Few things are ever perfect, but NXT came pretty close to it. This list isn’t so much the negatives or low points as they are annoyances or other angles that kinda make us stop and think, and that can take us out of the show.
From a safe bunker, here are the lows
- Finn Balor’s return. In itself, this looks like an awesome move as the fans and Balor loved it. It also takes things to a whole other level for the current NXT roster as they have a proven commodity among them that can serve as a mentor and/or focal point. In many ways, this feels similar to AEW signing Chris Jericho. Both needed a proven star to legitimize them and get some headlines, so it’s all good. The downside is this could mean more established stars could appear here and squeeze out the young talent.
- WWE royalty being in attendance. Sadly, this was little more than a promotional, attention grabber to get people talking, and the fact it’s been mentioned in the highs and lows (two articles) means it worked, so they got us.
- Multiple commercials during matches. Okay, this was a no brainer when the first thirty minutes was commercial free, but most of us probably thought that’s why it was scheduled for an extra fifteen minutes, right? Nope. They not only doubled the split screen commercials during matches, but they actually started with a split screen, went to a full screen, then back to a split screen numerous times. Seriously? Talk about taking the fans out of the action. Part of what made the championship match great was being able to sit back and enjoy it, but having the flow interrupted twice a match for the rest of the show was borderline miserable for some of us.
- Going over their time slot. This doesn’t seem like a big thing, per se, but it hearkens back to Eric Bischoff’s antics at WCW when he had Nitro start five minutes early and end five minutes late. Doing so gives a show a ratings boost for that quarter hour. In short, this is McMahon not tolerating competition and possibly losing what he built. While that’s understandable, it’s borderline BS. More on that in the next point.
- There’s plenty of room for other promotions. Okay, this is going to cause a stir, but McMahon and the WWE are the top of the mountain and want to remain there. The problem is, there’s plenty of room for other promotions and competition is good for the business overall as it forces them to put out a quality product to make the fans happy. This kinda begs the question is it really about listening to the fans or wanting to do what he wants without a care in the world? Just throwing that out there. After all, from everything Jericho has said, Vince McMahon initiated the war because he dared sign with AEW.
- The arena. This is going to be an issue fans and the WWE brass will argue about for a while. While Triple H and NXT are thankful to Full Sail in Orlando, Florida, the venue is small and dark. It lacks the presentation of the other shows, including AEW’s Dynamite. But that’s also part of its charm. Full Sail feels more intimate and really brings the crowd alive and it comes across the television. It’s similar to ECW’s old shows in Philadelphia where it was hard to hear anything because of the crowd, but we didn’t care. Let the debate rage.
Final Thoughts
While NXT put on an awesome show, it’s easy to see where Triple H or McMahon are trying every trick they can to make it relevant. Personally, I lean toward Vince, and since it worked so well for WCW, it’s hard to blame him. Of course, if the product in the ring suffers because of it, they could follow WCW’s fate if they focus more on tricks and gimmicks instead of listening to their fans, as AEW has vowed to do. We’re smarter than they may be giving us credit for, and that’s not something to take lightly.
