Opinion
NXT Takeover’s Message to WWE WrestleMania 35: “Follow That”
Can WrestleMania follow what NXT did on Friday night?
NXT Takeover: New York is in the books and once again, pro wrestling fans are left breathless. The black and gold brand delivered as only it can as each match was top notch from start to finish.
This should come as no surprise, as the Takeover events are typically always on point. The show is like a warmup for WrestleMania, but it’s become something much more than that. Indeed, Takeover is a must-see event for anyone that loves pure professional wrestling. It’s become so important that for many, WrestleMania pales by comparison.
It’s easy to share that opinion of course. After all, NXT is a much more emotional product than its main roster counterpart. To share the view that NXT is superior is a common practice and sometimes it’s hard to know if that view is an honest one.
Just as it’s easy to love NXT, it’s just as easy to hate on WWE. Both Monday Night Raw and SmackDown Live are seen as two programs filled with nothing but missed opportunities. Why didn’t this Superstar get a chance? When will this silly story come to an end?
indeed, the red and blue brands seem wrought with problems from top to bottom. There’s just so much drama and oftentimes, ridiculousness, to ignore. The fact that there’s so much time to fill doesn’t seem to make a difference. The fact that there are so many variables to consider when it comes to the main roster audience, doesn’t seem to make a difference either.
The only thing fans can see is that Raw is bloated with three hours of overproduced content and SmackDown Live seems to be heading in that direction as well. The NXT product is much easier on the eyes, as well as the psyche.
Simpler storytelling means a much more loyal and passionate fan following. NXT is all about the in-ring action and less about the fluff that tends to surround it. So yes, it’s extremely easy to buy the NXT hype and turn on WWE’s primary programs as a result.
But this isn’t just hype. NXT is the real deal and its legitimately become a third brand for WWE. Fans know that tomorrow’s stars are working today in NXT. But the more time that passes, the more obvious it becomes that the current crop of NXT talent is making an impact right now.
Tomorrow is not a concern like it used to be. There doesn’t even seem to be a point in discussing the future anymore. NXT is the most exciting brand in WWE and arguably, all of professional wrestling. The reason for that has everything to do with the Superstars involved, as well as the storytelling behind them.
It’s as if WWE has rediscovered how to produce pro wrestling with the NXT brand. It could even be said that WWE is actually discovering that method for the first time. There’s no denying that NXT has the feel of a competitive athletic presentation. It’s the same vibe that fans want for both Raw and SmackDown. But that’s likely not happening any time soon.
So while the red and blue brands continue to swim upstream in terms of overall fan satisfaction, NXT continues to rise above and outperform everything else nearly every time. This is especially true of Takeover, which is on par with WrestleMania, if only for sheer intensity and entertainment value.
That’s also true of the New York Takeover as well. While fans are preparing for 16 matches and several hours of WrestleMania 35, they will not forget that NXT gave them a great night of action with only five matches in three hours. Now that the main roster has been put on notice, does this mean that WrestleMania 35 will outshine the black and gold brand?
The fact is that answer is very subjective. One fan’s personal tastes in pro wrestling may not be shared by anyone else. Even if less than half of Mania’s matches are deemed successful, that may be enough for some fans. But for others, that may be enough reason to call WrestleMania an abject failure.
But that’s no reason to dismiss the vibe around Takeover as nothing more than manufactured euphoria. There’s a reason why NXT Superstars are becoming less likely to grow in popularity when they move to Raw or SmackDown. It’s not because they haven’t earned their shot. But for the most part, fans are apprehensive because of the sheer dread of it all.
WWE tends to drop the ball when it comes to moving top stars from NXT to the main roster. It’s common knowledge among fans and its undeniable that the sense of doubt surrounding such moves is worse than it’s ever been.
The fact is that the NXT product is entertaining, intriguing and valuable in its own right. WWE has provided the perfect stage to make an impact and that’s exactly what happens in NXT. Everyone knows that NXT is just the first stop for many Superstars on their way to the next level. But everyone also knows that NXT has enough creditability to be the next level.
WrestleMania 35 has a little something for everyone. But Takeover gave a lot to everyone that watched. WWE’s way of doing business as it pertains to handling NXT will likely not change. But the way fans feel about the brand surely won’t change either.
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Opinion
Chris King: The Wyatt Sicks’ Wasted Potential By WWE
Chris King takes a look at the WWE and their wasted potential of Uncle Howdy and the Wyatt Sicks faction.
Chris King takes a look at the WWE and their wasted potential of Uncle Howdy and the Wyatt Sicks faction.
