It seems that a former North American Champion is being called up to the main roster.
After being down in NXT for five years, it appears that Tony D’Angelo will finally make his debut on the main roster, according to WrestleVotes Radio. The last time the 30-year-old competed in the developmental brand was on July 15th where he beat both Channing Lorenzo and Luca Crusifino to settle their feud once and for all.
A week after his win, there was a video teasing something new for the D’Angelo character after he stated that he didn’t want to be called “The Don” anymore. There was also a mysterious shadowy figure over him, but that segment was never resolved. D’Angelo simply disappeared from NXT television, but it is possible that’s because WWE opted to send him to the main roster.
“Sources indicate Tony D’Angelo’s name has been circulating within creative recently with some expecting him to debut on the main roster before years end.” According to WrestleVotes. “His mobster style gimmick is expected to remain at this time though it will likely be slightly refined before he hits RAW or SmackDown. D’Angelo is said to have a strong work ethic and standout personality traits that many within the company speak highly of.”
Will D’Angelo’s mobster gimmick work on the main roster? Only time will tell. But it certainly made a splash when it first debuted during the NXT 2.0 era. Though D’Angelo has never won the NXT Championship, he is one of the rare few men who owns a victory over Oba Femi.
Despite being down in NXT for five years, D’Angelo was a prominent act since he made his debut in 2021. He first started out as a heel, but fans took a liking to his gimmick and Tony eventually turned babyface. He’s one of the few successes that came from the NXT 2.0 rebrand.
The question on whether his gimmick will work on the main roster is up in the air. Though Roman Reigns is the closest to being a mobster leader via the Bloodline, he had plenty of stories and characters that helped elevate his persona. D’Angelo is seemingly coming onto the main roster alone. Though a good story can turn the tide for him as he does have good natural charisma. Hopefully, WWE has something good planned for the former NXT North American Champion.