Opinion
Starr: NXT 2.0 May Actually Be Right Place, Right Time
Tommy Starr bucks the IWC trend of NXT 2.0 is the worst thing in the world, and thinks it might actually be…well-timed! Do you agree?
As news hit the internet about the upcoming changes in NXT late this summer, many longtime fans of the brand were skeptical about how these changes would impact the viewing experience of the product. While the discussions ranged from the types of talents that would be featured, to the presentation of the show, new logos, new lighting, etc., the bulk of the conversation stemmed from the idea that Vince McMahon wanted to bring NXT back to its grassroots focus of utilizing the brand as a true, authentic developmental system.
Somewhere along the way, NXT lost the plot as to what its fundamental purpose was. As the brand grew traction and gained popularity around 2015 and 2016, with the implementation of well-known independent wrestlers, the product inadvertently shifted from a developmental system to more of a PWG/Ring of Honor brand on a mainstream level. Many of the wrestlers that came through the system (Kevin Owens, Samoa Joe, Bobby Roode, Shinsuke Nakamura, Drew McIntyre, Undisputed Era, etc.) had already crafted much of their ring skill on the independent circuit and other wrestling organizations well before they signed with WWE. In result, they had very little to learn as far as the basics and fundamentals go, and spent more time forming their characters, working and expanding on their promo delivery, and learning the WWE style of match.
The issue with the majority of these talents is that, while Triple H. may have liked them, and while the wrestling fans may have liked them, they still had to pass the approval of the head of the table, Vince. As Vince was not actively privy or “hands on” with the ongoing operations of NXT several years ago and allowed Hunter to oversee much of the direction of the product, the downside was that Vince didn’t see the growth and development of these characters. Thus, when they “graduated” from NXT and were “ready” for the main roster, the majority of these wrestlers started from scratch, as if all of their accomplishments in NXT meant nothing. And in cases like Samoa Joe or Bobby Roode, a valid argument can be made that they were far to superior to much of the main roster talent already.
The whole debate over the “Wednesday Night War” era is its own separate article, but by and large, the AEW vs. NXT saga can really be boiled down to this:
There was no war; there was never a war. AEW wiped the floor clean with NXT in terms of week to week viewership and numbers, NXT interest and viewership steadily declined, NXT needed a bailout, so they switched from the Wednesday night slot to Tuesday night in April of this year. And only within the last couple of months has WWE actively tried to hit the reset button and course correct. So, if you want to make the case that NXT/WWE “lost the war,” you can make that claim. But you are missing the bigger picture.
The bigger picture is that NXT 2.0 has found an identity. Their sole focus is back where it should be, that being concentrating on building stars and worrying about their own product. The whole experiment of oneupmanship over the competition on a work level standpoint was never going to hold up long-term. WWE has plenty of its own issues right now when it comes to “stars,” that issue being that they lack them in every capacity. That is why the case should be made that this NXT reboot is right place, right time. If their vision is to build guys from the bottom up, work them through the system, and construct an end goal with a handful of them having world title runs and main event programs at WrestleMania five to six years down the road, it transforms NXT into what Ohio Valley Wrestling used to be. And with Vince having significant input and watching these talents grow overtime, he already has more knowledge and vision for particular guys, whereas he did not have that before with guys like Joe, Roode, Balor, etc.
The lingering issue here is how long it takes before Vince sours on particular talents, especially ones that he may have had long-term stock in. The worst case scenario is to heavily invest in guys like Bron Breakker, Odyssey Jones, or Duke Hudson, only to have them flounder on the main roster like we have seen with so many prior NXT “graduates.”
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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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