We’re in the thick of WrestleMania XL season. WWE has a lot to offer its fans on virtually every spectrum. One exciting aspect annually is the NXT call-ups. This year, Bron Breakker and Tiffany Stratton leveled up from WWE’s developmental proving ground to the big-time on Friday Night Smackdown on Fox. In years past, debuts generated a lot of excitement and buzz. Some exciting prospects could come to the “big leagues” of Raw and Smackdown after WrestleMania.
Let’s discuss a few who could partake in the fun on a different night now.
Blair Davenport
Formerly known as Bea Priestley, Blair Davenport has been rock solid since she arrived to NXT. Davenport’s style has played well, and she’s been able to compete at a pretty strong level. Davenport is an interesting prospect in the sense that she’s definitely checked off the needed boxes on NXT. She has a good look, is clearly committed to her work, and most of all, finding a lane for her in her current NXT is an interesting project.
So, from that perspective, if there’s nothing left to prove, then let her rock. Ideally, I think a move to Raw would help her. She has plenty of in-ring experience and know-how that she can instantly adapt anywhere.
Carmelo Hayes
We’ve already seen a bit of Carmelo Hayes on the main roster. Hayes appeared on Smackdown during the United States Championship #1 Contender’s Tournament last winter, where he eventually lost to veteran Kevin Owens. Hayes has been in NXT’s system since 2021, prior to the switch to NXT 2.0.
So, by that logic, three years feels like plenty of time to be given here. Considering his status and the Trick Williams feud, it wouldn’t be surprising if Stand & Deliver was his swan song. Smackdown still feels right.
Jacy Jayne
Jacy Jayne might be a surprising pick here, but there’s always been call-ups that haven’t seemed “obvious” before. That’s not even a slight at Jayne either. While she hasn’t always been around the NXT Women’s Championship picture, what she’s done instead is become a well-rounded television character. “Character” is an important aspect to finding your way. That’s not even saying it defines you, like a cartoon character, but having nuance and personality are a plus. Jayne’s showed that dating back to her days with Toxic Attraction.
She’s already been given a leadership role in the Chase U storyline (Jace U, IMO). She’s been a riser in those categories, and figuring out the rest is easy. If she gets a theoretical call-up, I also like her on Raw, simply as a good depth piece.
Roxanne Perez
The hottest prospect of all might be Roxanne Perez. “The Prodigy” has gotten wide acclaim for her work dating back to her days working the Texas circuit when she first started. Perez is an extremely well-rounded performer; you can sense she has big-time ability. The one interesting thing about Roxanne? Her recent character developments. She turned heel and “broke” NXT Women’s Champion Lyra Valkyria’s arm during a segment on Tuesday night’s episode of WWE NXT. Would they want to keep her around so she can flesh that role out?
It wouldn’t be unheard of. Before her abrupt departure, Toni Storm went through a similar progression, where she played a face and heel. The time will tell, but Perez has been “main-roster ready” for months. She can make an instant impact anywhere, but let’s drop her in on Smackdown for the sake of this.
Trick Williams
This one’s probably a bit of a surprise, but hey, we always get some, as mentioned with Jacy Jayne. And in his case, he would mesh well at that level. In a so-called “Land of the Giants,” the 6-4, 240-pound Trick Williams would fit right in. He’s over with the crowd, and while we’re not sure if licensing would interfere with his theme, the fact that he’s already gotten the crowd to be interactive with him so early into this game is very promising.
It might be asking a lot of the man, but a call-up for Trick Williams truly wouldn’t be the most surprising thing in the world, given his stark improvement from 2022 to 2023. If he does? Let’s put him on Raw and see what happens.
