2 WWE Stars Wasted By The Vince McMahon Era Could Solve Shawn Michaels' Biggest Issue After Ricky Starks' AEW Defection

It is universally accepted that one of modern wrestling's most exciting moments is when talent jumps promotions, be that from AEW to WWE or vice-versa. It is especially gratifying when someone elevates their talents elsewhere, as has been the case with former AEW World Champions Swerve Strickland and Samoa Joe, and when you watch crowds go crazy for the "we hurt people" shtick from AEW crowds, or seeing Penta having the time of his life on WWE Raw. Sometimes, these things just work out for the best.

This week's NXT saw one of the more expected trades, as Ricky Starks made the jump from AEW to WWE. It's an exciting move because NXT's men's division needs reinforcements at the top of its card. The timing is divine for some of AEW's recent departures, especially for those who have unfinished business to take care of in WWE. A landscape without Vince McMahon is a fairer landscape, and so AEW's losses really could be NXT's gain.

Why NXT Should Be The Home Of AEW's Mass Exodus

The Stars Have Aligned For The Men Of AEW

Seeing Ricky Starks get a megastar pop felt good as somebody who has been a long-term fan of AEW's most handsome face, because it's easy to believe Starks can be the man in NXT in a way that he was never given the chance to be on Dynamite. They gave him a mic with MJF once, and he cooked him like a Thanksgiving dinner, so it's hard to think Starks won't shine when given the chance to in NXT.

Alongside Starks' immediate impact, just look at Ethan Page getting months to work with NXT Champion Trick Williams vs getting two or three weeks to showcase his legendary feud with Darby Allin. There is an opportunity in NXT for the men who leave AEW for NXT, and they will surely know that.

This is why NXT shouldn't be seen as a step-down for the departing Malakai Black and Miro if they choose the brand for their post-AEW reinvention - as widely expected. The Miro that delivered moody promos that echoed Marlon Brando in Apocalypse Now would be a great fit at the top of the men's division, certainly more so than his dated and Vince-heavy Rusev gimmick.

Malakai Black and Aleister Black feel way more interchangeable, only this time somebody surely has to recognize his potential. An in-ring style steeped in Muay Thai and a deep understanding of dark, occult imagery, Aleister Black could become red-hot again in NXT, even potentially gaining a long-term feud with a future main event talent in Oba Femi.

NXT Needs Them As Much As They Need NXT

AEW's Departing Talent Could Help NXT With Their Biggest Problem

The 2025 Royal Rumble match rammed home how incredible NXT's women's division is at this point in time, but it was quite telling this year's men's Royal Rumble match had no NXT call-ups. Oba Femi is a superstar in waiting and Je'Von Evans excites anyone with a pulse, but these guys desperately need quality people to work with. That is great news for AEW's recent departures, and they already have reasons for optimism.

For it to regain its reputation as an essential part of the Pro Wrestling fan's weekly viewing, NXT desperately needs to rebuild its men's roster. A-Town Down Under are a Main Roster tag team having to give the NXT Champion an interesting match at this weekend's Vengeance Day PLE. Tony D's North American title scene has flatlined to the extent it isn't even on the card. Bron Breakker, Ilja Dragnuov and Carmelo Hayes have repaired the idea that NXT talent can't get over on WWE's Main Roster, and that is what will make going to work with Shawn Michaels most appealing.

The Stage Is Set For WrestleMania Weekend

NXT Stand & Deliver Can Be The Perfect Reintroduction

No matter what type of pro wrestling fan you are, all eyes are on WWE on WrestleMania weekend. In a two-day spectacular, where career-defining feuds are settled and history is made, NXT's Mania weekend PLE has been lost in the shuffle in recent years. Now that it is confirmed that NXT Stand & Deliver is going to again run on the Saturday morning of WWE's big weekend, leading almost directly into night one of WrestleMania, the developmental brand has the opportunity to break that cycle.

In terms of sheer exposure, Ricky Starks will gain more attention on WrestleMania weekend than anything he will have done during his time on Dynamite. The effect of a big return will get everybody talking ahead of The Showcase Of The Immortals. Crucially, WWE has begun fixing the path from NXT to the Main Roster, with everyone getting the opportunity to show the character they've refined and developed for the world. Not everybody is the right fit for a certain promotion, but Ricky Starks and the AEW exodus should have NXT laughing all the way to the bank.