Over the past year, it’s been a weird time to be a fan of WWE’s NXT brand. The abrupt transition to NXT 2.0 turned off a lot of fans, and we’d also see the end of NXT UK. However, 2023 is set to be a massive year for the NXT brand. We already know about the launch of NXT Europe, the replacement of NXT UK with a larger scale – but current head of NXT and WWE legend Shawn Michaels let it slip that more could be on its way as well.
Shawn Michaels Feels 2023 Can Be A Huge Year For The NXT Brand
Following the very successful NXT: Halloween Havoc 2022, Shawn Michaels would take questions from the press in a media scrum. There were no irate champions to derail the proceedings, and in addition to confirming the return of Dominik Dijakovic to the brand after a vignette aired – Michaels would be asked about the future of the NXT brand as a whole.
He’d hype up the potential of NXT Europe, stated that he hopes to take NXT into bigger cities again in 2023, and that might just be the tip of the iceberg. Michaels would reference plans for brands such as NXT Japan & NXT Mexico as possibilities for WWE to look at again in 2023. With Triple H running creative on the main roster, and Vince McMahon out of the company all together – it’s possible that we will finally see his plans for global NXT brands some true.
NXT Japan Has Been Teased For Years Now, WWE Has The Talent To Pull It Off
We previously seen WWE try to find a foothold in the Japanese market, attempting to buy companies like Pro Wrestling NOAH, All Japan Pro Wrestling, and Wonder Ring Stardom. Even earlier this year, WWE Co-CEO Nick Khan tried to set up a deal with New Japan Pro Wrestling – and WWE seems to be working alongside NJPW for a current storyline with Karl Anderson, who recently signed a new WWE contract while holding the NEVER Openweight Championship.
Right now, the WWE roster has an incredible array of talent originating from Japan. If they built a brand in the country around the likes of Asuka, Shinsuke Nakamura, Sarray, Ikeman Jiro & Meiko Satomura – and were able to recruit promising young names and experienced veterans alike – NXT Japan would have a chance of succeeding. It would be a risk trying to break into such a tightly contested region, but it’s not like WWE lacks the resources.
Similar sentiments can be expressed about NXT Mexico. By simply having Rey Mysterio, the brand would have a chance of succeeding – with Mysterio remaining one of the most popular luchadors around today. There’s less big names on the roster to build around, with Angel Garza & Santos Escobar also standing out – but once again, it’s not like WWE lacks the resources to pull this plan off.
Do you want to see NXT Japan or NXT Mexico? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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