Three WWE Superstars Who Should Go to NXT for The Summer (and Two to Call Up)

The summer is often a great time of year for professional wrestling fans. The shows get hotter with the temperature, and outdoor venues go from undesirable to undeniable across the colder climates. To add some heat to their summer schedule, the WWE product should consider a shake-up, and three WWE superstars should go to NXT as part of it. Of course, losing your talent without replacing them is not a sustainable model either, so this early-season draft should include a few of NXT's top prospects on the main roster as well. While the reasoning for each change varies, the result of fresh stories and matches, along with a revitalized product, connects all the possible participants.

John Cena to NXT

Yes, the GOAT and 17-time champion is currently on a historic WWE title run, the last of his career. However, that run should not culminate in the end of John Cena. For a star of Cena's calibre, that tired tropey story would be even more anti-climactic than his WrestleMania main event. Whether as a desperate heel or a face on a redemptive tour, Cena needs to take some time off after dropping the belt to appear on NXT for a program or two. In fact, it could be where he finishes his career altogether.  

A frankly embarrassingly long list of names that fans consider possible opponents for John Cena's last match are well-established stars. Randy Orton, CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins frequent these lists. Even a Drew McIntyre or Sami Zayn is well established enough to make a John Cena win a neat bit of trivia, not a career-defining or launching win. A Brooks Jensen, Lexis King, Wes Lee, or Sean Legacy could become a made man in NXT or the main roster with a gutsy win over Cena to send the face that runs the place to the WWE Legends House. Whether he hangs it up against an NXT talent or not, a run on the black and gold is a must.

Ricky Saints to SmackDown

Cody Rhodes is the King of WWE for the time being, and all good Kings need a court. Ricky Saints has been a Cody guy since before the former champion returned to WWE. In fact, they were tight before he was even named Ricky Saints. His run in NXT has been fast and fun so far, rekindling an AEW rivalry with Ethan Page. This summer, as soon as possible in fact, Ricky should join Rhodes on SmackDown to give him a major storyline to jump into and to eventually become his mentor's foil when, as the Judas-like rookie trying to make a name for himself, or the blindsided best friend betrayed by their teacher.

Having Saints' debut with Rhodes and presumably winning a substantial number of his matches will make any potential loss to Cody in a feud less difficult to hold. It also allows WWE to give Rhodes a brother-like figure that isn't connected to the Bloodline saga for future matches and moments, especially with his actual brother's admission that he is staying with Ring of Honor and AEW until the very end. Ricky is ready for the main roster; he was a key player in the number two promotion on multiple occasions. Sending him to be by Cody's side this summer gives him a huge platform to build support from for the future.

Bayley to NXT

Sometimes, a stale act needs to return to its basics. This worked for Dolph Ziggler and Finn Bálor, who left their positions of floundering in the WWE upper midcard to become anchors of the NXT division. In Balor's case, it was a return to form as an NXT alumnus himself. There are quite a few former NXT standouts who could probably use a sustained push on the black and yellow brand to revitalize their characters, but surprisingly, the name in most desperate need is Bayley. One of the original horsewomen of NXT, her career has always been the most uneven, a harsh realization when you recall she was the NXT faithful's favorite among the four. To return to that level again, a soul-searching stint on NXT is precisely what the character needs.

Bayley's "Hugger" persona was booked to appear weak and juvenile and therefore failed to thrive on the main roster. With a legendary career and fresh new matchups, Bayley can try to reclaim the NXT magic while avoiding the errors of the first call-up. Also, it gives all three rosters a horsewoman, grounding each division in WWE's women's revolution lore. NXT, for their troubles, gets a major star and a NXT legend to replace the massive amount of talent they are losing to the main roster, as well as a veteran to offer their women some pointers from one of WWE's most accomplished professionals.

Lash Legend to Raw

Lash Legend was already on the SmackDown roster for a time, but for whatever reason, WWE chose not to push forward with an official call-up. Whether or not it was smart to pause her ascension to the main roster then, she is beyond ready for it now. Lash to Raw, as opposed to returning to SmackDown, for a permanent spot on the main roster will still feel fresh, and give the Raw roster some much-needed depth with Liv Morgan out and a somewhat repetitive title scene involving Rhea Ripley. Legend nailed her time with Meta-four and has been booked quite strongly on NXT in recent weeks, proving she can handle a role as a contender in a championship division.

