{"id":147834,"date":"2025-12-05T07:30:06","date_gmt":"2025-12-05T12:30:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=147834"},"modified":"2025-12-05T04:57:16","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T09:57:16","slug":"5-male-nxt-stars-ready-to-graduate-to-the-wwe-main-roster-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/12\/05\/5-male-nxt-stars-ready-to-graduate-to-the-wwe-main-roster-in-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Male NXT Stars Ready to Graduate to the WWE Main Roster in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

The holiday season is upon us, and many people are compiling their wish lists for what they would like to see under the tree, including WWE fans. While the female wrestlers have seen notable names make the switch from NXT to the main roster in 2025 (Stephanie Vaquer, Giulia, and Roxanne Perez, to name a few), the men\u2019s division has not seen a superstar make the transition for almost two years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With the Royal Rumble, a PLE famous for having NXT wrestlers make their main roster debut, fast approaching, it\u2019s about time for a discussion of the potential NXT superstars who could soon be called up to the main roster, and who WWE fans are most deserving to see wrapped up with a bow in 2026.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \n

    Ethan Page\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Julian Micevski began wrestling in the Canadian indy circuits in 2006, making his way to Ring of Honor, Impact Wrestling, and AEW before debuting on WWE\u2019s NXT in May 2024. Known professionally as Ethan Page, he has been widely praised by many in the industry, including Shawn Michaels. <\/span><\/p>\n

    Currently WWE\u2019s Senior Vice President of Talent Development for NXT, Michaels has touted Page as one of the two wrestlers he enjoys watching the most in all of WWE.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Highly entertaining both inside and outside of the ring, Page has put on many outstanding matches during his time in NXT. His mic skills and overall wrestling ability have led him to accomplish much during his short time with the company. To date, he has won three title belts and is the current holder of the NXT North American Championship and the AAA Mixed Tag Team Champion alongside Chelsea Green.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Page\u2019s alliance with Green is one of the most telling signs that a call-up could be in the works, and he was seen recently in the crowd during an episode of SmackDown, celebrating Green\u2019s Women\u2019s United States Championship win over Giulia.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    With Page\u2019s involvement in WWE becoming more prominent, it is only a matter of time before he finally gets the call-up to the main roster, filling the need for a fresh heel.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

      \n
    1. \n

      Ricky Saints\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Growing up idolizing The Rock, Undertaker, and Mankind, Richard Starks would make a very intriguing option for the main roster. He worked his way up the ranks with National Wrestling Alliance and AEW, before signing with WWE in February 2025 and adopting the in-ring name of Ricky Saints. He has quickly developed into one of the biggest names in NXT, leaving quite an impression and building his resume quickly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Saints has already won two separate titles in less than a year, defeating Shawn Spears to win the NXT North American Championship on April 1, 2025. While he only held the title 56 days after losing to Ethan Page on May 27, 2025, Saints made a quick pivot by setting his sights on the NXT Championship. He would win the title four months later, defeating Oba Femi at No Mercy.<\/span><\/p>\n

      With Saints being the current NXT Champion, it makes the possibility of him moving up soon unlikely, but there is a chance that he could appear at the December 13, 2025, Saturday Night\u2019s Main Event. While many are paying (obviously) close attention to the fact that it is John Cena\u2019s final match, it has been announced that NXT superstars will get the chance to face main roster talents that evening.<\/span><\/p>\n

      This opens the door for Saints to have a match on the night\u2019s card, perhaps against someone like CM Punk in a champion-vs-champion battle, which would help elevate and catapult his popularity to new heights for his eventual main roster call-up.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      <\/p>\n

        \n
      1. \n

        Trick Williams\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Initially interested in pursuing a professional football career, Matrick Mondre Belton submitted a tape to try out for the now-defunct XFL, founded by Vince McMahon. What he received instead was encouragement to try out wrestling. He signed with WWE in February 2021 and changed his in-ring name to Trick Williams a few months later.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        To date, Williams is a one-time NXT North American Champion, as well as a two-time NXT Champion. 2025 saw him transition to a heel persona and sign a contract with TNA Wrestling in May.<\/span><\/p>\n

        His most impressive accomplishment occurred on May 25, 2025, at NXT Battleground when he became the first-ever active WWE wrestler to win a TNA title, defeating Joe Hendry for the TNA World Championship. He successfully defended the title four times, with the reign lasting 140 days, but lost it during his fifth title defense against Mike Santana at Bound for Glory on October 12, 2025.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        Another notable moment that occurred for Williams this year was the feud on NXT with The Undertaker, which included an appearance on Monday Night Raw. He issued a challenge to The Undertaker, and it was during this moment that Williams was introduced to many fans who don\u2019t watch NXT, and gave them a small sample of the mic skills he can display.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        Williams\u2019 <\/span>fianc\u00e9,<\/span> Lash Legend, was recently called up to the main roster and appeared in the women\u2019s Survivor Series: WarGames match this past Saturday, making a significant impact. His charisma on the mic, as well as his dynamic wrestling style, make Williams an obvious choice to make the jump to the main roster in 2026.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        <\/p>\n

