Original NXT Plans for Je’Von Evans Before Sudden Main Roster Call-Up

Je’Von Evans’ move to WWE’s main roster didn’t just shake up NXT—it reportedly scrapped a major title plan that was already in motion.

According to Bodyslam.net’s Cory Hays, Evans was originally lined up to defeat Oba Femi for the NXT Championship before WWE changed direction. Hays shared the update on Twitter, revealing that Evans was expected to take the title before the main roster stepped in.

“Je'Von was going to dethrone Oba Femi for the before the main roster came calling.”

WWE pivoted once the decision was made to move both Evans and Oba Femi to the main roster around the same time. Instead of having Evans win the championship, the company had Oba vacate the title and shifted the storyline entirely.

That reported plan matches what Shawn Michaels recently said about how much NXT had invested in Evans before he was called up earlier than expected. While speaking on The Ringer Wrestling podcast, Michaels admitted Evans was someone he desperately wanted to keep in NXT longer because the brand had big plans centered around him.

He explained that NXT officials were preparing to build the brand around Evans for the next year, but WWE leadership moved quickly to bring him up, leaving NXT to adjust on the fly.

“Well, not forever because that’s—you’re not doing a good job if you got them forever. But certainly, Je’Von obviously was somebody I had—you know, we—you know, I was begging for like, ‘Can we keep him for another six months?’ if not… from an NXT standpoint, we were in our minds going to obviously build around Je’Von for the next year, and that was kind of the model.”

Michaels also revealed he tried to delay the call-up more than once, even suggesting shorter extensions, but each request was turned down.

“And they’re like, ‘Oh no, no, no. We’re taking him, too.’ Like, ‘Oh, oh,’ you know, and I pushed back a little bit… ‘Just six months?’ Like, ‘No.’ And like three? Like, ‘No.’ And I’m like, ‘All right, so fair enough.’”

If the original plan had played out, Evans defeating Oba Femi could have been one of the biggest title moments in NXT at the time. Instead, both stars were moved up, and NXT had to quickly change course.

Do you think WWE should have let Je’Von Evans win the NXT Title before calling him up, or was moving him to the main roster early the right call? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.