5 Reasons Why NXT Has Been So Successful

Since its rise to prominence in 2014, NXT has emerged as a must watch program on the WWE Network. It features young, hungry, and notable talent vying to earn a name for themselves while performing before a small but passionate crowd.

The framework for its success is often credited to Triple H but the basis of the brand's success requires a through assessment, whether it's through social media, print media or word-of-mouth.

Now NXT has become a battleground for so many fans as more and more names are linked to the brand. It continues to be considered the show that fans have been asking for. Why have they been so successful?

Here are 5 reasons why.

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#5 They bring in notable talent from the independent scene

Shinsuke Nakamura and Asuka

As the years have passed, fans have contributed to getting excited about the names that are either rumored to be joining WWE or those that actually join NXT.

Over the past few years names such as Kevin Owens, Shinsuke Nakamura, Hideo Itami, Finn Balor, Sami Zayn, Neville, Bobby Roode, Adam Cole, Ricochet and Kyle O'Reilly have moved over from either Japan or the Western independent scene.

Each one brought with them a pedigree, and when they arrived they also brought with them a fan base that was already familiar with their work.

They had achieved success wherever they went, but once they joined NXT, viewers that didn't know them joined those that already adored them in becoming fans. These notable men and women are exactly what adds to the growing success of the company.

Fans are now anxious to see how recent additions such as Keith Lee and Matt Riddle will do during their time with the promotion.

#4 They maintain an independent eel to its presentation

Full Sail Arena in Orlando, Florida is the home of NXT

NXT's success is less about pageantry and more about execution. There is very little illumination except in the key areas, and the mats outside the ring, the ring canvas, and the railings around the ringside area are all black.

It is a clear and simple presentation that any fans can see the lighting is focused on the center of the ring, and everything outside the ring is dim and dark.

The reason is simple: all the focus is on what happens between the ropes. When fans watch Raw or Smackdown they of course associate the colors of red and blue with the respective brands.

However there is a lot of focus on the thousands of people in attendance. NXT never needs to dress up and be anything more than exciting wrestling that isn't classified as sports entertainment.

#3 The match quality is so much better

NXT North American Title Match

In contrast to the matches showcased on Raw or Smackdown, fans often get to see a very different type of match in NXT. Talent appear to have free rein to be creative and tell a story during the struggle between the antagonist and the protagonist. The conflict manifests in the punches, kicks, and tremendous moves both men and women execute on each other, while Raw and Smackdown typically have less time per match.

NXT feature matches are rarely short. They give fans more time to get invested and a reason to care about what is happening. When matches are too short it is difficult to care about those involved.

It should also be noted that in NXT even when matches are kept short there is reason to care, whether it's Lars Sullivan beating his opposition into oblivion or Kassius Ohno showing everyone that the Knockout Artist is someone to watch out for.

Overall though when a match is given 8 to 10 minutes, there is more time to convey a short story that fans will get behind. Regardless of the result, in the end they have watched a match where the quality was superb.

#2 There are only five PPVs

NXT Takeover

Since WrestleMania 2017, Raw and SmackDown Live were both featured on pay per views that take place once a month. Before that, each show had brand exclusive pay per views with a select few co-branded paper views.

That decision to cut back on brand exclusive paper views was because it was creating too much content for fans to watch, which affected overall interest in the product.

There are 5 NXT Takeover events, which always coincide with a major WWE main roster event, whether its WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, Money in the Bank, SummerSlam or Survivor Series.

NXT Takeover events share the spotlight on those particular weekends. That timing means they get the benefit of drawing fans who were already coming to see the product on a Sunday. Fans may come in with lower expectations in comparison to the major event and are consistently blown away by Takeover's execution. Fans are left wanting more as these events are only a few times a year.

#1 Almost all matches have clean finishes

Pete Dunne rocks Tyler Bate with a stiff forearm smash

While fans will see screwy finishes or results that are a letdown on Raw and Smackdown, that is rarely the case with NXT. A clean win, regardless of whether it is by a heel or face is common, and those wins and losses aren't commonly done with the aid of outside interference disqualification or countout.

Majority of the time, whether there is a championship on the line or a heated rivalry, usually the result is one mistake costing someone their win. Recent examples of this have been Ricochet's NXT North American Title win and the Undisputed Era's title retention.

When Velveteen Dream picked up wins recently over the likes of Johnny Gargano and EC3, they were hard-fought matches involving a clean finish. There is something to be said for having a heel win a match without having to cheat in order to succeed.

Fans have gravitated to these results and respect all involved for their contribution regardless of who won or lost the match