Walker Stewart
- Mar 22, 2021
- 15 min read

Ranking WWE's 2020 Main Roster Call-Ups

Updated: Apr 4, 2021

Note: This article was originally posted on eWrestlingNews, and was later posted to Blade Job Pro Wrestling.

If there's one thing that excites any wrestling fan, it is the debut or arrival of a new professional wrestling star. With the innovation of the NXT developmental system and the establishment of NXT as a "third brand" within World Wrestling Entertainment - a wrestler jumping ship from NXT to the red or blue brand always sparks something within the wrestling community. With that in mind, 2020 was definitely a weird year. With 2020 being a year of ups and immense downs, we still had professional wrestling to get us through the hard times. For some wrestlers, however, last year ended up being a career-defining year for them. Join me as we take a look back at 2020's main roster call-ups and see where they are now.

#10: Chelsea Green

On August 3, 2018, Chelsea Green signed to WWE after taking part in a tryout. She would first arrive at the WWE Performance Center on October 8, 2018, and would make her in-ring debut on October 26, 2018, at a live event where she suffered a loss against Deonna Purrazzo. Green would make her television debut on March 13, 2019, where she would defeat Jessie Elaban. However, she would suffer a broken wrist within that match and would return to in-ring action that June.

On January 8, 2020, it was announced that Chelsea Green had signed with the Robert Stone Brand on NXT Television. Green would pick-up small victories at different points for "firing" Robert Stone on NXT after her final NXT match, where Green and Charlotte Flair defeated Rhea Ripley and Io Shirai.

Chelsea Green made her only appearance on SmackDown on November 13, 2020, where she competed in a fatal four-way match with Tamina, Natalya, and Liv Morgan (the latter of whom picked up the victory.) Following the match, it was revealed that Green had broken her wrist again. This is the last time we've seen Chelsea Green in WWE programming. She lands a spot at the bottom of the list due to a lack of... anything really on the main roster.

#9: Dabba-Kato

On April 12, 2016, Dabba-Kato joined the WWE Performance Center under his real name "Babatunde Aiyegbusi." Babatunde made his professional wrestling debut on September 30, 2016, where he would compete in a 15-man battle royal at an NXT House Show. In April 2018, Babatunde would accompany Lio Rush to the ring in a partnership that ended once Rush was moved to the 205 LIVE roster. Babatunde would never wrestle on NXT television but did wrestle a dark match in a taping against Cameron Grimes (which he would lose.) His final NXT bout would be alongside Nick Ogarelli defeating Aleksander Jaksic and Tehuti Miles on February 28, 2020.

On August 3, 2020, Babatunde would make his RAW debut as a part of the RAW Underground segment under the new name "Dabba-Kato." Dabba-Kato would go on a tear throughout RAW Underground, before being defeated by Braun Strowman nearly a month later. Dabba-Kato was drafted to the RAW brand in October 2020 but has not been seen since.

It was hard to rank Dabba-Kato on this list because he never wrestled an actual match on television. However, with Dabba-Kato being such a presence and making a large impact on RAW Underground, I consider him to be one of the most unforgettable parts of those recurring segments. This lands him at number nine on our list.

#8: Riddick Moss

In 2014, Riddick Moss signed to the WWE Performance Center. He debuted on December 18, 2014, under the ring name "Digg Rawlis." Yikes. In his debut match, Rawlis teamed with Cal Bishop to lose to Angelo Dawkins and Sawyer Fulton. Two months later, his ring name would then be changed to Mike Rawlis. On May 27, 2015, Rawlis made his television debut on NXT where he teamed with Elias Samson, losing to Blake and Murphy in quick action. In August 2015, Rawlis would then adopt the ring name "Riddick Moss."

In October 2016, Riddick Moss would team with Tino Sabbatelli in a tag team dubbed "God Gifted Athletes." The team would go on to have mediocre success, but would not amount any championship gold. On April 25, 2018, in the midst of a match against Heavy Machinery, Tino Sabbatelli would abandon Riddick Moss at ringside ending the partnership. Later that next month, he would tear his Achilles tendon and wouldn't return until November of that year at a live event. In March 2019, Moss would be managed by Robert Strauss until his debut on the main roster.

