Elias Samson Makes Main Roster Debut at WWE Raw, Drifts on Stage

Elias Samson was an enigma during his time in NXT, and he'll take his unique persona to Raw. 

Samson debuted Monday night, appearing in the crowd during Charlotte's match with Nia Jax. WWE Universe also shared him showing up on the entrance ramp prior to an eight-man tag match:

Samson lost to Kassius Ohno in a loser leaves town match on the March 29 edition of NXT. He attempted to remain a member of the NXT roster, donning a mask and wrestling as El Vagabundo against Oney Lorcan, but the ruse didn't last long:

Bleacher Report's Mike Chiari noted why Samson's move to Raw is perfect:

It will be interesting to see how WWE uses Samson going forward.

Since adopting the "Drifter" gimmick, he was first met with apathy and then antipathy by the NXT crowd. To his credit, he was one of the few wrestlers to receive a consistently negative reaction from fans at Full Sail University, who aren't averse to cheering for bad guys like Bobby Roode.

Still, Samson's outlook doesn't seem all that positive on the main roster. He's an underrated in-ring performer, but there's not a whole lot to separate him from the bulk of Raw's current roster.

Former NXT champions Samoa Joe, Kevin Owens and Finn Balor have all successfully made the jump, but a number of mid-card stars, such as Tyler Breeze, Fandango, Adam Rose and Apollo Crews, failed to do the same.

Based on his accomplishments in NXT, chances are Samson will land in the latter group rather than the former.

For more news, rumors and related stories about Elias Samson and WWE, check out the WWE stream on Bleacher Report's app.