Samoa Joe and the 4 WWE NXT Stars Who Must Be Called Up to Main Roster in 2017

Even with potentially the most exciting main roster WWE has had in years, there is always the potential to improve it. NXT's current crop of stars offers plenty of chances to do so over the next 12 months.

Following an absorbing few months for the developmental brand, it's clear some of NXT's biggest names are set for imminent call-ups to the main roster, owing mostly to the fact that they have nothing left to achieve at Full Sail University.

Some are going to have to be more patient, but 2017 will still be the year they graduate to either Raw or SmackDown.

The steady stream of talent emanating out of NXT shows no signs of slowing down, either, meaning that despite another crop of big names moving up, there will be plenty remaining to supplement the loss.

Starting with Samoa Joe, here's a look at five NXT stars who could see themselves on the main roster in what is shaping up to be a huge year for WWE.

Samoa Joe

One of the more obvious picks from the current NXT roster to get the call in the next 12 months is Samoa Joe.

The media is already reporting news of a Joe call-up. On Dec. 8, Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats reported Joe is bound for the main roster at some point in 2017.

And it makes plenty of sense. After dropping the NXT Championship to Shinsuke Nakamura and losing the rivalry's rubber match in Australia earlier this month, Nakamura is ready to move on and find a fresh challenger.

It's illogical to imagine Joe fighting someone else and taking a step back, especially after doing such a good job of holding NXT up at a time when a lot of big names went up to the main roster.

With the Royal Rumble match just around the corner, it's an obvious time for WWE to pull the trigger.

The Revival

You only have to look at the longest-reigning NXT Tag Team Championship holders in history to see how pushing a duo up to the main roster is fraught with danger.

The Ascension was a phenomenon in NXT, but on the main roster, Konnor and Viktor have struggled to find any sort of footing.

That applies to The Vaudevillains, too, who have almost become the jobber tag team of SmackDown despite being so highly regarded in NXT.

However, those concerns won't transfer over to the main-roster debut of The Revival, which will join either Raw or SmackDown in 2017.

Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder have put on some of the best tag matches in NXT history over the last 12 months. Their tussles with American Alpha were incredible, and their recent feud with DIY was nothing short of sensational.

So no matter which show they go to, Dawson and Wilder should be able to cope. But in terms of NXT, the duo has achieved everything it needs to on that brand. 2017 should be the year both men move up.

Asuka

She is arguably the best technical competitor in the world of female wrestling; giving Asuka the call to the main roster over the next 12 months is therefore an inevitability rather than a possibility.

When the call comes, however, depends on how intent WWE is on legitimizing her as the greatest NXT women's champion in that brand's history.

It feels as if, even now, she has beaten all there is to overcome in NXT.

But the next few weeks will hopefully see a new challenger or two emerge from the pack, giving her something to worry about once again.

If she goes to the main roster now, there's a danger there could be too much talent and not enough TV time across both shows. Where would she fit if she was to be brought to the main roster tomorrow, for example?

There are some on this list who are ready for the main roster right now. Asuka is probably ready in terms of her popularity and ability, but this is about finding the right time for her to step up.

Shinsuke Nakamura

As the new year approaches, the time probably isn't quite right for Shinsuke Nakamura to move to the main roster.

After all, he currently has the NXT Championship in his possession following one of the most bruising feuds of his career with Samoa Joe, which culminated once and for all in Australia earlier this month.

Nakamura's immediate challenge is now facing another foe—one of Tye Dillinger, Roderick Strong, Andrade "Cien" Almas or Bobby Roode after Wednesday night's show.

A lengthy reign with the title wouldn't be a bad thing for Nakamura, as there's no danger of him losing his momentum ahead of a main-roster call anytime soon.

The danger for WWE is pulling the trigger on his call-up too soon. With such a crowded roster, WWE has to be sure the time is right in order to enable Nakamura to become an instant main event player in the company on either Raw or SmackDown.

Perhaps WrestleMania time will be the opportune moment, when the company almost goes into reset mode following the biggest pay-per-view of the year, effectively giving Nakamura his pick of opponents.

His time will come—fans may just have to be patient to see him on either Raw or SmackDown.

Bobby Roode

Given the impact he's had on NXT so far, it seems like a logical decision to make the main roster more glorious in 2017 with the call-up of Bobby Roode.

Roode's immediate destiny could be the NXT Championship before any talk of a main-roster push in 2017, however. At the time of writing, he is one of four men left in the running to be crowned the next contender for Shinsuke Nakamura's title, and with Roode supposed to be working as a heel, there's a fair case to be made for him getting the nod.

Nakamura vs. Roode would be a fitting way to kick 2017 off in NXT, but presuming Roode does get his hands on the NXT Championship at some point, the obvious next step is the main roster.

He's a technical master, and his entrance is up there with the best in WWE right now. You can almost imagine the reaction it would draw on a night like the Raw immediately following WrestleMania—traditionally one of the loudest crowds of the entire year.

Whether it's then or perhaps further down the line, The Glorious One is bound for the main roster.