"They lost a little something" - Ex-WWE coach on Triple H's stars joining Vince McMahon's main roster
Triple H acquired many noteworthy names for NXT over the years, and a number of these performers thrived on the black-and-gold brand. But many of these stars failed to achieve the same level of success on WWE's main roster.
Former WWE coach Scotty 2 Hotty worked closely with many of NXT's renowned competitors, so he has a distinct perspective on the challenges superstars face when they move to RAW or SmackDown.
During an appearance on the Talk Is Jericho podcast, the former WWE Tag Team Champion spoke of the creative spark performers enjoyed when they worked with Triple H. By contrast, he noted that this creativity seemed to fade from the superstars once they joined the main roster.
"He kind of brought rock and roll back into wrestling and made it cool again, you know," said Scotty 2 Hotty. "And it just felt like when they went up, they lost a little something."
What do the WWE Attitude Era and current KISS concerts have in common? @TheScotty2Hotty tells you on the latest @TalkIsJericho! He also tells @IAmJericho about time with WWE and why he decided to return to the indies. webisjericho.com/talk-is-jerich…
Like many fans, Scotty 2 Hotty saw the writing on the wall for a lot of Triple H's hand-picked stars once they left NXT.
EC3, Lars Sullivan and Tyler Breeze are just a few examples, among many others, of NXT standouts who struggled on the main roster. Based on this pattern, many hardcore fans of NXT have come to expect most call-ups to fail
Karrion Kross is one of Triple H's top NXT stars who fell flat on the main roster
Karrion Kross dominated the black-and-gold brand throughout his time in NXT. When he won the NXT Championship, it looked like Triple H found a star who had it all. His great physique and intimidating presence made him stand out, and he seemed destined for greatness.
But like many other NXT greats, Kross' debut on the main roster set him up to fail from the start. He shockingly lost his first match to Jeff Hardy, and WWE subsequently repackaged him with a new look that was universally panned.
JEFF HARDY HAS JUST PINNED THE #WWENXT CHAMPION KARRION KROSS!!!!!!
AND NO MORE WORDS IS BACK! https://t.co/9XlLf3dBtQ
While some NXT stars have found success on the main roster, the trend of seeing call-ups crash and burn on RAW or SmackDown remains a point of universal criticism.
Are superstars doomed to fail once they are called up from NXT? What do you think? Let us know in the comments below