WWE TLC 2019: 5 reasons why NXT should have at least one match at the event

NXT has proven that they deserve to be on top in WWE
NXT has proven that they deserve to be on top in WWE

NXT has seen some major changes take place this year which has helped catapult the brand to another level.

With NXT moving to the USA Network and competing against the Superstars of RAW and SmackDown, the company has allowed the brand to begin its journey in a whole new direction.

With the Tables, Ladders, and Chairs (TLC) pay-per-view coming up, fans will be looking to see some NXT stars who got popular during Survivor Series get matches at the event.

While we don’t expect to watch NXT Superstars compete with the Superstars of RAW or SmackDown for some time again, we could see a big NXT match take place at the event to further grown the Black & Gold brand.

In this article, we will look at the 5 reasons why NXT should have at least one match at TLC this year.


#5 To continue their success from Survivor Series

NXT stars stole the show at Survivor Series
NXT stars stole the show at Survivor Series

Survivor Series this year was a popular event due to a very special reason. NXT was made a part of the pay-per-view for the first time ever, and some traveling hiccups after Crown Jewel allowed the Superstars of NXT to make a big impact during the event’s buildup.

Following that, NXT was able to shock everyone by outdoing RAW and SmackDown and getting crowned as the supreme brand of WWE.

This allowed many NXT Superstars to step up and produce a great episode of NXT after Survivor Series.

With all that under their belt, another big match at a major pay-per-view could help the brand carry on their success and produce a stellar show both at the event and before and after it on NXT.

The build-up to Survivor Series allowed the Black & Gold brand’s Superstars to develop some great storylines before the event and we are feeling that it has allowed them to increase their quality.

Following that, another major PPV will help the brand’s stars stay on top and look to give fans even better action so that they can participate in more major events.

#4 To give more exposure to NXT Superstars

Keith Lee pinned Seth Rollins and rocked Roman Reigns at Survivor Series
Keith Lee pinned Seth Rollins and rocked Roman Reigns at Survivor Series

NXT Superstars are not the same they used to be 2 years back. We have Superstars such as Adam Cole, Johnny Gargano, Shayna Baszler, Tommaso Ciampa, and Rhea Ripley who can take on any Superstar inside or outside WWE and come out on top.

With such an improvement in quality, the brand recently got its own USA Network deal which now allows the brand to air live every Wednesday.

Survivor Series also helped the Superstars of NXT get a lot of exposure, and we saw a lot of NXT stars score victories over RAW and SmackDown Superstars during the buildup.

During Survivor Series, men like Keith Lee and WALTER were seen as absolute favorites for the crowds while Shayna Baszler shined above Becky Lynch and Bayley.

Since the brand is red-hot from all the exposure at the moment, the company should not pull back and go all in once again to give some more Superstars exposure during TLC 2019.

This could help NXT make some more top Superstars, like Matt Riddle and Tegan Nox, and bring them in front of the WWE Universe which will benefit the brand in the long run.

#3 To increase ratings

The USA Network will be looking to cash in from this partnership
The USA Network will be looking to cash in from this partnership

One of the benefits that Survivor Series brought to NXT was an increase in ratings. NXT recently moved to the USA Network, and the company will be looking to increase the viewership of the brand in order to benefit both the network and its own brand.

NXT has grown a lot over the past year, and we have seen the WWE YouTube page get much more views on its NXT videos and NXT Superstars get much more spotlight all over the world.

With that in mind, the company could bring a few Superstars to TLC 2019 in order to increase the viewership of NXT during the buildup. Not only that, but NXT’s success could also increase the ratings of TLC inturn as diehard NXT fans will tune in for the event.

NXT is currently engaged in a war with AEW on Wednesday Nights, and keeping the brand afloat in the media will benefit WWE edge out all competition.

This can be made easier by constantly allowing NXT Superstars to feature in top PPVs in order to bring the brand at par with RAW and SmackDown in terms of importance.

It will also help NXT Superstars lay rest to some grudge matches under some extreme rules at TLC.

#2 To show that NXT is not just a ‘third brand’ anymore

John Cena put then NXT Champion Kevin Owens over in 2015
John Cena put then NXT Champion Kevin Owens over in 2015

For a long time, NXT was considered a ‘developmental brand’ or the ‘third brand’ of the company. This even allowed some non-WWE wrestlers to poke fun at the brand at times.

It was always considered a brand that groomed Superstars before they ‘stepped up’ the ladder to the main roster, and got to compete with the ‘big guys’.

Over the past few months, the company has tried to move away from that. They’ve allowed Superstars of NXT to taunt Superstars of RAW and SmackDown, and refer to NXT as the main roster.

With a move to the USA Network and a huge victory at Survivor Series, NXT has proven that the company has started taking the brand more seriously and not just as a ‘third brand’ anymore.

To cement NXT’s position in the company, taking some men and women to the next pay-per-view will not only help the Superstars and NXT but also WWE as a whole.

It will help WWE focus on all three brands collectively rather than keeping the spotlight on just two brands while building more stars in NXT and increasing merchandise sales.

Recently, stars such as Tommaso Ciampa have mentioned that they would not want to move from NXT to any other brand, and the company could build on such Superstars to lead them into the future.

#1 To tease a match for WrestleMania 36

WWE already planted seeds for a rivalry between these two at Survivor Series
WWE already planted seeds for a rivalry between these two at Survivor Series

Survivor Series gave birth to many top inter-brand rivalries, especially those involving NXT Superstars. During the event, NXT Champions Shayna Baszler and Roderick Strong defeated the Champions of RAW and SmackDown.

Fans are now looking forward to watching Becky Lynch and Shayna Baszler compete someday, Tommaso Ciampa and Kevin Owens to come face to face again, and Keith Lee battle Braun Strowman.

With so many dream matches on the fans’ minds, WWE could work on the success of Survivor Series and its build-up to tease some matches for WrestleMania at TLC 2019.

They could do that by having a backstage face-off between any of the above-mentioned Superstars. We could even see Finn Balor come face to face with ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt again!

This would be a great way to plant seeds for a major NXT vs. RAW/SmackDown match at WrestleMania 36 and also open up some possibilities for Royal Rumble.

Since WWE has benefited a lot from having NXT feature on Survivor Series, they should not let the opportunity of shocking the fans further slip, and build further by having NXT matches on TLC 2019.

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Edited by Zaid Khan
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