5 Reasons why Vince McMahon won't allow NXT to beat RAW and SmackDown at Survivor Series

For the first time in WWE history, Survivor Series will feature three brands battling it out for brand supremacy. In the last couple of weeks, we have seen RAW, SmackDown, and NXT roster invade live shows to build up for the upcoming battle.

This is NXT’s first-ever appearance in one of the big four PPVs in WWE and they are the favorites to pick up a dominant win on Sunday. However, that may not be the case this weekend.

Despite all its talent, the Triple H-led NXT is competing against two names that have ruled the pro-wrestling business for years now. They might be the best brand but Vince McMahon may be skeptical about letting the former ‘developmental’ brand belittle the entire product.

In this list, we will take a look at five reasons why the WWE Boss will not allow NXT to beat RAW and SmackDown.

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#5 NXT Superstars are still the ‘Underdogs’

Patience is the key

WWE may have recognised NXT as the third brand of the promotion. However, the Black and Gold brand has a long way to go before it tastes the same success as experienced by RAW and SmackDown.

Back when NXT was still the developmental brand, several Superstars ruled at Full Sail Live but ended up losing their charm upon their arrival on the main roster. The difference in the booking can be blamed for that, but the same thing might be repeated at Survivor Series.

NXT will be represented by the underdogs at the upcoming PPV. A dominance in their first-ever battle for brand supremacy will indeed do wonders for the Black and Gold brand. However, going by history, Vince McMahon will not be comfortable in agreeing to that sort of booking.

Despite better storylines, sensible narration and intense matches, NXT doesn’t enjoy as much popularity as its counterparts. This might be one of the biggest reasons why we may see Superstars from the Red and the Blue brand preying on the talent from NXT come Sunday night.

#4 Limited history

"Shocking the System" may not go as planned

WWE NXT made its debut on USA Network only a couple of months ago. Before that, it was only available on the official WWE network. Although NXT still enjoyed a decent fanbase, there is still a large section of the WWE Universe which only recently witnessed the magic that unfolds on the Black and Gold brand.

On the other hand, RAW is the longest-running episodic show in television history and SmackDown has a 20-year-old experience in the world of pro-wrestling business.

Some may argue that NXT is a better product when compared to the other two brands and I agree. However, the brand’s limited reach to the new viewers may prove to be its detriment.

Moreover, NXT is quite different from its counterparts when it comes to the entire program. Fans often refer to it as the best show in the entire WWE and often cite the product as an example when arguing about unpleasant storylines that unfold on RAW and SmackDown.

This constant comparison may have rubbed Vince McMahon in the wrong way. Therefore, he would refrain from allowing the NXT Superstars to pick the maximum number of wins in order to avoid strengthening the above-mentioned claims, much to the disappointment of the fans.

#3 Pressure from Network

At times, it goes beyond brand wars...

With SmackDown’s move to FOX Network, there are two channels that are now involved in the brand wars. Even during WWE Draft 2019, it was reported that both USA Network and Fox had a huge impact on the distribution of the roster.

While the USA Network hosts two WWE shows (RAW and NXT), Fox only has one. Additionally, the recent developments in the product indicate expensive deals between the shows and their respective networks.

With two different channels at war, it is safe to assume that there will be pressure on the WWE Creative to book the Superstars of each brand in a strong light. This will most likely lead to both networks demanding equal importance.

Unfortunately for NXT, the USA Network might incline towards supporting RAW while choosing between the two brands. The Red brand dominates the Monday nights whereas NXT is still competing with AEW (All Elite Wrestling) to become the top wrestling show on Wednesday nights.

Honestly, a well-established roster filled with decorated Superstars seems like a fair choice if we look at the situation from the network’s perspective. On the other hand, NXT talents will have to settle for respectable performances considering they already have a brand-exclusive PPV (Takeover: WarGames) on the previous night.

#2 Exposure via historic pay-per-view

This may not be 'The Game' that Triple H had in mind

You may have come across people who believe it’s okay to pay interns or artists with ‘exposure’. I fear that the same thing will happen with NXT at Survivor Series.

It appears that including a third brand in the battle of brand supremacy for the first time has already drawn a lot of attention towards NXT. Even though the brand enjoyed immense popularity even before it made its television debut, it’s different to be featured in one of WWE’s big four pay-per-views

However, this may backfire for the underdogs this weekend. The fact that there will be unique matches and a plethora of talent on display may end up forcing the NXT Superstars to settle for 'exposure' to a bigger audience in place of a deserving win.

It is pretty much given that every member of the NXT roster that will represent their brand at Survivor Series will live up to the expectations. After all, they claimed that this particular roster has no room for ‘bulls***’ in the ads that rolled out right ahead of the show's television debut. Luckily, they have held their end of the deal.

However, on Sunday, these Superstars might be booked to deliver epic performances which would then meet an unfortunate fate at the hands of their rival brands.

#1 Bigger Superstars on RAW and SmackDown

"Daddy's home" is not music to the ears of The Architect

NXT definitely enjoys the respect and appreciation of the WWE Universe and deservedly so. However, we can’t turn our back on the fact that the Superstars on the Black and Gold brand do not enjoy the same popularity as the top Superstars of RAW and SmackDown.

It is highly unlikely for Vince McMahon to allow the likes of Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch or Charlotte Flair being defeated by the stars who represent a newly introduced brand. Maybe that’s why NXT was booked to look dominant during the invasion angle.

It seems partially fair as most of the top Superstars on RAW and SmackDown are NXT graduates who worked for years to reach the pinnacle of sports entertainment. Someone like Tommaso Ciampa or Shayna Baszler or the Undisputed Era might explore similar success in the future with their passionate performances on Wednesday nights.

But for now, others dominate the entire promotion, irrespective of the brand. Therefore, we might end up seeing NXT Superstars being involved in brutal match-ups and losing after they have proved their mettle.

I would love to be wrong about these predictions, but as far as I understand the product, some things don’t change. Fortunately, we have WarGames to kickstart the weekend on Saturday.

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