The way that WWE does its call-up system from the NXT developmental brand to the main roster has been an unknown process, as it seems like every wrestler called up is in a different situation.
A few times throughout 2022, fans thought NXT stars may be called up. Typically, WWE does NXT call-ups the night after WrestleMania and on the nights of the annual WWE Draft. Up until this year, it was always up to the whims of Vince McMahon. With Triple H overseeing the main roster creative, some fans have wondered if the call-up system will also change.
The Process
Brian “Road Dogg” James, who works as the Senior Vice President of Live events, discussed that on his latest, Oh…You Didn’t Know podcast.
“Yeah. So all of the above to be quite honest with you because there’s not a strict streamlined process, especially now that Hunter is in charge of the creative. He understands much more about giving fair warning so you can write the person out or write the person off or however you’re going to do it. It gives you time to prepare creatively for that. I like a heads-up.
So sometimes we got those and sometimes we didn’t. I think going forward, you’ll always, I’m speaking now from NXT creative experience, that we had time to prepare to send people off, but sometimes we got, ‘Hey, we’re taking this person because we got an idea for this and this’, and you could be in the middle of something with them or not, and there they went.”
Road Dogg doesn’t think it’ll be that way anymore because everybody understands the star needs to get beat on the way out or finish up a feud. He thinks giving NXT time to finish a program will happen much more now because Triple H knows what that is like to not have much notice.
WWE Hall Of Famer Shawn Michaels is now overseeing NXT creative. It was recently reported that just because an NXT talent works a Main Event taping doesn’t mean they’re being called up. Instead, they view it as a reward and WWE officials simply want to take a look at them on a bigger stage.
H/T to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription