Starr: NXT 2.0 May Actually Be Right Place, Right Time

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.”