NXT Thread II

[LLJ]

I would not be so sure Kairi is the one who ultimately beats Shayna. It could well be Dakota Kai who is basically the real underdog story right now. And they may not want to keep overdoing it with the Japanese girl always being "the one". They may want to put over some of the other girls on the roster for a change, and Kai has been waiting for her shot for a while now.

In the Lacey Evans feud, Lacey is getting all the promos and segments. I don't know, it just doesn't seem like Kairi's being featured much outside the ring.

And Kairi isn't even really an underdog, despite fans thinking of her as one. She's what, lost about only 3 times on TV?

[Dominator83]

I would not be so sure Kairi is the one who ultimately beats Shayna. It could well be Dakota Kai who is basically the real underdog story right now. And they may not want to keep overdoing it with the Japanese girl always being "the one". They may want to put over some of the other girls on the roster for a change, and Kai has been waiting for her shot for a while now.

In the Lacey Evans feud, Lacey is getting all the promos and segments. I don't know, it just doesn't seem like Kairi's being featured much outside the ring.

And Kairi isn't even really an underdog, despite fans thinking of her as one. She's what, lost about only 3 times on TV?

She also already beat Shayna in the women's tournament final

[kblo247]

And the hits keep coming ... NXT getting a deal with FS1

According to a tweet from “Slice Wrestling”, WWE NXT will be coming to the FOX Network when the WWE-FOX deal goes into effect in October of 2019. We reported earlier today (see below) that FOX officials pushed for a weekly WWE “studio show” on FS1. It’s very possible that WWE NXT will be airing on FS1 (FOX Sports 1).

EXCLUSIVE: https://www.ewrestlingnews.com/news/backstage-rumor-wwe-nxt-to-air-on-fs1-as-part-of-the-fox-wwe-deal

NXT Will Air On FOX/FS1 Programming As Part Of The New TV Deal In 2019. This Expansion Is Another Step In WWE’s Attempt To Give Larger Audiences Viewers A Convenient Way To Watch All Of WWE’s Product pic.twitter.com/uExVSIR4RN

— SW (@SliceWrestling) May 30, 2018

It's the perfect match because NXT gets is exposure and fills in UFC's gaps. It makes it a more viable third brand. I think it needs to be upped to 90mins though because their network run time is too high for tv commercial placement.

NXT also being the one associated with Fox Sports 1 means they can hopefully promote the May Young Classic, Dusty Classic, and so on. Even as small niches they make good FS2 viewership.

WWE Network can then focus on 205 Live since the CW have been pulled off Raw to be their own show under HHH. Then the UK show could start

[improper]

My guess is they'd probably still film NXT for the Network and then edit it down for the FS1 broadcast if necessary. Always little bits and pieces they can cut to get the time down for a cable show if needed.

I just hope this doesn't result in Vince getting more hands on with NXT. Last thing we need.

[iMoreland]

Lars Sullivan is a good promo.

And holy f*ck, Chris Dijak is insane.

[Stanford]

Fabian Aichner is the most attitude era dude on the roster. Russo would have given him a crazy ass gimmick.

[Scott Hall]

That Ricochet dive out of the ring to confront Dream was crazy I rewinded it about 5 times can't remember
the last time I did that for wrestling. Also one of the dives he did from the top rope where he spun like 5
times in mid air was also insane. It was like in the Olympics when those guys do those crazy moves off the
diving board into the swimming pool and the judges give them marks. Ricochet is the best athlete I've seen
since prime RVD in ECW.

I don't think I've ever seen an Aleistar Black promo where he wasn't interrupted by someone within a minute or two lol

Looks like we're getting an EC3 vs. Gargano feud after he's done with Ciampa in Chicago

Fabian Aichner looks exactly like the generic Create a Wrestler you start off with in the Wrestling video games

Every time I see Lars Sullivan I feel like I'm watching a throwback wrestler from the 1960's or 1970's

Bianca Belair seems like she should be on American Gladiators I like the character development their doing with her.
She looks like she could be a major player for years to come.

Good to see Donovan Dijak debut I completely forgot he signed with them it was so long ago and you never heard
anything about him. I was pretty high on him in ROH and I wasn't high on a lot of ROH guys at the time but I thought
he stood out.