Ripley and Morgan have been the anchors of the WWE Raw Women's division for quite a while now. However, the recent additions of Stephanie Vaquer and the return of Asuka mean the WWE can hit reset this summer in both divisions. Becky Lynch holding the Women's midcard title obviously helps to make that division shine. With Asuka and Vaquer already joining Ripley and the current champion, Iyo Sky, one more talented superstar can make the division feel competitive. Lyra Valkyria comes to mind, but her loss would gut the midcard unless replaced by a fresh contender. Lash Legend can and should be that contender, and the reset cannot come soon enough.

Ron Killings to NXT

The internet has already moved on from R-Truth. His release was a misstep by WWE, but the lack of a sustained push might indicate that fans were reacting more to the direction of the company and product (which this writer thinks is relatively poor) than to the specific value that Truth brings to the table. The R-Truth rebrand was well received, to be clear, but fans lost interest as the bigger stars emerged and overshadowed him with ease. Now WWE is stuck; they are paying "The Truth" for his services at the fans' demand, but have nothing for him to do, which the fans seem content with. To save their investment, they should take R-Truth and send him to NXT before he loses any more momentum, and let Shawn Michaels run with the WWE legend.

Ron Killings is a former TNA star, so the switch to NXT doesn't even need to be against an Oba Femi or Ethan Page. He could attack Trick Williams or Santana on Slammiversary to make his presence felt. A TNA title program between the three or four men, if Joe Hendry really must stay in the mix, would finally give Impact the main roster starpower they have provided NXT for quite some time. As a veteran performer, R-Truth will undoubtedly bring out the best in all the younger talents he works with. It would also give him some in-character rivals for the new generation of TNA, a likely landing spot when this new short-term WWE deal expires.

The benefits of a summer shake-up and who should go to NXT

NXT is more complex than ever to define as a concept. It is still designed to be the launchpad for the future of WWE, but it no longer feels like a developmental brand. The WWE, EVOLVE, and LFG brands are where aspiring talents go to develop their skills and create their professional persona. NXT now becomes a centralized minor league, akin to Double-A ball, serving as the developmental league for Raw and SmackDown's Triple-A. Just like in baseball, though, the minor leagues are full of former majors, rehabbing or rebuilding from a slump. It is part of the appeal those feeder teams have. You can watch the greats before they were great, mix it up with the icons you grew up admiring in the big leagues. Leaning into that and shaking up the rosters adds to the aura, which makes NXT its own sort of spectacle.

The summer is often a great time of year for professional wrestling fans. The shows get hotter with the temperature, and outdoor venues go from undesirable to undeniable across the colder climates. To add some heat to their summer schedule, the WWE product should consider a shake-up, and three WWE superstars should go to NXT as part of it. Of course, losing your talent without replacing them is not a sustainable model either, so this early-season draft should include a few of NXT's top prospects on the main roster as well. While the reasoning for each change varies, the result of fresh stories and matches, along with a revitalized product, connects all the possible participants.

John Cena to NXT

Yes, the GOAT and 17-time champion is currently on a historic WWE title run, the last of his career. However, that run should not culminate in the end of John Cena. For a star of Cena's calibre, that tired tropey story would be even more anti-climactic than his WrestleMania main event. Whether as a desperate heel or a face on a redemptive tour, Cena needs to take some time off after dropping the belt to appear on NXT for a program or two. In fact, it could be where he finishes his career altogether.  

A frankly embarrassingly long list of names that fans consider possible opponents for John Cena's last match are well-established stars. Randy Orton, CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins frequent these lists. Even a Drew McIntyre or Sami Zayn is well established enough to make a John Cena win a neat bit of trivia, not a career-defining or launching win. A Brooks Jensen, Lexis King, Wes Lee, or Sean Legacy could become a made man in NXT or the main roster with a gutsy win over Cena to send the face that runs the place to the WWE Legends House. Whether he hangs it up against an NXT talent or not, a run on the black and gold is a must.

Ricky Saints to SmackDown

Cody Rhodes is the King of WWE for the time being, and all good Kings need a court. Ricky Saints has been a Cody guy since before the former champion returned to WWE. In fact, they were tight before he was even named Ricky Saints. His run in NXT has been fast and fun so far, rekindling an AEW rivalry with Ethan Page. This summer, as soon as possible in fact, Ricky should join Rhodes on SmackDown to give him a major storyline to jump into and to eventually become his mentor's foil when, as the Judas-like rookie trying to make a name for himself, or the blindsided best friend betrayed by their teacher.

