Enzo and Cass Are WWE's Blueprint for Future NXT Call-Ups

Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady debuted to a parade of cheers in a memorable Raw segment two weeks ago. But in front of a rowdy, night-after-WrestleMania crowd that was familiar with their act, that wasn't a debut.

It was a homecoming.

Enzo and Cass have since rode that wave of momentum, with their latest triumph coming Monday, when the duo was featured before a European crowd to even more fanfare. Equally as important, they're winning matches. Not only are they winning matches, but they're also beating quality opponents in important contests that have tag team title implications.

WWE was calculating in debuting this charismatic tandem and following it up with meaningful victories. This is a simple but effective blueprint that will keep most, if not all, NXT call-ups from quickly falling behind.

After a win over the Dudley Boyz, Enzo and Cass are one match away from becoming the No. 1 contenders for the WWE Tag Team Championships. Even if they lose this match, not only will they maintain their popularity, but they'll also have the credibility of a team with a bite that matches it's jive-talking bark.

In NXT, chasing the tag team championships added to the popularity of Enzo and Cass. In fact, the duo never won the tag titles. Toward the end of their run, each title opportunity galvanized fans who were eager to witness such a special moment.

WWE has succeeded in immediately building a similar connection. The principles used to pull this off were absent for many other talents of equal popularity in WWE's developmental promotion.

Tyler Breeze, an NXT favorite, debuted to little fanfare on an episode of SmackDown. Breeze's debut came before a WWE crowd. Breeze was not received as well as he would have been in front of a partisan European or post-WrestleMania crowd. Even worse, Breeze lost his debut match to Dean Ambrose.

It's been all downhill from there.

Similar errors in presentation have felled several other NXT call-ups, including Emma, Adam Rose and The Ascension. The key to avoiding these casualties is the debut and the follow-up.

Before debuting an NXT star, WWE needs to be aware of the venue. Does it skew toward the type of passionate, hardcore fan who follows NXT? This does not only apply to international crowds; it also pertains to domestic fanbases such as Chicago, Philadelphia and Brooklyn.

In the follow-up, a string of compelling promos or meaningful wins—as opposed to the hollow squash wins that Apollo Crews is piling up—will allow the NXT call-up in question to come off as a bigger star.

WWE seems to be turning a corner in cultivating its developmental talent. With the current success of Enzo and Cass, the main roster is no longer a career pit stop for NXT hopefuls.

Alfred Konuwa is a Featured Columnist and on-air host for Bleacher Report and Forbes. Like him on Facebook.