The Success of NXT 2.0 Thus Far as Seen on Monday Night Raw

When NXT 2.0 first started, many naysayers were quick to criticize the re-branding for how different it was from the original NXT and declared the downfall of the brand. Now just 7 months later, we’re seeing future WWE superstars develop before our eyes and now see them shine on both Tuesday and Monday nights, a successful endeavor for both 2.0 and Monday Night Raw thus far.

In August 2021, the beloved black and gold brand of NXT underwent a complete restructure to everything from talent to logos and arena lighting.  The purpose of it all was to refocus NXT on developing younger, up-and-coming talent to create future WWE superstars to send onto the main roster more prepared than previously, replacing the existing system in place.

As we saw numerous times in the past, NXT superstars struggled once being called up to the main roster and were often stripped of the things that made them stars, to begin with. From Keith Lee losing his entrance music (and eventually his first name), Karrion Kross losing his mystique and wife, and Shotzi Blackheart losing her tank (and her last name), it was clear that a gap existed in the WWE’s expectations for these new stars and their realities.

One thing we’ve been seeing a lot of recently is the use of NXT superstars frequently on Monday Night RAW and RAW superstars on NXT 2.0. I believe that this has been one of the best things to happen since the 2.0 rebrand because it has kept both shows fresh by rotating in new faces and has given young stars the opportunity to work with WWE veterans.

Just two weeks ago, we saw the RAW debut of Bron Breakker, NXT 2.0 standout who has only been wrestling for a year, and unlike previously, nothing about him or his presentation was changed when he appeared on RAW. He even got a clean win alongside Tommaso Ciampa who also was victorious in his singles debut, setting them up for future success once they fully transition to the main roster.

On the other hand, we’ve seen WWE veterans like Dolph Ziggler, Robert Roode, and AJ Styles appear on NXT 2.0 to draw more eyes to the product and to work with some of the younger stars. When speaking with Ryan Satin on Out of Character about his time on NXT, Styles said:

“I thought it would be a good idea for guys like myself to go down to NXT and really say, ‘This is what we do on Raw and SmackDown, so when you come up there are no surprises, no nothing. This is what we expect, these are the rules. By the way, they are a little bit different than NXT, but this is what they are up here.'”

Styles worked with Grayson Waller on NXT and Monday Night RAW giving fans a reason to want to watch both shows to see one of their favorites in AJ Styles feud with a rising star in Waller. Most recently, Dolph Ziggler has been involved with NXT 2.0 and is now holding the NXT Championship. Putting the championship on a well-tenured superstar like Ziggler gives fans of both shows a reason to tune into NXT 2.0 to see where they go from here and who will challenge him for the title at the upcoming premium live event, NXT Stand and Deliver.

Not even a year into the relaunch of NXT and it has proven to be more favorable in the eyes of Vince McMahon and WWE creative given the use of superstars on both 2.0 and Monday Night RAW. It has also given veterans like AJ Styles and Dolph Ziggler a fresh opportunity to remind everyone why they are where they are today and give future stars a chance to learn from some of the very best.