Just days after being backstage at Friday’s WWE SmackDown event, the company brought in NXT Champion Karrion Kross, Scarlett, and North American Champion Bronson Reed for Monday’s Raw. 

PWinsider.com not only reported that the stars are backstage, but they will be working matches on this week’s episode of WWE Main Event that will air on Hulu and on the WWE Network for fans outside of the United States.

This appears to be the latest move for them transitioning from NXT to the main roster. It’s been reported that Kross and Reed worked matches at Friday’s SmackDown as a way for WWE officials to get a better look at them. 

Although Kross wrestled Dolph Ziggler while Reed faced off with Bobby Roode at SmackDown, the matches were taped for future evaluation and WWE has no plans to air them for fans.

In Kross’ situation, the belief since he signed with WWE NXT was that he is being fast-tracked to the main roster because of his size and look.

It is interesting that WWE would have them appear on Main Event, a show that has a much lower fanbase and viewership numbers than Raw, NXT, or SmackDown, before making their actual main roster debuts. 

It’s possible that WWE holds off on bringing them up to the main roster until late August or early September when the Draft takes place. 

The NXT champion Karrion Kross alongside Scarlett and the NXT North American champion Bronson Reed were backstage for this week’s episode of SmackDown. The developmental stars were brought to the brand for evaluation from officials. They both competed in dark matches before the airing of the show.

In an update to this original story, PWInsider is reporting that Kross faced Dolph Ziggler in a match while Reed competed against Ziggler’s partner Robert Roode in singles competition. Both these matches were taped for evaluation, though they are not likely to be released to the public. The NXT champion and Scarlett are expected back at the tapings next week.

The duo will likely be tested for their promo skills after the dark match this week. Whether Reed will be brought back as well is not known. It’s been said multiple times in the past that WWE officials are interested in bringing Karrion Kross to the main roster and his call-up could be fast-tracked.

The company is expected to hold the next round of WWE drafts in August after SummerSlam. With the reports about the officials being interested in the former Impact wrestling star, it’s likely that they are trying to assess whether or not he is ready to make a jump to the main roster.

• Karrion Kross Responds To Randy Orton’s Callout

The NXT North American Championship and NXT Tag Team Titles were on the line in a winners-take-all six-man tag match at the WWE NXT TakeOver:  In Your House event. 

NXT North American Champion Bronson Reed & NXT Tag Team Champions MSK (Wes Lee & Nash Carter) faced Legado del Fantasma (Santos Escobar, Raul Mendoza & Joaquin Wilde). The stipulation to go along with this match was if Reed & MSK win, they’ll retain their titles. However, should Legado del Fantasma win, Escobar will become the NXT North American Champion and Mendoza & Wilde will become the NXT Tag Team Champions.

The match started with the babyfaces getting the early advantage including some dives until the heels took over. At one point, Escobar grabbed the North American Title and Reed tackled him through the barricade.  MSK and Reed went over with a double team finisher that resulted in Reed hitting a splash off the top rope for the win. 

Reed became the North American Champion when he defeated Johnny Gargano in a steel cage match three weeks ago while on the flip side, MSK has been NXT Tag Team Champions since winning the titles at TakeOver: Stand & Deliver this April.

This feud started about two weeks ago when Legado del Fantasma confronted Reed and was about to attack him until MSK came out to make the save. A week later, Reed made the save for MSK when they worked a match against Mendoza & Wilde

This past week on NXT, MSK came out to back up Reed during a confrontation with Legado del Fantasma. Escobar threw out the challenge for such a match and the babyfaces accepted. 

WWE NXT Superstar and the North American Champion Bronson Reed recently appeared on WWE After the Bell. The Australian powerhouse discussed a number of topics on the podcast with Corey Graves, including his dream match in WWE.

Interestingly, the man that his picked as his dream bout in the company was also on the podcast just a few weeks ago. “For me, there’s so many great heavyweights at the moment that there’s so many matches I would like to do,” Reed began on the podcast.

“I think one that would be arranged and hopefully done sooner than later is Bronson Reed vs. WALTER” Reed would continue, revealing his dream match against the WWE United Kingdom Champion. “That’s the one I want to tip off first and then we can talk about the other people.”

