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Ever since debuting on the USA Network last September, NXT has tasted considerable success. The black and gold brand has gone from being a taped show on the WWE Network to be a legitimate third brand. NXT's invasion of Raw and SmackDown and the brand's subsequent performance at Survivor Series did go a long way in mainstreaming what many believed to be WWE's 'developmental' brand. Many were skeptical about the brand's creative direction following its move to Cable TV, but from what we've seen so far it is safe to say that the brand hasn't deviated from its core philosophy.
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NXT has been known for its effective storytelling and high-quality in-ring action. The brand's ' Takeover' specials are widely considered by many to be some of the best Wrestling events in recent memory. Unlike RAW and SmackDown, which emphasizes grandeur and the entertainment aspect, NXT has stuck to the formula of being rooted in classic old-school storytelling combined with a fast-paced, high-octane in-ring style. This has worked to the brand's advantage over the past few years.
But, despite earning critical praise from both fans and critics, NXT's TV ratings haven't been what one could call outstanding. While the Black and Gold brand hasn't lost a huge chunk of viewers week on week (when compared to its competition), their inability to crack a million viewers weekly should be seen as a worry. In addition to that, there has been a lot of criticism thrown at NXT's main event matches with many feeling that they have undermined the importance of finishers. While NXT's formulaic storytelling style was good for the Network era, it has gotten a bit ever since the show moved to Cable TV.
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Here are four things that Triple H & Co. need to do in 2020 :
#4 The coronation of Io Shirai
One of the best female wrestlers in the world, Io Shurai's run in NXT has been a mixed bag. The finalist of the second-annual Mae Young Classic signed with the world's largest wrestling promotion to much fanfare. The Joshi Judas has been one with the company for almost two years now. Shirai unsuccessfully challenged Shayna Baszler for the NXT Women's Championship during the first half of 2019. After failing to capture the title from The Queen of Spades on an episode of NXT TV, Shirai would turn on her long-time friend, Candice LeRae. Shirai's turn to the dark side and her feud with Le Rae was one of the biggest high-points of NXT in 2019. Despite being a heel, Shirai continued to be one of the most over stars on the black and gold brand.
The Japanese star is currently on the shelf for an undisclosed amount of time due to an injury. Last year, there were reports of Bushiroad, the parent company of New Japan Pro Wrestling and Stardom, trying to woo her back to The Land of Rising Sun. There were also rumors about Shirai being unhappy about her position in the company.
All of this leads us to believe that the company will be rolling up the red carpet for the Tokyo-native once she returns from her injury. Many felt that Shirai should've been the one to dethrone Baszler but as fate would have it, along came Rhea Ripley. The Australian Superstars quickly rose through the ranks to become one of the hottest stars in the company and the rest, as they say, is history.
Shirai was one of the best things in NXT before her injury. She is more than deserving of a run with the NXT Women's Championship. Her finally winning the title at an event like NXT Takeover: Boston during SummerSlam weekend would not only make for a huge moment for the women's division but also allow a huge push for more Joshi wrestlers to make the jump to WWE.
#3 Tape shows out of Full Sail
As someone who had previously written about why NXT shouldn't move out of Full Sail, we can't help but feel a bit distraught on having egg on our faces. While the Full Sail crowd has been an important part of the Black and Gold brand's overall presentation, it comes with its limitations. For starters, the venue can only hold a few hundred people.
In addition to that, holding a show in the same venue every single week has also led to fan fatigue. If one were to take a closer look at NXT TV for the past few weeks, one would notice that the crowd enthusiasm isn't at the same level as it was when the brand started going live. The deafening pops have died down and there is a long stretch of silence during a match.
Now, we are not advocating that NXT becomes a full time touring brand but Triple H & co. needs to look out for new venues for taping their weekly show even if it means moving out of Full Sail. This will help in not only widening the gap when it comes to the other show on Wednesday Night but also get rid of the underground label that has stuck to it and make it a bit more mainstream.