On January 27, 2020, Riddick Moss made his debut alongside Mojo Rawley who would be defending the WWE 24/7 Championship against No Way Jose. Rawley would win that match but would lose the championship anyway due to the utilization of the 24/7 rules by R-Truth. Moss would then help Rawley regain the championship that same night. Two weeks later, Mojo Rawley and Riddick Moss lost to The Street Profits in tag-team action. Afterward, Moss turned on Rawley and pinned him for the WWE 24/7 Championship. Moss would defend the championship against Ricochet in a match on RAW which many cited as a "burial" of Ricochet. On March 22, Moss lost the championship to R-Truth as he was out on a joke. His reign lasted 41 days. The last time we've seen Riddick Moss was on the August 10 edition of RAW where Moss defeated Cal Bloom at RAW Underground.

As the lowest-ranked professional wrestler to win championship gold (or green) in their call-up, Riddick Moss lands the number seven spot on this list due to a lack of utilization. While being the longest-reigning WWE 24/7 Champion (at one time) is definitely an honor, the reason that reign lasted to such lengths is because we never got to see him on television. I wish they would have gone somewhere further with Mojo and Riddick as a football-based tag team, however, that's not where we are... and Riddick Moss reigns at number seven.

#7: The Forgotten Sons

Steve Cutler, Wesley Blake, and Jaxson Ryker all land a joint spot on this list as a call-up. Wesley Blake was the first of the trio to be signed to WWE, doing so back in June 2013. Cutler would then sign in June 2014, and Ryker signed in May 2017.

Cutler, Blake, and Ryker would debut on NXT television as The Forgotten Sons on August 29, 2018, in a backstage segment with General Manager William Regal. The next week, Blake and Cutler and would defeat The Street Profits in their debut match. They would contend in NXT Tag Team Championship matches and Men's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournaments, but would not be successful in these endeavors. Their last match in NXT occurred on February 26, 2020, where Grizzled Young Veterans defeated Wesley Blake and Steve Cutler.

On April 10, 2020, The Forgotten Sons would debut on SmackDown to defeat Lucha House Party in 4:15. On May 1, 2020, The Forgotten Sons began portraying themselves as American heroes (admittedly, a great gimmick.) However, Jaxson Ryker publically supported President Donald Trump on Twitter, leading to major backstage heat within the WWE. This event led to The Forgotten Sons being taken off of television. Their last match would occur at Money In The Bank 2020, where The New Day defeated John Morrison and The Miz, Lucha House Party, and The Forgotten Sons to retain the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championships.

On the December 4, 2020 episode of SmackDown, Wesley Blake and Steve Cutler would be repackaged as "The Knights of the Lone Wolf," accompanying King Corbin to the ring. Jaxson Ryker would be paired with Elias later in that month on RAW.

Despite the newfound pairing, Steve Cutler was released on February 4, 2021. Reports cite attendance of parties within the COVID-19 pandemic leading to his release. Wesley Blake is now on the SmackDown roster with nothing to do, and Jaxson Ryker is losing to Damian Priest in 35 seconds on RAW.

While I'll admit, The Forgotten Son's run was nothing special by any stretch of the imagination, The Forgotten Sons were actually booked on the show. They may have only had four main roster matches as a team, but two out of the three are still employed with the company and one of them is getting booked weekly. That's more than we can say about their numerical predecessors.

#6: Angel Garza

On April 18, 2019, Angel Garza signed with WWE and began working at the WWE Performance Center. Angel Garza made his NXT live event debut on May 2, 2019, where he took a loss to Mansoor. His NXT television debut would come on June 12, 2019, in the first round of the NXT Breakout tournament where he defeated Joaquin Wilde in 7:23. Later on, in July, Angel Garza debuted on 205 Live where he competed on Drew Gulak's team in a ten-man tag-team match. Garza and the rest of Gulak's team would take a loss on this night.

Angel Garza had multiple shots at the NXT Cruiserweight Championship during his time in NXT and actually found himself succeeding on December 11, 2019, where Angel Garza defeated Lio Rush for the NXT Cruiserweight Championship. Garza would hold on to the belt until Worlds Collide 2020 when Jordan Devlin defeated Angel Garza, Travis Banks, and Isaiah "Swerve" Scott to win the NXT Cruiserweight Championship. Angel Garza's last NXT match took place on February 12, 2020, where he lost to Lio Rush in a #1 Contender's Match for the NXT Cruiserweight Championship.