It’s that time of the year again, folks; it’s unfortunate and downright awful that so many WWE superstars got released today. I’m not going to list all of them, but I am going to talk about one of my favorite factions,
The Wyatt Sicks. Nikki Cross, Joe Gacy, Erik Rowan, and Bo Dallas (Uncle Howdy) were something special. After Bo’s brother Bray Wyatt’s tragic passing, WWE felt like there was a hole that needed to be filled. Wyatt was one of the most creative and brilliant characters, and Bo would be taking over his brother’s concept and bringing it to life. In 2024, at the end of an incredible documentary highlighting Wyatt’s career and struggles, Bo appeared on the screen portrayed as Uncle Howdy. The last time Uncle Howdy was seen on-screen was at the 2023 Royal Rumble, where Wyatt defeated LA Knight in a Pitch Black Match. Howdy jumped off a structure onto Knight.
This post-credit scene sparked so much speculation and excitement that Wyatt’s brother would carry on his legacy and possibly debut the faction that was Wyatt’s concept. On the June 17th episode of Monday Night Raw, The Wyatt Sicks made their dramatic debut ,destroying the backstage area as well as “murdering” Chad Gable. It was such an iconic arrival for Howdy as he made his menacing walk from the back into the audience who were chanting “Holy Shit.” The Sicks and American Made (Chad Gable and The Creed Brothers) battled for months, with The Sicks being victorious. On the September 9th episode of Raw, The Sicks defeated them, with Howdy getting the win with Sister Abigail.
The following year, The Sicks would move over to Friday Night SmackDown, and it seemed like WWE had a plan in place. They would win the tag team championships from The Street Profits and start to look dominant. Now, what should have happened next is Howdy should have won the United States title. The Sicks could have held all the gold over on the blue brand, but it never happened. The Sicks entered into a never-ending feud with The MFT’s (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, JC Mateo, and Talla Tonga.) It started off exciting, and the WWE Universe was red-hot for their interactions.
After months of repetitive matches and The MFT’s stealing their lantern, the feud grew tiresome and boring. Even Tama asked Solo why they are still holding onto the lantern, as it was destroying them as a whole. Finally on the SmackDown before Mania, Tama
gave the lantern back to Howdy against Solo’s wishes. Please explain to me why both factions fought almost every single week instead of just having one final blowoff match at WrestleMania.
It should have been either a massive street fight or a falls count anywhere match on the grandest stage of them all. Instead, it turned into a meaningless week-after-week extravaganza that benefited no one. The MFTs won the rivalry, and The Sicks don’t even work for WWE anymore. This was the same criminalized creative process that Wyatt dealt with during his first run in the company.
We’ll never know how much of a dangerous force The Wyatt Sicks could have been in the WWE. For all their careers’ sake, I hope they stay far away from the company for as long as possible. Every superstar that was cut deserves better!
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Opinion
Chris King: Bloodline Saga: Is This the Right Call For WWE?
Chris King questions the WWE’s logic in setting up Jacob Fatu as the next challenger for World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns
Chris King questions the WWE’s logic in setting up Jacob Fatu as the next challenger for World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns is once again World Heavyweight Champion after his dominant win over CM Punk at WrestleMania 42. On the following night on Monday Night Raw, The OG Bloodline came back together as a well-oiled machine as The Usos stood side by side with Roman. With the WWE Universe asking who would be the first to challenge “The Tribal Chief,” Jacob Fatu shocked the world by answering the call.
Fatu is running hot after his impressive win over Drew McIntyre and feels like he is ready to become the new world champion. This bloodline segment ended Raw, and it picked right back up on SmackDown with even Solo Sikoa and the MFTs involved. This is now two shows that have been centered around The Bloodline saga, and it’s made me question whether or not WWE should be retelling this story.
The Bloodline (Roman Reigns, The Usos, and Solo Sikoa) ran WWE for over four years as Reigns’ henchmen, doing his dirty work to retain his title. Even though Roman has declared he doesn’t want Jey and Jimmy to serve him, it sure seems like WWE are spinning their wheels. Fatu could add a whole new chapter into the story, even if he’s not able to beat Roman at Backlash. “The Samoan Werewolf” could be forced to do the same thing as Jey did all those years ago and fall in line.
In my opinion, I feel like Fatu should be challenging for the Undisputed WWE Championship because that’s a title I feel like he should win. I understand standing up to your blood and trying to prove you’re the best, but I don’t think this is the right move. It feels like 2022 all over again, as The Bloodline is the central focus on both shows. If Fatu doesn’t win, what happens to all his momentum he’s been building over the last two years?
Why did WWE make this the best choice for storyline purposes? Why couldn’t creative have come up with a different challenger for Roman? There are so many other superstars that could challenge The Tribal Chief, such as Rusev, Bron Breakker, Gunther, or even a returning Sheamus.
I just can’t help but question WWE’s logic here, and it kind of reminds me of all the times The Shield reunited. Could WWE be pushing the same storyline too many times here? Could the WWE Universe get tired of this rinse and repeat cycle of The Bloodline Saga?
Are we about to see all the weekly episodes solely focused on The Bloodline again? Will it be cinema… Yes. Is there still money in The Bloodline… Yes. Was it the right call? That’s to be determined!
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Attitude Of Aggression Podcast: The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history) Unidentified History (Ufology) & Game Gone Wrong (Game of Thrones Universe)
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