Having Saints' debut with Rhodes and presumably winning a substantial number of his matches will make any potential loss to Cody in a feud less difficult to hold. It also allows WWE to give Rhodes a brother-like figure that isn't connected to the Bloodline saga for future matches and moments, especially with his actual brother's admission that he is staying with Ring of Honor and AEW until the very end. Ricky is ready for the main roster; he was a key player in the number two promotion on multiple occasions. Sending him to be by Cody's side this summer gives him a huge platform to build support from for the future.

Bayley to NXT

Sometimes, a stale act needs to return to its basics. This worked for Dolph Ziggler and Finn Bálor, who left their positions of floundering in the WWE upper midcard to become anchors of the NXT division. In Balor's case, it was a return to form as an NXT alumnus himself. There are quite a few former NXT standouts who could probably use a sustained push on the black and yellow brand to revitalize their characters, but surprisingly, the name in most desperate need is Bayley. One of the original horsewomen of NXT, her career has always been the most uneven, a harsh realization when you recall she was the NXT faithful's favorite among the four. To return to that level again, a soul-searching stint on NXT is precisely what the character needs.

Bayley's "Hugger" persona was booked to appear weak and juvenile and therefore failed to thrive on the main roster. With a legendary career and fresh new matchups, Bayley can try to reclaim the NXT magic while avoiding the errors of the first call-up. Also, it gives all three rosters a horsewoman, grounding each division in WWE's women's revolution lore. NXT, for their troubles, gets a major star and a NXT legend to replace the massive amount of talent they are losing to the main roster, as well as a veteran to offer their women some pointers from one of WWE's most accomplished professionals.

Lash Legend to Raw

Lash Legend was already on the SmackDown roster for a time, but for whatever reason, WWE chose not to push forward with an official call-up. Whether or not it was smart to pause her ascension to the main roster then, she is beyond ready for it now. Lash to Raw, as opposed to returning to SmackDown, for a permanent spot on the main roster will still feel fresh, and give the Raw roster some much-needed depth with Liv Morgan out and a somewhat repetitive title scene involving Rhea Ripley. Legend nailed her time with Meta-four and has been booked quite strongly on NXT in recent weeks, proving she can handle a role as a contender in a championship division.

Ripley and Morgan have been the anchors of the WWE Raw Women's division for quite a while now. However, the recent additions of Stephanie Vaquer and the return of Asuka mean the WWE can hit reset this summer in both divisions. Becky Lynch holding the Women's midcard title obviously helps to make that division shine. With Asuka and Vaquer already joining Ripley and the current champion, Iyo Sky, one more talented superstar can make the division feel competitive. Lyra Valkyria comes to mind, but her loss would gut the midcard unless replaced by a fresh contender. Lash Legend can and should be that contender, and the reset cannot come soon enough.

R-Truth to NXT

The internet has already moved on from R-Truth. His release was a misstep by WWE, but the lack of a sustained push might indicate that fans were reacting more to the direction of the company and product (which this writer thinks is relatively poor) than to the specific value that Truth brings to the table. The R-Truth rebrand was well received, to be clear, but fans lost interest as the bigger stars emerged and overshadowed him with ease. Now WWE is stuck; they are paying "The Truth" for his services at the fans' demand, but have nothing for him to do, which the fans seem content with. To save their investment, they should take R-Truth and send him to NXT before he loses any more momentum, and let Shawn Michaels run with the WWE legend.

Ron Killings is a former TNA star, so the switch to NXT doesn't even need to be against an Oba Femi or Ethan Page. He could attack Trick Williams or Santana on Slammiversary to make his presence felt. A TNA title program between the three or four men, if Joe Hendry really must stay in the mix, would finally give Impact the main roster starpower they have provided NXT for quite some time. As a veteran performer, R-Truth will undoubtedly bring out the best in all the younger talents he works with. It would also give him some in-character rivals for the new generation of TNA, a likely landing spot when this new short-term WWE deal expires.

The benefits of a summer shake-up and who should go to NXT

NXT is more complex than ever to define as a concept. It is still designed to be the launchpad for the future of WWE, but it no longer feels like a developmental brand. The WWE, EVOLVE, and LFG brands are where aspiring talents go to develop their skills and create their professional persona. NXT now becomes a centralized minor league, akin to Double-A ball, serving as the developmental league for Raw and SmackDown's Triple-A. Just like in baseball, though, the minor leagues are full of former majors, rehabbing or rebuilding from a slump. It is part of the appeal those feeder teams have. You can watch the greats before they were great, mix it up with the icons you grew up admiring in the big leagues. Leaning into that and shaking up the rosters adds to the aura, which makes NXT its own sort of spectacle.