WWE is reportedly considering bringing several of the top acts in NXT to the main roster.
Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select, WWE has had discussions about potentially calling Imperium up to the main roster, and SmackDown is the “heavily discussed” destination. Ross Sapp wrote that the pitch involved Gunther, formerly known as Walter, and Marcel Barthel, but not Fabian Aicher.
The report also noted that as soon as Gunther moved to the United States, WWE planned to bring him up to the main roster. Gunther, a former NXT UK Champion, recently confirmed that he is living in the United States now.
Ross Sapp’s report pointed out that the call-up could happen as early as this weekend, but otherwise the timeline of the move is currently unclear.
Imperium teased some dissension on the April 5 episode of WWE NXT 2.0, as Aichner walked away in the middle of a tag team match, leaving Barthel to get pinned. No reasoning was given for his exit.
Update: In another report, Ross Sapp reported that LA Knight and Raquel Gonzalez have also been pitched for main-roster call-ups. The report notes that Gonzalez’ move seemed expected by many of those in NXT while Knight’s doesn’t seem as clear. Ross Sapp wrote that one pitch for Knight would potentially utilize him as a manager, given his mic skills.
Knight and Gonzalez have previously competed in dark matches, and pitches have previously been made for Gonzalez to join the main roster, but they didn’t pan out.
Gonzalez is a former NXT Women’s Champion and a two-time NXT Women’s Tag Team Champion. She currently holds the gold with Dakota Kai, and the duo won the inaugural Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic in 2021.
Knight is a former IMPACT World Champion, as he starred in TNA/IMPACT Wrestling a few years before he signed with WWE in 2021. He briefly held the Million Dollar Championship when the company brought it back last year.
WrestleZone will provide more information as it becomes available.
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