WWE Stars To Return To NXT

WWE

WWE has never been shy about sending main roster talent who do not have a significant role on Raw or SmackDown back down to NXT.

Whether they come back to become major stars or fill a role on the roster, these returning talents have so much to offer to Tuesday nights.

With this new generation of talent on the NXT brand, WWE would be wise to send some main roster stars to The CW to make an impact.

Here are six WWE stars to potentially return to NXT.

6. Grayson Waller

After being called up to the WWE main roster in 2023, it seemed clear that the company had some big plans in store for Grayson Waller.

From being placed in segments with Cody Rhodes to earning the respect of Edge prior to his departure, Waller was being pegged as a future star to watch.

However, Waller now finds himself on the outside looking in on the current goings-on in WWE after abandoning his A Town Down Under tag team with Austin Theory and the recent exit of The New Day.

Now in need of a life raft to save him from irrelevance, Waller could recapture the magic of his first run on NXT and become a necessary veteran presence for the brand moving forward.

5. The Creed Brothers (Julius & Brutus Creed)

Another pair of NXT stars who found themselves without a consistent spot on WWE TV at the moment are The Creed Brothers.

During their first stint on NXT, Julius and Brutus Creed captured the imagination with the fans with their amateur wrestling background and in-ring acumen.

With explosive athleticism, The Creed Brothers felt like a unit who could take the tag team scene by storm. However, Julius and Brutus have been unable to reach the mountaintop after nearly four years on the main roster.

Considering their success in their first run, The Creed Brothers could immediately become the top tandem in the NXT tag team division if they decided to make their return sometime soon.

4. Ivy Nile

Speaking of The Creed Brothers, their American Made stablemate Ivy Nile was another star who gained notoriety and attention from the WWE fanbase on NXT.

Making her debut in 2021, Nile proved herself to be someone who could become a champion in WWE.

With his technical skill and surprising strength, Ivy has overcome her size to prove herself as a formidable competitor.

After several months without an in-ring appearance on WWE Raw, it might be the right time for Ivy Nile to make her return to NXT where she can become a veteran to help younger talent.

3. Shinsuke Nakamura

Another veteran on the WWE roster who might need to make their way back to NXT is Shinsuke Nakamura.

“The King of Strong Style” started off the year back on WWE TV, but he is not consistently featured on Friday Night SmackDown at this time.

Needing to find a way to regain momentum in the promotion, Nakamura could make the move back to the first place he called home upon signing with WWE all the way back in 2016.

Nakamura returning to WWE NXT should garner a hero’s welcome and bring a bigger spotlight to the brand by bringing back one of their most iconic champions.

2. Ilja Dragunov

Another former NXT Champion who could make a return to the brand in the coming weeks and months is Ilja Dragunov.

“The Mad Dragon” has made it perfectly clear that he is determined to show the world his way of pro wrestling, but WWE has not given him that opportunity as of late.

Having not been featured on WWE TV since the SmackDown Before WrestleMania 42, Dragunov might just have to return to his roots in this company.

Dragunov coming back to NXT could open the door for “The Mad Dragon” to become a threat to become a two-time NXT Champion before long.

1. Johnny Gargano & Candice LeRae

There might not be a more underutilized pair of talent on the WWE main roster than Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae.

The married couple have spent much of their time in 2026 being highlighted in backstage segments where Gargano is lying face-down in a vegetative state after dealing with depression.

After getting a pep talk from CM Punk on the July 10 SmackDown, Gargano and LeRae may have received the wake up call they have been in need of.

Gargano and LeRae have so much more to offer and can showcase that in a major way by heading back to their home away from home on the NXT brand.

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