Skip to main content

NXT


With it's sensible booking, straightforward presentation, and fun atmosphere, do you see it as a possibility that NXT organically becomes the "in-house alternate competitive brand" that WWE tried to create with Smackdown vs. Raw? 

Do you think WWE would encourage or even allow that to happen?

mike

Nope.  They'd send their writing crew down there to "fix" it and make it more like the main shows.

Comments

  1. Heenan going into the post against Rooster at WMV is the best instance of that bump I've ever seen and he takes the fall like a boss.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Like WWECW in 2008-09, it's only going to stay awesome if Vince barely knows it exists.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I just watched this yesterday. What was the deal, here? Was Heenan regularly a wrestler or was this a one off? It wasn't a bad little match, all told.

    ReplyDelete
  4. If this was not Hunter's project, it would have already been taken over by Vince's vision.

    Think about it. If they gave Heyman developmental and he did that kind of show, to upstage the main roster, you would be reading stories about how it does not fit the WWE vision.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Im watching nxt for the first time, and holy shit its pretty good. Not a fan of the constant chanting by the crowd but your views may vary. Thanks BOD.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I am, after all the dead crowds on the main shows (not that I blame them). Zayn's pop at the start of the championship match at Revolution, as well as the crowds going HOLY SHIT at Finn Balor's entrance, was crazy. It's great to hear people enjoying the wrestling product in front of th them.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I think The Brain is underrated in everything he did really, the man was truly a genius when it came to anything pro wrestling related, whether it was announcing, managing, or wrestling.

    ReplyDelete
  8. HHH has stated that that's what he wants to see happen.

    ReplyDelete
  9. You seem to know stuff. Im at the baron corbon match, and isnt "end of days" just the same as Sister Abigail except that he picks him up a little? It looks cooler actually. I cant imagine him getting to keep it. This is the same company that wouldn't let shane helms keep "shane" because it would confuse people.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Havent gotten that far yet. You cant blame me for being jaded.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Give Bellomo credit; he didn't give up during the pre-match instructions.

    ReplyDelete
  12. This is on Heenan's DVD. Not a bad match, but it's kinda....i'll be polite and say "off-putting" that there wasn't a finisher to end things.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Lets not pretend the NXT booking is perfect. It badly handled Itami and Lynch to name two.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Good point, I think he might something else.

    ReplyDelete
  15. No wrestling booking is "perfect" to the point where everyone looks amazing and everything is immaculate.

    ReplyDelete
  16. The problem with even trying to let it grow organically is that it's all or nothing - lots of companies think that if they do "just a little bit", then it's not REALLY interfering, but then when that "little bit" doesn't work quickly enough, a little becomes a lot. It'd be very tempting for Vince or even Trips to say "we're just gonna make the entryway a little bigger" or "we're just gonna have Kane feud with the top guys for a little bit, to help them".

    ReplyDelete
  17. NXT is a massive success - according to us fans on the internet.


    Why would the WWE change anything about Smackdown or Raw based on that?


    Internet reactions to Raw and Smackdown don't matter, after all. Why would internet reactions to that other, less-important show matter?

    ReplyDelete
  18. True but people have lost all perspective on NXT since Thursday.

    ReplyDelete
  19. ehh, reminds me of an Eddie Murphy bit where he jokes about starving and eating a saltine. Suddenly it's the best cracker you've ever had in your life. That's NXT compared to the garbage that is WWE now.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I'll just take this opportunity to say that if VInce wants to interfere with NXT, perhaps he could start by having a new title belt made. Jesus, that thing is awful.

    Seriously though, I hope NXT stays HHH's pet project, because at least it's nothing like RAW and Smackdown.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I've been losing perspective on it since Zayn/Cesaro, and I'm really bummed that Cesaro is on the main roster doing jack fuck all.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Well, NXT is still relatively new and obviously doesn't have the exposure WWE has. That being said they incorporated NXT into the WWE video games, sell the merchandise at WWE shows, etc. They bring up the gimmicks that work in NXT to WWE television. I don't think it's crazy to think the NXT product will influence the WWE product more and more, though as long as Vince is around it could happen the other way round

    ReplyDelete
  23. Yeah, I'll agree with that. One of the idiots at 411 called it the "perfect PPV".


    I'm like "Really? It was very good, but not perfect."


    I think Comdukakis has it right. WWE has been so stale for so long, anything that shakes it up even a little is given near reverential status.

    ReplyDelete
  24. From shows I've been too: I was shocked how many empty seats were at the 2001 King of the Ring. Lots of empty seats at WrestleMania XIX. SummerSlam 2008 was packed. Royal Rumble 2012 was full. Survivor Series 2012 was the exact opposite of SummerSlam 2008. Empty seats everywhere and the crowd didn't seem to care.

