With SummerSlam looming, new names are linked to join the company. WWE loves to make a splash with new roster members following a major PPV event. The names used usually come from NXT. For Hunter this tends to be the hardest part as he loses some of his top performers regularly. Trying to promote his brand, losing former champions isn’t the greatest feeling. However as we have seen in the past Hunter’s no slouch at replacing talent. According to the latest news he’s already a step ahead signing a major indie name to a three year deal. We’ll unveil that talent in the article while speculating other names that might join NXT in the near future.

With call ups and new signings, the unfortunate part might see several names get cut from the main roster. We feature some of those talents throughout the article. Older names might get the pink slip while those that are struggling to get television time might also be sacrificed for upcoming NXT talent. In some of these cases you might blame the WWE and their poor booking since joining the main roster as opposed to the actual performers themselves. Find out if your favorite name lands on that side of the list. A huge name still hasn’t resigned and it has led to heat behind the scenes. Find out at the end of the article which popular name might be gone from the company as early as September.

Enjoy folks and like always be sure to share the article with a friend. Here are 8 WWE stars that will be released soon, 8 NXT stars who will take their place and 8 indie stars who will sign with NXT. Let’s begin!

24 Released - Shelton Benjamin

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Shelton Benjamin returning to the WWE was an exciting moment for fans of SmackDown Live. However, his return might be considered underwhelming especially when assessing his past run with the company. Benjamin served as a mentor for Chad Gable and has now transitioned into a heel with no prominent storyline in the works.

Recently turning 43, it might be it for Shelton sooner rather than later. With youth making to look the jump from NXT Benjamin might be one of the names sacrificed. Here’s to hoping Benjamin can get it together before it leads down this path.

23 NXT Call Up - Velveteen Dream

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At the moment Velveteen Dream remains the more likely call up to take place following SummerSlam. According to the recent backstage leaks Velveteen hasn’t been involved in prominent storylines with Hunter’s brand due to a possible promotion in the very near future.

With his value at a massive high we can expect a major push for Dream once he makes the jump to the main roster. Velveteen can debut with SmackDown Live feuding with the likes of Jeff Hardy and dare we say, AJ Styles. Now that would be something.

22 Indie Talent To NXT - Matt Riddle

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According to the latest backstage rumblings Matt Riddle has finally signed a WWE deal. As per Dave Meltzer, the contract is for three years. Riddle himself has also sent out a cryptic type message indicating that he might be done with the indie scene.

Meltzer also speculated that with Aleister Black out of the championship picture due to injury Riddle can serve as a possible replacement for the NXT Championship match at TakeOver. If Hunter decides against this however fans can still expect to see the brand’s newest signing in some capacity at the show.

21 Released - Dana Brooke

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Here’s another scenario that has led to disastrous results for NXT talents; getting called up before being truly ready to make the jump. This is the case with Dana Brooke who despite being an absolute pro behind the scenes just wasn’t ready to lock horns with the very best on the main roster. She was still so green at that point needed additional in-ring work with NXT.

Brooke is thought about as a manager these days. With the influx of talent coming from NXT and the next Mae Young Classic, Brooke might be among the first main roster female talent's to be sacrificed.

20 NXT Call Up - Nikki Cross

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This one already seems to be in the works. Granted it was a peculiar decision to leave Cross behind once Sanity got the call up. However it looks as though she’s set to debut in the very near future working live event loops with SmackDown Live. In all likelihood she’ll joining the Tuesday show following SummerSlam.

That’s great news with a plethora of mouth-watering matchups. Here’s to hoping she rekindles her rivalry with Asuka. If you haven’t done so yet check out some of their work together down in NXT prior to Asuka’s main roster call up.

19 Indie Talent To NXT – Toni Storm

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Not only is she a favorite to win the Mae Young Classic but reports also suggest that she’s now under a WWE deal as a part of the UK Division. Following the Mae Young Classic it is expected that she’ll put her indie and UK days on the backburner joining the main NXT roster.

The transition can be so easy especially considering she already has been feuding with Shayna Baszler on past NXT UK episodes. Toni has all the potential to be a promising star and a figure to carry the NXT Women’s Division for quite some time.

18 Released - Aiden English

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Fans are hoping this isn’t the end for the duo of Rusev and Aiden English - especially due to the fact that it can be the kiss of death for Aiden’s WWE run. Vince might decide to approach the Superstar similar to James Ellsworth deciding that his character ran its course. For that reason most are hoping the company decides to prolong the storyline between these two.

Age 30 and still so much left in the tank Aiden can find work easily in the event that he is to be released. For now he’ll continue on helping to promote Rusev Day over on SmackDown Live.

17 NXT Call Up - EC3

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He’s doing a great job with NXT (NX3) however it seems far too evident that EC3 has the demeanor and look of a main roster talent. Although he isn’t being booked badly with Hunter’s brand you can expect his stock to climb a lot higher once Vince lays eyes on this talent.

Carter won’t last much longer with NXT and at the age of 35 he’s more than ready to make the jump. Carter and Cena have taken a couple of shots at one another hinting a match – that could be a heck of a way to get the ball rolling on the main roster.

16 Indie Talent To NXT - Juice Robinson

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Just a couple of weeks back, the Wrestling Observer discussed WWE showing major interest in former talent Juice Robinson. Since leaving NXT the performer has grown to a level few expected. His promos are among the top outside of the WWE and he’s even pulled off some major wins against the likes of Kenny Omega.

Robinson turned down the speculation claiming he’s never going back. However this might be all part of his character work. With several close connections like Kevin Owens it wouldn’t surprise us if he returns to NXT in a more prominent position as a major babyface.