Is Gunner from TNA still signed with NXT I remember he did a couple of house shows like a year ago and haven't
heard about him since.

I don't know what to make of the War Raiders...

I have no idea why Dakota Kai is signed other than they might want someone from New Zealand and that
part of the world to appear more global.

[improper]

Finally got around to watching the UK Championship Tournament. Didn't get to watch it live due to the time difference, and was busy earlier in the evenings earlier this week.

I think this show just exemplifies what NXT does better than WWE. The booking is just so smart and sensible. They have a tournament and they quickly and expertly set up who the good guys are and who the bad guys are. The top good guy gets hurt early on and then cheap-shotted after a match and just so happens to injure the same arm that the heel he's facing in the finals targets in his submission finisher. This sets up the good guy to be the big underdog face and the crowd is fully behind him. Perfect booking just like the last UK Tournament.

I know people say that booking Raw and Smackdown is different than booking NXT, but I think that, if WWE booked a main roster PPV like this show, the crowd would eat it up. It was a night of good to great wrestling, smart booking, and fan service. The main roster needs a lot more of all three.

[improper]

Just caught up with this week's NXT. Hot damn that main event was phenomenal. Had some of the same spots as the UK tournament matches featuring the same guys, but I can forgive that since they taped them further apart than I ended up watching them. Probably wouldn't have noticed had I not literally just finished watching the UK tournament a night or two ago.

And man...Ricochet is just incredible. It's going to be a damn shame if he ends up being another Neville on the main roster.

[Scott Hall]

Finally got around to watching the UK Championship Tournament. Didn't get to watch it live due to the time difference, and was busy earlier in the evenings earlier this week.

I think this show just exemplifies what NXT does better than WWE. The booking is just so smart and sensible. They have a tournament and they quickly and expertly set up who the good guys are and who the bad guys are. The top good guy gets hurt early on and then cheap-shotted after a match and just so happens to injure the same arm that the heel he's facing in the finals targets in his submission finisher. This sets up the good guy to be the big underdog face and the crowd is fully behind him. Perfect booking just like the last UK Tournament.

I know people say that booking Raw and Smackdown is different than booking NXT, but I think that, if WWE booked a main roster PPV like this show, the crowd would eat it up. It was a night of good to great wrestling, smart booking, and fan service. The main roster needs a lot more of all three.

Yeah the booking on the main roster is freaking bad it's unbelievable compared to NXT...

On RAW I was wondering where Bobby Roode and Elias were this week I figured they had a minor injury
or just getting a week off while they get some creative plans for them. Then I happened to catch "Main Event"
yesterday and there was this 6 man tag-match with Roode and Breezango vs. Ascension and Curt Hawkins.

I was like WTF? is Roode in a program and feuding with Curt **** Hawkins? Roode then was wearing
Fandango's police hat and dancing around with them like a jobber or a comedy act and I thought I was
in the twilight zone.

Smackdown is even worse the roster is to big for a 2 hour show. How many matches has Tye Dillenger had in like
the year and half that he's been on Smackdown? It's like they've completely forgotten about Almas and you don't
see some guys like Shelton Benjamin at 3 weeks at a time. Daniel Bryans first major feud was with Big Cass?

Hopefully Vince starts to focus and gravitate more to the XFL and HHH gets to head book the main roster soon

[improper]

Yeah the booking on the main roster is freaking bad it's unbelievable compared to NXT...

On RAW I was wondering where Bobby Roode and Elias were this week I figured they had a minor injury
or just getting a week off while they get some creative plans for them. Then I happened to catch "Main Event"
yesterday and there was this 6 man tag-match with Roode and Breezango vs. Ascension and Curt Hawkins.

I was like WTF? is Roode in a program and feuding with Curt **** Hawkins? Roode then was wearing
Fandango's police hat and dancing around with them like a jobber or a comedy act and I thought I was
in the twilight zone.

Smackdown is even worse the roster is to big for a 2 hour show. How many matches has Tye Dillenger had in like
the year and half that he's been on Smackdown? It's like they've completely forgotten about Almas and you don't
see some guys like Shelton Benjamin at 3 weeks at a time. Daniel Bryans first major feud was with Big Cass?