    ReplyDelete
  25. I mean lowest attended PPV of the current PG era (2008-present day), not lowest attended in the last decade which there would be a few with worse numbers (Taboo Tuesday 2004, December To Dismember). I should have been more specific, thanks for the reminder J.E.

    ReplyDelete
  26. "Yep Mode" Abeyance Brown ©December 14, 2014 at 1:13 PM

    Kane came a calling a month later? Try a week later, they couldn't wait to destroy Ryder.

    ReplyDelete
  27. "Yep Mode" Abeyance Brown ©December 14, 2014 at 1:14 PM

    Same here.

    ReplyDelete
  28. "Yep Mode" Abeyance Brown ©December 14, 2014 at 1:16 PM

    That's how they should go about trying to bring the move back.

    ReplyDelete
  29. "Yep Mode" Abeyance Brown ©December 14, 2014 at 1:18 PM

    Yep. Didn't they do a great job advertising it?

    ReplyDelete
  30. "Yep Mode" Abeyance Brown ©December 14, 2014 at 1:20 PM

    It wasn't that important anyway.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Empty seats are a great way to ensure that particular town will never get another PPV again. It's not exactly a coincidence that Milwaukee never got another PPV after Taboo Tuesday 2004 or that Indianapolis will never get another one after Survivor Series 2012. Those towns are forever vanished to sporadic TV taping hell.

    ReplyDelete
  32. "Yep Mode" Abeyance Brown ©December 14, 2014 at 1:22 PM

    Plus the subject is all about rehashing.

    ReplyDelete
  33. "Yep Mode" Abeyance Brown ©December 14, 2014 at 1:24 PM

    Thomas Hall watched, and he had a big rant about it after words.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Of course the WWE refuses to acknowledge all the empty seats are a result of their terrible product.

    ReplyDelete
  35. "Yep Mode" Abeyance Brown ©December 14, 2014 at 1:26 PM

    Seeing as how up and down his career has been, must not have had a good handshake.

    ReplyDelete
  36. I was looking at that PPV list and Judgment Day 2008 in Omaha, Nebraska stuck out like a sore thumb. What did that town do to justify getting a PPV? Did they promise to build a statue of Kevin Dunn if WWE gave them a PPV?

    ReplyDelete
  37. Yep, it's always the weather or other sports or the nearby flea market. It's the fault of every outside force they can think of.

    ReplyDelete
  38. "Yep Mode" Abeyance Brown ©December 14, 2014 at 1:33 PM

    If anything, Ziggler is getting the most cheers, followed by Mizdow, followed by....well, Miz.

    ReplyDelete
  39. "Yep Mode" Abeyance Brown ©December 14, 2014 at 1:37 PM

    That's a good point,

    ReplyDelete
  40. Well you've said the problem with Road Dogg: He was only a lower/mid-card guy and the IC title was more a upper-midcard title for the guys which were only a step away from the world title.

    ReplyDelete
  41. It worries me that HHH talks like he wants NXT to be like this, though...

    ReplyDelete
  42. Cue that Jake troll that only seems to show up on PPV weeks to say that anyone who criticizes WWE is a hater and a troll.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Rock's not wrestling at WrestleMania.

    ReplyDelete
  44. I loved Row Ki. Dude just screamed legit badass.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Please quote where I said that he is wrestling at Wrestlemania in my above, unedited comment.

    ReplyDelete
  46. I admit that one of the things which is helping to boost my interest in the product is that I'm watching it with someone who is fairly new to watching specifically WWE. So I get to discuss e.g. all the Samoans-in-wrestling stuff, which keeps it fresh.


    But regardless, I'm far, FAR more excited about Wrestlemania next year than I was for any of the past 3 Wrestlemanias.

    ReplyDelete
  47. "Plus, since you mentioned Lesnar already:
    WHY were Brock and Rock on the an already released poster - could it be a rematch to their awesome Summerslam '02 match? It's long overdue!"

    ReplyDelete
  48. Disagree - when Shawn Michaels won his first IC title, would you have said "Well he's clearly going to win the world title any day now?" on his quality at the time?


    Likewise, how about The Mountie, Marty Jannetty, Jeff Jarrett, Dean Douglas, or even Honky Tonk Man? They were all pre-Russo champions who never got close to being world title contenders in the WWF/WWE.


    It was always the 'worker's belt' - sure. But then there follows often a misconception that therefore, the best worker would get the world title subsequently.


    Let's see how many former IC champions won the same company's World Title AFTER winning the IC title, pre-Russo (where I'm going to take the start of the Russo era as AFTER March 3rd 1997, aka the European Title house show from Germany)


    Savage, Warrior, Bret Hart, Michaels, Diesel, HHH, The Rock.


