NXT

[Powder]

Since NXT is now on broadcast television and Vince had the brand win the Survivor Series PPV to fully establish NXT as its own brand, do we still consider NXT as the Minor Leagues?

I mean, if we look at it holistically, NXT is at the very least equal or better than AEW, ROH, MLW, Lucha Underground, and Impact, which would then make it a Major Brand.

And if we do consider NXT as it's own brand that is on par with RAW and SD, do we then consider the NXT Title a Major Championships?

Furthermore, will the WWE, for example, consider Shayna Baszler a two-time champion when she moves to (most likely) RAW to challenge Becky at Mania? I know that the commentators DO reference past NXT title runs, and if NXT is considered a Major Brand, then will the WWE adjust, again for instance, Charlotte's total title runs to 11 including her NXT title run?

[PEN15v2]

Priest vs Dain. Wrong guy won. Killian Dain has a bigger ceiling than Priest in my honest opinion, and I think that Dain should have won, and begin his move into the NXT main event scene. I would love to see an NXT title feud between Lee and Dain.

And the ending of the fans/locker room coming out to celebrate with Ripley reminded me of when Luger beat Hogan for the WCW title on Nitro in 1998.

Dain won the first match, Priest won this one. So they are 1-1.

As for the ending, my first thought was how it killed the times the ring exploded (Show v Henry superplex).

[PEN15v2]

I doubt it. I think for now anyways, the Raw/SD main titles will be the World titles, and then they'll add "plus 2 time NXT champ." That could change, but they aren't at that point yet.

[Powder]

Dain won the first match, Priest won this one. So they are 1-1.

Well then Dain should win the rubber match...

As for the ending, my first thought was how it killed the times the ring exploded (Show v Lesnar superplex).

Fixed, because the Show/Henry superplex was a rehash of the Show/Lesnar same spot.

[Team Farrell]

Yeah, NXT is still the lesser brand. The boys might push the narrative that it's not, but it is. The guys who "want" to stay there forever, know what their ceiling is on the main roster.

They're still the developmental brand, but they're the developmental brand with national TV. On some level, I would consider MLW, ROH and 2019 Impact to be a "developmental" brand and all three have national TV.

NXT sells out arenas for their Takeover shows, and those are typically married to a main roster PPV that people are travelling for. But an average show? Their recent PNW tour had at least one show in a 5k seat arena that drew less than the top regional indy draws.

So no, they're not a top brand in WWE. The NXT title is not a World Championship. It's the NXT title. The top guy of the developmental brand.

[Powder]

My thoughts about last night's NXT:

1. The opening segment was not that great as Ripley did not do a good job on the mic. Hopefully, she was just nervous.
2. Then when everyone came out, it was very mid-2000s Smackdown-esq, and I was looking for Teddy Long to come out to make the 6-women tag match. But the match was fun.
3. Where has Toni Storm been? Man is she sexy, and her lower body is just yum.
4. Regardless, NXT continues to show, through the 6 woman match and the singles match later on with Mia Yim and Kayden Carter, that NXT has the best women's division (and possible best division) in all of wrestling.
5. The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic put on two really great matches highlighting what great tag team wrestling is supposed to look like. All 4 teams were impressive.
6. Austin Theory has the making of a star. But let's not put the cart before the horse.
7. Gargano is not a great promo, but it was effective, and Balor somehow got a lot better, by saying less, and their match will be highly anticipated.
8. Keith Lee better win the NA Title. The fatal 4-way was good. Dijakovic should also be a star. A guy that size doing what he does is just as impressive as Lee, but Lee connects better with the audience. I could see Dijakovic being the Edge to Lee's Cena.
9. Cameron Grimes needs to realize that it is not 1977 anymore and get rid of the body hair.
10. Damien Priest. meh. There are other big guys on the roster that do what he does, who look better, connect better, and have a better gimmick. Also something about the bass of his voice throws me off.

Great Episode, but the clusterfuck opening did not really need to happen.

Final thought. I was to be in a thruple with Toni Storm and Mia Yim.

[Oliver]

Forget all that - WWE are genuinely running a Time Splitters reunion with KUSHIDA and Alex Shelley, and pretty much treating it like it's just a thing that's happening and not a really big deal.

I didn't think Shelley could go any more, I thought injuries had ended his career pretty much. Like, I knew he'd had his little RoH run to tie things off, coming out of retirement, but I thought his NXT role was just going to be a trainer.

As far as other stuff goes - I still have an overwhelming crush on Rhea Ripley, I like Cameron Grimes' look including the body hair, and I hope they keep up the run they're on at the moment because they've been delivering really solid shows through the end of 2019.

[Powder]

Forget all that....harsh.


I also have that crush on Ripley....

But besides on being in the Storm/Yim thruple, I want Ripley as my side piece that f's the crap out of me.

[comfortablynumb]

Forget all that - WWE are genuinely running a Time Splitters reunion with KUSHIDA and Alex Shelley, and pretty much treating it like it's just a thing that's happening and not a really big deal.

I didn't think Shelley could go any more, I thought injuries had ended his career pretty much. Like, I knew he'd had his little RoH run to tie things off, coming out of retirement, but I thought his NXT role was just going to be a trainer.

As far as other stuff goes - I still have an overwhelming crush on Rhea Ripley, I like Cameron Grimes' look including the body hair, and I hope they keep up the run they're on at the moment because they've been delivering really solid shows through the end of 2019.

Time Splitters vs. reDRagon to wrestle again is basically a lock too. Good stuff coming from NXT.

[Prime Time]

NXT was up around 69,000 this week.

From what I hear the overall audience size was unchanged so it sounds roughly like some people who watched AEW the previous week chose to watch NXT this time.

Bit of a surprise given it was a semi-special show over on Dynamite. Perhaps the title match on NXT had something to do with it?

[PEN15v2]

Due to the hardcore fan base of both shows, I am guessing it's that Dynamite was taped with spoilers available.

[Prime Time]

Ah yes, that would certainly do it.

[comfortablynumb]

Velveteen Dream ripping off his top trunks to show the bottom ones with Roderick Strong’s wife and kid’s photo with Dream’s face on them was awesome. I love those little things he does.

[PEN15v2]

I feel stupid for not figuring out the clues from those videos

[Oliver]

I love Dream so much. So happy he's back, I feel like he really adds something to the show. It's not been bad without him, but there's an aura around Dream that just makes a show with him involved feel...bigger.

He's probably the only member of the NXT roster I fancy more than Ripley.