Grades for 6 stars new to the WWE main roster in first half of 2022 × Follow Us Create Notifications New User posted their first comment this is comment text Link Approve Reject & ban Delete Log in Manage your profile Editing Story Queue Video Queue Editing Stats Writer Home SEO Redirection Admin Wiki Edits Taxonomy Home Edit Site Menu Mapping Dashboard Tag Pages Community Social Feed Queue Feed Center Notification Center Affiliate Home Manage Pages Bottom Tagline Dash Timeless Stories Logout WWE WWE NXT Listicle
Former NXT Champions A promo master - Grading rookie years of stars new to WWE main roster in first half of 2022
By Matthew Serocki Modified 14 Sep 2022 Follow Us Comment Share Raquel Rodriguez in one of several NXT stars to debut on the main roster in 2022. One constant in WWE is that new stars will debut every year. It keeps the roster fresh without changing things too much. New talent also offers different feuds and matches for those on the main roster. In the past few years, about four or five new performers have joined the main roster annually. In 2022 alone, that number has almost doubled. Butch and Gunther debuted before WrestleMania 38. Tommaso Ciampa and Raquel Rodriguez also debuted in the first half of the year. WWE@WWEEXCLUSIVE: @JohnnyGargano promises to have his hand raised as @_Theory1 lives rent-free in Johnny Wrestling's head!
#WWERaw1824279EXCLUSIVE: @JohnnyGargano promises to have his hand raised as @_Theory1 lives rent-free in Johnny Wrestling's head!#WWERaw https://t.co/GZLdvYn9Jd With the transition in WWE from Mr. McMahon to Triple H, more stars have debuted since the summer. The likes of Dakota Kai, Johnny Gargano, and Dexter Lumis all returned to the company and joined the main roster at or after SummerSlam. The following grades are for the stars that debuted on the WWE main roster in the first half of 2022. (Note: Logan Paul is omitted because he's had two matches. Also, Ezekial is just a new gimmick for Elias, so he's also not included here). #6 Pete Dunne debuted as Butch
WWE@WWEThings are breaking down fast between #Imperium and The #BrawlingBrutes! #SmackDown2267344Things are breaking down fast between #Imperium and The #BrawlingBrutes! #SmackDown https://t.co/EtSIf26ZnP The former Pete Dunne showed up on SmackDown as Butch before WrestleMania 38. He was revealed as a childhood friend of both Sheamus and Ridge Holland. They played his hyper and overly aggressive nature, but the name change was silly and unnecessary. He has wrestled a few matches since his debut, with his later work better showcasing his talent. Part of the change is due to Triple H taking over WWE's creative duties from Mr. McMahon. Butch has been sporting his old singlet gear from NXT in recent matches. Dunne was one of Triple H's favorites, so his booking will likely be better going forward. Grade for Butch: C #5 Ludwig Kaiser is a crucial piece of Imperium
WWE@WWE#Imperium stands tall! #SmackDown4482584#Imperium stands tall! #SmackDown https://t.co/D4uQWkUIY9 Kaiser joined the WWE main roster as Gunther's righthand man. He also announces The Ring General to the ring for every appearance. An interesting aspect of their relationship featured the latter punishing Kaiser for losing. While Kaiser has lost a few matches, he's more important to the overall presentation of the former NXT UK Champ. It's similar to how Jey Uso was second to Roman Reigns. Now that Giovanni Vinci has joined SmackDown and Imperium, the two can resume their tag team. Having another tag team join the WWE roster is good, but it's hard to take anyone seriously due to how dominant The Bloodline has been. If the Street Profits and New Day cannot defeat the Usos, who can? As long as Imperium continues winning, the grade will improve. Grade for Ludwig Kaiser: C+ #4 Gunther is becoming one of the top heels in WWE
Gunther won a title within the first few months of his main-roster debut. The Ring General has been presented as the same dominant workhorse that ruled over NXT UK for years. He made a brief stop in NXT before officially joining the main roster ahead of WrestleMania. Gunther quickly won the Intercontinental Championship and instantly added some prestige to the title. His match against Sheamus at Clash at the Castle was a 'Match of the Year' candidate. But for Gunther, that's the type of match he usually has. Moreover, adding Giovanni Vinci back to Imperium should only solidify the group as one to watch. With The Ring General leading the way, WWE is on its way to introducing another top heel faction. However, being on the same brand as the Bloodline might prevent Imperium from being the most dominant faction in WWE. Grade for Gunther: A- #3 Raquel Rodriguez bolstered SmackDown s Women s division
