What’s the story?
In a recent interview with, Off The Top Rope on ESPN hosted by Jonathan Coachman, Randy Orton praised the competitors in NXT and stated that they push the men and women of the main roster. Orton said that being aware of the fact that these performers are looking to come up and take the spots of other main roster performer’s creates a healthy competitive environment and lights a fire under everyone.
In case you didn’t know...
Before the creation of the Performance Center and NXT, there was Florida Championship Wrestling or FCW. But even before that, Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) was the WWE’s developmental territory. The class Orton was in at OVW was a famous one that included John Cena, Batista, and Brock Lesnar.
The heart of the matter
A 12-time World Champion going on a major network like ESPN to give high praise to those working in the NXT brand, just shows that the work Triple H and the ladies and gentlemen down at NXT are doing is special. While NXT is still used as a developmental brand for the WWE, it has evolved into its own entity, that can rival that of Raw and Smackdown.
What’s next?
Randy Orton gets to sit back this weekend and enjoy six of SmackDown Live’s finest battle in the destructive Elimination Chamber match for the WWE Championship this Sunday. Orton will get to take on the winner of the Chamber match at WrestleMania.
Sportskeeda’s take
It is amazing to hear one of the top stars in the company feel this way about the NXT talent. If someone of Randy Orton’s stature feels this way about the work they’re doing in NXT, it will trickle down to everyone else on the roster. Overall, having that competitive fire is going to give the WWE Universe a great product for years to come.
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