If you asked everyone who enjoys NXT to specify
everything they like about it I don’t think you’d get two answers exactly the
same. But I do think you’d get a lot of things cropping up on everyone’s lists.
Most obviously NXT is the one WWE show where wrestling is pushed to the fore.
Wins and losses matter and as such every match carries consequence. With
wrestling being presented as a sporting contest this approach makes sense but
it’s one that rarely appears outside of very specific main event scenarios in
WWE proper.
This emphasis has ensured that championships mean
something in NXT. They’re presented as desirable items and are treated with
respect by the writing team. They’re defended infrequently which makes it mean
more when they are. When there are prizes on a wrestling show that mean
something to the wrestlers it’s easier to get invested in what happens. You can
understand why they want to win and become the champ if there’s a title that carries
meaning. World title aside this isn’t really the case on the main roster. The
titles simply aren’t made to feel important.
The wrestling itself is of a very high standard too. The
NXT roster is comprised of very talented wrestlers who get to wrestle lengthy
matches. That a number of them are standouts from various promotions around the
world means WWE is able to present indy favourite match-ups, such as the upcoming
Owens v Zayn match, and dream matches that have previously been hard to see.
Would Itami get as much time on RAW? |
This actually shows some rare humility from WWE. The
pushing of guys like Adrian Neville, Finn Bálor, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens and
Hideo Itami is a subtle, indirect acknowledgement from the world’s leaders in
sports entertainment that people from outside WWE can draw. They may not be
relied upon for monthly pay-per-views but they’re the main players on the
Network exclusive Takeover specials, which have become a big selling point for
the Network as a whole. As has the general NXT show.
This isn’t to knock the main roster. There are plenty of
people there who are clearly more than competent. But the difference is that
they so rarely get to show what they can do on RAW or SmackDown. There are too
often distractions and fripperies outside of NXT and they can detract from even
the best match.
NXT is also the only WWE show that showcases good
quality, competitive women’s wrestling. On the main roster the Divas occupy a
filler role, rarely getting any meaningful storylines and even more rarely
getting anything resembling character development. In NXT there are diverse
characters and matches frequently last in excess of three minutes. The women
are presented as separate from the men but not as inferior to them. Even when
Trish Stratus, Victoria, Mickie James and Lita were around for what is generally considered to be the peak
of women’s wrestling in WWE that wasn’t the case.
There are the gimmicks. I’m a big fan of gimmicks in
wrestling and over the years WWE has given us some great ones. But they’re a
lot less common now than they have been in the past. NXT gets the balance
between having something make sense and having it be peculiar and memorable.
The Vaudevillains, for example, are something that could only work as they do
in wrestling but it’s impossible to imagine them on the main roster. Even the
comparatively tame Enzo and Big Cass would likely be toned down on the main
roster.
But I think the biggest thing NXT has going for it is its
run time. It fluctuates between forty-five minutes and hour. That slender
amount of time means the writing team are never scrabbling for filler, everything
on the show has a reason to be there because time is at such a premium. It
ensures the show is well-written and enjoyable. It also means that NXT is
unlikely to outstay its welcome, keeping us wanting more with no more than an
hour of fresh content every week. It’s a focus the three hour RAW cannot have.
Arguments that the NXT approach could be cut and pasted
to RAW and SmackDown and meet with great success are wrong. The running time
and roster are a large part of NXT’s success, and it’s wrestling fans rather
than casual fans that rave about it as a show, because they’re the target
audience. I’ve no doubt that less intense viewers would enjoy the NXT approach
on RAW, but it wouldn’t work as well with the current WWE roster and the seven
hours a week the main roster produces (and that’s on a non-pay-per-view week).
More emphasis on wins and losses, long term storytelling and character variety
would be nice to see on RAW but I don’t think it’s something we’re going to get
any time soon. NXT is going to retain its crown as the most enjoyable WWE
produced show until those changes come.
No comments:
Post a Comment