Following appearances on Saturday Night’s Main Event and this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw, there has been speculation among fans that NXT standout Je’Von Evans has been officially promoted to the WWE main roster. However, a new report indicates that Evans remains part of the NXT brand.
According to Bryan Alvarez on Wrestling Observer Live, Evans has not been officially called up, despite being booked for a storyline on Raw. Alvarez noted that it is not unusual for NXT talent to work main roster dates during the holiday season to fill spots on live event tours and television broadcasts.
Filling in for Injuries
Alvarez reported that a primary reason for the increased presence of NXT talent is a wave of injuries and planned time off for main roster stars. With the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania season approaching, the company often allows talent to take time off in December to heal lingering issues.
Specific names mentioned as dealing with injuries include JD McDonagh, who recently underwent hand surgery, and Damian Priest, who has reportedly been working through injury. Additionally, LA Knight is currently selling an injury on television.
“I was pretty much told that this is also the time of year where, because the Royal Rumble is coming, and then WrestleMania season, you are going to see a fair number of people take time off to heal up these lingering issues,” Alvarez said. “They’re going to need more bodies to fill those spots.”
Seasonal Precedent
Alvarez compared the situation to late 2024, when NXT talents Jakara Jackson and Lash Legend made several appearances on main roster programming without being officially promoted.
“It was pointed out to me that at this time of the year, this is not unusual,” Alvarez stated. “Like last year, at this time… it was Jakara and Lash [Legend]… they were like, all over the main roster for like, two months. And neither of those was an official call up.”
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