5 biggest main roster debuts by NXT stars
Former NXT Champion and North American Champion Keith Lee made his RAW debut this week, and he was immediately thrust into a feud with Randy Orton. Fans were split on the changes WWE made to Keith Lee, as he entered to a different theme from what he used in NXT, and his look was altered.
WWE doesn't always hit the mark when it comes to NXT call ups. There have been plenty of instances when a star is a success in NXT, but that same success didn't translate to RAW or SmackDown. There have been instances when the character was changed too much from their NXT personas that fans had grown used to.
When WWE have got their NXT call ups right, they have created huge stars. Here are five call ups from NXT to RAW or SmackDown that WWE pulled off well.
#5 Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn is currently off WWE TV, but his callup from NXT to RAW was impressive. Zayn dropped the NXT Championship to Kevin Owens at NXT TakeOver: Rival, ending his reign at sixty-two days, and was then moved to the Red brand.
In May 2015, Sami Zayn made his first appearance on RAW in his country, Canada. Zayn was introduced by WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart as a challenger for John Cena's United States Championship. Being a hometown hero, Zayn had an amazing reception from the crowd.
Cena and Zayn put on a brilliant match, although the challenger was unsuccessful in his shot at the United States Championship. After the match, he received a standing ovation from the audience.
Sami Zayn's recent run has had it's ups and downs, and the performer won his first main roster championship this year. Zayn became the Intercontinental Champion at Elimination Chamber, and successfully defended the title at WrestleMania. However, he was stripped of the title after being unable to defend it, and at the moment is still on a break from WWE TV.