Backstage Details on NXT Officials Being ‘Blindsided’ By Cruz Montana’s Raw Call-Up

WWE NXT officials were reportedly caught off guard by Cruz Montana moving to the main roster and his addition to The 946. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the idea was first discussed during a meeting on October 22.

Cruz Montana made his surprise main roster debut on the November 2 episode of Raw at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. He appeared masked during a confrontation between The 946 and The Bloodline. He took down Roman Reigns before revealing his identity and joined Royce Keys, Carmelo Hayes, Jaida Parker, Bronco Nima, and Lucien Price in the faction.

However, NXT reportedly still had “future plans” for him before the call-up. Dave Meltzer reported that everyone in NXT was “blindsided” by his appearance on Raw. The source was unsure whether Shawn Michaels knew about the move beforehand but believed he would have been informed shortly afterward.

Michaels had previously hinted that main roster promotions can happen without advance notice, forcing NXT to adjust its plans. Following Montana’s debut, the WWE Hall of Famer congratulated him on X. He also noted that 19 NXT talents had moved to Raw or SmackDown over the previous 12 months.

CRUZ MONTANA 😱

946 ADDS to their numbers!! pic.twitter.com/jHVM1Zt8im

— WWE (@WWE) November 3, 2026