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What is WWE NXT’s Direction?

By Rob Wolkenbrod

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The direction of WWE NXT is under criticism by some, but should fans take things into a different perspective?

On Thursday night, the always-controversial WWE NXT taping took place from Full Sail University. Everyone who was either at the venue or online was tweeting “NXTFSLive” all evening talking about the events of the show.

The one thing that stuck out the most was the debut of former TNA star Eric Young. After 12 years appearing on Impact Wrestling, Young made his first-ever WWE appearance to the surprise of many. There had been more talk of Bobby Roode showing up first, but a swerve was pulled to make this happen.

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EY’s debut got fans talking about just where NXT is going. The perception was that this is ‘developmental’ and a place for talent to grow. With many well-known veterans coming to Florida, though, the results are mixed. Some are even wondering where NXT is going.

Throw in this take by Cageside Seats and the questions are certainly there.

So what exactly is the deal with NXT in 2016?

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Let’s put it this way: fans have been spoiled by the product Triple H is putting on every week. The top talents from around the world have been coming through the system for years with star qualities. At the height of NXT, we saw Sasha Banks, Charlotte, Becky Lynch, Bayley, Finn Balor, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Samoa Joe around. They put on Match of the Year candidates nearly every time they went to the ring at almsot every TakeOver event. They made the shows feel special and unique from the main roster because of the high quality.

Well, Banks, Charlotte, Lynch, Owens and Zayn have all been called up. Bayley and Balor are expected to follow them soon, with Joe possibly not far behind. This leaves a huge gap within the system.

So do you replace from within? Outside of Manny ‘La Sombra’ Andrade, is there someone we haven’t seen that’s actually ready to take on a big spot? By looking at the roster, it doesn’t seem possible. NXT doesn’t seem to be ready to debut Andrade anyway, maybe not until the WWE Global Cruiserweight Series that is expected to last through the summer. Any impact he would make in the upper card probably wouldn’t come until the fall then.

This leaves us in a transition period for NXT. Fans are not used to this for the third brand because of the constant flow of top talent for a few years.

You might ask how Shinsuke Nakamura being part of NXT is just a phase to get to the next stage? How is that possible?

The King of Strong Style is a monster draw, there’s no denying that. His presence, which will replace Balor’s, is going to help sell out tours all across the country. That’s exactly what his role is going to be, though. He’s not going to be on the main roster longterm given all the money he’s being paid. This period that Nakamura is in NXT is for him to learn and give the brand a rub. Once Vince McMahon feels it’s time for him to come up, it will happen. The summer of 2016 may be the time.

Then there’s the elephant in the room—what about all the TNA talent? This is where the criticism may be coming into play.

There’s a perception that NXT is becoming ‘NXTNA’ with Samoa Joe, Austin Aries, Eric Young and possibly Bobby Roode around. They are all veterans above the age of 37 with that TNA mark ‘branded’ on them. This especially goes for the latter three who are hot off the presses from Dixie Carter’s company.

The fans who have an issue with TNA are going to have a problem with this. They are going to think “why are those TNA guys taking spots from our WWE guys?”

Well, they’re not. These guys are just placeholders—very good placeholders.

As noted, there are many top names gone from NXT with no immediate replacements. Joe has already been around, but Aries, Young and eventually Roode will take the spots of Zayn, Balor and Nakamura. Is this the most appealing situation? No, but these former TNA stars have a purpose.

There’s the idea of NXT no longer being ‘developmental’ because of the well-known names coming in. On every winning team, there’s always veterans around to help teach the future what they know. The young kids then become the ones to take over when the veterans have called it a career. Think of NXT like a rebuilding basketball or baseball team—there’s growing talent that is going to need some time to develop and receive eventually a starting spot. Veterans are specifically brought in to both help them and hold the fort while the process is ongoing. New York Mets pitcher and the oldest player in baseball Bartolo Colon, has played this role for a few years even with the pitching staff being elite.

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For however long they’re around, Aries, Young and Roode will play this role. Then when guys like Andrade, Christopher Girard and Rich Swann are ready for TV, they’ll work with this trio. Maybe one or two years down the road, they will take the top spots in NXT.

So what does this mean for the fans? I’ve got two words for you: be patient. Patience is a virtue and something that should be taken into account with NXT. They have delivered for years and deserve a break from the fans who are jumping the gun at the brand ‘losing its luster’. Things are allowed to slow down for a time—it’s OK. There should be enough confidence in the brand to survive based on everything that has been done at Full Sail and across the country for the past two years. It also goes back to them spoiling the NXT Universe, though, because of everything that they have accomplished.

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WWE NXT is in unchartered waters. Things aren’t where they used to be but the show is also in a transition period. Typically, these phases usually result in a renaissance. How long that may take to realize remains to be seen.

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