NXT is and has always been WWE’s developmental brand. Wrestlers have always been there to prepare for a potential call-up to the main roster. Since the beginning of the year, the brand has lost eleven wrestlers, talents who were NXT’s “cream of the crop” in 2025.
The first to be called up was Trick Williams. On January 2, 2026, he confronted Sami Zayn and announced he signed with the SmackDown brand. Je’Von Evans officially signed with the Raw brand 3 days later. Oba Femi vacated the NXT Championship at NXT: New Year’s Evil to make a thunderous main roster debut at Royal Rumble 2026.
We all know Raw and SmackDown after Mania are a call-up time. As suspected and expected, eight more talents are now Raw or SmackDown-bound. Sol Ruca and Ethan Page made their debut last week on Raw, when Joe Hendry debuts this week. SmackDown welcomed Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Lainey Reid, and Fallon Henley) last week. Ricky Saints will debut this week, and Blake Monroe is coming soon.
Now, according to WWE itself, the NXT roster comprises 30 male and 16 female wrestlers (including injured talents). With so many “major” talents left, NXT has to find new Champions, new leaders, and new talents to keep making the show one of the most exciting in the wrestling landscape.
Say his name and he appears! @joehendry will be LIVE in concert TONIGHT on #WWERaw!
📍: Laredo, TX
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📺: 8 ET/5 PT on @netflix pic.twitter.com/CJEJe6Z1xJ— WWE (@WWE) April 27, 2026
The new NXT leaders
Pretty naturally, the current NXT Champions bring a new breath to the brand. Tony D’Angelo, Lola Vice, Myles Borne, Tatum Paxley, and the Vanity Project have taken the lead. NXT Stand and Deliver catapulted Tony D’Angelo and Lola Vice to the NXT titles, the division’s highest prizes.
Myles Borne and Tatum Paxley climbed their way to the NXT North American titles, defending them in high-caliber matches. The Vanity Project is the NXT Tag Team Champions, a move that remains unexplained in a division that definitely seems to lack tag team potential.
What a moment for @TonyDangeloWWE 🤩 pic.twitter.com/PQsQojJwbm
— WWE (@WWE) April 5, 2026
We talk about called-up talents, but some (luckily or not) are still there. Jaida Parker is a fan-favourite. Izzi Dame is now chasing the NXT Women’s Championship. Zaria, without Sol Ruca, can suddenly shine and finally win a Championship. OTM is still in pursuit of their first NXT Tag Team Championship reign. The Birth Right reunites Charlie Dempsey, Lexis King, Uriah Connors, Arianna Grace, and Stacks.
Then, over the last few months, new talents arrived from Evolve and made their presence felt. Kendal Grey, Keanu Carver, EK Prosper, Kali Armstrong, or Sean Legacy’s talent literally exploded in our faces. Their Championship potential is monumental. The recent announcement of the former NJPW talent EVIL’s signing is also a sign that the brand has the unique capacity to reinvent itself.
Kendal Grey has a VERY bright future ahead! 🌟@kendalgreywwe pic.twitter.com/3LZncjPoWh
— WWE (@WWE) April 22, 2026
Evolve and TNA Wrestling support
WWE now has a kind of “second-level developmental system.” Evolve serves the brand for wrestlers just beginning their training in WWE’s developmental system. It features collegiate athletes signed through the WWE NIL program, and independent wrestlers in developmental territories under the WWE ID program.
Over the last few weeks, probably as the call-up time was coming, some Evolve talents made some appearances in NXT. Chazz “Starboy” Hall and Dorian Van Dux recently took part in the WWE Speed tournament. Karmen Petrovic had some dark matches on NXT. Nikkita Lyons could come back to NXT after some well-deserved time in Evolve. And more could arrive.
Cappuccino Jones is an indie darling that fans already have an indelible connection with. Making an impact in WWE Evolve already, Tate Wilder has demonstrated impressive in-ring abilities. Ahmed Essam and Sloane Jacobs are also talents who could come soon. The former Rayne Leverkusen, now named Lizzy Rain, is poised to make her NXT debut on April 28.
Lizzy Rain debuts NEXT WEEK!!! 🎸@LizzyRain_wwe pic.twitter.com/UnS33Wux0i
— WWE (@WWE) April 22, 2026
Able to be presented as a big character to fill the void for a top babyface on the brand, Rain could immediately tangle with the likes of Zaria or Izzi Dame. The NXT women’s division is in something of a rebuilding phase that suits Rain coming in. With a unique look and ability to have a big presentation from her debut, Lizzy Rain could become the new face of NXT.
The NXTNA partnership also allows a kind of “time off”. Some TNA wrestlers coming to NXT can help the brand as it works on its new roster. A star is shining if the right spotlight is put on it. If NXT needs some time to teach its future stars how to shine, there will always be a way and another talent to make sure it happens.
