Sami Zayn's Raw Debut Should Not Lead to Permanent Place on Main Roster

When a hot talent from NXT makes their full debut in the WWE, it's imperative that they're booked correctly to ensure their start to life on the main roster goes off with a real bang. 

And where there have been shaky examples of this in the past, there's no doubting that the booking of Sami Zayn on Raw this past week was absolutely on the money.

Having him debut in his home country was impressive enough, but being introduced by fellow Canadian Bret Hart? That's positively magnificent in terms of locking in some positive crowd reactions.

Yet, even before it was confirmed that Zayn suffered a shoulder injury, which could rule him out for some time, this is not yet the time for him to make a full leap up to the main roster.

Think about it. In the last month or so, we've seen The Lucha Dragons and Neville alone make the jump from NXT to the main roster. And even though both of those transitions have been impressive enough, throwing Zayn in there, too, could make the whole situation slightly crowded.

There just doesn't seem to be a place for Zayn to fit in when you evaluate the current makeup of the roster. The WWE is littered with good quality babyfaces at the moment, especially with the likes of Dean Ambrose and Randy Orton in the main event. Then you look at Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler, John Cena and even Neville in the middle of the card, and you wonder where Zayn fits.

There's no need to rush him, even when he makes his comeback from his injury at some point later this year. He's only 30; he has time on his side.

Imagine the discontent among wrestling fans if Zayn was thrown in at the deep end without a proper plan for his long-term future. Fast forward a year and all the momentum and popularity Zayn has built up in NXT could be completely gone if he isn't booked appropriately.

And what's more, NXT needs Zayn at this moment in time. Even if he is injured, his presence on screen will be incredibly valuable to a brand that is losing stars left, right and center. 

As mentioned, The Lucha Dragons and Neville have gone to the main roster, and there's potential for others like Charlotte to follow in the coming weeks.

To make matters worse, Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com reported (h/t Sean Ross Sapp of Wrestling Inc) that Hideo Itami could be looking at a six- to eight-month stretch on the sidelines. Whereas NXT was littered with main event talent a few months back, it's now looking pretty thin on top.

Kevin Owens will likely have to take on Finn Balor now at the next NXT major show, which would leave the brand pretty thin on the ground below that. 

If Zayn makes the leap to the main roster now, NXT might suffer greater than it ever has before in terms of top talent.

The WWE can play the slow-burner approach with this one. While there is always a temptation to throw stars from NXT into the spotlight as soon as possible, if they do it now with Zayn, it may be a decision they live to regret.