On February 3, 2020, Angel Garza debuted on RAW as an associate of Zelina Vega and Andrade. Garza assaulted his cousin, Humberto Carrillo, who was then rescued by Rey Mysterio. This would lead to Garza's first match on RAW that same day, where Rey Mysterio defeated Angel Garza via disqualification. At WrestleMania 36, Garza competed alongside Austin Theory for the WWE RAW Tag Team Championships. However, thanks to the athletic prowess of The Street Profits, Garza and Theory would be unsuccessful. Garza would eventually feud with Andrade and defeat him in the blow-off on October 12 RAW. On December 31, 2020, Angel Garza pinned R-Truth to win the WWE 24/7 Championship at a New Year's Eve party. However, four days later, The Boogeyman scared Angel Garza, allowing R-Truth to roll him up to retain the championship. Angel Garza's last main roster match (as of this writing) was on February 22, 2021, where he suffered a loss to Damian Priest.

Angel Garza is a great professional wrestler - there's no doubt about that. While he managed to find success in NXT as NXT Cruiserweight Champion, he has not been entirely lucky on the main roster. With ten out of Garza's last fourteen matches taking place on WWE Main Event, there's all of the chance in the world that WWE is preparing him for something major - however, his run so far has been fairly lackluster. He's been showcased sporadically since his debut. Hopefully, we get the chance to see more of the Mexican Sensation in 2021.

#5: Omos

On October 17, 2018, it was reported that WWE had signed Jordan Omogbehin. Omogbehin is a 7'3" Nigerian-born professional wrestler. Omogbehin would make his in-ring debut on July 18, 2019, at a house show. Omogbehin would defeat the team of Ever-Rise in a handicap match in his first match. His last NXT match would be February 15, 2020, where Omogbehin and Bronson Reed would defeat Aleksander Jaksic and Tehuti Miles at a live event.

On June 15, 2020, Jordan would make his debut on Monday Night RAW as one of Akira Tozawa's ninjas. Omogbehin would be known as "Big Ninja," standing ringside during Tozawa's matches. Afterward, Omogbehin would be repackaged as a bouncer and guard for Shane McMahon's RAW Underground. Omogbehin would remain in this position until RAW Underground ended.

In October 2020, Omogbehin would align himself with AJ Styles as his bodyguard. At Survivor Series 2020, Omogbehin would be referred to as "Omos." He's appeared by the side of AJ Styles every single time the Phenomenal One is on television. Omos is set to make his debut at WrestleMania 37 in a WWE RAW Tag Team Championship match alongside AJ Styles against The New Day.

You may be wondering how Omos landed right in the midst of this list despite not wrestling a single match on the main roster. The answer is because this is my list. For a legitimate answer though, Omos earns his spot at number five due to him being a consistently entertaining member of the show every time he performs. His appearances on RAW have made me very excited to see his main roster match debut, and for that, he is here.

#4: Retribution

This section of the article involves many names. The only member of Retribution to be an established main roster performer prior to 2020 was Mustafa Ali. However, how did Mace, Reckoning, Slapjack, T-BAR, and Retaliation make their main roster debuts?

Mace (debuting on the WWE main roster originally as a commentator as Dio Maddin) made his original WWE debut in NXT on September 30, 2016, where he lost in a battle royal. Reckoning (formerly known as Mia Yim) debuted in NXT in October 2018 where she defeated Aliyah in her first match. Slapjack (known better as Shane Thorne) debuted in NXT in May 2016 where he and former tag team partner Nick Miller lost to Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa. Retribution (currently known as Mercedes Martinez) was the only smart member of the group, who shoot requested her release from the group and was placed back in NXT shortly after her debut. It was fun while it lasted for her. Finally, T-BAR (formerly known as Dominik Dijakovic) T-BAR made his NXT debut in a match against Ricochet on May 30, 2018.

On August 3, 2020, the lights in the WWE Performance Center began flickering on Monday Night RAW. On August 7, 2020, members of a mysterious group in black hoods and sweatsuits would attack the WWE Performance Center audience and announcers. As weeks moved on, Mustafa Ali would reveal himself as the leader of Retribution, and the group would set their sights on ending the "system" that is the WWE.

Each member of Retribution has not done too much since debuting on the main roster, yet have somehow have been showcased on WWE television consistently. There was a short feud between Xavier Woods and Retribution, moving to The New Day and Retribution before never being mentioned again on television. Mustafa Ali is currently amidst a feud with WWE United States Champion Riddle, but that has yet to come to a formal conclusion.

