While the natural progression of a WWE career is to begin in NXT and eventually graduate to Raw or SmackDown, there have been many stars who find themselves returning to where they began after a spell on the main roster.
Whether it be to freshen up a character or fill a gap on the roster, we have seen many examples over the years of main roster stars returning to NXT.
Oftentimes these moves prove to a positive for both the superstar and the NXT brand, something that has been evidenced in recent months by Grayson Waller, who swapped the lower mid-card of Raw for NXT and quickly became the brand’s top heel star.
With the success of that move in mind, here are two more WWE Raw stars that could soon join the NXT roster:
Ivy Nile
While it is Grayson Waller’s move from Raw to NXT that has stolen all the headlines, he wasn’t the only star to make that move recently.
The Creed Brothers (Julius & Brutus Creed) also returned to their old stomping grounds in early September, and proceeded to enter the 2026 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, where they were eventually eliminated by Hank & Tank in the quarterfinals.
Despite not immediately rising back to the top of the brand, Julius and Brutus appear set for a fresh start on NXT after a long while floundering on Monday Night Raw, something their old American Made and Diamond Mine stablemate Ivy Nile has also been doing over the past year.
Nile has found opportunities hard to come by on Raw – and with plans for a new tag team with Jordynne Grace not leading anywhere – perhaps her best shot at success is back in NXT as a singles star. She recently did make her return to the brand during the October 6 number one contender’s battle royal for the NXT Women’s Title, so perhaps WWE are also considering giving her a second chance on Tuesday nights?
Alpha Academy (Otis & Akira Tozawa)
With the WWE Raw tag team division in as bad a place as it ever has been in recent months, one would think that Alpha Academy’s Otis & Akira Tozawa would have a shot at finally winning the World Tag Team Titles.
Despite being The Vision’s primary rivals throughout the summer and early fall, Otis and Tozawa didn’t once get a chance to win the titles, and it has now been almost two months since their last Raw appearance.
With Penta and Je’Von Evans being the confirmed next challengers for Bron Breakker and Austin Theory at WWE Crown Jewel, it’s seeming less likely than ever that we see Alpha Academy return to the fold.
The NXT tag team division is in nowhere near as bad a position as its main roster counterparts, but the addition of Otis and Tozawa would only help bolster the options at Shawn Michaels’ disposal, and give The Vanity Project another top contender for their NXT Tag Team Titles post-Halloween Havoc.
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