NXT: WWE Caters to the Diehard Fan with NXT Programming

A plethora of diehard fans continue to judge WWE cable programming for being scripted, boring, and overly long. By wasting their breath dissecting the main show programming, these diehard fans are not realizing that the WWE’s NXT programming caters to their needs as fans.

So I’m sitting in my basement on Saturday night in awe of the show being produced at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans. Every match had either weeks or months of build-up, except for the NXT North American Championship match, which was used to get gold around the waist of Adam Cole (BAY BAY!!), feature Lars Sullivan, Killian Dain, and Velveteen Dream as future stars of the WWE brand, and debut EC3 and Ricochet. Each and every minute of the show had a cemented purpose and the live crowd was completely invested in the product that was being given to them.

Then, as the show faded to black (pun intended), the only thought I had in my head was “How are diehard WWE fans still complaining when they have NXT?”

The smorgasbord of Bullet Club t-shirts and “Too Sweet” chants at WWE shows clearly show that diehard wrestling fans have grown savvy and know how to seek their professional wrestling fix when the WWE is falling short of giving them what they need. New Japan Pro Wrestling, Ring of Honor, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, and other independent wrestling promotions are constantly being praised by the diehard wrestling fan. At the same time, many diehard fans also consciously take the time to bash the WWE product because they feel the McMahons are holding down the acts that the fans feel should be the champions of the company.

If you are one of these fans, I just have two questions for you.  Have you ever had the responsibility of running a global, publicly-traded company where the majority of your sales go towards a younger audience? 

Also…HAVE YOU NOT WATCHED NXT???

Credit: WWE.com

With WWE being the biggest game in town in terms of professional wrestling, they are responsible for all everything that goes along with being a global company. Advertisers and networks must remain happy. Even though many adults are not happy with the current product, their kids are thrilled with it, and if the kids remain thrilled, the pockets of said advertisers and networks remain filled.

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Although the product often seems stale even to myself, a professional wrestling editorial writer, I simultaneously acknowledge that the WWE has responsibilities that did not exist when Austin was chugging beer, Shawn was flashing his backside, and Sable was flaunting her puppies. I think the writing can be better, but I recognize the landslide of distractions.

Above all, however, I also see that the WWE has acknowledged this same issue, which is why they have the NXT brand. NXT is a show that seems to allow the talent to be talented on their own without having to read from a script. The show comes off as a sporting event built around well-written, relatable, believable personal issues, and is primarily based off one hour a week of creative, which fits the schedule of the gainfully employed (I think) diehard adult WWE fan. If one watches any of their shows, not just the TakeOver specials, they will see a fanbase wholly invested in the talent and storylines they are being given.

And yet, this is being provided by the company that doesn’t seem to care about the diehard fans or the wrestling business. Weird, right?

Credit: WWE.com

Not that NXT hasn’t proved this already, but the diehard fans that lambaste the WWE product no longer have a leg to stand on. NXT give them a product that rivals, if not beats, anything NJPW, ROH, PWG, or any other independent company provides. NXT also literally plucks independent wrestling heroes (see Kevin Steen, El Generico, Tyler Black, Prince Devitt, Samoa Joe, Adam Cole, Roderick Strong, Kyle O’ Reilly, Bobby Fish, and most recently Ricochet) from the independents and makes them more accessible to a worldwide audience that they had ever been in their careers….and then made them STARS on the main roster (see AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura at WrestleMania).

Next: NXT TakeOver: New Orleans Review

The NXT brand is concrete proof that the WWE hears the diehard fan’s voice.  Maybe if the eyes and ears of these fans become more active than their mouths, eventually they will realize this.