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With the close of another calendar year, wrestling fans will once again pause to reflect on the 12 months now drawing to a close.
2019 has, unquestionably, been a fine year for wrestling fans – from WWE’s revamping of Raw and SmackDown to the launch of AEW and more beyond, there has been, as ever, plenty of action to soak up.
One prominent highlight, however, has been the continued success of WWE’s NXT programme – their expanding, diverse and talented roster once again knocking it out of the park with some stellar performances.
NXT and AEW have been going head to head for weeks now, and it’s a Wednesday night battle that is sure to entertain fans for a while longer yet.
For many, NXT is WWE’s strongest export, even outperforming the red and blue brands. With that in mind, we’re taking a look at 5 things NXT did better than Raw and Smackdown in 2019.
#1 Acknowledge the competition
Don’t get me wrong, we’ve never seen Triple H or any of the top NXT in-ring talent stand and cut a promo on AEW and how NXT was about to wage war on the newly formed competition.
It’s my firm belief, though, that NXT has more than acknowledged the fact that AEW is here to stay, and they upped their game accordingly – which is saying something considering it was strong enough as it was.
While they know that they need to mostly focus on their product rather than chasing AEW, it is important to be aware of what is going on across the street, so to speak. At times the two shows have matched each other move for move – for instance, advertising in advance the airing of blockbuster matches at the start of a broadcast.
Barring one mention by The Miz on Smackdown earlier this year, there has been almost zero mention of AEW on either Raw or Smackdown. Does there need to be? Possibly, possibly not, but there is an impression that there’s something a little elitist (pardon the pun) about WWE’s ‘bigger’ two programmes, almost as though competition is beneath them.
NXT knows full well there’s a fight on, and they love it.
#2 Finn Balor
Finn Balor was one of NXT’s biggest Superstars and, as such, was one of their biggest exports when he made his ‘main’ roster debut. As the first ever Universal Champion, he was clearly on a path to big things, only to sustain a serious shoulder injury in his bout against Seth Rollins that ruled him out long term.
Since his return in 2017, many would argue that Finn has either been underused or misused on RAW and SmackDown, despite fleeting main event programmes and the odd championship reign here or there.
You’d have to say that the call in 2019 to move him back to NXT permanently was, therefore, an absolute masterstroke. Balor has reinvented himself, rediscovered an edge and really seems to have got back some of his ‘X’ factor.
His return truly debunks the old myth that a move back from RAW or SmackDown to NXT is any sort of demotion – Balor has flourished there and will be a big name for years to come.
#3 Survivor Series
There’s no doubt about it – Survivor Series 2019 was NXT’s night.
Though not quite securing a clean sweep of RAW and SmackDown, the Black and Gold brand’s performance on a major WWE pay per view was significant, and quite reflective of their progress throughout the calendar year.
Undoubtedly, many Superstars in NXT are used to a bigger stage and audience than they may get from Full Sail each week so. In that respect, they won't have been fazed by last month’s showdown, but you can’t underplay the significance of them dominating what is traditionally one of WWE’s biggest events of the year.
Lio Rush defended his NXT Cruiserweight title successfully, Team NXT were victorious in the Women’s tag team elimination match, Roderick Strong overcame AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura and, in the main event, Shayna Baszler got the better of Raw and SmackDown’s incumbents, Becky Lynch and Bayley respectively – not bad for a night’s work.
Credit to WWE for giving the NXT guys and girls a chance to shine, as its one they grabbed with both hands.
#4 Rotation of talent
I’ve spoken a lot in recent weeks about the need to keep stars and talent fresh.
Look no further than the most talked about, innovative and captivating characters in WWE right now – The Fiend, Bray Wyatt. What accounts for his success and prominence? There are many factors, not least his own ability and charisma.
One would have to admit, though, that what does help in keeping The Fiend so fascinating is the fact that we don’t see him every week. Sometimes several episodes of WWE’s weekly products can go by without a sinister visit from Bray Wyatt’s alter ego.
To an extent, this is what NXT has done well over the last year – and since their formation. You don’t necessarily see your favourite stars wrestling every single week. More often than not, you might get a backstage segment here, a promo there and then a match thrown in every few episodes – the perfect mix. As purely one example, take former NXT UK Champion, Pete Dunne.
He’s extremely popular, but he’s kept fresh for WWE audiences by only appearing on a semi-regular basis. And it is the same for the entire NXT roster.
Where RAW and SmackDown may be suffering from saturation of one or two stars, NXT has the balance right.
#5 Consistency and identity
Another indisputable fact of NXT’s success is its unwavering ability and apparent insistence on staying true to its roots and foundations.
Despite the fact it has grown from a developmental product with a cult following, to a globally-adored weekly format, it has retained its trademark edginess and rough edges, something which is, actually, probably helped by the added, new uncertainty thrust upon its stars that comes with performing live.
RAW and SmackDown are different and, at times, a victim of their own size and success. From a commercial standpoint, it can pretty much do what it wants, when it wants, and it matters little because people know that, for instance, Raw will still be in the same place at the same time.
But could you really identify a RAW or a SmackDown broadcast on its own merits, if you removed all things red and blue? When you watch NXT, you know you’re watching NXT, and long may that continue. Its identity is firmly established.
