Come On Up? Former NXT Champion Makes Surprise SmackDown Debut

Welcome aboard? There are all kinds of talented stars in WWE and some of them are not even on the main roster. NXT serves as the company’s developmental system but also featured some of the most talented wrestlers to be found on television. Occasionally those wrestlers will be called up to the main roster and that appears to be the case again, or at least for a special cameo.

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This week’s SmackDown featured a match between Pretty Deadly and Butch/a partner of Butch’s choosing. Butch choose former NXT United Kingdom Champion Tyler Bate, who made his SmackDown debut as the team went on to win. It is not clear if Bate is being called up to the main roster permanently, but rumors had circulated saying WWE was considering a promotion.

Bate is a star. Check out what he has done in XNT:

Opinion: This is a call up that makes sense and might be something that reaps major rewards for WWE. Bate has felt like someone who is ready to move up to the main roster at any point and it would be nice to see what he can do on SmackDown. At the end of the day, he doesn’t have much left to accomplish in NXT and at 26 years old, he could have a very long main roster career in front of him.