The ascension to the main roster is a dream come true for the talent of NXT. As seen in the Breaking Ground series, names such as Tyler Breeze and Baron Corbin spent a number of years competing for the brand, just for hopes that they would be a part of that conversation where Triple H gives them the news of being a part of Raw or SmackDown Live . Particularly, Tyler Breeze, who went through a few incarnations before his “Prince Pretty” gimmick caught major interest with the fans. Sometimes, it takes years for a person to go up to the main roster, whereas established names such as Kevin Owens, Samoa Joe, Bobby Roode, and Shinsuke Nakamura did not stay long in NXT before getting called up.
For some names, the call-up to the main roster has not been as successful as expected. After having a huge level of support in NXT, Apollo Crews debuted on the main roster following WrestleMania 32 , and have been struggling to be in a good spot for nearly two years. Moreover, other names such as the aforementioned Baron Corbin and Tyler Breeze, along with The Ascension, Dana Brooke, and Hideo Itami, are still looking for consistency in their character to become a top name for the respective brands and divisions.
Currently in NXT, there are a few names who seem to be ready for the main roster due to their popularity on the brand. One of those names is Aleister Black, as he is one of the most popular stars in NXT. In fact, the WWE India Twitter page asked the fans whether they would want to see him on Raw or SmackDown Live , teasing a possible debut on either brand.
Would you want to see @WWEAleister compete on #WWERaw or @WWE #SDLive ? pic.twitter.com/MRlht8ozVM
— WWE India (@WWEIndia) January 3, 2018
After weeks of competing on live events, Black made his NXT debut on the eve of WrestleMania 33 in Orlando, Florida, and was able to defeat current NXT Champion Andrade “Cien” Almas. Since then, he has picked up quality wins over names such as Adam Cole, Kassius Ohno, Hideo Itami, Bobby Fish, and Kyle O’Reilly. His most recent major feud was against The Velveteen Dream, which received some of the biggest praise from both fans and wrestlers.
