Is NXT helping or hurting the WWE???

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Montana
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Is NXT helping or hurting the WWE???

Post by Montana »

As long as i can remember the WWE has had a developmental system... OVW, FCW, now NXT. With the WWE network, the want for Network exclusive brand grew, thus NXT turned into to one of the hottest wrestling shows. As more talent was brought up to the main roster, more talent was brought in. If the goal was for NXT was to become a popular show, i think you could argue that it's been successful.

As a developmental company, over the past 4-5 years TNA/Indy stars have dominated the scene. Guys who are already established, and didn't need much more polish than learning the WWE system/cameras. Of that 12 NXT champions, only 2 of the 12 were WWE originals. Bo Dallas and Big E so far have combined for 1 singles championship (Big E - 1 IC title run)in the WWE. The other 10 championship reigns were Rollins, Neville, Zayn, Owens, Balor, Joe, Nakamura, Roode, whom have all held gold in major promotion prior to WWE. You could probably argue Jinder Mahal was a successful developmental project as well. Braun Strowman seems to be the most popular developmental talent to date.

Let's not forget that AJ Styles, Mike Bennett, and Karl Anderson are the rare exceptions to debut on the main roster.

So where's the problem?? Is NXT truly creating stars for WWE, or using existing stars and preparing them for WWE. Does it matter? Do teams like the American Alpha get ready for the WWE, but the WWE doesn't have a spot for them? Is it simply that WWE's booking is SO BAD, that it fails to produce an interesting show week after week? I really thought with the brand split, guys like Ambrose, Wyatt, Owens would get more time to shine. Which they have, but it still seems like there is a ceiling on talent.

Long story short, is the developmental company getting so much exposure good or bad for the WWE? It think it's better served as a developmental company to help wrestlers develop their skills. Not so much for guys like Roderick Strong or Chris Hero who run circles around guys. I think talent like Joe/Roode/Nakamura get injected to the WWE without developmental as a surprise. Seems like NXT gets all the good surprises, where as WWE is very predictable.

What do you think. Would you change NXT? Are they helping or hurting the current WWE brand?
famicommander
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Re: Is NXT helping or hurting the WWE???

Post by famicommander »

At this point it's just a place they can store guys they don't want NJPW/ROH/GFW/LU/CMLL/AAA/etc to have while producing cheap content for the Network. Same with 205 Live.

It stopped being developmental went they made it a touring indie killer. There's absolutely no reason for guys in their 40s to be in NXT while there are still some clearly very green performers on the main roster.
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Thelone
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Re: Is NXT helping or hurting the WWE???

Post by Thelone »

NXT peaked with R-Evolution at the end of 2014 with the big payoff of Zayn winning the belt, started to lose its lustre during Owens' reign, then nosedived during Balor's horrendous reign of boredom and death. Joe was a slight bump, but Nakamura phoning it in and Roode being diet HHH doesn't help.

On the women's side, they peaked with Unstoppable and that tremendous Banks vs. Lynch match, especially the post-match that put Lynch over huge as a big babyface. They kinda botched Bayley's coronation with a lacklustre build towards the first Brooklyn show and calling Banks up for no reason (oh yeah, that gangwarz shit), then we have the overly long reign of Asuka and failing miserably to build someone properly to dethrone her (is Moon really that over?).

Tag teams were always the weakness of NXT (and pretty much every promotion in the universe), but I'll just say that the Revival is the most overrated team I ever saw. Just because you do a bunch of spots from the Andersons and/or the Brainbusters doesn't mean that you're great and you wanna know why? BECAUSE YOU'RE DOING THEM WITHOUT A HINT OF PSYCHOLOGY, UNLIKE THE GUYS YOU STOLE THEM FROM!!!

Ahem...

Anyway, I don't think NXT is hurting the product right now, but it's not helping either.
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ShaunSperling
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Re: Is NXT helping or hurting the WWE???

Post by ShaunSperling »

When Brooklyn puts Summerslam to shame this weekend, I'd say hurting :-)
Big Red Machine
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Re: Is NXT helping or hurting the WWE???

Post by Big Red Machine »

ShaunSperling wrote: Mon Aug 14, 2017 9:27 am When Brooklyn puts Summerslam to shame this weekend, I'd say hurting :-)
Especially because this sort of thing isn't an unusual occurrence.
Montana
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Re: Is NXT helping or hurting the WWE???

Post by Montana »

ShaunSperling wrote: Mon Aug 14, 2017 9:27 am When Brooklyn puts Summerslam to shame this weekend, I'd say hurting :-)
Really?? The only match i'm really excited for on the NXT card is Black vs. Itami. I'm sure the NXT show will be good, just nothing has me particularly excited. Roode vs Drew screams TNA main event. To be fair, SummerSlam isn't doing a lot either... but a few match could be good. Owens vs. AJ should be very good. the 4 way main event should be solid. Neville vs. Tozawa should be good, if it makes the show. Then you have some overbooking areas like Wyatt and Balor and Orton and Rusev. Kinda like the idea of Cena vs Corbin, just seems like they didn't properly build up these feuds as there is like 4 weeks between PPVs. The large card makes for a longer show, but bigger isn't always better.