Hopefully Vince starts to focus and gravitate more to the XFL and HHH gets to head book the main roster soon

People always use the excuse that WWE is sports entertainment and NXT is wrestling, but I don't buy that at all. NXT seems to basically book like the Attitude Era minus the sexism and most of the vulgarity. It's just simple but effective storytelling. There's literally no reason the main roster couldn't book things similarly. The main issue I see with the main roster is laziness. It's like Vince knows he's going to make money regardless, so why put any effort into the product? The wrestlers seem to be going through the motions too, probably because there's really no point in sacrificing your body when it ultimately won't get you anywhere, whereas in NXT getting yourself wildly over gets you pushed and gets you Takeover time (see: Velveteen Dream, who is now a Takeover mainstay and a big part of NXT in general). On the main roster, getting yourself over can get you punished instead, which is absurd in an industry where crowd reaction is a huge part of the experience.

At the end of the day, the only real difference between NXT and WWE seems to be that NXT is booked well and WWE is booked horrendously.

[LLJ]

The main roster has too many people even with the brand split and there are way too many voices in creative. Vince only really cares about a few guys and girls and the rest are lucky to get any screen time.

I've no idea what they are doing with Roode. I keep hearing Vince is still high on him but it sure doesn't feel like it. He keeps being promoted on RAW posters and merch fairly prominently but the guy can't get TV time or good feuds. He's also not over, which also hurts his case.

I also feel like Brock holding the Universal hostage means that many of the main eventers end up fighting for the IC title (though Ziggler holding it does bring the title back to the midcard now)

I think they will be moving Roode into the IC title picture fairly soon. I feel like Ziggler is being a transitional champ.

[improper]

Keeping Roode as a face has just totally killed him. They should have debuted him as a face, let him get his pops for a month or so, and then turned him to his more natural heel persona.

As for Ziggler, seems obvious that he and McIntyre will have a falling out and they'll use him to give McIntyre a boost when he wins the feud and the IC Title.

[LLJ]

I love NXT, but it's basically really just a warehouse now for prominent indie and foreign talent. It's barely even a training centre anymore, the major talents that get the most prominent screen time on NXT are experienced ones. There's like one guy in the title picture right now who is actually a true prospect. The real goal of NXT is to impede on indie promotions by appealing to hardcore wrestling fans. It's just another way for the WWE to dominate the entire wrestling scene.

As such, there are just way too many wrestlers on the roster now and great talent will get lost in the shuffle, especially as more and more get called up to the main roster and not enough of the main roster talents retiring or leaving. I can't see how this is a good thing in the long term.

[improper]

I watch NXT this week and am left wondering why they keep calling up women who barely know how to wrestle when they've got girls like Dakota Kai and Santana Garrett on payroll.

[iMoreland]

Per WWE.com, Donovan Dijak's new name is Dominik Dijakovic... And Gunner (from TNA) is Jaxson Ryker...

What the f***.

[improper]

Per WWE.com, Donovan Dijak's new name is Dominik Dijakovic... And Gunner (from TNA) is Jaxson Ryker...

What the f***.

WWE random name generator strikes again!

[Dominator83]

The ending of that tag team match was great theater, but man does it defy logic lol! Bate was literally 5 feet away from where O'reilly's hold to Trent 7 was being applied. At any point he could have just ran in and broke the hold. I know it would risk a D.Q., but the were the champs. Can't lose the belts on a DQ

[improper]

The ending of that tag team match was great theater, but man does it defy logic lol! Bate was literally 5 feet away from where O'reilly's hold to Trent 7 was being applied. At any point he could have just ran in and broke the hold. I know it would risk a D.Q., but the were the champs. Can't lose the belts on a DQ

Yeah, was not a fan of the ending. I think it would work if the ref was strictly keeping both teams in check the entire match, but he was basically letting Undisputed Era do whatever they wanted. Undisputed Era spent half the match with both guys in the ring and the ref never said a work, but Bate breaks up one hold and the ref says he'll get DQ'd if he does it again? Just don't buy that.

Great match as far as the actual work goes, but poorly booked given the ending.

[iMoreland]

Spoiler:

Tommaso Ciampa defeated Aleister Black (c) for the NXT Championship at the tapings tonight