NXT

[PEN15v2]

To continue on this topic, anyone who watched this week's NXT might have seen an experimental segment that falls in line with what Fox has asked of Smackdown. The hype video for next week's Dominik Dijakovic VS Keith Lee match was VERY inspired by the standard UFC pre fight hype videos. Maybe this was to help gauge how to start the blue brand presentation?

[Powder]

I just read that after NXT airs on USA against AEW, the WWE will then air the broadcast on the Network 24 hours later. That is a HUGE mistake. That allows for anyone/everyone who already watches NXT a reason to deliberately not tune in and to watch AEW live. They can just wait a day to watch NXT. The WWE should not rebroadcast NXT until weeks/months later to force people to choose or at least DVR (which still generates ratings).

[Team Farrell]

I just read that after NXT airs on USA against AEW, the WWE will then air the broadcast on the Network 24 hours later. That is a HUGE mistake. That allows for anyone/everyone who already watches NXT a reason to deliberately not tune in and to watch AEW live. They can just wait a day to watch NXT. The WWE should not rebroadcast NXT until weeks/months later to force people to choose or at least DVR (which still generates ratings).

I agree, but if they're concerned that a lot of people's main reason for subscribing to the Network is NXT I can definitely see it. It's an option to watch it on the Network, but we also live in a culture that's obsessed with spoilers. Don't be surprised if in the first few weeks/months they're pumping out shocking twists and turns on shows that you'll be disappointed to have inevitably spoiled by waiting a day.

[Cult Icon]

The most popular theory for that decision is that they're worried that NXT no longer being on the Network right away will lead to some fans canceling it and them putting it out a day later is a way to keep people subscribed. Whether that would've been a factor or not beats me; I know NXT is one of the most viewed programs on the Network but a) I'm pretty sure most viewership for the show is on demand anyway (not live) and b) it can't be definitively said if NXT is the reason a good chunk of subscribers are subscribed to begin with.

I think the most telling thing about this situation is that NXT (and WWE has confirmed this themselves so its no speculation) will be only airing on USA for an hour the first two weeks (the 18th and the 25th) while the final hour airs on the Network; this is because Suits is wrapping up its final season and USA is giving that first priority. Maybe WWE does something to hook fans into going to the Network after the first hour but that's not ideal for fans (especially when they can watch the show on demand the next day on the Network with no hassle) and I think it highlights how quickly this thing was put together in order to combat AEW's show on Wednesday. That isn't to say NXT wouldn't have moved to cable eventually anyway (they would've) or that the show is in trouble (it's not). But it seems pretty obvious to me that things are moving faster than they would've normally and AEW is the cause of that.

[Team Farrell]

Suits is still on TV!? Shit, I tapped out after Mike got out of jail. It just lost my interest after that season. How the hell did they continue that with one of the cast now being a member of the royal family?

EDIT: Oh yeah, I'd say that on the first two weeks of NXT the TV version ends either in the middle of a really good match or with something crazy like The Rock showing up to do a promo.

[Cult Icon]

It is apparently still on! My understanding (I haven't watched the show since season one but my father is a regular viewer) is that they just shifted focus from the Mike and Rachel characters to Harvey and Donna once Markle entered British Royalty. They also added Dule Hill and Katherine Heigl (who still has a career somehow) to make up for the losses. I can't speak for whether that's worked or not; all I can say is that USA very much loves the show and that's why this is happening.

To your point Coach, I think you'd almost need The Rock or Steve Austin cutting a promo both of those weeks to get people to go from USA to the Network. Unless you're a diehard to end all diehards, you're more than likely going to want to wait till the next day to see all of NXT uninterrupted as opposed to going from USA to the Network (which isn't as much of a hassle as some will make it out to be, but is still a hassle). That's just more convenient and I'm not sure good wrestling (which you can find anywhere these days) is enough to get people to break that. If you can get a big star doing something interesting then sure, but otherwise I think they're going to see a lot of people watching the next day.

The more I think about this, the more I'm beginning to realize that there are several disadvantages NXT has coming out of the gate. Yes WWE is going to promote the hell out of the show but TNT is going to do the same with AEW so that's a wash, and AEW has historical significance on their side given this is the first wrestling show on TNT since 2001. Most importantly, unless WWE is bringing people in right away, AEW is also going to have the advantage of having two big stars immediately available in Moxley (who is still hot even after the injury) and a Chris Jericho who is now catching fire thanks to his handling of the title situation and his "A LITTLE BIT OF THE BUBBLAY!" silliness. Who does NXT have? They have a lot of really good workers but I think we'd all agree that none of them, at least at the moment, are recognizable names to the people flipping through channels the way Jericho and Moxley are. I honestly hadn't thought about it till now but it is something that could be very important, at least in the initial stages.