NXT Takeover
Bobby Roode (c) vs. Drew McIntyre (NXT Championship Match)
Asuka (c) vs. Ember Mooon (NXT Women's Championship Match)
The Authors of Pain (c) vs. SAnitY (NXT Tag Team Championship Match)
Aleister Black vs. Hideo Itami
Johnny Gargano vs. Andrade "Cien" Almas

SummerSlam Card
Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman vs. Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe (Universal Championship)
Jinder Mahal vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (WWE Championship)
Alexa Bliss vs. Sasha Banks or Nia Jax (Raw Women's Championship)
Neville vs. Akira Tozawa (Cruiserweight Championship)
Naomi vs. Natalya (SmackDown Women's Championship)
AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens (United States Championship)
John Cena vs. Baron Corbin
Randy Orton vs. Rusev
Finn Balor vs. Bray Wyatt
The New Day vs. The Usos (SmackDown Tag Team Championship)
Big Show vs. Big Cass
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Thelone
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Re: Is NXT helping or hurting the WWE???

Post by Thelone »

ShaunSperling wrote: Mon Aug 14, 2017 9:27 am When Brooklyn puts Summerslam to shame this weekend, I'd say hurting :-)
It really doesn't look that way to me. McIntyre and Moon are ice cold challengers, AoP vs. Sanity is a match that'll happen on that show, same with Gargano vs. Andrade "The Flop" Almas, and I guess Black vs. Itami could be a fun strong style match, except Itami is barely a shell of his former self at this point.
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Big Red Machine
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Re: Is NXT helping or hurting the WWE???

Post by Big Red Machine »

Thelone wrote: Mon Aug 14, 2017 1:07 pm
ShaunSperling wrote: Mon Aug 14, 2017 9:27 am When Brooklyn puts Summerslam to shame this weekend, I'd say hurting :-)
It really doesn't look that way to me. McIntyre and Moon are ice cold challengers, AoP vs. Sanity is a match that'll happen on that show, same with Gargano vs. Andrade "The Flop" Almas, and I guess Black vs. Itami could be a fun strong style match, except Itami is barely a shell of his former self at this point.
Am I, like, the only person on Earth who likes Ember Moon and thinks she has been built up pretty well?
While Drew might be cold as a challenger, I have no doubt that he and Roode will deliver in a huge way.
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Re: Is NXT helping or hurting the WWE???

Post by Mr. Mojo Risin »

Thelone wrote: Mon Aug 14, 2017 1:07 pm
ShaunSperling wrote: Mon Aug 14, 2017 9:27 am When Brooklyn puts Summerslam to shame this weekend, I'd say hurting :-)
It really doesn't look that way to me. McIntyre and Moon are ice cold challengers, AoP vs. Sanity is a match that'll happen on that show, same with Gargano vs. Andrade "The Flop" Almas, and I guess Black vs. Itami could be a fun strong style match, except Itami is barely a shell of his former self at this point.
Other than Itami vs. Black, the only other thing I am excited about is Adam Cole showing up. Someone earlier said it was like a main event from TNA and that was right on the money. Not feeling this show at all otherwise.

As far as whether NXT is helping or hurting the WWE? It goes as far as Vince wants it to. He had absolutely no fucking problem poaching NXT before and he will do it again. NXT is just an illusion of an indy. That's the way Vince likes it.
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Thelone
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Re: Is NXT helping or hurting the WWE???

Post by Thelone »

Big Red Machine wrote: Mon Aug 14, 2017 1:57 pmAm I, like, the only person on Earth who likes Ember Moon and thinks she has been built up pretty well?
The story is fine (reminds me of Goldberg vs. DDP at Halloween Havoc 98 with the idea of the Diamond Cutter being this instant death move which can beat the unstoppable beast), but this is a weird case of building up the champion so well and half-assing every challenger that a clean loss would feel like bullshit no matter what.

They really should have switched the belt in Orlando and maybe build up a rematch for Brooklyn with an unhinged (well, more than usual) Asuka trying to reclaim her belt against Moon.
While Drew might be cold as a challenger, I have no doubt that he and Roode will deliver in a huge way.
Roode's in-ring work has been totally unremarkable in NXT. He lucked out with his theme because he would have been another Aries otherwise.
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Big Red Machine
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Re: Is NXT helping or hurting the WWE???

Post by Big Red Machine »

Thelone wrote: Tue Aug 15, 2017 9:33 am
Roode's in-ring work has been totally unremarkable in NXT. He lucked out with his theme because he would have been another Aries otherwise.
I totally disagree. I think he's been quite awesome, and that he and Nakamura had the best match out of every single promotion that ran WrestleMania weekend.
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