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In August, WWE President Nick Khan confirmed that NXT would go through "massive changes" in the coming weeks. Since then, WWE unveiled a new logo for NXT and announced that Vince McMahon and Bruce Prichard will produce the program now.
Based on the new logo alone, it's safe to assume the NXT we all grew to know and love is no more, so let's look at 3 changes WWE should make to NXT, and 2 changes they shouldn't make to the revamped brand.
Should: Choose new NXT venues
For many years, NXT aired from Full Sail University, up until the COVID-19 pandemic. The roster was then moved to the Capitol Wrestling Center (CWC).
Since then, multiple reports have stated that NXT is not be going back to Full Sail University, and will continue to air from CWC.
WWE should change NXT's venue. This may sound completely unrealistic considering WWE's multiple budget cuts this year. But traveling to different venues every week would help more fan interaction.
Be it Full Sail University or the CWC, airing from the same set can make fans feel that the show is growing stale. NXT also has a good fanbase, so filling out the audience at venues should not be a problem.
Shouldn't: Release more NXT talent
Earlier in August, WWE announced they were releasing 13 NXT Superstars, including Bobby Fish, Bronson Reed, and Mercedes Martinez. Those releases came right after the release of stars like Bray Wyatt, Braun Strowman, and Aleister Black.
WWE has stated the reasons for these releases are "budget cuts" which is hard to believe when the company earned a global revenue of $974.2M in 2020. Be as it may, one thing nobody wants to see is more releases.
Should: Develop characters
NXT used to be great at character development, as they came up with the gimmicks of Elias, Bayley, Sami Zayn, and Baron Corbin among others. But recently, the character development has fallen from grace.
The stories may be good, but they do not inspire people. For example, people love The Undertaker, Stone Cold Steve Austin, or today's Bray Wyatt as their characters helped fans get more invested in the stories. But NXT does not have such characters anymore.
NXT is 2 hours long, which is more than enough time to have a balance of sports entertainment, and character development.
Shouldn't - Try to compete with AEW
WWE needs to realize that NXT is not AEW. All Elite Wrestling is gaining momentum after each show, and with the recent appearances of CM Punk, Adam Cole, and Bryan Danielson, it seems the promotion is not stopping anytime soon.
WWE attempted to start a 'war' with AEW when they moved NXT from the WWE Network to the USA Network. However, NXT moved to Tuesday after failing to keep up with the rival promotion.
Mr. McMahon and his WWE team need to focus on their current product so the fans keep coming back to the brand.
Should - NXT inclusion on Raw and SmackDown
WWE has been trying to include NXT on the main roster for quite some time. However, call-ups, one-off matches, or even mentioning NXT wrestlers on WWE seem to fall flat. WWE needs to have continuity between NXT and their main roster.
For example, Karrion Kross was booked as an unstoppable force in NXT, undefeated since his debut. However, on his first night on Raw, he lost to Jeff Hardy.
NXT is still a developmental promotion, and it should be treated as such. But WWE should also showcase the up-and-coming talents on the main roster with storyline continuity.
The continuity helps the stars with a larger audience. If main roster fans find NXT Superstars interesting, they would also come to watch the show.
What changes would you like to see in NXT moving forward? Be sure to share your thoughts below!
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