What I miss most about old NXT.

[Allie Kitsune]

So, I don't really get to watch HBK's NXT in real-time except for the special events, since Peacock can't show it live... And I appreciate how Shawn books everything as low-key fetish material. I'm kind of a super-prude IRL (I have my reasons), but I'm a sucker for that kind of stuff in Pro Wrestling.

But I keep thinking back to when I first started watching NXT, and what made me fall in love with it was that ANYBODY could suddenly vault into title contention just by going on a little bit of a hot streak. It didn't take a ton of time to build someone up, you just got them on a roll for two months' worth of shows, and they were ready to challenge.

Nobody ever felt off-limits, nobody ever felt too far gone.

I'd like to see more of that in WWE (and AEW, for that matter) in general.

I want for everyone to be salvageable, everyone to be capable of going on that hot streak.

[A Platypus Rave is Correct]

I think the reason it felt like that was because htere only was the one title.

but yeah the fact like there was nothing but upwards momentum in old NXT was great.

old person that found a new gimmikc that works... they could be competing for the title... new star on a hot streak... they could get a title shot... etc.

[King Devitt and the Woke Mob]

There's so much I miss about Black and Gold NXT...

[Jedi-El of Tomorrow]

While the current NXT doesn't have that, Shawn's emphasis on characters and the number of storylines going on has giving us reasons to care about people nowhere near a title.

Duke Hudson and Thea Hail aren't near any respective singles title, but their characters and storyline have given us reasons to care about them. To get invested in what happens next.

Black and Gold may have had better in ring work, but it's nowhere near as a fun as current NXT. Shawn's put a massive emphasis on characters, and damn near everybody is involved with an angle.

[King Devitt and the Woke Mob]

May 28, 2023 3:44:37 GMT -5 Jedi-El of Tomorrow said:

While the current NXT doesn't have that, Shawn's emphasis on characters and the number of storylines going on has giving us reasons to care about people nowhere near a title.

Duke Hudson and Thea Hail aren't near any respective singles title, but their characters and storyline have given us reasons to care about them. To get invested in what happens next.

Black and Gold may have had better in ring work, but it's nowhere near as a fun as current NXT. Shawn's put a massive emphasis on characters, and damn near everybody is involved with an angle.

That's very true. In the time I watched I appreciated that everyone had something to do.

I especially praised what HBK was doing with the Women's division. So many different feuds going on, and the champion had more than just "1 challenger at a time".
Like, you're the champion so everyone should be gunning for you.
Shawn is a much more competent (and horny) booker than I ever would have expected him to be.

I think if the setting was different I would like it more. I loved the aesthetic of old NXT. Even in Full Sail it had a nice vibe.

New NXT I guess feels less like a crowd of fans, and more like a studio audience.

But I 100% own up to that's "A weird quirk that I have" thing. I can't get lost in it like I used to. Same reason I can't watch NWA, or Impact for long when I've tried to watch those.
Impact feels the most like fans, but sometimes it's just depressing looking. I'm weird about crowds. I know it doesn't make sense.

But I can totally understand the love so many have for new NXT.

I just miss the energy, and like....f***ing Takeover's. Those were appointment viewing. Especially those ones in front of massive crowds. God those were so much fun to watch.

[Jedi-El of Tomorrow]

May 28, 2023 7:06:35 GMT -5 King Devitt and the Woke Mob said:

May 28, 2023 3:44:37 GMT -5 Jedi-El of Tomorrow said:

While the current NXT doesn't have that, Shawn's emphasis on characters and the number of storylines going on has giving us reasons to care about people nowhere near a title.

Duke Hudson and Thea Hail aren't near any respective singles title, but their characters and storyline have given us reasons to care about them. To get invested in what happens next.

Black and Gold may have had better in ring work, but it's nowhere near as a fun as current NXT. Shawn's put a massive emphasis on characters, and damn near everybody is involved with an angle.

That's very true. In the time I watched I appreciated that everyone had something to do.

I especially praised what HBK was doing with the Women's division. So many different feuds going on, and the champion had more than just "1 challenger at a time".
Like, you're the champion so everyone should be gunning for you.
Shawn is a much more competent (and horny) booker than I ever would have expected him to be.

I think if the setting was different I would like it more. I loved the aesthetic of old NXT. Even in Full Sail it had a nice vibe.

New NXT I guess feels less like a crowd of fans, and more like a studio audience.

But I 100% own up to that's "A weird quirk that I have" thing. I can't get lost in it like I used to. Same reason I can't watch NWA, or Impact for long when I've tried to watch those.
Impact feels the most like fans, but sometimes it's just depressing looking. I'm weird about crowds. I know it doesn't make sense.

But I can totally understand the love so many have for new NXT.

I just miss the energy, and like....f***ing Takeover's. Those were appointment viewing. Especially those ones in front of massive crowds. God those were so much fun to watch.

And Shawn's running it like a developmental. People are improving big time like Tiffany Stratton. Shawn's looking at it like, "Okay, all of you may become good wrestlers. But a good wrestler isn't rare today, you're gonna get a character, a personality. You can be the greatest wrestler ever, but that doesn't mean shit if you have no personality. The ability in the ring will come as we're working, but let's see what you've got beyond technical wrestling."

[Friday Night SmackOwn]

May 28, 2023 3:44:37 GMT -5 Jedi-El of Tomorrow said:

While the current NXT doesn't have that, Shawn's emphasis on characters and the number of storylines going on has giving us reasons to care about people nowhere near a title.

Duke Hudson and Thea Hail aren't near any respective singles title, but their characters and storyline have given us reasons to care about them. To get invested in what happens next.

Black and Gold may have had better in ring work, but it's nowhere near as a fun as current NXT. Shawn's put a massive emphasis on characters, and damn near everybody is involved with an angle.

I think HBK NXT gives us the best of both Black and Gold (quality in-ring action) and 2.0 (strong focus on characters and stories).

[Deleted]

HBK's NXT feels like an actual developmental is the biggest difference between his NXT and Black and Gold.

Black and Gold though set a bar of insane quality because it prioritized the in ring quality over anything else....although it did have its fair share of great characters and stories but then ends up being the reverse for this era of NXT , where as they have great characters and strong emphasis on story , they have nothing IMO that has touched the best of what Black an Gold put out as far as in ring stuff goes.

[koreycaskets]

I started getting into NXT early 2017, and was the first time since 2002 I started to really give a crap about wrestling. The new NXT is fun , I adore Gigi but I miss the black and gold days.

Also I know it's just a name but they NEED to bring TAKEOVER back at least once a year.

[XIII]

Black and Gold was a super Indy.

HBKNXT is life.

[agent817]

And here I thought this was about very early NXT with its game show style.

[A Little Doo Doo]

I loved the superindy era of NXT, but the only thing I really miss about it is the seedy nightclub feel. I just find HBK's version more rewarding to watch and I like that it's more character focused, even though there are still really damn good matches every week. This is coming from someone who hated the reboot at first.

[Deleted]

SUPER INDY NXT OVER HORNY TUESDAYS ALL DAY BAYBAY!

[Banjo Is Broken]

What I miss most about old NXT is Kaitlyn.