When Raw began, the McMahons promised changes to come, including new faces. Halfway through the show, they didn’t exactly make good on that promise, but they made it more specific, by announcing which six NXT folks are headed for Raw and Smackdown. One was Lars Sullivan, whose arrival has been promised since Survivor Series, and one is Nikki Cross, who we’ve all suspected was coming up soon for months now, as she’s worked Smackdown house shows and even had a match on the most recent UK Smackdown episode. The other four are completely new, although they all seem like obvious choices to call up.
EC3 probably never needed to be in NXT on his return from Impact in the first place, although he’s had too many great matches there to be sad about. With his singular physique, in-ring ability, and comedic timing, the former Derrick Bateman is now positioned to really become a big star in WWE.
Lacey Evans never quite made it out of the women’s midcard in NXT, but with her conservative All-American “act like a lady” gimmick and striking blonde looks, she seems custom made for Vince McMahon’s world.
Similarly, Heavy Machinery are two big dudes who are all about being big dudes, which is something the main roster tag divisions just can’t get enough of. On the other hand, they’re also really fun and likable characters (especially Otis), so hopefully that doesn’t get lost in the shuffle.
As for Lars Sullivan, it’s kind of weird they’ve been talking about him for so long that other call-ups have caught up to him before he even showed up. He’s a good performer, though, and with Braun Strowman such a likable guy these days, there’s an opening for an unstoppable monster.
Nikki Cross can be a bit of an unstoppable monster herself, which probably means going back to being a full bad guy for a while, until the WWE universe realizes what a lovable little chaos monster she actually is.
Even not knowing how any of these folks will fare on the main roster, it’s exciting to anticipate when they’ll show up and who they’ll get to have matches with. So (assuming these people all actually show up soon) that’s at least one promise the McMahons have already kept since becoming co-GMs.