    That's 7 out of (I think!) 28 total different Intercontinental champions. Only just barely a quarter of Intercontinental champions actually proved to be world title material.


    FYI, the first guy where *I* don't think, "Figures, he was hella over at the time and the fans loved it", or "Okay, he probably earned it through longevity / loyalty" or, "Well that makes sense, the champion was injured so they did a title switch at a house show" - is Albert, in June, 2001.

    ReplyDelete
  49. Thank-you for quoting where I wondered why Rock was on the poster for Wrestlemania.

    So, anyway - please quote where I said that he is wrestling at Wrestlemania.

    Additionally, "Rock's not wrestling at WrestleMania."



    What makes you think this?

    ReplyDelete
  50. You asked/speculated "could it be a rematch". I answered that question/speculation.

    Rock's upcoming schedule is freely available to see via his Twitter account, his Wikipedia entry, and Google. Between now & April he is filming & producing a TV show for HBO; filming a movie with Kevin Hart; doing post-production work on 2 movies; and will be doing promotional appearances and attending premieres for "Fast 7"--which comes out 5 days after WrestleMania.

    ReplyDelete
  51. You're allowed to milk a joke if it's funny, and Randy/Lorde never stops being hilarious. This season of South Park has been interesting since there's actually been a lot of continuity between the episodes.

    ReplyDelete
  52. I don't even know if the writers could adapt to doing a three hour live-action show every week.


    But I definitely think that they should hire anybody but what they already have. Somebody who works in a medium where things fucking change.

    ReplyDelete
  53. I still think Cesaro is better, but he's not really a main roster guy anymore, is he?


    And I think a tables match in a lot of ways is better than a ladder match. Ladder matches now seem to be a bunch of slow climbing and Cena's not the guy to kill himself bumping. Tables matches has a dramatic element that's much simpler, don't go through a table. And the match itself being ridiculously easy to lose plays to this angle's "bullshit stipulations to fuck with the talent" deal.

    ReplyDelete
  54. Say what you will about the Boogeyman, but that guy admittedly had an amazing look, entrance and he was INTO that character. If he was only a *bad* worker instead of one of the absolute worst workers of all time, there was money to be made in that gimmick.

    ReplyDelete
  55. In fairness, Ziggler got concussed two weeks after he won the belt thanks to sloppy-ass Jack Swagger.

    ReplyDelete
  56. Yeah sounds like he is staying as busy as he's ever been.

    Anyway so how come he isn't going to be at Wrestlemania?

    ReplyDelete
  57. Didn't say he wouldn't BE at WrestleMania. I said he's not WRESTLING at WrestleMania.

    ReplyDelete
  58. it's insane AJ Styles hasn't lost a step since early ROH days

    ReplyDelete
  59. HHH would just stroll into the ring, Pedigree all 3 of them, stack their carcasses up in a heap and pin them at the same time.

    ReplyDelete
  60. Ok, good point, but for me the Roaddog was never on that level like a Shawn Michaels or Marty Jannetty or even Mountie or Honky Tonk Man was. In the New Age Outlaws he was cool, but as a single wrestler he was even below Billy Gunn who should have won the IC belt instead of Roaddog who would have been a better hardcore champion.

    ReplyDelete
  61. I know what you mean. Road Dogg was a multiple-time tag-title champion. Shawn, Marty, Mountie - they were all former tag wrestlers who never managed to win the tag-titles, however. For me, at the time I can remember my buddy and I being all, "ROAD DOGG?!? Well, okay, to be fair, him and Gunn unexpectedly winning/retaining title is kind of their schtick".


    I know that that the conventional wisdom is that Russo needlessly swerved everyone with the 'obvious' next IC title holder Billy Gunn instead getting the hardcore title. But I've always thought, "Well, he has repeatedly shown that he wasn't ready for any big push that they ever gave him. Whereas Road Dogg was maybe the only reason that pre-wife beater Jarrett ever got any heat in the WWF, had even managed to make the 'Real JJ' gimmick semi-watchable...


    I do think that he was given the title as much to tell Billy "Step up your game", and to reward Road Dogg for having the right attitude of, "I'll make gold out of any shit you give me". Even when it was him and 'K-Kwik' coming out together in that brief and terrible tandem, when he was out of his gourd on drugs, RD still at least was doing his best to bring it.


    Billy has always half-assed it (IRONY!), so, him getting only the hardcore title back then... it's always seemed 'right' to me.


    Sorry that this is such a long reply. It's Monday morning, thanks for giving me something to talk about besides my work!

    ReplyDelete
  62. In Swagger's defense, fuck Ziggler.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment