Robert Stone, an on-air personality and backstage figure in WWE NXT, offered his perspective on the recent trend of NXT talent moving to the main roster with remarkable speed. Speaking on “Ten Count Media,” Stone endorsed the “why wait?” philosophy for performers who prove they are ready for Raw or SmackDown, citing the recent main roster Money in the Bank placements for former NXT stars like Julia Hart and Stephanie Vaquer.
When host Steve Fall noted his surprise at how quickly some talents are moving up compared to past eras where they might spend years in developmental, Stone provided his reasoning. “It’s so competitive. Raw and SmackDown… that’s the place, you know, most people want to be, and the best of the best are there,” Stone began. “And if you’re performing in NXT at a 10 or at an 11, you are the best of the best. Why wait?”
Stone believes that holding back a talent who is clearly ready does them a disservice. “I mean, whoever’s in charge, and see someone and they’re great. I mean, why wait?” he posited. “Every day that goes on people are only getting older, or time’s going by, like, let’s, let’s get it rolling sooner than later. Why not?”
He specifically mentioned recent call-ups who are already in a major premium live event match just weeks after leaving NXT. “And you know, Giulia, Stephanie [Vaquer], they’re amazing,” he said. “You know, why not open them up to, you know, potentially bigger audiences and putting them on Raw [or] SmackDown right away. They’re just, they’re so good. I mean, everyone should be able to get to experience, you know, performers that talented.”
His comments suggest a shift in WWE’s developmental strategy, where NXT is seen not just as a long-term training ground, but also as a showcase for main-roster-ready talent who can make an immediate impact. The approach seems to be that if a superstar proves they can perform at the highest level in NXT, there’s little reason to delay their progression to Raw or SmackDown.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Ten Count Media with Steve Fall with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
