5 WWE Stars Who Must Move To NXT

WWE NXT made the big move to USA Network last week, and though there was no notable difference between the USA version of NXT and the WWE Network's version, that could change.

Pro Wrestling Sheet has reported that NXT will indeed "remain as the same show" on USA Network, but the widespread expectation is that notable adjustments will be made to the show's storylines, format and even its roster–maybe not now but eventually. The biggest challenge NXT will face on USA Network is keeping pace with Raw and SmackDown as the Wrestling Observer (h/t 411Mania) has noted that NXT's viewership on the WWE Network was "nowhere close" to what Raw and SmackDown viewership on USA is. The good news, though, is that NXT viewership started off strong with nearly 1.2 million viewers for its debut episode, a very impressive beginning for the brand on its new home.

NXT's audience is likely to experience natural growth on its bigger platform, but especially if that growth is slower than expected, it would be smart of WWE to use current main roster stars on NXT, even if only on occasion. Stars who have had more mainstream exposure on Raw and/or SmackDown are, simply put, more well known to the average wrestling fan, and WWE could and should capitalize on that both for the NXT brand and the performers themselves. Now functioning as an official third brand, NXT will almost assuredly use main roster names should it struggle in the ratings department, while those stars will benefit from being reinvigorated on a new show that is generating quite the buzz.

Here are five current main roster stars who should move to NXT on USA Network.

Cesaro

Cesaro is no stranger to returning to NXT, which he did early on in his career for big NXT matches against standouts like Neville and Sami Zayn.

Arguably the best— or at least the most physically impressive—in-ring performer in all of WWE, Cesaro's style is tailor made for NXT, which tends to focus more on wrestling ability than either Raw or SmackDown does. Despite consistently generating strong crowd reactions on the main roster, Cesaro has been held back from truly breaking out as a singles star, likely due to reports that Vince McMahon thinks he's boring. That couldn't be any further from the truth, but it's clear that Cesaro has probably hit his ceiling as a Raw or SmackDown star.

But on NXT? Cesaro could be a perennial main eventer while also giving the brand a familiar face, one who's known by mainstream wrestling fans, to build around. Triple H has long let it be known that he wants main roster stars in NXT, and with NXT essentially now functioning as a third main roster brand where stars may receive main roster pay, it would be a sensible move for a recognizable and underused star like Cesaro to be a focal point of the brand.

His in-ring skill set, his star power and his main event potential make him the perfect fit for a slightly bigger version of the NXT fans have come to know and love.

Liv Morgan

There have been reports that WWE is planning a sizable push for Liv Morgan, but beyond a one-week storyline with Charlotte Flair, the former Riott Squad member has been unable to work her way up the card on SmackDown.

That has helped transform Morgan into a cult favorite among fans, who recognize all of the improvements she's made as an in-ring performer and all the hard work she's put in to try to get on TV. The response to Kevin Owens mentioning Morgan as an overlooked performer during a memorable promo on SmackDown earlier this year was overwhelmingly positive and is a surefire sign that Morgan has a built-in fan base that there's if WWE wants to capitalize on it. The chances of that happening on Raw or SmackDown, however, aren't very high.

WWE seems to be content focusing on just a handful of performers in its current women's division, a list that includes Flair, Becky Lynch, Bayley, Sasha Banks and only a select few others. Morgan has the genuine likability that would seemingly make her a strong candidate to break out from the rest of the pack, but her room for advancement on Raw and SmackDown is minimal at best. NXT's women's division doesn't have as much star power, however, and a star like Morgan could give it that while Morgan herself would finally get a chance to make a name for herself as a solo star.

Ali

Had Ali not gotten a concussion in early 2019, we might be talking about him as the current WWE Champion because the push Kofi Kingston has received was originally intended for the former 205 Live star.

That push was dropped when Kingston caught fire, and though there have been signs here and there of another major push for Ali, that just hasn't happened yet. Ali even revealed that his Intercontinental Championship rivalry with Shinsuke Nakamura was dropped with no real explanation (before being picked back up recently), making Ali just the latest casualty of the reduced TV time that has resulted from WWE’s laser focus on a certain core of stars. Although WWE seems to be constantly changing its mind about most of its midcard stars, Ali included, it's worth noting that Ali has gotten a chance to build a connection with the WWE Universe via several vignettes—an opportunity not afforded to many other stars–at times.

Ali is one of the most genuinely likable performers on the roster and one of its most talented, too. Yet, it looks like WWE has no real intentions of pushing him at the same level as other top babyfaces, including Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and perhaps five or six others. That's a mistake because Ali has the in-ring skills and fan connection to really make some noise on either Raw or SmackDown. If WWE isn't going to push him to that level, though, why not give him a chance on NXT?

Ali is one of the few recent WWE signings who completely bypassed NXT, so because he spent a long stretch being stuck on the directionless 205 Live, he missed out on the chance of becoming a household name in NXT, which may have made his main roster transition go a little more smoothly. Maybe now it's time to remedy that and let him show what he can do in NXT, where there would be no shortage of dream matches for the talented high-flyer.

The Hardy Boyz

When the Hardy Boyz returned to WWE at WrestleMania 33 in 2017, they appeared to be destined for greatness, but a slew of injuries has relegated both Matt and Jeff mostly to midcard roles.

Now, Jeff is out recovering from another injury while Matt has disappeared from TV altogether, which makes you wonder how WWE should use them whenever they return to TV. WWE has two choices here: Either put them in the largely directionless Raw/SmackDown tag team division or use them to put more eyes on the NXT product on its new home. The Hardy Boyz, whose WrestleMania 33 return was WWE's most viewed new YouTube video of 2017, remain one of the most popular acts in WWE and obviously have plenty of drawing power left when used correctly.

Consider that the Hardy Boyz were the most highly coveted free agents on the market prior to returning to WWE in early 2017, and it's not difficult to realize that they still could be critical pieces to WWE, especially if utilized in a limited capacity. NXT has used other stars as special attractions in the past, including Jushin Liger and Mickie James, and the Hardy Boyz would function well in that role, where they could wrestle dream matches against teams like The Undisputed Era and the Street Profits.

NXT undoubtedly needs more tag teams to legitimize its thin tag team division, and there isn't a more legitimate tag team currently under contract with WWE than Matt and Jeff, who–upon Jeff’s upcoming return from injury–should transition to NXT even if just for a brief run.

John Cena

John Cena rarely wrestles these days, so whenever he does, it's a very big deal.

"The Champ" has, for the most part, already crossed paths with the vast majority of the top stars on Raw and SmackDown, including Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, AJ Styles, Daniel Bryan and Brock Lesnar, in a pay-per-view setting. He's also had televised dream matches against stars like Finn Balor and Braun Strowman, which suggests that WWE might benefit more from using him in NXT, where he's never wrestled but could have countless dream matches with stars like Johnny Gargano, Velveteen Dream, Adam Cole and a plethora of others.

There is little doubt that Cena is a substantial draw, whether on YouTube or via a variety of other metrics, and WWE needs to maximize that drawing power by using him sparingly in situations fans aren't accustomed to seeing him in. The sheer reality of Cena wrestling his first-ever NXT match is enough to draw fans to USA Network, where they'd go to watch Cena but could end up falling in love with an NXT star they'd never even heard of prior to watching that show.

A star with the stature of Cena—who's becoming a bigger mainstream name by the day thanks to his thriving acting career—is one who can draw in new fans and make them latch on to new performers, potentially creating lifelong fans and improving TV ratings in the process.