The 5 WWE NXT Stars Who Deserve Main Roster Call-Ups Before 2024

All eyes will be on NXT this Tuesday night when some the biggest stars from WWE's past and present journey to the gold brand for a major super-show airing opposite AEW Dynamite.

The stars of tomorrow will have a chance to showcase their skills in what could be the show's largest audience in ages and get fans familiar with what they're capable of ahead of an eventual call-up.

However, there are a handful of names who are ready for a move to the main roster right now.

Some prospects have spent years in NXT and have accomplished all that they can there. Others have shown tremendous progress as of late and would be better suited on SmackDown or Raw.

Post-WrestleMania is typically when names are drafted to the main roster, but the following five up-and-comers deserve to be called up before 2023 comes to a close.

Honorable Mentions

Tiffany Stratton

NXT's Buff Barbie Doll is coming off two stellar showings against Becky Lynch and a four-month run with the NXT Women's Championship. There was much more for her to do as champ, but The Man taking the title and elevating the overall division simply by being a household name was understandably a higher priority.

That leaves Stratton without a clear direction, and although it wouldn't be difficult to see her moving to Raw or SmackDown soon, she'd benefit from a few more months in the NXT system to finetune her skills and become more of a complete package.

---

Carmelo Hayes

Hayes has been main roster-ready from the moment he stepped foot in NXT two years ago. In that time, he's had an incredible run and spent more time with gold around his waist than anyone else on the brand.

He's fresh off losing the NXT Championship and would be an excellent addition to either Raw or SmackDown, but there's more story to tell with him and protégé Trick Williams that should be wrapped up first.

---

Wes Lee

Similar to Hayes, Lee was already experienced going into his NXT debut in January 2021. His run on the Tuesday night program has given him some much-needed exposure and helped him prove he can hang on his own as a singles star.

His recent walkout on NXT could point to an imminent call-up, but it seems he has unfinished business on the brand, specifically with the NXT Championship. WrestleMania season would be a better time for him to join the main roster.

Bron Breakker

It's truly a shock Bron Breakker hasn't already made his way to one of WWE's bigger brands.

He was firmly positioned as the face of NXT's new era two years ago and quickly ascended in the ranks, culminating in him capturing the NXT Championship at the onset of 2022. It was clear after his 424 days with the title that he had done all he could do and was ready for a change of scenery.

Despite that, Breakker has remained a regular on NXT and suffered a handful of high-profile losses along the way to the likes of Carmelo Hayes, Seth Rollins and Baron Corbin. Every time it appears he's had his final farewell, he resurfaces on Tuesday night looking to pick a fight with a fresh opponent.

While it hasn't been officially reported, it's apparent WWE has no creative plan in place for Breakker on Raw or SmackDown at the moment. Otherwise, he would've been called up by now.

That said, it's best for him to stay put until a spot opens up for him on the main roster where he can be pushed in a meaningful manner, which could and should be before the Royal Rumble.

Dijak

This would be considered less of a "call-up" and more of a return to where he already was, similar to Apollo Crews when he was drafted from NXT back to Raw earlier this year.

Dijak's second stint in NXT has lasted a little less than a year, but it has been filled with great matches. He was repackaged upon resurfacing on the show but has excelled consistently in his feuds with Wes Lee, Ilja Dragunov and Tony D'Angelo.

The common denominator in all of these rivalries has been Dijak coming out on the losing end of every single one.

His role to elevate the other talent on the show has been obvious from the moment he was brought back, but that doesn't mean he shouldn't be afforded another opportunity on the grander stage with his new gimmick.

Dijak's in-ring work is second to none, and now that he's distanced himself from the Retribution nonsense, he can be a solid asset in Raw or SmackDown's midcard scene. He should be main roster-bound once his storyline with Eddy Thorpe comes to a close.

The Creed Brothers

The Creed Brothers, a two-for-one pick, were introduced to the NXT audience as members of Roderick Strong's revamped Diamond Mine faction in late 2021. Immediately, they established themselves as forces to be reckoned in the tag team division.

By working with the best the brand has had to offer, they've gotten their reps in and have developed into a tremendous tandem capable of exciting, innovative offense and quality character work.

Once their reign as NXT tag team champions came to an end in September 2022, it felt like the powers-that-be weren't quite sure what to do with them next. They've kept busy in feuds with Damon Kemp, Gallus, Indus Sher and Schism, but they've also been unsuccessful in regaining the tag titles on multiple occasions.

A main roster call-up appeared to be in the cards when they lost a Losers Leave NXT match to The Dyad over the summer, but it wasn't long before they returned to the gold brand. They've been spinning their wheels for a while and should have reported to Raw or SmackDown by now.

The main roster's tag team division is in the middle of a revival right now and The Creed Brothers must be a part of it.

Tyler Bate

Amazingly, Tyler Bate has spent nearly seven years in the WWE system and has yet to become a full-time member of the main roster.

He won the inaugural NXT UK Championship Tournament in January 2017 at only 19 years of age and was a staple of that brand in the years that followed. Although he finally joined NXT proper a year ago, he has achieved next to nothing in that time.

He's fought for the NXT Heritage Cup Championship and the NXT North American Championship, but the timing hasn't been right for him to win either belt. At this point, he'd be better off heading to the main roster and finding direction on Raw or SmackDown.

There's nothing left for him to learn in NXT, and it's pointless to have him toiling there for much longer. He'd be a fine fit for Raw in particular, where he could rekindle his rivalry with Gunther and try his hand at dethroning him as intercontinental champion.

Many NXT UK alumni have done exceptionally well on the main roster, and Bate would be no exception if booked properly.

Roxanne Perez

Roxanne Perez arrived on the NXT scene with plenty of buzz from her runs in Ring of Honor and the independent scene at large, and she didn't disappoint as soon as she stepped in the ring.

In her rookie year alone, she won the first NXT Women's Breakout Tournament, captured the NXT Women's Tag Team Championship and unseated the dominant Mandy Rose as NXT women's champion.

Essentially, she reached the mountaintop of the NXT women's division in record time, but she has struggled to regain that momentum since losing the title in April.

Perez has bounced around from feud to feud, but if another run as NXT women's champ isn't in her future, she'd be a welcome addition to the women's division on the main roster.

There's plenty of top talent on both brands she has yet to mix it up with, and it wouldn't be difficult for her to get over with the audience if she's allowed to let loose.

Jade Cargill will be getting all the attention for the foreseeable future, but Perez should also be shining under WWE's brightest lights before the turn of the year.

---

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.