1. It’s not the NXT of old – Seemingly, WWE has gotten away from the pseudo reality show that was originally envisioned as. It’s now a show with a core cast of Superstars and Divas that serves its purpose as a stepping stone to the bigger shows.
2. The talent – Let’s face it, NXT is a step above WWE’s developmental territory FCW. As a result, you’ll see young superstars who are hungry and ready to make an impact in the business. Next Wednesday, Tyson Kidd (the last product of the legendary Hart Dungeon) and Michael McGillicuddy (Joe Hennig) are going to face off for the third time in four weeks, and I couldn’t be more excited. These are two underrated technical wrestlers who have put on absolute clinics in their previous encounters. As far as backstage segments go, the chemistry between Maxine, Kaitlyn, Johnny Curtis, and Derrick Bateman is some of the best WWE has to offer right now. Sadly, it’s going mostly unnoticed.
3. William Regal – William Regal is the “Match Coordinator” and commentator on the show. He gives a veteran presence and a validity to the show. His character doesn’t aim to favor the faces or the heels, but he seems to be a man who helps progress the story lines by making matches and providing stipulations when necessary. As far as commentary goes, his dry sense of humor absolutely makes for great sound bites and hilarious one liners.
4. Future stars – There’s a good chance that one or more of the people on the show will be a star in the future. It may not be any higher than mid-card, but there’s always a chance of finding a diamond in the rough. David Otunga, Daniel Bryan, and Wade Barrett all got their start on NXT.
5. There’s wrestling – You’ll see an average of 30 minutes of wrestling per episode. This is where WWE takes its chances. There are Divas matches that last longer than 2 minutes; there are tag-team matches that sometimes offer new pairings to see if the performers have chemistry; and, of course, there are singles matches that showcase the skills of the next crop of stars. While you get some good matches, you also have to sit through a Raw Rewind (as per the usual with any show that isn’t Raw), advertisements for whatever movie WWE is putting out, and vignettes you’ve seen played on the other shows that play up the upcoming PPVs. Whatever time is left after matches and filler is reserved for backstage segments that progress the NXT storylines.
You can catch NXT on WWE.com or on their YouTube channel.
@Bradford_FTLOW | #FTLOW
