5 WWE Superstars Vince McMahon pushed but Triple H did not
Although NXT is now promoted as WWE’s third brand alongside RAW and SmackDown, it is safe to assume that the majority of Superstars on the black and gold brand want to perform on Vince McMahon’s top two shows one day.
In the first few years of the NXT system, Superstars would work towards a call-up to RAW and/or SmackDown (aka the main roster), which essentially meant that Vince McMahon was responsible for their career progression after NXT.
We recently looked back at six Superstars who received a push from Triple H in NXT before falling out of favor under Vince McMahon, but there are some men and women in WWE who have thrived on the main roster after relatively underwhelming stints in NXT.
In this article, let’s take a look at five WWE Superstars who received a push on television from Vince McMahon but not Triple H.
#5 Vince McMahon pushed Elias but Triple H did not
Triple H rarely used Elias in storylines during his time in NXT, but that does not necessarily mean that he was not a fan of WWE’s resident guitarist.
In fact, speaking to CBS Sports in December 2017, Triple H clarified that he predicted several years earlier that Elias would succeed on Vince McMahon’s main roster, even though he was reluctant to push him in NXT.
“The entire time [Elias] was there [NXT], I was trying to get him ready for RAW and SmackDown because I knew as a performer his value was there. I said to Dusty [Rhodes], 'He is made for the roster and not for NXT.'”
Triple H explained that Elias would be a better fit for Vince McMahon’s RAW and SmackDown shows because his gimmick revolves around insulting the city in which he is performing. That, of course, would not have made sense for a character who mostly appeared at NXT’s Full Sail headquarters.
“The gimmick, the way he is and his demeanor, he is suited for that [Vince McMahon’s main roster]. He is not a fit for NXT. It doesn't mean he won't be successful there and it doesn't mean he won't have a run there but that run was to get ready for the roster.”
Elias quickly became one of WWE’s top bad guys after joining RAW in 2017, so Triple H’s long-term plan clearly worked.