          \n
        1. \n

          Je\u2019Von Evans <\/b><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Malachi Jeffers has been wrestling for only seven years and is already making a name for himself. After a few appearances on AEW, Jeffers signed with WWE in November 2023 and made his first appearance on NXT on April 9, 2024, under his professional name: Je\u2019Von Evans. At only 21 years old, Evans\u2019s star is just beginning to shine, and he credits Shawn Michaels with seeing his potential early on.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

          Evans has become one of the biggest breakout stars in WWE in 2025, already making four main roster appearances. He has yet to win any gold during his time in NXT, but has displayed impressive athleticism that has won over the crowd at each match he\u2019s been in.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

          The two most notable matches Evans has appeared in to date were against Sami Zayn during his United States Championship Open Challenge and his bout against Gunther in the John Cena \u201cLast Time is Now\u201d tournament. He has been compared to Jeff Hardy and Kofi Kingston with his high-energy, charismatic style. <\/span><\/p>\n

          Evans has impressed many in these two matches with his incredible charisma and athletic abilities, winning over those who count. At such a young age, his career is just beginning.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

          If Evans were to be soon called up (to which signs are pointing), he would be the youngest WWE superstar on the current roster for both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s divisions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

            \n
          1. \n

            Oba Femi\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            Isaac Odugbesan, born in Lagos, Nigeria, has become one of the most dominant forces in NXT history. He moved to the United States in 2017 to attend Middle Tennessee State University on a track and field scholarship. <\/span><\/p>\n

            He signed with the WWE in December 2021 as part of their Next In Line program, which aims to develop college athletes into professional wrestlers. Making his televised NXT debut on November 18, 2022, he was introduced by his professional wrestling name, Oba Femi, for the first time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

            Femi became NXT North American Champion on January 9, 2024, after defeating Dragon Lee by cashing in his Breakout Tournament contract, becoming the longest-reigning title holder in history at 273 days, and winning 30 consecutive matches. His unbeaten streak came to an end on October 8, 2024, when he lost to Tony D\u2019Angelo during NXT\u2019s CW Network premiere.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

            Following the loss, he turned his sights to the NXT Championship, which he won on January 7, 2025, in a triple threat match against Trick Williams and Eddy Thorpe. <\/span><\/p>\n

            Femi would go on to defend the title 20 times between televised appearances, PLEs, and house shows, where he was able to display his incredible strength and athleticism. His title reign lasted a total of 263 days and ended on September 27, 2025, after losing the title to Ricky Saints at No Mercy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

            Femi is another superstar who should be considered for the December 13, 2025, Saturday Night\u2019s Main Event card, where he would be involved in a match against an active main roster talent, giving him an opportunity to showcase his impressive athletic skills and power-based style. He has mentioned Drew McIntyre as one of his dream opponents, and that match-up would be electric.<\/span><\/p>\n

            \"A
            Photo Credit: By Jonathan Rivera<\/a> – https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/202897796@N07\/54556546687\/, CC BY 2.0,<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

            With almost two years having passed since the last major male NXT transition, the WWE Universe is definitely owed a major gift underneath the Christmas tree this holiday season. Five male superstars stand ready to answer the call, and their 2026 debut is all but sure to deliver a much-needed, electric boost of fresh talent to the Raw and SmackDown rosters.<\/span><\/p>\n

            More From LWOS Pro Wrestling<\/strong><\/p>\n

            Header photo \u2013 WWE \u2013 Stay tuned to the\u00a0<\/i><\/em>Last Word on Pro Wrestling<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a> for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world.<\/i><\/em><\/p>\n

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            The holiday season is upon us, and many people are compiling their wish lists for what they would like to see under the tree, including WWE fans. While the female wrestlers have seen notable names make the switch from NXT to the main roster in 2025 (Stephanie Vaquer, Giulia, and Roxanne Perez, to name a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5699,"featured_media":144341,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,3],"tags":[8833,8734,9185,7988],"class_list":["post-147834","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wwe","category-wwe-universe","tag-jevon-evans","tag-oba-femi","tag-ricky-saints","tag-trick-williams"],"modified_by":"Michael Joseph Sugue, Manager","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147834","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5699"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=147834"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147834\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":147882,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147834\/revisions\/147882"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/144341"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=147834"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=147834"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=147834"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}