Are The NXT Big Four The Next Phase Of Evolution In WWE?

The NXT Four are seemingly part of the WWE main roster, and Tom Clark has some perspective on what it could mean.

The top four NXT stars made their presence known on WWE’s main roster and many fans are wondering what happens now. Ricochet, Tommaso Ciampa, Aleister Black and Johnny Gargano all came to Monday Night Raw and SmackDown Live with little to no fanfare. Indeed, it’s as if the company just threw them out there with no plan.

There’s no way to truly know that, of course. While speculation online holds that Vince McMahon pulled the trigger out of desperation, the truth is that his motives may not matter. The fact is that the black and gold brand’s biggest names have now made an impact on the main roster. So does this mean the company is moving forward?

Anyone that says yes to that question must also remember that WWE doesn’t exactly have the best track record of promoting NXT call-ups when they arrive. That point has been proven over the past several weeks, as one NXT Superstar after another has fallen by the wayside. 

EC3 has the potential to become a top level star on Raw. But he’s barely said a word and has already lost on TV. Heavy Machinery has become a comedy act with no teeth at all. Nikki Cross is floating along with no clear rhyme or reason. Lacey Evans doesn’t wrestle, she dresses up in different hats and walks down the ramp, only to walk back up again.

If fans ever needed any more ammunition to fire at WWE for its lack of focus, they most certainly have it now. It could very well be that none of the five call-ups are main roster worthy, but how are fans to know that for certain? It’s clear that WWE has indeed dropped the ball in every case.

So what are the chances that the same thing will happen again with NXT’s big four? It seems impossible that any of them could fail. That’s because of the immense talent that each man possesses. There’s no weak link among them and if WWE properly handles this, then the red and blue brands will be in good hands indeed. 

But does that mean that they will just walk in and take Raw and SmackDown by storm? This is not a Shield situation, in which three NXT stars came in and changed the company. There’s certainly never been a better transition from NXT to the main roster in the history of WWE. 

However that’s not to suggest that Black, DIY and Ricochet cannot immediately change the company. The fact is that of everyone on the NXT roster, there’s really no better representation of crossover potential than the men that WWE has introduced. But it’s a matter of knowing what to do with them that will make all the difference. 

Tommaso Ciampa is a top heel waiting to happen. He was the most hated man in NXT and with good reason. His campaign of terror against the brand’s favorite son was lengthy and despicable. Gargano fought his heart out but his former best friend would not be denied. Ciampa wanted all the glory and that’s exactly what he got.

Gargano is the smallest of the four but he has more heart than many of his heavyweight counterparts. Johnny Wrestling is the epitome of a blue collar underdog and he could amass an amazing fan following on Raw and SmackDown if utilized properly.

Aleister Black is the most theatrical of the quartet, which means he would theoretically excel on the main roster. His overall presentation is extremely cinematic and visually gripping. His character sets him apart from everyone else in the company and could potentially propel him to the next level of WWE.

But the highlight reel of the four is of course Ricochet. His work provides instant gratification, as he immediately pops the crowd every time he’s in the ring. Fans cannot afford to blink when Ric goes to work because if they do, they could miss something. He’s that dynamic and that innovative between the ropes.

The best thing about these NXT stars is that they do not need much work to prep them for life on WWE’s two primary brands. Each man comes from a different background, with separate levels of experience and their own unique ideas of what pro wrestling should be. But more importantly, each man is fully capable of delivering a main event match every time his number is called.

The fact is that the brilliance Seth Rollins, Finn Bálor and AJ Styles have shown is only the beginning. The NXT foursome all possess the tools to take WWE into the next era, which is precisely what the company needs. These stars give WWE credibility against every other pro wrestling company that features hard-hitting, physically explosive styles in the ring. 

Ricochet, Gargano, Black and DIY are not the physically imposing titans of yesterday’s WWF. But they don’t need to be, nor does the company need them to be. They are the next logical phase of WWE’s evolution and that evolution is now. The company needs them to be at their best and the fans want to see them succeed. With any luck, that is exactly what will happen.