WWE: Ranking NXT’s Post WrestleMania 33 Call Ups
By Rob Furness
5) Bobby Roode
Main Roster Moment: Winning the United States Championship
When I first started writing this article, Bobby Roode was in the middle of United States Championship reign that lasted until WrestleMania 34. Unfortunately, Roode was caught by the Viper at Fastlane, and now looks to challenge Orton for the title in a Fatal 4-way.
Personally, Roode’s main roster call-up has fallen flat with me. In NXT, he was the perfect heel. Good looking, rich, and smug Roode was able to back up all of boasts by being the best. On SmackDown Live, he looks like he’s in pain while he smiles. Luckily for Roode, it seems like eventually everyone turns heel (IE: Sami Zayn).
4) Elias
Main Event Moment: Challenging Roman Reigns for the Intercontinental Title
On the NXT roster, The Drifter was essentially a throwaway character. His biggest angle was probably losing to a re-debuting Kassius Ohno. However, since day one on the main roster, Elias has been handled very well. On the April 10 made his debut on an episode of RAW. Elias was shown walking through the stadium with his guitar in hand. Eventually he would take is show onto the stage to insult the audience and the town WWE was performing in. In an interview on E&C’s Pod of Awesomeness, Elias revealed that he wrote a new song for every town he performed in.
Since that time, Elias has stood across the squared the circle from a number of world champions, including Dean Ambrose, Finn Balor, and more. But his defining moment on the main roster would be his match against Roman Reigns for the Intercontinental Championship. That match opened the WWE Universe’s eyes to Elias’ in-ring potential. And it seems like his star is only beginning to rise. In February, he competed in the Elimination Chamber to determine the #1 contender for the WWE Championship.
With the support of Vince McMahon and the fans, Elias has quietly become one of the most must watch performers in WWE.