Opinion: The Six Stars from NXT Who Should be Drafted to the Main Roster

Unless you’ve been away from social media at all today, you are undoubtedly aware that WWE officially revealed the rules for their upcoming live draft on “Smackdown,” this Tuesday, July 19. Part of the stipulations of said draft, is that six members of the NXT roster will be drafted to either “Raw” or “Smackdown.”

The natural question that is now presented is simple: who will those six stars be?

For those of you that missed it, I wrote an opinion piece a few days ago stating that I don’t believe that anyone from NXT should be drafted to the main roster on the live “Smackdown” show. My opinion is such that a surprise debut either before a match, or via run-in of a current match, is much more effective in creating a lasting impression in the minds of the WWE Universe. It just makes the moment that much more special.

That being said, six NXT superstars will be on the main roster following Tuesday night’s draft. So, who should get the call up? This is who I believe they should be, as well the reasons for it:

Bayley: Duh. Perhaps the most over superstar in all of NXT. She, along with Charlotte, Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch are known as the 4 Horsewomen, and are the reason why women’s wrestling is perhaps stronger today, than it ever has been, in the history of the industry.

Finn Bálor: Again, duh. Probably the most anticipated main roster debut since Triple H took over NXT. The impact that he will have once he arrives on he main roster will be unparalleled, and the pop that he will receive will be astronomical to say the least.

American Alpha: The matches that Jason Jordan and Chad Gable have had with The Revival in recent months have been truly outstanding. This is a tag team that could elevate the division to new heights, and could very easily become contenders for the tag titles on day one of their time on the main roster.

Note: The rules of the draft state that “Tag Teams count as one pick unless a Commissioner/General Manager specifically only wants one member of the team.” Therefore, I consider both members of American Alpha as one pick.

Carmella: How You Doin’? Seriously, how awesome would it be to reunite Carmella with Enzo Amore and Big Cass? I know that she hasn’t been part of the main storylines in NXT, which would be a perfect opportunity to bring her up. She has a great look, is getting better in the ring, and as long as Enzo/Cass aren’t split up, could add a whole new level to the awesome work that they are currently displaying.

Corey Graves: One thing that we must remember is that, from what I understand, all announcers/commentators are available to be drafted as well. Corey Graves’ work as a member of the NXT commentary team is incredible, and he provides a relevance to the modern pop culture scene that is missing on both the current “Raw” and “Smackdown” announce teams. I think that he could be a wonderful addition to either show, and could very easily play the cool, collective “heel” commentator that each show needs.

Samoa Joe: I wrestled (pun intended) with this pick for a while. In looking up and down the NXT roster, Samoa Joe seems like a logical choice to come up to the main roster and make his presence felt immediately. Having been in the NXT title picture for so long, as well as having a great title run, I could see him feuding for either the Intercontinental or United States Championship right away, as well as helping the younger guys develop and grow in the process.

I am well aware that I didn’t select Shinsuke Nakamura to be called up. Let me address that now, before the hate tweets are sent my way.

NXT still needs veteran performers to help train and develop the future stars of the main roster. They need star power, and a reason for the hardcore fans to tune in. If you raid the entire brand of guys like Shinsuke Nakamura, Austin Aries and others, you are depending on younger talent to put on the same quality matches that we are accustomed to seeing at the “Takeover” special events.

Now, I believe that within the next 12-18 months, Nakamura and Aries will be on the main roster. Nakamura is ready to come up right now, in my opinion, and would end up near the top in a short amount of time. However, as I mentioned, NXT still needs star power and wrestlers that will keep the audience tuning in. Once the next generation of stars is developed, then you can bring up these two very capable performers.

The female performers are in the exact same position as the men. You need outstanding performers like Asuka, Nia Jax and Alexa Bliss to not only keep the division thriving, but also to work with the up and coming female stars.

No matter what the outcome, the WWE roster will be drastically different after the conclusion of the draft on Tuesday. This is truly one of the most exciting times to be a wrestling fan in the past 10 years, and the company has created a buzz unlike anything we’ve seen in a long time. I can’t wait for what happens after “Smackdown” first live show, as well as see the wonderful new storylines that will emerge from this historic event!

Follow @Dericho06