6 main roster WWE stars who have been involved with NXT in the past year
WWE NXT is one of the most notable and highest-viewed wrestling shows in the entire world, after Monday Night RAW and Friday Night SmackDown. The fans believe that the show is a great time and super fun to watch, which certainly contributes to the brand's success.
Arguably, the main appeal of the white and gold brand is the fact that the bulk of the performers on the show are up-and-coming and young. Most superstars on NXT are either new to wrestling or at least new to the Sports Entertainment juggernaut, which makes it a fresh experience.
Still, NXT does feature some bigger names from time to time. Some of these main roster performers join the brand full-time to reset their characters or help the next generation, while others simply stop in for a brief run of some kind. In this article, we will look at a handful of performers who have been involved with the NXT brand at some point over the past year.
Below are six main roster WWE stars who recently visited NXT.
#6. Becky Lynch drew a lot of attention to WWE's third brand
Becky Lynch is arguably the most popular female performer in WWE history. The Man is a former RAW Women's Champion, SmackDown Women's Champion, and Women's Tag Team Champion on the main roster. She has also main-evented WrestleMania.
The Man returned to NXT for an extended run in 2023. Her return was for a match against Tiffany Stratton for the coveted WWE NXT Women's Champion. In a move that shocked many fans, Big Time Becks won the gold.
From there, Becky appeared on NXT for several matches, which ultimately led to some of the highest-rated and most-viewed segments the brand has had in years. She later lost the NXT Women's Championship to Lyra Valkyria before focusing her attention back on RAW full-time.
#5. Joaquin Wilde & #4. Cruz Del Toro of the Latino World Order have been making a splash
Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro are a popular WWE tag team officially signed to the SmackDown brand. They are part of the Latino World Order, a faction led by Rey Mysterio that also features Zelina Vega, Carlito, and potentially Dragon Lee.
Recently, Wilde and Del Toro have become regulars on NXT. While the pair are often overshadowed or reduced to bit roles on SmackDown, they have begun to really stand out on WWE's developmental brand thanks to their incredible matches.
Now, the pair hope to win their first titles in the company. The two are eying to win a bout on NXT next week over two other teams, which would then earn them a NXT Tag Team Championship bout at Stand & Deliver. Could they hold gold on NXT while remaining on SmackDown full-time?
#3. Karl Anderson & #2. Luke Gallows, The Good Brothers hope to win gold
The Good Brothers are members of The O.C. and former members of The Bullet Club. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson are tremendously talented and are former RAW Tag Team Champions. The pair have recently become regulars on the NXT brand.
Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows are also technically part of WWE Friday Night SmackDown, but their future on the brand is very much in doubt. The O.C. is in a tough spot, and AJ Styles seems to have no interest in remaining united with his potentially former friends.
Just like the Latino World Order, Gallows and Anderson have shown up on NXT and intend to earn a title opportunity. These two act more as heels on the white & gold brand, which has been quite refreshing. Could they win one of the few sets of Tag Team Titles to elude them throughout their time as a duo?
#1. Shotzi suffered a major setback on NXT
Shotzi is an extremely underrated WWE performer. She has won gold while on NXT but has otherwise missed out on making a statement.
The tank-riding star rarely appears on NXT but is typically seen around Halloween. Recently, she has been making some more trips to the third brand, aiming to capture the NXT Women's Championship. Shotzi teamed up with Gigi Dolin at a live event and then challenged for the prized belt.
While most of the main roster performers who appear on NXT have a good run or a happy tale to tell, things went south for Shotzi almost immediately. The green-haired star injured her leg in the aforementioned match with Lyra Valkyria and is now recovering from surgery. When she returns to the ring, will she appear on NXT or SmackDown? For now, that isn't clear.