Following the Royal Rumble, fans got a great snapshot of the landscape for the WWE's three brands. We got to see where the upward trajectory lies for those in RAW, SmackDown and NXT, while understanding that some wrestlers might need rebooting the same way Finn Balor did to reinvigorate their careers.
With that in mind, factoring in how the PPV played out and that there's NXT UK in play as well, let's look at five wrestlers who should follow Balor's path and hit the rest button at NXT. There's one big name, however, clearly in demand for a push to the bigger and brighter lights of the main roster.
ASUKA
Asuka's rise on the main card was pretty meteoric, which came as no surprise as she had high hopes coming over from the Japan scene. In 2016, Asuka beat Bayley after coming over to NXT, with Triple H dissuading Vince McMahon from promoting her, calling Asuka "the one person NXT could not afford to lose" and the brand's "anchor" -- so much so she'd develop a Goldberg-esque unbeaten streak. But inevitably it came, and while she beat the likes of Charlotte and Becky Lynch to claim the SmackDown Women's title, it's been downhill from there.
She dropped the title to Flair to end her reign at 100 days and was then shoved into the Kabuki Warriors with NXT riser, Kairi Sane. Since then, they've betrayed Paige and become heels, but again, all they do now after being drafted to RAW is feud with Becky and Charlotte. The fact the latter won the Rumble and Becky made Asuka tap is proof the Japanese warrior isn't a factor in the big plans anytime soon. While Charlotte could aim to reclaim her belt from Bayley, we all know Becky versus Charlotte is something WWE loves pushing at WrestleMania. A move to NXT would now allow Asuka, ironically the winner of the 2018 and first women's Rumble match, to once more prove HHH was right alongside fresh faces like Bianca Belair.
SAMI ZAYN
Sami Zayn had a long road to the main roster, but since arriving he's been stuck in the mid-card. We're missing the style of El Generico and the Zayn who set NXT afire, not to mention the performer who had an unforgiving rivalry with former friend Kevin Owens. That Zayn was dynamic and a big draw for the crowds, who always lost their minds when his music hit. Being Shinsuke Nakamura's valet is just demeaning and while they're not bad as heels, Zayn's utterly wasted here.
Zayn's an in-ring talent that can have a great match with anyone, but in NXT he'd have the chance to work with top-notch new talent like Johnny Gargano, Tomasso Ciampa, Matt Riddle and the Undisputed Era. Zayn's matured, experienced and has the potential to become the leading man for HHH, and eventually a perfect foil for Bálor. He's an A-list addition to shake up the status quo and can strengthen a brand that's lost immense talent over the years.
SHINSUKE NAKAMURA
Shinsuke Nakamura is another NJPW fighter feeding off crumbs right now and one can't help but feel giving him the Intercontinental Belt is just to make him not go back to Japan. Nakamura won the 2018 Rumble, and he's held the U.S. Championship as well, but WWE just won't let him hold the main belts. The closest he came was with a feud with A.J. Styles on SmackDown but he fell short, with their fights also failing to reach the epic standards of NJPW.
This is why the "King of Strong Style" has to go back to NXT. His talent is being restricted as it just doesn't fit the main card. If Nakamura is allowed to battle Balor and Co. uninhibited on NXT, it'll be just like his NJPW days. This is why Balor went back, so he could wrestle freely, and again, just like Zayn, Nakamura needs to revamp his career by going there and shaking up the established order for the NXT Championship he once held. These athletes need to be unrestricted and pure in the ring, and RAW and SmackDown just won't allow that as they dial them down to fit so many other storylines.
CESARO
While Cesaro didn't come from NXT to the main roster, he has fought on NXT quite a few times against the likes of Tyson Kidd Sami Zayn. After seeing him job to Brock Lesnar in a matter of seconds in the Rumble and the dissolution of The Bar, we know it's time Cesaro do something to freshen things up. His style has already been diluted on the red and blue brands, but when he's on NXT, he really lets loose.
This allowed fans to see how technically gifted he is and how powerful he can be. Seriously, he's a heavy-hitter and Cesaro's cutthroat attitude would be perfect for a stable like the Undisputed Era or even rolling solo. He deserves a title run too because the U.S. title and tag team belts just feel like they don't do his individual talents true service. Cesaro has always played second fiddle and having him on NXT as a ruthless destroyer would be a smart move to establish him as a real frontman.
NIKKI CROSS
Nikki Cross with Sanity on NXT was heel gold, truly reminding fans how evil and epic a stable could be. She also came off so unhinged, to the point we thought she'd light the main roster afire. But when WWE separated her from her group and made her an Alexa Bliss fangirl, she lost a lot of momentum and honestly, she hasn't recovered. There are just way too many big names WWE's creative wants to focus on, leaving her with a tag title to boast about and no real shot at the singles spotlight.
So having her back in NXT causing chaos solo isn't a bad thing at all. In fact, it's a brilliant idea because with the likes of Shayna Baszler, the new champ Rhea Riley, and hopefully someone like Asuka back down, this will give the brand a lot more woman power. With Io Shirai injured for a couple of months, NXT could do with Nikki's experience to cultivate some great rivalries with the new blood. She's got way too much personality to be a boring character following Alexa around like a high-schooler.
KEITH LEE TO RAW
With SmackDown in possession of Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman and the Fiend, RAW needs a new monster to match its own champ, Brock Lesnar. The gravity-defying Keith "Limitless" Lee proved in the 2020 Rumble that he's the man for the job. It's no surprise, as he was a beast in last year's Survivor Series, helping NXT win overwhelmingly. Since then, fans have seen him evolve to the point that he's grown too big for the brand. It's a sentiment shared by the legendary CM Punk as well with regards to the 2019 WWE Breakout Star of the Year.
He's got what it takes to possibly replace Brock someday and we can see Paul Heyman taking him as a protege. More so, he's looked great with Strowman and Lesnar, not to mention Reigns, so when the time comes for the brands to clash, Lee really feels like a great fit for RAW. We can already see him tussling with Drew McIntyre, Seth Rollins and AOP with his style of flexibility and agility. Lee's one of those guys you think WWE will allow to make it too as they do love behemoths holding world titles. He and the Scottish Psychopath are the future, so let's embrace that ASAP rather than keep Lee as a big fish in a small pond.