Progress Report Grades for Newest WWE Stars Thus Far on the Main Roster – Bleacher Report

Progress Report Grades for Newest WWE Stars Thus Far on the Main Roster

0 of 9

The goal of any NXT talent at the WWE Performance Center should be to eventually move to the main roster as a Superstar on Raw or SmackDown.

Not everyone who goes through the system gets that opportunity, and even fewer manage to succeed once they have arrived on Raw or SmackDown.

So far in 2022, 13 wrestlers have moved officially onto the main roster.

Let's break down what those graduates have accomplished and give them their latest progress report grades.

1 of 9

Dexter Lumis has had an odd time on the main roster for a multitude of reasons, not least of which being how that's his defining character trait.

Everyone on this list, bar one other entry, has wrestled since being called up, but Lumis has spent all his time stalking The Miz.

It's interesting television because he's clearly a babyface but doing acts that are villainous. The only justification (albeit a weak one) for cheering him is that he's doing this to The A-Lister.

However, it's working. This angle is one of the most heavily featured on Raw.

Even without wrestling a match, Lumis has had enough attention put on him to build to a gimmick bout against The Miz at Extreme Rules on October 8.

2 of 9

If all parties play their cards right, Johnny Gargano could be the next Daniel Bryan; the passionate underdog you can't help but want to win the world title.

That seems quite a bit away right now, but patience is key. After all, Johnny Wrestling has only been on Raw for a month after almost a nine-month absence.

Since his return, he's been associated with top acts, started a feud with Mr. Money in the Bank Austin Theory and had a great match against Chad Gable.

Gargano is off to as good of a start as anyone could hope and has the talent to turn that A score into an A+ at any moment.

3 of 9

Tommaso Ciampa more than proved himself in the ring, on the mic, as a character and in every other way during his time in NXT, but he's been in a strange position since joining Raw in April.

At first, he lingered with no real direction, attacking Superstars like Mustafa Ali without explanation and not landing on any particular person to feud with.

Eventually, he was paired with The Miz, which no one would have had on their bingo cards considering how he'd be used on Raw.

They don't have the best chemistry in any regard. The bright green gear and the card necklace seems more fitting to what John Morrison would do with The A-Lister, rather than what Ciampa is best suited for.

They've managed to stick together and make some of this partnership work, but the writing is on the wall. He'll be better off when he breaks off from Miz, gets some noteworthy wins under his belt and goes back to being closer to what he was in NXT.

4 of 9

Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky have checked off all they needed to do for an A+ run so far.

Kai's return to WWE after her release and Sky's comeback from injury, both at SummerSlam alongside Bayley, was a great call-up moment.

Immediately, they were positioned at the top of the red brand, thrust into a feud with Raw women's champion Bianca Belair and former multi-time champs Asuka and Alexa Bliss.

They had a bit of a stumble when they failed to win the tournament for the vacated WWE Women's Tag Team Championship, but, as luck would have it, they won the belts just days later anyway.

They're riding high and doing a fantastic job.

5 of 9

Anyone who has watched Pete Dunne in NXT and NXT UK knows this current "Butch" gimmick is a far cry from what he's capable of.

In some ways, it has potential. Dunne never had much character prior to this, so it makes sense Vince McMahon wanted to inject some personality to define his identity.

However, having Sheamus and Ridge Holland babysit Butch and keep him from acting like an unruly child isn't the best way to showcase his talents.

Lately, the character has been toned down. It's a step in the right direction, but he's nowhere near regained the clout he once had as a longtime NXT UK champion who could put on a great match any given night.

6 of 9

Imperium is a well-oiled machine. Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser are among the best tag team acts WWE has had in years, while Gunther is the first intercontinental champion in years truly worth investing in.

Kaiser is great on the mic. He really helps sell the gimmick for the group, but he can handle himself in the ring, too, which is Vinci's strength.

Their act is so fine-tuned that not much of anything is different from what we saw in NXT UK and NXT.

Gunther's match with Sheamus at Clash at the Castle is a Match of the Year candidate, too, and might be viewed as the fight that put his reign on the map.

7 of 9

Not every gimmick is everyone's cup of tea. Maximum Male Models are a storyline that could draw more criticism than praise, though it does have some merit to it.

At least it is better than doing nothing, as ma. and mn.sr were up to for months prior to their new characters.

Unfortunately, the faction hasn't fully come into its own yet, largely due to Max Dupri and Maxxine Dupri struggling to lead the charge.

Max is seemingly already reverting back into LA Knight, which could be for the best. He's yet to wrestle so far on SmackDown and will continue to come off like a loser until he manages to achieve something.

Even worse, though, is Maxxine, who has said little in each segment. She seems to have been positioned more as an eye-candy valet than a manager or wrestler.

Since they can only be judged on Max's promos mainly, they've had the worst showing out of everyone on this list, but there's still room for improvement.

8 of 9

From the onset, Raquel Rodriguez has been prepped as a big deal to come. She's largely been protected and almost beat Ronda Rousey, which says a lot.

On paper, she's also been a champion, although she and Aliyah lost the tag team titles so quickly that few will remember they held them.

Rodriguez seems to be in a holding pattern where WWE doesn't want to fully put her into any feud to start her ascension toward the top yet but still wants fans to know that's the endgame.

The promise is there, though. She could even be the women's Royal Rumble winner, but she's being treated like a B-star instead of on the A-level at the moment.

9 of 9

In the shortest time of everyone on this list, Solo Sikoa has managed to make one of the biggest impacts.

Instead of dawdling in the midcard, he was immediately thrust into the biggest faction in WWE, joining The Bloodline and costing Drew McIntyre the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Clash at the Castle.

He followed that up with a surprise NXT North American Championship victory, which he's since relinquished. Nevertheless, it is still a title reign post-graduation.

The 29-year-old is being positioned prominently on SmackDown as though he's been on the roster for months.

The future is bright for Sikoa. He should be tasting gold again at some point in 2023.

Anthony Mango is the owner of the wrestling website Smark Out Moment and the host of the podcast show Smack Talk on YouTube, Spotify and everywhere you find podcasts. You can follow him on Facebook and elsewhere for more.

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Progress Report Grades for Newest WWE Stars Thus Far on the Main Roster - Bleacher Report