Source: The Wrestling Observer Newsletter
According to sources, there has been a lot of talk backstage in WWE regarding Finn Balor and Bayley and their eventual main roster debuts. Several people within the company have been discussing their recent media appearances where both of them have been openly saying they are “happy staying in NXT”.
In Balor’s case, there’s a lot of talk about how NXT is relying heavily on Balor to have big main event matches, with concern that he’s breaking down his body too much with the brand’s expanding touring schedule. Balor is thirty-four and with more touring expected this year, the worry is that NXT is supposed to get him ready to be able to make it to the main roster, not break him apart before he gets there.
As for Bayley, the feeling is that she’ll either be the biggest female star in WWE history or will flounder on the main roster, with no in-between. Some in the company see her as a female John Cena in terms of her ability to do charity work and bring in younger fans, particularly younger female fans. WWE has never had a strong audience among young girls outside of the few periods where they were strong across all demographics. There’s concern that any attempts to contrive situations on the main roster like the young superfan Izzy, which helped promote Bayley in a big way, could lead to a backlash.
There’s also talk that Bayley’s current character plays well as a “big sister” type for young fans to idolize, which has an inherent shelf life. If the company waits too long to pull the trigger she could outgrow that image.