#2 Move out stars to RAW and SmackDown
One of the best things about NXT over the past few years was its ability to never overtly rely on a single Superstar. Many felt that brand could crumble following the departure of Superstars like Bayley, Asuka and Finn Balor but the brand ended up creating new stars like Aleister Black, Bobby Roode, Andrade, Johnny Gargano, Tomasso Ciampa and Adam Cole who carried the brand for the next few years.
But, ever since moving to Cable TV and being positioned as the third brand, NXT has found itself in a fix where some of the top names who have been in the system for years haven't moved to either RAW and SmackDown. One of NXT's biggest strengths over the past few years was its ability to stand back on after losing some of its biggest names and move up fresh, young faces into the main-event scene. But, that, sadly hasn't been the case for quite some time now, especially in the men's division, which has revolved around the same three to four stars for the past year and a half.
Re-hashing the feud between Johnny Gargano and Tomasso Ciampa has been the biggest example of the creative lull within the black and gold brand. The feud was one of the best feuds of the 2010s but it has done to death and we don't see any reason why they needed to revisit it. The only logical explanation for this has got to be Ciampa and Gargano's insisting on staying in NXT and the company not having any substantial for them to do at the moment.
Despite being two of the greatest superstars in the brand's history, it is safe to say that Gargano and Ciampa have overstayed their welcome on the Black and Yellow brand. They have been positioned as the brand's top stars for the past three years now which has led to many young talents not getting the opportunity to rise to up to the main event scene. We hope that the current feud between the two is the last we see of them in NXT. While Ciampa has made it abundantly clear that he has no intention of moving on to Raw or SmackDown, we feel that it is time for Blackheart to step away from the main-event scene so that the newer crop of talent gets an opportunity to shine.
Alternatively, they could bring in stars like Cedric Alexander, Apollo Crews, and Drew Gulak, who aren't utilized to their fullest potential on the big shows and help freshen up the roster. Despite what many might say, NXT at its core is still a ' developmental' brand and if it continues to push the same stars in the main-event scene whilst failing to make new stars, it will be a huge disservice to their reputation.
#1 Dissension within The Undisputed Era
Now we know that this might break some hearts. The Undisputed Era has been the heart and soul of NXT for almost three years now. The quartet of Adam Cole, Bobby Fish, Roderick Strong, and Kyle O'Reilly have dominated the black and gold brand ever since their debut at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn III in 2017. But, as they say, all good things must come to an end.
The British-Colombia has the unsung hero of the stable. He has been the backbone of NXT's tag team division for the past few years. He is also the only three-time Champion in NXT history. O'Reilly and Fish lost the NXT Tag Team Championship to the team of Matt Riddle and Pete Dunne at NXT Takeover: Portland. It was sad to see O' Rielly not having a title to air-guitar with on last week's NXT.
As good as The Undisputed Era has been as a unit, it has also led to O'Reilly being boxed within the tag division, when he is capable of so much more. With his accomplishment as a tag wrestler, it is easy to forget how great of a singles star O'Reilly is. He is a former ROH and PWG World Champion and a former winner of the prestigious Battle of Los Angeles tournament.
With the golden prophecy coming to end and Cole being the lone member with gold around his waist, there is a possibility of cracks appearing within the members of the UE.
While Strong is a great singles competitor, he was an afterthought before joining the stable. He would get lost in the shuffle if he left the group. Bobby Fish isn't someone who would make for a credible challenger for Cole's NXT Championship. This leaves us Kyle O'Reilly, who is the most credible opponent for Cole if there were a revolt within the stable. As good of a heel he has been, O' Reilly has the potential to be an even better babyface.
Cole and O'Reilly have previously battled over the ROH World Championship before their arrival in WWE. O'Reilly won the ROH World Title from Cole at Final Battle 2016. He dropped the title back to Cole at WrestleKingdom 11. Cole Vs O' Reilly has money written and it's about time that they start planting seeds of Dissension between the members of The UE which ultimately culminates into a match between the two for the brand's top prize.
Given the duo's history over the years and their chemistry inside the ring, we believe that the company should take a chance and pull the trigger on this feud. Disintegrating the UE and having Cole and O'Reilly feud against one another will, without a doubt, be a huge success for the black and yellow brand. If done properly, this feud has the potential to be one of the best in NXT history.
