NXT - Post NXT Takeover discussion in progress

[Loki]

On 8/22/2018 at 10:41 PM, Kaz Hayashi said:

Or.... is it fine as it is and people are content with it being a feeder to Raw and SmackDown?

Bear in mind that there's the NXT television product, and then the rest of NXT - the touring shows, the PC and all that.  It's still very much a developmental company in terms of its structure and how it's run, and there's a ton of guys and girls there who never appear on NXT TV as they're nowhere near ready.

I think the tv product is basically a third brand that tests out gimmicks in preparation for the main roster, and also obviously delivers a very specific "indy" style of match that the main shows just will never put on.  It's a super-indy.  NXT is a great product for smarks like us, but it'll never become the main WWE style I doubt.

 

[Tuna Taco]

6 hours ago, Sonny Mustang said:

Went to the taping in Orlando last night and it was amazing!!! So close to everything and done great works class tv matches coming up in the next few weeks.

no spoilers obviously but, wow (and admission is only $10!)

 

Was also there. Had a great time, the main event of episode 4 is something else.

funny seeing Jeremy Borash hyping up the crowd offering autographed t-shirts for the loudest people, guaranteeing a hot crowd. 

Edited August 24, 2018 by Tuna Taco

[Sonny Mustang]

No kidding! I want to go every time now but it just isn’t feasible. Ciampas at the house show in my small town Saturday so going to that.

Also saw my atrocious spelling in prior post- I blame the long drive home!

[Statto]

On 8/23/2018 at 10:16 AM, Supremo said:

I never want a promotion to fail, but in retrospect maybe it’s for the best that World of Sport looks to be heading to the bin. The quicker that fails, the quicker WWE can abandon NXT U.K. after one season, freeing up Pete Dunne, Tyler Bate and Trent Seven to become regulars on NXT and Takeover events..

They already are. They will likely continue to be. Probably as well as doing NXT:UK, like Noam Dar seems to be with that & 205 Live (the latter of which requires him to be at Smackdown taping most weeks). If push came to shove for some reason, they’d likely get prioritised to NXT proper over NXT:UK - but I’d wager WWE would stop them doing (so many?) indy dates first.

Really don’t see why NXT:UK has to die to allow three specific guys to be on ‘main’ NXT, which tapes monthly & has a Takeover every 10 weeks or so.

[Supremo]

You’re probably right. I just worried that if NXT: UK took off we might see them less on the regular NXT programming. It’s still only been the last few months that they’ve started appearing regularly and I just don’t  want to see that lessen if NXT: UK starts touring or whatever. Dunne in particular is good enough to be headlining Takeover events. He’d be great as the NXT champion.

[air_raid]

Non-results spoilers for the bracket in the UK Womens title tourney from tonights taping :

Dakota Kai v Nina Samuels

Xia Brookside v Rhea Ripley

Millie McKenzie v Jinny

Toni Storm v Isla Dawn

 

[Statto]

Trips does love a single elimination tournament, doesn’t he?

I hope they do something a bit different when it comes time to crown the tag champs - a 4 or 5 team round robin/league format might be nice.

I do like the idea of Seven & Bate getting a bye to the ‘final’ though, on account of having been ‘proper’ NXT tag champs recently. So maybe just a little series of matches to determine an opponent to them, or even have Drake Maverick (I’m working on the assumption Johnny Saint won’t last very long on account of being awful in the role, leading to Drake doing double GM duty) just select an opposing team based on their ‘form’ over the first few tapings,

[air_raid]

2 minutes ago, Statto said:

I do like the idea of Seven & Bate getting a bye to the ‘final’ though, on account of having been ‘proper’ NXT tag champs recently.

In a sporting context that makes good sense and often happens in Japan when "decision matches" happen to settle vacant titles where one really strong contender(s) is installed automatically - either the previous champion or top contender when the champion was hurt/stripped, and others have to earn their entry.

However in the Sports Entertainment landscape, I think this works only if the preferential treatment is for heels. It's a much easier story to tell if we're supposed to cheer for the guys that fought their way to the final rather than the guys handed their berths by the authority figure.

[Statto]

Yeah, that was one of the things I was struggling with a bit - it’s what we’ve been conditioned to think, in WWE at least. Which is why if it were up to me, I’d not necessarily have it as a defined ‘tournament’, rather a case of “it’s now time we had tag champs, and these two teams are clearly the top two in NXT:UK, so...”

[Onyx2]

Anyone catch Kyle O'Reilly 'tuning' his belt-guitar backstage? Guy is so funny.

[BomberPat]

I never thought Kyle O'Reilly, of all people, would become one of my favourite promo guys. From "tuning" the belt, to consistently getting people's names wrong a la 1999 Chris Jericho (Trent "The Beast" Seven being a particular favourite), he's always doing something to raise a smile.

I still have my fair share of problems with the Undisputed Era and how they're booked/presented, but the more they move away from being Super-Indie Darlings and toward just being smarmy gits the more I appreciate them.

I always used to hate how they have their entrance music playing during their promos, but since the Aleister Black mystery angle showed them driving away listening to it, I now prefer to assume that they're just smugly listening to it backstage while cutting a promo, rather than it being added in post.

[Onyx2]

Completely with you on Undisputed Era. I completely dismissed them on debut as indie nothings - particularly the skinny build of Cole. But grudgingly I admit they've done well to inhabit their characters and now they are great heels throughout the upper tier.

[Loki]

They were trying way too hard when they first turned up, KOR in particular.  But they've settled in brilliantly and I'm definitely a fan now.  Plus Cole's been at the weights.

I reckon they should say in NXT though.  The main rosters aren't designed for stables any more, as evidenced by Sanity evaporating like Saturday night piss once hitting Smackdown.

[Fatty Facesitter]

As much as WWE constantly mis-use talent called up from NXT, given the book I'd put them on Raw as soon as Monday and start getting belts on them immediately, because I think they are that good. Get the tag titles on O'Reilly and Strong promptly, and maybe have Cole take the Intercontinental title from Seth and kickstart a Shield/UE rivalry. The tag matches alone would be insane, and if they were bold you could eventually transition Cole into a feud with Roman, while Strong feuds with Seth/potentially Dean with KOR and Fish holding the tag titles. Lots of possibilities which of course they wont capitalise on. I don't think they're really needed on Smackdown, but they'd add some serious quality to Raw straight away. 

[ColinBollocks]

1 hour ago, Loki said:

They were trying way too hard when they first turned up, KOR in particular.

I agree. I'm still not as won over by them as some on here, but WWE have definitely done a brilliant job pointing them along the correct path. Their first few months I found them really dull, but they've developed a lot of personality recently and their in-ring style is far more interesting - before I felt they were doing a rubbish 'Strong Style because 5*.