[Team Farrell]

It is apparently still on! My understanding (I haven't watched the show since season one but my father is a regular viewer) is that they just shifted focus from the Mike and Rachel characters to Harvey and Donna once Markle entered British Royalty. They also added Dule Hill and Katherine Heigl (who still has a career somehow) to make up for the losses. I can't speak for whether that's worked or not; all I can say is that USA very much loves the show and that's why this is happening.

Hmm, maybe if the rest of the series ever makes its way to Netflix I'll finish it.

To your point Coach, I think you'd almost need The Rock or Steve Austin cutting a promo both of those weeks to get people to go from USA to the Network. Unless you're a diehard to end all diehards, you're more than likely going to want to wait till the next day to see all of NXT uninterrupted as opposed to going from USA to the Network (which isn't as much of a hassle as some will make it out to be, but is still a hassle). That's just more convenient and I'm not sure good wrestling (which you can find anywhere these days) is enough to get people to break that. If you can get a big star doing something interesting then sure, but otherwise I think they're going to see a lot of people watching the next day.

That's what I'm thinking. They need to end the TV portion of weeks one and two with something monumental to not only drive viewers to the Network, but also to establish that you are not going to want to miss this show on a weekly basis and risk it being spoiled for you. NXT is going to need to become the "anything can happen" show, which probably bodes well for its somewhat experimental nature to this point.

If Adam Cole was in the ring cutting a promo only for The Rock's music to hit in the final 30 seconds, that would be enough to get people to jump to the Network.

I actually also question how many viewers are even going to realize that only half of the show is airing on USA that first week. Only around half of WWE's weekly audience has the Network and out of that half that doesn't, I'd wager there's a There's a sizable portion of their audience that isn't following online wrestling day-to-day.

The more I think about this, the more I'm beginning to realize that there are several disadvantages NXT has coming out of the gate. Yes WWE is going to promote the hell out of the show but TNT is going to do the same with AEW so that's a wash, and AEW has historical significance on their side given this is the first wrestling show on TNT since 2001. Most importantly, unless WWE is bringing people in right away, AEW is also going to have the advantage of having two big stars immediately available in Moxley (who is still hot even after the injury) and a Chris Jericho who is now catching fire thanks to his handling of the title situation and his "A LITTLE BIT OF THE BUBBLAY!" silliness. Who does NXT have? They have a lot of really good workers but I think we'd all agree that none of them, at least at the moment, are recognizable names to the people flipping through channels the way Jericho and Moxley are. I honestly hadn't thought about it till now but it is something that could be very important, at least in the initial stages.

NXT doesn't have the level of star power of Jericho or Moxley. But the one thing that helps them is that if they're running at Full Sail for the foreseeable future, a big portion of the TV roster resides within driving distance of the venue, especially the ones that went through NXT. If AEW is advertising a big main event, they could pretty easily get someone like Roman Reigns in to do a tag team match. They've also got legends like Michaels there all the time.

Here's a weird thought: could we see John Cena become a semi-regular face on NXT? He's busy as hell, but he also lives a 40 minute flight away. They could use the star power of having him on the show, and the convenience for him not really having to travel is incredible. He's also the type of guy that would probably be happy to give back by working with them in some capacity and would probably enjoy having basically zero pressure on him.

[LK3185]

Are both hours of NXT going to be on the network the next day still? If I had the network (I don't at the moment) i would still wait to watch on the network the next day when i can decide when to watch. The urgency to watch wrestling live isn't big for me unless I feel like its important i do so. Weekly WWE TV recently hasn't been that.

Not to say the TV has been terrible lately, just not 'MUST watch live'

[Cult Icon]

John Cena is booked solid for the next several years between filming for the new Fast and the Furious, the Suicide Squad sequel and an action film called The Janson Directive. On top of that, ever since The Rock got injured wrestling Cena at Wrestlemania back in 2013, insurance companies have been strongly hesitant to back actors who are also wrestling, and I know for a fact Stephen Amell couldn't get involved in anything AEW recently because the risk of injury could've disrupted filming of the final season of Arrow. I'm not saying its impossible but Cena's schedule would have to not only clear up really quickly but he'd also have to get permission from the filmmakers/production companies he's working for to wrestle and he'd probably have to get insured (which isn't likely). That's an option WWE should only try if there's no other option available, and even then it's very likely it wouldn't work.

The best option is to maybe use someone like an HBK as a spokesperson and bring someone like a Daniel Bryan or even a Rey Mysterio to NXT. Rey is a known commodity who they aren't doing much with outside of this retirement angle, and Bryan is both a big star, someone who will appeal to NXT's built in audience (unlike Reigns, who might get rejected by the Full Sail crowd) AND a guy who'd have terrific matches with most the roster. That to me is the move. My guess is we likely won't get any of that at least initially. Triple H has indicated Vince will be hands off for the start and I believe that will be the case. The question becomes what happens if AEW's star power (which is bigger at the moment) and momentum has them beating NXT the majority of the time the first month. If that occurs then I could see Vince being a little more hands on and stars from the main roster coming in.

