDonagh.

He's failed numerous times to win the NXT Championship, but he's perpetually booked as a big deal. This means WWE values his work and thinks highly of him but doesn't think that's the right spot for him.

Recently in an interview with Culture Slate (h/t Danny Heart of Sportskeeda), Michaels named McDonagh as one of the standouts who is ready for the main roster.

That's as good of a sign as any that in the coming months, if McDonagh isn't booked as the top talent of NXT Europe, he'll be moving on to Raw or SmackDown.

Indi Hartwell

Indi Hartwell has been in NXT long enough that she's watched several others move on past her. That includes literally every other member of her former faction, The Way.

Austin Theory, Johnny Gargano, Candice LeRae and Dexter Lumis are all on Monday Night Raw. While Hartwell doesn't technically need to be involved with any of them—not even Lumis, as they had an on-screen breakup, of sorts—she was easily more successful when in that faction compared to what she's been up to lately.

Hartwell is in the same boat as many Superstars in that she's gone all this time without winning the NXT Women's Championship, which likely indicates that it isn't in her near future.

Given the option of waiting for her time to come around on the developmental brand versus just moving up to the big leagues, the latter could be better for her career.

Just look at Alexa Bliss for an example of someone who didn't need to win the main title in NXT, but quickly found success on the main roster. Maybe the same could happen with Hartwell, who has been stuck circling a heel turn that WWE doesn't fully execute for months.

A change of environment could allow her to find a different groove that suits her better.

Grayson Waller

Credit: WWE

Grayson Waller was a standout in his NXT class. He's excelled and become one of the most featured talents each week, while others who came in at the same time (August Grey, Asher Hale, Ari Sterling and so on) only lasted a few months before being released.

While he's yet to win a championship like some others on this list, he's had numerous run-ins with main roster talent like R-Truth and AJ Styles. This has led to some appearances on Monday Night Raw.

Those are indicators WWE sees something in him, and since Michaels had mentioned Waller as one of the few who might be ready for a call-up, 2023 could be that time.

If Waller isn't the one to beat Bron Breakker for the NXT Championship, don't be surprised if he's moved to Raw or SmackDown around WrestleMania.

Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams

Credit: WWE

In a similar position to Waller, Carmelo Hayes is one of the few Superstars whose next move has to be either dethroning Breakker for the NXT Championship or moving on to the main roster.

Since Hayes has already had two runs with the North American Championship, it may not be necessary in WWE's eyes for him to hold the top title to prove himself. He might have already done that, as he's also on the list Michaels mentioned could be called up soon.

If and when that happens, it's conceivable Trick Williams might follow suit.

While he's not had the same success as Hayes, he's a great talker, has a great look and works well alongside Hayes. He can continue to learn while on the main roster, too, as not everyone stays in developmental for long stints.

Bron Breakker

Credit: WWE

Last but certainly not least is the reigning NXT champion, Bron Breakker.

From day one, he's been treated like a big deal, quickly becoming the top of the food chain at New Year's Evil 2022.

For effectively an entire year, he's been the man of the brand. But sooner or later, he's going to have to drop that belt and move on to bigger and better things.

If that doesn't happen at Vengeance Day on February 4, April's NXT Stand & Deliver may be the target date to crown a new champion. Then, Breakker could be a surprise new member of the Raw or SmackDown roster either the week after WrestleMania or in the draft that may come shortly after.

Breakker is ready for the big leagues, and if WWE keeps him down in NXT too long, it'll stunt his growth. 2023 will be the year he takes the next step forward and gets humbled by the tougher opponents on the main roster, but he may even hold midcard gold by the time we're trying to predict who gets called up in 2024.

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Anthony Mango is the owner of the wrestling website Smark Out Moment and the host of the podcast show Smack Talk on YouTube, Spotify and everywhere you find podcasts. You can follow him on Facebook and elsewhere for more.