Bronson Reed vs WALTER

Bronson Reed would also put out another name of someone that he wants to face in a WWE ring. “Another dream match for me at the moment is Roman Reigns. That’s someone I want to be able to step in the ring with.”

Roman Reigns is arguably a name that most WWE Superstars currently on the NXT brand would put out there as an opponent that they would want. The idea of two gargantuan performers like WALTER and Bronson Reed going at it in NXT however is a very intriguing prospect.

Would you like to see Bronson Reed vs WALTER? Let us know in the comments

Bronson Reed emerged from the steel cage victorious after a brutal bout with Johnny Gargano on NXT this week. The pair have been locked in a feud for some time. In recent weeks Gargano has been seen doing everything he can to try and avoid a clash with the big Australian. However, their clash was inevitable, and with the addition of a steel cage, the mountain Gargano had to climb grew even bigger.

Reed is a fan favourite in WWE and a fourteen-year veteran. The title is his first in WWE and it caps off quite a rocky road for the high-flying big man.

Having been rejected by WWE on several occasions in the past, he finally got his chance in 2019. Grasping it with both hands, his hard work paid off on Tuesday night.

‘It’s been a long journey but I’m finally a champion in WWE. It’s overwhelming. I didn’t think in these sorts of moments that I’d cry, but I did,’ Bronson Reed told the Adelaide Advertiser.

2021 has been a good year for Australian wrestlers in WWE. Bronson Reed and Reah Ripley – both Adelaide natives – hold singles titles. While fellow Australian Indi Hartwell is one-half of the newly crowned NXT Tag Team champions.

We have so much untapped potential and talent in Australia. We’re starting to put the world on notice that Australia is a big wrestling company,’ Bronson Reed told reporters.

With the steel cage behind him, it is unlikely that Reed will get long to celebrate his victory. NXT is full of superstars who are willing to go to great lengths to claim gold. It is not clear who Reed will feud with next, but there will no doubt be a rematch with Gargano in the near future.

The ongoing storyline between Bronson Reed and Johnny Gargano for the WWE NXT North American Title continued on this week’s episode of WWE NXT as Gargano defended the title against the rising star. 

It happened inside of a steel cage and took place in the main event. Throughout the match, both stars tried to climb out of the cage only for each star to stop one another. They got about 15 minutes to work. Reed won it with a splash off the top rope. 

This match was set up when Reed defeated Gargano’s The Way stablemate Austin Theory three weeks ago. It marked the second time that the two stars had worked with each other for the strap as Gargano defeated Reed to retain the title at TakeOver: Stand & Deliver night two last month.

The first night of this special saw Reed win a number one contender’s Gauntlet Eliminator match, which set up the title match the following night. 

Just last week, there was an angle shot where Gargano and Theory had attacked Reed backstage. Reed then stated Gargano is a dead man, which led to later in the night, Reed cutting a promo and announced that NXT general manager William Regal had agreed to make the match a steel cage bout. 

Johnny Gargano defended the North American Title against Bronson Reed at Thursday’s WWE NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver – Night 2 event from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center on Peacock. 

The match saw Gargano work over the ribs of the big man throughout it. Somehow, Gargano hit a reverse hurricanrana at one point. After Reed missed a moonsault off the top rope, Gargano connected with his finisher for the win. 

Reed earned this title match by working the Gauntlet Eliminator match on Wednesday night against Leon Ruff (first participant), Isaiah “Swerve” Scott (second participant),  Cameron Grimes (fourth participant), Dexter Lumis (fifth participant) and LA Knight (final participant). 

Gargano’s title reign began back on December 7, 2020 at the NXT TakeOver: WarGames special when he beat Leon Ruff and Damien Priest in a triple threat match. Ruff shockingly won the title from Gargano on NXT TV just a few weeks before this special last year after getting help from Priest distracting Gargano. 

WWE holds the fallout episode from this show on NXT on Tuesday. It will be interesting to see if WWE continues this feud or goes in a different direction. Either way, they put on one heck of a match that delivered.