[PEN15v2]

I think of the main roster guys who might show up, it'll be NXT graduates. Seth is an obvious one, but Big E, Sami, Shinsuke, Joe, Balor... Etc

[Oliver]

Mike and Rachel went to work for a victim focussed free legal care firm in Seattle, I think.

They've announced that episode one of NXT Live will have Strong Vs Dream for the NA Title on it, so I imagine this is the moment that we get the whole UE draped in gold, which immediately gives you a statement ending to the first live show. How long they can keep that kind of hook going will be key, but the first few weeks will presumably be jammed full of major matches and storyline twists. Plus, with the draft coming up whenever Smackdown goes live, I wouldn't be surprised to see that be when they add a new face or three to get a little bit of a further momentum bump.

Maybe a Survivor Series match, either one with the UE against a Smackdown or/and Raw side (have they ever done a three way Survivor Series bout?) as well, just to heighten the profile.

[Team Farrell]

I'd imagine that the draft sees one major superstar move to NXT. I'm not sure who that would be, but my guess is someone who's not particularly enamored with their positioning in the company but comes with name value to those people trying to pick between AEW and NXT and already resides in Florida. My immediate guess is Nakamura, but a long shot could be someone like Strowman who needs a little rehabbing in an environment where they can spend a week planning stunts for him to perform.

[Oliver]

Rusev and Lana wouldn't be a bad 'get' for NXT - although probably not carrying that name value that you're saying, Coach.

To just double back a step or two - last week's episode of NXT was superb. Myles vs Cole put on a great 15 minute main event, Breezango vs 3.0 was great (and Breezango earned two points, so they now only need one more to challenge the Undisputed Era), Dream beat Kona Reeves but more importantly Strong set a settee on fire, and Bianca Belair continued to improve against an also improving Taynara Conti.

There's something about Belair, and I can't put my finger on it. I wish it wouldn't be passe if she did a 'Hulk Up' kind of thing, because she has these excellent power moves that serve her well to end out a match, but otherwise she seems to have a struggle in the opening stages. A big beatdown and then a hulk up would really suit her. I suppose the alternative is her trucking through people like a female Goldberg.

[PEN15v2]

NXT was solid this week, though I wouldn't say superb. Like in so many online discussions, I have the unpopular opinion, but Adam Cole doesn't do much for me. The UE isn't bad altogether, and they need a leader, and Cole does a solid job of that. In that role, Cole might be perfect. But in the ring... I'm more and more believing modern wrestling is passing me by, if that's what is meant to be great. The story of rookie Myles challenging the champ was terrific, but the match was meh. Maybe I just don't like an obvious heel playing for babyface reactions.

My fave part of this story was the interview with Myles on his way to the arena, where Keith Lee was near him. That seemed like great foreshadowing, though what I expected from it did not occur. We'll see if there's more to it.

Bianca is still a work in progress, but her potential is near limitless. Agreed with her power moveset being her bread and butter. Like any complete wrestling rookie who started in the PC, she's still learning how to put a match together, and that's her biggest weakness. Taynara impressed me the most in this match, and I'm thinking she might have a very Alexa Bliss type future, in that in NXT she'll be a midcarder while exploring her skills, but once she gets to the main roster, the rocket will be strapped to her.

Breezango are a standard main roster midcard tag team, so I hope they get a chance to have longer matches in NXT. I don't know if they can ever deliver something like DIY vs Revival, but they haven't shown the ability to get there in the 4-5 minute TV matches we've seen so far. I find the most dependable match on any Takeover is the tag title match, and Breezango haven't displayed anything that would keep that going. I feel like the best they can offer is a 3 star match, even with Fish/O'Reilly, who are one of the best tag teams in all of WWE of the last 10 years.

With the likely draft and USA promotion, one story I would like to see is a veteran entering the tag division with a rookie from NXT. In ROH, Silas Young is taking Josh Woods under his wing, and in a way Jay Lethal is doing that with Jonathan Gresham. There are many versions in wrestling history of that, but the NXT to main roster dynamic is something I don't think has been capitalized on enough. Obviously, the tag division isn't top priority, but it doesn't need to be Roman Reigns going this route. Any singles guy with clout can make this work.

[Team Farrell]

NXT was solid this week, though I wouldn't say superb. Like in so many online discussions, I have the unpopular opinion, but Adam Cole doesn't do much for me. The UE isn't bad altogether, and they need a leader, and Cole does a solid job of that. In that role, Cole might be perfect. But in the ring... I'm more and more believing modern wrestling is passing me by, if that's what is meant to be great. The story of rookie Myles challenging the champ was terrific, but the match was meh. Maybe I just don't like an obvious heel playing for babyface reactions.

I'm with you on that. Cole vs Gargano at Takeover 25 I hated, but Meltzer gave it five and a quarter stars. They were hitting one another with shit that should have murdered the other guy and they kept kicking out. A Destroyer on the floor wasn't a finish.

I don't at all enjoy the style of wrestling where you hit the guy with everything in the book and they keep kicking out but your finish still gets the job done in the end.