15 Released – Neville

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He was spotted at Mid Breath Gym a couple of weeks back but still nothing has come out pertaining to his WWE future. Of course Neville walked out of the company when he was notified about losing to Enzo Amore for a second time. This mixed in with other frustrations caused the walk out.

Gone for almost a year now (walked out in October) it doesn’t seem that he’ll be returning. Surely the WWE is sending the wrestler a message by freezing out his contract and not granting him the release. Once his contract is up look for the former "King of the Cruiserweights" to make quite the "impact" out on the independent scene.

14 NXT Call Up - Aleister Black

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Recent speculation suggests that the former NXT Champion sustained an injury during a live event. It is now being reported that he underwent surgery and is expected to miss some time. This is unfortunate due to his current status in the championship picture – Black was set for a Triple Threat alongside new champion Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano.

A big possibility might see Black transition to either Raw or SmackDown leaving his NXT days behind. The talent had been speculated to make the jump, perhaps his current injury will give him that change of scenery once it is time to return.

13 Indie Talent To NXT - Jay Lethal

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Triple H loves experience, thus Jay Lethal a man of plenty of experience has been linked to NXT for quite some time now. Veterans have thrived with Hunter’s brand, Nakamura and Bobby Roode are both recent examples of that. Lethal can follow the same trajectory if he decides to make the jump.

For now Lethal has admitted that he’s sick of answering the question as to when he’ll make the move. With several NXT talents to make the main roster jump Hunter can use more veterans. Look for Lethal to be one of the first to get a call once his contract obligations near an end.

12 Released - Anderson & Gallows

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Both Gallows and Anderson weren’t really sought after talents by the WWE to begin with. Instead AJ Styles suggested that both join the company prior to his signing. He got his wish however the duo has struggled to maintain relevancy.

With Anderson set to turn 39 in January and Gallows inching closer to 35 it is clear the team isn’t getting any younger. With lots of tag teams flourishing down in NXT we can see the scenario of the Good Brothers getting brushed aside in order to push the youth.

11 NXT Call Up - Lacey Evans

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A former US Marine and proud mother, WWE thinks very highly of Lacey Evans despite her inexperience. She entered the business back in 2014 and joined NXT on a developmental deal as of April 2016.

She’s now being booked with lots of steam. Evans has picked up victories in the last couple of weeks. Clearly the company has big plans. However similar to Alexa Bliss and Carmella we might see Evans thrive more so on the main roster than NXT. She’s another talent that might enjoy a premature call up in the very near future.

10 Indie Talent To NXT - Tenille Dashwood

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Despite her WWE release Dashwood continues to thrive. She’s a member of the Women of Honor division with ROH and continues on with lots of other indie promotions.

Hunter takes note of how certain talents react to a release. Drew McIntyre was a recent example of a wrestler thriving. Interest in Juice Robinson was also discussed earlier. Dashwood can become another name with Hunter potentially resigning the talent for NXT. Triple H enjoyed Emma’s NXT run making her a major deal in the Women’s Division. He might revisit this option eventually.

9 Released – Daniel Bryan

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As per the latest, WWE is very unhappy that Daniel Bryan is yet to sign an extension with the company. Following his medical clearance it was expected that Daniel might ink a new deal right after. However he is still holding off. With September looming near there’s a lot of uneasiness. The chance of a release is a real one at this point.

Bryan deciding to part ways can be a major downfall for WWE but huge move for pro wrestling in general. Having a name like Bryan joining ROH or New Japan is only a good thing for the health of none-WWE companies.

8 NXT Call Up - Johnny Gargano

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Gargano joining the main roster is long overdue. The wrestler can instantly become among the top tier names. However some speculation has linked the talented NXT star to possibly joining 205 Live. That would be a monumental mistake given his draw value as an upper card performer. He has clearly shown his worth working a main event storyline alongside Tommaso Ciampa in the last couple of months.

In the event that he doesn’t win the title at TakeOver it is expected that Johnny finally makes the jump and joins the main roster. If this is to be the case expect a massive pop during his main roster debut – whether he joins Raw or SmackDown is unknown.

7 Indie Talent To NXT - Marty Scurll

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We really don’t know for sure what the future holds for the rest of the Bullet Club. However Marty Scurll has made his intent clear that he does plan on joining the WWE one day;

“In terms of ‘The Villain’ and WWE, I’m pretty sure if they saw opportunity in me to make money, I’m sure they’d let me have a lot of creative freedom. But who knows if they do. I do see a lot of Villain shirts on their programming though. I would love to pick the brain of Vince McMahon. ‘The Villain’ and the ‘Evil Genius’ discussing the business over a steak dinner sounds divine.”

In all likelihood he’ll be the first Bullet Club member to make the jump joining Hunter’s brainchild.

6 Released - No Way Jose

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The call up of No Way Jose to Raw was a peculiar one. Granted he was down in NXT for quite some time however he joined the main roster with no momentum whatsoever. We’ve seen such examples in the past and it usually doesn’t turn out well. No Way Jose seems to be suffering that faith as of late rarely appearing on the Monday night program.

He’s entertaining but given his actual skill compared to the rest getting pushed up the card won’t be an easy task. Unless he gets sent back down, the rest of 2018 won’t be easy for the former NXT talent and it might lead to a 2019 release.

5 NXT Call Up - Lars Sullivan

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Lars is going to be a star once he makes it on the main roster. That might take place sooner rather than later. The big fellow is without a storyline at the moment and it can lead to a main roster promotion.

He’s more than ready for the task. This Superstar is the total package – along with mammoth size he can move incredibly well in the ring. For those that aren’t sure what future program Braun Strowman can work, look no further than Lars Sullivan.