Should WWE make a bigger deal of NXT?

[mrbananagrabber]

On this board I think we're pretty much all agreed that NXT is great. But outside of the more dedicated parts of the Internet, NXT is an unknown property. In fact, I imagine a lot of people think NXT ended after Wade Barrett won and then formed the Nexus.

So why is it such a secret? Why does it never get mentioned on TV? Hell, why isn't it even ON TV?? Is it because of the split universe (Big E a face on NXT, heel on main roster)? Is it purely a training ground and therefore guys can be totally changed when they're called up?

It can't be anything to do with the quality, because its almost always top notch TV. So three questions;

1. WHY is NXT so unknown?
2. Should they make it a bigger deal?
3. Does it work better as a fan only "secret"?

[Hit Girl]

It might be better served keeping a low profile. It's the best "wrestling" show they've got. If they paid more attention to it, it might become too "sports-entertainmenty".

[Deleted]

I'd say it's better off being mostly unacknowledged (hell, I think they do so more than they should as it is), because it is a developmental territory and as a result is both likely cluttered with people who are very green and a gold mine for plot holes for people who make it to the main roster.

[FinalGwen]

It is worth noting that it IS on TV. Just not American TV.

[stuart minkus]

No, because I suspect many of the NXT superstars wont have the same characters once they make the main roster. If the fans were more aware of the show, we might have more "Husky Harris" chant type fiascos in store.

Also, it would be weird seeing a guy like Big E go from dominating face one week, to heel on WWE television.

[Reflecto]

No, because I suspect many of the NXT superstars wont have the same characters once they make the main roster. If the fans were more aware of the show, we might have more "Husky Harris" chant type fiascos in store.

Also, it would be weird seeing a guy like Big E go from dominating face one week, to heel on WWE television.

Honestly, this is the exact reason I think that, if anything, WWE needs to embrace and accept the modified continuity between WWE television and NXT television, while keeping them somewhat separate. Big E being a dominating face on NXT and monster heel in WWE doesn't make sense, but in practice if you think of the dueling storylines, it was actually brilliant:

NXT Big E Langston: Big babyface hero who puts people down for five-counts. Vickie Guerrero hates Langston for some reason, so she put a bounty on his head and sends Raw jobbers to collect.

WWE Big E Langston: The monstrous bodyguard and close friend of AJ and [formerly] Dolph Ziggler.

Combine the two storylines, and you get:

-Vickie Guerrero knew Big E Langston was good friends with AJ. Since Vickie hated AJ because she was Raw GM and not her, and then, after AJ stole the man Vickie loved in Ziggler, she was absolutely furious with her- so, in a way to get to her, she found Langston, an unassuming wrestler who was good friends with AJ, and put a bounty on him to ruin his career before it started. In revenge for this, Langston came to Raw and started to protect AJ after Vickie's attacks.

...if they could actually keep these continuity things [example from last week where AJ shows up two weeks in a row, but Langston's not even mentioned], the whole of WWE and NXT could get far more interesting.

["American Nightmare" B.B. Bart]

Aug 30, 2013 18:39:44 GMT -5 Reflecto said:

No, because I suspect many of the NXT superstars wont have the same characters once they make the main roster. If the fans were more aware of the show, we might have more "Husky Harris" chant type fiascos in store.

Also, it would be weird seeing a guy like Big E go from dominating face one week, to heel on WWE television.

Honestly, this is the exact reason I think that, if anything, WWE needs to embrace and accept the modified continuity between WWE television and NXT television, while keeping them somewhat separate. Big E being a dominating face on NXT and monster heel in WWE doesn't make sense, but in practice if you think of the dueling storylines, it was actually brilliant:

NXT Big E Langston: Big babyface hero who puts people down for five-counts. Vickie Guerrero hates Langston for some reason, so she put a bounty on his head and sends Raw jobbers to collect.

WWE Big E Langston: The monstrous bodyguard and close friend of AJ and [formerly] Dolph Ziggler.

Combine the two storylines, and you get:

-Vickie Guerrero knew Big E Langston was good friends with AJ. Since Vickie hated AJ because she was Raw GM and not her, and then, after AJ stole the man Vickie loved in Ziggler, she was absolutely furious with her- so, in a way to get to her, she found Langston, an unassuming wrestler who was good friends with AJ, and put a bounty on him to ruin his career before it started. In revenge for this, Langston came to Raw and started to protect AJ after Vickie's attacks.

...if they could actually keep these continuity things [example from last week where AJ shows up two weeks in a row, but Langston's not even mentioned], the whole of WWE and NXT could get far more interesting.

In fairness, I think they did eventually acknowledge the fact that Seth Rollins was a part of The Shield on WWE TV by eventually having him aligned with the group on NXT, to the point of having Ambrose and Reigns join him in his Appearances.

[Deleted]

No. They are ok as an 'underground' show. That way WWE can tweak characters before they debut people without the "Wasn't he Husky Harris?" questions because of the overexposure. That's what developmental is about.

[Deleted]

Yeah developmental works best when there isn't a mass following helping wrestlers to experiment to see what works or change gimmicks of the current gimmick isn't working. The cult following and practically being shown on day time television on some countries or being on Hulu or Xbox live is good exposure to let fans develop a following to them to see them grow and be loyal to them wishing to succeed. Also it helps for wrestlers who succeed in developmental to get positive buzz before they debut and to know they will have some loud vocal fans when they debut.

Like the Wyatt family is an example of this. Some fans heard or saw the buzz and was telling casuals they are going to be a big deal when they debut. Running those vignettes for a long time was great because it let all fans know what they were going to get while they also heard for months from fans of NXT on how great he is and to check them out on YouTube in which some fans probably did. Hence the amazing pop they got.

[Reflecto]

Aug 30, 2013 19:24:55 GMT -5 "American Nightmare" B.B. Bart said:

In fairness, I think they did eventually acknowledge the fact that Seth Rollins was a part of The Shield on WWE TV by eventually having him aligned with the group on NXT, to the point of having Ambrose and Reigns join him in his Appearances.

I don't see the Rollins/Shield one as the same way- that was more of the old format of development-to-WWE moves, where it was "one week this is what the guy was in the promotion, the next week he's suddenly this for no rhyme or reason- and all the viewers are supposed to inherently accept that it was because they made their WWE debut" that doesn't really work given NXT having national appearances.

[Apricots And A Pear Tree]

I think it has gotten mentioned on TV.Hell it has its own section on the WWE website,so it's not like it's some dirty little secret.