Tony D’Angelo has revealed that NXT leadership, including Shawn Michaels, Johnny Russo and Matt Bloom, have personally addressed with him why he has not yet been called up to the WWE main roster, despite having been a fixture of the developmental brand for several years.
D’Angelo made the comments during an appearance on Busted Open After Dark, where he was asked how it felt to watch other NXT peers receive main roster call-ups while he remained on the developmental brand. According to D’Angelo, Michaels, Russo and Bloom have each spoken to him about his situation, giving him insight into the promotion’s thinking regarding his career path.
Both Fightful and F4W Online reported on D’Angelo’s remarks, with F4W Online noting that he debuted on NXT programming just over five years ago, in October 2021. That tenure makes him one of the more established names still working regularly on NXT television, and his comments suggest an awareness within WWE’s talent development leadership of the frustration that can come with watching colleagues advance ahead of him.
Michaels serves as WWE’s head of talent development creative and oversees the direction of NXT storylines and roster decisions, while Russo and Bloom hold significant roles within the brand’s production and development structure. Their willingness to discuss the matter directly with D’Angelo indicates that his case has been a point of internal conversation rather than something left unaddressed.
Neither Fightful nor F4W Online’s reporting detailed the specific reasons D’Angelo was given for the delay in his promotion, and no timeline for a potential call-up was disclosed. D’Angelo’s comments do not confirm any imminent move to the main roster, only that conversations about his future have taken place with key figures in NXT’s leadership.
For a performer who has spent more than five years building his character and in-ring résumé on NXT, the acknowledgment from Michaels and the rest of the creative team may offer some reassurance that his path forward is being actively considered, even as specific plans remain unannounced.
