WWE rumors: Is NXT preparing to leave Full Sail?
WWE NXT is engaged in a ratings battle with All Elite Wrestling on Wednesday nights, and this may force the Black and Gold brand to move out of Full Sail.
Professional wrestling’s boom in 2019 has been a sight to behold, and fans have thoroughly enjoyed the ratings battle between WWE NXT and AEW through two weeks.
But while NXT‘s weekly offering is comparable to AEW’s in quality – and is the significantly better show in the ring – the show clearly lacks the energy that “Dynamite” provides.
Fans have pointed out that while the more homely, low-key setting at Full Sail offered a unique juxtaposition with the main roster product that made it feel special, it has now become a hindrance in direct comparison to the brighter and fuller presentation of AEW.
As such, Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s Dave Meltzer reports that WWE is considering moving NXT out of Full Sail and turning the brand into a full-on touring brand, targeting the same 5,000-seat arenas that AEW currently uses for its shows (h/t Wrestletalk’s Liam Winnard).
NXT’s ratings have somewhat unsurprisingly been lower than AEW’s, but the margin between both shows may have taken WWE executives aback.
A tweak such as moving out of Full Sail could be beneficial to the overall presentation of the product, which, again, seems to be lacking when comparing them directly to their competition on Wednesday nights.
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Triple H has tried to make NXT more of a brand, expanding the touring that they do around the country. Moving out of Full Sail would only strengthen that approach, though it will be interesting to see how wrestlers on the brand feel about it.
Surely, they’d be compensated more both as a result of NXT’s increased importance as the brand absorbing the direct blows from WWE’s main source of competition in the United States, in addition to the fact that they’ll now be in the same boat as higher-paid main roster superstars when it comes to the grueling travel. And note that WWE contractors apparently must arrange and pay for their own travel.