Rodriguez has had an excellent first year on SmackDown. Rodriguez was pushed as a dominant performer in NXT. It led her to both the NXT Women's and Women's Tag Team Championships. That dominance continued on SmackDown, but parts of her character shifted. Instead of being a no-nonsense attacker, Rodriguez would smile incessantly during her entrance. She maintained the back pose obsession, but it's still awkward. Apart from a loss to then-SmackDown Women's Champ Ronda Rousey, Big Mami has won most of her matches since her WWE debut. Despite that loss, she still looked strong and formidable. Along with Aliyah, she won the vacant WWE Women's Tag Titles but only had a two-week run. Rodriguez has been booked consistently but could use a few character tweaks. Grade for Rodriguez: B+ #2 Tommaso Ciampa officially joined the main roster after WrestleMania 38
The Blackheart was one of the longest-tenured NXT stars. Tommaso Ciampa wrapped up with NXT at the beginning of 2022. He was one of the last foundational stars to move on after the rebrand to NXT 2.0. The Blackheart's first appearances this year involved blindsided attacks on faces like Mustafa Ali and others. He soon aligned with The Miz, with the two remaining together for the last few months. Ciampa worked well with Mr. McMahon in charge, but he was booked as a secondary player on WWE's main roster. He is still a secondary star, but with more focus, his matches have improved. The Blackheart made great efforts against both AJ Styles and US Champ Lashley. The Miz could ultimately turn on Ciampa, especially with Johnny Gargano arriving on RAW. Grade for Ciampa: B- #1 Max Dupri emerged as the founder of Maximum Male Models
Dupri appeared in several backstage segments before unveiling his clients. Max Dupri was one of the notable NXT stars to be given a new name upon joining WWE's main roster. He was formerly known as LA Knight, and the character was an extension of his Eli Drake character from IMPACT Wrestling and NWA. Dupri is known for being one of the best talkers in the game, which continued during his NXT tenure. In his SmackDown debut, he randomly appeared backstage with Adam Pearce as the founder of Maximum Male Models. His original work for the group was strong. Once Mace and Mansoor were revealed as the actual models. However, it seemed like Dupri was being phased out due to a clash with Mr. McMahon. The material was somewhat goofy and entertaining, but it seemed like it had a low ceiling. After the latest SmackDown, he might be returning to his former guise as Knight. Grade for Max Dupri: C Is Bray Wyatt coming back with a faction? A Bloodline member thinks so Poll : 0 votes Quick Links More from Sportskeeda Edited by Angana Roy × Feedback Thank You! Be the first one to comment Follow Us Share Show More Comments GIF Comment in moderation 0 0 Reply x Edit Delete Delete the comment? No thanks Delete GIF Cancel Update GIF Cancel Reply ❮ ❯ GIF Comment in moderation 0 0 Reply x Edit Delete Delete the comment? No thanks Delete GIF Cancel Update GIF Cancel Reply ❮ ❯ Be the first one to comment on this story More from Sportskeeda Fetching more content... 1 Manage your profile Editing Story Queue Video Queue Editing Stats Writer Home SEO Redirection Admin Wiki Edits Taxonomy Home Edit Site Menu Mapping Dashboard Tag Pages Community Social Feed Queue Feed Center Notification Center Affiliate Home Manage Pages Bottom Tagline Dash Timeless Stories Logout No Results Found Get the free App now Manage notifications Popular Sports (30+) CricketCricket HomeScheduleT20 World CupT20 warm upIND vs SAENG vs PAKAUS vs ENGLegends LeagueECS T10 CroatiaWBBL 2022ECC T10SMAT 2022Bukhatir LeagueNZ T20 Tri-SeriesWomen's Asia Cup 2022ECT10 FootballFootball HomeNewslettersSK Experts ScheduleEPLNations LeagueLa LigaLigue 1Champions LeagueFIFA WCMLS Bundesliga Serie A WWEWWE HomeNewslettersRumor RoundupRAWSmackDownResultsRosterChampionsWWE Crown Jewel 2022PPV ScheduleAEW EsportsEsports HomeMinecraftOverwatch 2RobloxGenshin ImpactFortniteGTAStreamersFree FirePUBGValorantBGMIPop CultureAnimeGaming TechWiki Guides TennisTennis HomeTennis calendarTennis Results TodayATP RankingsWTA RankingsRoger FedererRafael NadalNovak DjokovicSerena Williams MMAMMA HomeUFC NewsONE ChampionshipUFC Fight NightScheduleRankingsResultsUFC Fights TonightONE Championship ResultsONE Championship ScheduleONE Championship Rankings KabaddiKabaddi HomePKL 2022PKL SchedulePKL Points TableKabaddi Rules WikiWiki HomeMinecraft WikiNaruto WikiTikTok WikiYoutube WikiGTA WikiTerraria WikiOne Piece Wiki MoreSportsBasketballIndian FootballNFLMinecraftFormula 1NascarPop CultureCollege FootballHockeyGolfAthleticsBadmintonGymnasticsWrestlingSwimmingTennisShootingBoxingArcheryWinter SportsRobloxFree PicksSkateboardingKho KhoLifestyle LINKS About Us Write For Us Policies Editorial Standards Journalism Awards Fact Check Affiliate Program Careers CSR Privacy Policy Contact Us Edition: English हिन्दी