Despite nothing of true interest being showcased by this group, I can't entirely blame it all on the performers themselves. Retribution is filled with entirely talented performers and professional wrestlers, and this team has not been allowed to tell their story. However, this list is how well 2020 call-ups have done since being drafted, and Retribution has not shown too much in the ways of high performance. This lack of a showcase, yet consistent placement on WWE programming lands the entirety of Retribution at number four on our list.

#3: Keith Lee

On May 1, 2018, it was announced that Keith Lee had signed with the WWE. Lee made a special appearance at NXT TakeOver: Chicago II; this would be his first appearance on NXT television. On August 8, 2018, Lee made his in-ring debut where he would defeat Marcel Barthel in quick fashion. In March 2019, Keith Lee would be sidelined with an undisclosed injury which quickly put an end to his budding feud with fellow NXT wrestler Dominik Dijakovic. Lee returned to in-ring competition at a house show later that April.

That November, Keith Lee would be a member of the NXT Survivor Series team in the first 5 vs. 5 vs. 5 Men's Survivor Series match, where he would be the final member of team NXT standing. Lee was last eliminated by Roman Reigns. On January 22, 2020, Keith Lee would defeat Roderick Strong for his first taste of championship gold in WWE, winning the NXT North American Championship. Keith Lee would defend the championship against the likes of Cameron Grimes, Dominik Dijakovic, Johnny Gargano, and Damian Priest. Lee would then enter a feud with NXT Champion Adam Cole who he would defeat at NXT: The Great American Bash, Day 2, to become the first double champion in NXT. 14 days later, on NXT television, Keith Lee relinquished the NXT North American Championship and entered a feud with Karrion Kross. Keith Lee would lose the championship to Karrion Kross at NXT TakeOver: XXX. Lee's championship reign lasted 52 days.

Keith Lee's debut would be announced at Summerslam 2020. Keith Lee debuted on Monday Night RAW on August 24, 2020, where he bore new ring gear and lost his highly acclaimed entrance theme that was tied heavily to his character. Keith Lee lost to Randy Orton in four minutes and fifty seconds after Drew McIntyre attacked Randy Orton mid-match, leading to a disqualification. Keith Lee would go on to defeat Randy Orton at Payback 2020 but has not seen much success since. Lee has been showcased on WWE television consistently with a very 50/50 booking style. Lee was slated to compete in the 2021 Royal Rumble but was taken out of the contest due to his fiance, Mia Yim, contracting COVID-19. Lee was also removed from the Elimination Chamber 2021 PPV where he was supposed to compete in the WWE United States Championship match against Bobby Lashley and Riddle. We have not seen Keith Lee on WWE programming since.

Keith Lee has not won championship gold in WWE (yet) but this 50/50 booking is still better than what his predecessors on this list have been given in WWE. Keith Lee has unsuccessfully challenged for the WWE Championship and has been presented as a powerful machine in his time on the main roster. The only drawback is that his booking and win/loss record speaks otherwise. Despite this, I believe that there is still hope for Keith Lee on WWE's main roster and that he will one day reach the pinnacle of this industry.

#2: Riddle

On August 18, 2018, Matt Riddle appeared on NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn IV and was touted as WWE's newest signee. Riddle debuted on October 31, 2018, where he defeated Luke Menzies in 3 minutes and 19 seconds. Riddle's first NXT TakeOver match occurred at NXT TakeOver: War Games II when Kassius Ohno interviewed his interview during the pre-show. Riddle challenged Ohno to a match, where Riddle would defeat Ohno in six seconds (setting a record for NXT.) Ohno and Riddle would feud and settle it in a blowoff at NXT TakeOver: Pheonix where Riddle made Ohno tap.

Matt Riddle would contend against Velveteen Dream for the NXT North American Championship and Adam Cole for the NXT Championship; he would come up short in both ventures. In January 2020, the 2020 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic teams were announced - one of these teams being Matt Riddle and Pete Dunne. Dunne, while at first apprehensive, would grow to embrace the tandem. The two would take on the title of "The Broserweights." On January 29, 2020, the tandem would defeat Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson and James Drake) to win the 2020 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic and earn a title shot against the NXT Tag Team Champions Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly. At NXT TakeOver: Portland, Riddle and Dunne would defeat Fish and O'Reilly to become the NXT Tag Team Champions. Dunne then became incapable of traveling to the United States due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Timothy Thatcher was chosen as Dunne's replacement. Riddle and Thatcher would lose the titles to Imperium's Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel on May 13, 2020, when Thatcher abandoned Riddle at ringside. Riddle and Thatcher would feud for the remainder of his time in NXT, concluding in a Fight Pit match which Riddle would lose via technical submission.

