5 NXT stars who should be called up after Samoa Joe

After Samoa Joe’s debut on WWE Raw, who should be the next call-up from NXT?

Last week on WWE Raw, Samoa Joe made his debut by attacking Seth Rollins. This came after he spent about 18 months in NXT, holding the NXT Championship twice, main eventing TakeOver live specials, and becoming the top heel of the brand. So his presence will be difficult to replace.

Joe won’t be the only call-up from NXT this year, as there are others that should be in line to follow him up. This includes some of the biggest names of developmental, current and former champions.

So who could be next to arrive on the main roster? There are five names that should be ready to be next.

5. Asuka

Out of all the potential NXT call-ups, Asuka maybe deserves it the most. She’s looked unstoppable in the women’s division and would bring a unique presence the main roster — someone who just looks to beat the daylights out of her opponents and leave them lying on the ground after taking a stiff kick to the head. The Raw and SmackDown Women’s Divisions don’t have someone like this, so she would make for a great fit.

There’s also Asuka’s improving English, which she could barely speak when she arrived to NXT in 2015. She can cut a promo, not a great one, but enough for the crowd to get behind her.

However, what’s stopping the Empress of Tomorrow from moving up is the rest of the NXT Women’s Division — they need her to stay.

The rest of the division has talents like Nikki Cross, Ember Moon, Peyton Royce, Billie Kay, and Liv Morgan. Cross and Moon have perhaps shown the most upside and, with time, could lead the post-Asuka group of women. However, they have yet to have a one-on-one, TakeOver singles match to create that one shining moment to connect with the fans. While Moon had her debut match at one of the live specials, it was only a four-minute squash.

Cross is close to getting this, as she has a chance of facing Asuka for the NXT Women’s Championship at TakeOver: Orlando. So this could be her next step toward becoming established. Moon may even be in the mix here too.

However, until these women prove that they can hold up on the big stage, something Asuka has done for over a year, the current NXT Women’s champion will be staying in developmental.