Predicting The Post Wrestlemania Call-Ups
It is that time of year again, Wrestlemania week! This is one of the best weeks to be a fan of pro wrestling, as you have multiple shows from multiple promotions. This weekend, we have three huge shows back to back to back on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. NXT Takeover Blacklist, Ring of Honors’ Supercard of Honor, and obviously, Wrestlemania 35 itself. As great as that weekend lineup is, one of the more excitable portions of the week happens the two days after Wrestlemania, the NXT Call ups. Some call ups have panned out amazingly, with the best examples coming to mind being Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch. Others flopped miserably, like Enzo and Cass.
Before getting into the new call ups, two things really quick. We still have call ups that have no set home so real quick I see Heavy Machinery and Lacey Evans to Raw, while EC3 and Nikki Cross end up on Smackdown. As for the black sheep of that group of call ups, who has any clue what happens to Lars Sullivan. It seems like he is getting the help that he needs and that we see him back in the ring when he is ready to come back to the ring. Second, I don’t think that NXT will be alone in call ups this year. Allow me to explain:
Before getting into the new call ups, two things really quick. We still have call ups that have no set home so real quick I see Heavy Machinery and Lacey Evans to Raw, while EC3 and Nikki Cross end up on Smackdown. As for the black sheep of that group of call ups, who has any clue what happens to Lars Sullivan. It seems like he is getting the help that he needs and that we see him back in the ring when he is ready to come back to the ring. Second, I don’t think that NXT will be alone in call ups this year. Allow me to explain:
Cedric Alexander - Smackdown
We had Mustafa Ali get a call up in December. This caused a lot of people to wonder if the wrestlers from 205 Live can get promoted to the main roster. I think that they should be allowed to, and one of the wrestlers perfect for this is Cedric Alexander. Alexander has done it all for 205 Live from being the champion and the flagbearer for the show to the person that is used to help get people over. I think Cedric would fit in on Smackdown perfectly. You can have him team up with Ali or continue his run as a singles star. Smackdown is known for letting younger guys have a chance, and Alexander is the perfect person for that.
Buddy Murphy - RAW
If someone had said a year ago that Buddy Murphy would have the best year of his professional career, I would not have believed you. But now he has become one of the best things about 205 Live. However, he has nothing else really to prove there and it is time for him to move on. I think Raw would suit Murphy better. Murphy has developed into such a great character who is amazing in the ring. Raw is also in dire need of midcard depth, and Murphy can provide just that.
Kairi Sane - Smackdown
We are on to some big ones now, with two women getting the call this time. The first one is Kairi Sane and I think it is a very need call up. Sane has done it all in NXT and she is ready to go to the main roster. She offers a breath of fresh air to the Smackdown women’s division, and has the perfect role for that division. A lot of the women on Smackdown are of the same size and stature, but Sane is a lot smaller. She is the perfect person to fill the ultimate underdog role that the women’s division is missing and Smackdown needs some bigger names. Sane is just the beginning of that.
Shayna Baszler- RAW
If the rumors of Ronda taking a hiatus or even leaving are true, then Raw needs someone to fill her spot, and that opens the door for Shayna Baszler. I think that Baszler is getting called up anyway, but I think that Raw is the perfect spot for her. She has a ton of potential, and her character work is phenomenal. That is what helps her stand out above the rest of the women in NXT, her effective heel character work. Besides Rousey, the upper portion of the Raw women’s division is all faces. They need a big bad heel to go against, and from her time in NXT, Baszler has proven that she can do just that.
Aleister Black & Ricochet - RAW
Now for the four call ups that will have an immediate impact. I initially had this entry as just Aleister Black. But after the past few months of seeing these two working as a team, it is something that I fully expect to see on the main roster. These two just have chemistry together that I don’t think any of us saw them having together. These guys would easily help the struggling Raw tag team division, and if a possible move is in place for one of Raw’s top teams, then Black and Ricochet easily fill that spot.
Tommaso Ciampa - RAW
This one got a major issue with Ciampa needing neck surgery, but I still expect this to happen when Tommaso Ciampa returns from neck surgery. I think he will work amazingly on Raw, who currently has a major heel problem. Outside of Corbin, McIntyre, and Lashley, there is a big lack of heels. Given how much of a heel Ciampa is, he would work perfectly in this brand. You also have Ciampa calling himself the greatest sports entertainer of all time, no better way to prove it than having him on the sports entertainment show. While it may not be for a while, expect Ciampa to turn up on Raw after returning from surgery.
Pete Dunne - Smackdown
Ever since the inception of NXT UK, one thing has been nagging me and that is how long will Pete Dunne be there. If you ask me, he is main roster ready, and they were just waiting for the right person to take the title from him. They now have that in WALTER, and I think Dunne is heading to the main roster. This doesn’t mean that I am bored of Dunne as Champion, but he, like many of his fellow competitors on this list, has nothing left to prove in NXT. I think Dunne would work better on Smackdown, and also help bolster the midcard with also being a guy that can handle a main event spot, a lot like Shinsuke Nakamura, Mustafa Ali and Samoa Joe. They can be on the midcard, but are legitimate threats to the world title.