Last night’s NXT (11/20) was probably their best show since they appeared on the USA network, and the reason is because NXT brought their talent home.
It’s like going home again. We never feel as comfortable and safe as when we’re in familiar surroundings, and that showed on Wednesday night.
The WWE figured it out
By having Triple H go on Raw and give an open invitation for any superstar to appear on NXT, it opened the doors to finally make the show the best it could be.
While NXT was already superior to Raw and Smackdown, it paled in comparison to the flashiness of the other show many have become accustomed to. But they stayed true to what they were about and let the stories play out in the ring without microphones, aside from Becky Lynch to start it off.
The WWE main brand stars that did show were former NXT members who were put into matches with their counterparts gimmick and style wise. The result was the fans exploding in chants for both opponents. It was a vast improvement over having the OC and other main roster mainstays appear on the show. While AJ Styles is a top talent, he doesn’t have the connection with the NXT fans like Becky Lynch and Ricochet or even the Revival and Viking Raiders. Even Seth Rollins got some cheers, though they didn’t last.
Will this last?
That’s the question that’s going to be asked after this weekend. There’s no denying NXT has received a huge push thanks to being included in Survivor Series, but what’s the plan beyond that?
NXT has their Takeovers that are their version of pay-per-views, so it’s doubtful they’ll take part in the main rosters’ pay-per-views. I’m not saying they can’t do both, as that would give the younger talent greater visibility, but it would add to the superstars’ workload as well as stress of an already dismal WWE creative. As great as Triple H has been for NXT, there’s no denying Vince McMahon is lurking in the shadows, pushing his ideas on him.
While Triple H and Vince McMahon have worked well together in the past, there is no guarantee it’ll continue if push comes to shove. There are fundamental differences in how each of them run things, and if NXT doesn’t catch on after this, Triple H could be ousted by McMahon. That’s been a viable speculation since before NXT premiered on USA. The fact McMahon reportedly handed the keys to the kingdom to Triple H in February but refuses to let go shows where this could go.
NXT is for real
Most of us already knew this, despite the ratings. There’s the thought that McMahon put his developmental brand against AEW to downplay AEW’s importance, but everyone knows NXT is the best WWE has. While the Wednesday Night Wars moniker hasn’t fully caught on, mainly due to how large the WWE is, it’s where the focus should be.
NXT and AEW split the viewers, otherwise AEW would be up there with the WWE main brands. We knew what we were getting, and NXT has shown and proven itself as the real deal.
Sure, NXT brought their talent home, but it never really left.
