Over the years, WWE main roster stars have moved to the NXT brand to varying degrees of success.
From Finn Balor to Mandy Rose, these stars have won championship gold and been featured in major programs.
Looking at the current rosters for Raw and SmackDown, there are several talents who could benefit from heading to the NXT brand for a significant amount of time.
Here are seven WWE main roster stars to potentially join NXT.
7. Johnny Gargano & Candice LeRae
At the WWE NXT Stand & Deliver 2026 premium live event, Myles Borne defeated Johnny Gargano to retain the NXT North American Championship.
Over the past few weeks, Gargano has started appearing on NXT with Candice LeRae looking for her husband to rediscover the passion for wrestling inside him.
After ‘Johnny Wrestling’ came up short at Stand & Deliver, fans could see Gargano and LeRae continue to have a presence on WWE NXT.
Gargano and LeRae getting involved in a different storyline on NXT would make some sense as they try to get out of their recent funk on the WWE main roster.
6. The Creed Brothers (Julius & Brutus Creed)
When they first made their debut in WWE, The Creed Brothers made a name for themselves on the NXT brand.
Julius and Brutus Creed proved to be a dynamic duo that delivered time and time again until they captured the NXT Tag Team Championship.
Despite their run not going too long, The Creeds proved themselves and were called up to the WWE main roster.
After not being prominently featured on WWE Raw as of late, it seems like a logical move for The Creeds to head back to NXT where they might be better utilized right now.
5. Los Americanos (El Grande, Brayo & Rayo Americano)
Another pair of main roster talent that recently made their return to the WWE NXT brand was Los Americanos.
Bravo and Rayo Americano defeated Birthright to become the new number one contenders for the NXT Tag Team Championship for Stand & Deliver on the March 31 edition of WWE NXT.
However, Los Americanos then came up short in their bid to win the gold against The Vanity Project at NXT Stand & Deliver 2026.
Despite this loss, El Grande, Bravo and Rayo felt way more over on NXT in comparison to their current role on Monday Night Raw, so it makes sense for Los Americanos to become a regular part of Tuesday nights moving forward.
4. The War Raiders (Erik & Ivar)
Another pair of former NXT Tag Team Champions who could potentially make their return to the brand are The War Raiders.
While Erik and Ivar started 2025 as the WWE World Tag Team Champions, the duo were not regularly featured following their loss to The New Day at WrestleMania 41.
The War Raiders could be better highlighted if they went back to WWE NXT and did battle with some of the duos on the brand.
With the likes of The Vanity Project, OTM and DarkState, The War Raiders have the dance partners that they are lacking right now on the WWE main roster.
3. Maxxine Dupri
2025 was a career defining year for Maxxine Dupri, who went from a valet to a consistent in-ring competitor.
From her victories over Becky Lynch to her surprising reign as WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion, Dupri proved herself to be capable inside the squared circle.
After losing the Women’s IC Title at the start of 2026, Dupri lost her rivalry with Nattie and has been off of WWE television since then.
Needing some more in-ring experience, it would be wise of WWE to give Dupri a chance to lock horns with the ultra talented next generation of the women’s division on the NXT brand.
2. Nattie
Speaking of Nattie, the Hart Family member is one of the most trusted and reliable in-ring performers in the WWE women’s division.
With her technical ability and experience, Nattie has always been counted on to deliver inside the squared circle against young stars on the rise.
While she has made occasional visits to the NXT brand, Nattie moving down for a lengthy run would give her a chance to work with the fresh crop of talent in WWE.
Nattie working with the likes of Kendal Grey, Blake Monroe and Zaria would be interesting at this stage of her career and where these ladies are in theirs.
1. Rusev
In April 2025, Rusev made his return to WWE and became part of the Monday Night Raw roster.
While his initial return came with a rivalry with Sheamus, Rusev hasn’t received consistent TV time on Monday Night Raw.
Despite spending his early days in WWE on the brand, it has been more than a decade since Rusev was on NXT.
Rusev returning to WWE NXT would bolster the men’s division that needs top talent that could be positioned against its top stars like Tony D’Angelo, Ethan Page and Joe Hendry.
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