Matt Riddle made his main roster debut on June 19, 2020, where he interrupted WWE Intercontinental Champion AJ Styles. Afterward, Riddle defeated Styles in a non-title match-up. Post-match, King Corbin attacked Riddle. This would lead to Riddle defeating King Corbin at Payback 2020.

In October 2020, Matt Riddle was drafted to the RAW brand. Matt Riddle's ring name would be shortened to "Riddle" (much to the ire of many professional wrestling fans.) In December, Riddle would go on to feud with WWE United States Champion Bobby Lashley. This match would continue for two months with Lashley consistently pulling victories over Riddle. On February 21, 2021, at Elimination Chamber 2021, Riddle would defeat John Morrison and Bobby Lashley in a triple threat match to win the WWE United States Championship. Riddle is currently embroiled in a feud with Mustafa Ali and Retribution, and has aligned himself with The New Day.

Riddle has completely earned his spot on this list. Riddle made an impactful debut against the legendary AJ Styles in a marquee match, consistently showcased his abilities on both brands, and won the WWE United States Championship (a title of great prestige) on the main roster. With Riddle being the only person to win a main roster championship (with any legitimacy) on this list, I believe that he takes his rightful spot at number two. However, number one is...

#1: Bianca Belair

On April 12, 2016, after two tryouts, WWE signed Bianca Belair to the WWE Performance Center and the NXT brand. Rumor has it that she made her in-ring segment debut at an NXT live show where she announced herself as "Binky Blair," but we're not certain of that to be 100%. Her in-ring debut took place in September 2016 where she would lose to Aliyah at an NXT house show. On the May 3, 2017, episode of NXT, Belair made her debut on NXT television in an NXT Women's Championship #1 Contender's Battle Royal. She would be eliminated by Billie Kay and Peyton Royce.

Bianca Belair would go on an undefeated streak and feud with the likes of Lacey Evans, Dakota Kai, Mia Yim, and Candice LeRae. Belair would contend for the NXT Women's Championship against Shayna Baszler. Baszler would cause Belair to submit. Belair would challenge Rhea Ripley for the NXT Women's Championship at NXT TakeOver: Portland, but she would come up short once again. In Bianca Belair's last NXT match, Belair would suffer a loss to the returning Charlotte Flair in twelve minutes and three seconds. Flair would (kayfabe) injure Belair's ankle, leading to her being taken off of television for a couple of months.

Belair would make her main roster debut in a mixed tag team match siding with The Street Profits taking on the trio of Angel Garza, Austin Theory, and Zelina Vega. Belair and The Street Profits would be victorious. Belair would enter a mini-feud with Zelina Vega that was quietly dropped later on. In the October 2020 WWE Draft, Bianca Belair would be drafted to SmackDown.

On SmackDown, Bianca Belair would pick up victories over Bayley, Zelina Vega, and Natalya before teaming with WWE SmackDown Women's Champion Sasha Banks in a match for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships. The duo would not end up victorious on that SmackDown episode, but this would plant the seeds for something much greater. At the 2021 Royal Rumble, Bianca Belair would outlast 29 other women to win the Royal Rumble match and earn a women's championship opportunity at WrestleMania. Bianca Belair has now entered a title program with Sasha Banks and will be facing her at WrestleMania 37 this coming April 2021.

Say what you will about the rest of her main roster existence, but that Royal Rumble win has etched her name into the history books. Bianca Belair is showcased consistently on WWE programming and is slated to contend in (one of) the main events at WrestleMania 37. Belair is an incredible in-ring talent, has put on consistent performances on SmackDown, and has been a trailblazer for women in professional wrestling amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. For this, and for the future, Bianca Belair is our pick for the number one main roster call-up of 2020.

Did I miss something? Do you agree/disagree with a take of mine? Let me know in the comments below or reach out on Twitter @BladeJobPW!

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