NXT talk

[cpst]

Why did they put Nia Jax in a title match so early in her run instead of doing a longer buildup to it?

The rumor was that they wanted to give Eva Marie a title shot, which they did technically do. If she had worked out better in the wrestling role then they might've waited until London for that match.

 

Even though it was better than I expected going in, I'm disappointed in the Nia Jax match because they only get one chance to do that first match between the two and the first loss for Nia.

[Coffey]

Asuka Vs. Nia Jax or Asuka Vs. Bayley would both be matches I would be interested in seeing. Nia Jax Vs. Bayley in a rematch I would be fine with as well. I think Dana Brooke is improving a lot too. Watching Emma & Dana try to thwart Nia Jax would also be entertaining.

 

Despite losing some talent to the main roster, the NXT women still feel fine to me. As mentioned, they can still debut Athena too.

[Quentin Skinner]

As far as the NXT women go, Athena should be put on TV somewhat soon to help them out depth wise. I'd hope maybe by April. Then the have the other women they have been putting focus on in jobber capacities like Billie Kay and Peyton Royce. They're getting built slowly but show potential. Nikki Storm was rumored months ago to have signed.

[donsem43]

Does anyone know how they are recruiting women now? I'm certain they've evolved past John Laurinitis flipping through bikini catalogs, but I have no idea where they are finding talent.

 

They seem to have the same approach as the men. Mix of indy workers and raw recruits that fit their typical sterotypes. I wouldn't say that they've completely left their old ways behind. Liv Morgan/Gionna Daddio use to work for Hooters. Carmella was a cheerleader for the Patriots and Lakers, Dana Brooke was a bodybuilder, and Alexa Bliss did both of those. Even with her family background, Nia Jax is a former model.

[Ricky Jackson]

Watching the start of the latest NXT and you have a 4-way tag match with a super hot crowd, where every team is over, and it struck me, is NXT the hottest a wrestling "promotion" has been on a national level since about 2000 and the peak of the Attitude Era? Granted it is on a small scale, but there is just such a buzz around NXT right now and a feeling that this is, dare I say, cool in a way it seems pro wrestling hasn't been in ages. Pretty much everyone on the roster top to bottom is over, very reminiscent of Attitude Era WWF

[cpst]

Watching the start of the latest NXT and you have a 4-way tag match with a super hot crowd, where every team is over, and it struck me, is NXT the hottest a wrestling "promotion" has been on a national level since about 2000 and the peak of the Attitude Era? Granted it is on a small scale, but there is just such a buzz around NXT right now and a feeling that this is, dare I say, cool in a way it seems pro wrestling hasn't been in ages. Pretty much everyone on the roster top to bottom is over, very reminiscent of Attitude Era WWF

I'm usually not a fan of 4-way tag matches, but I really got into this. Jordan & Gable are so incredibly over. Most of the match was between Jordan & Gable and BAMF. I like how the announcers actually sold the ref distraction from Alexa Bliss. I feel like if that happened on the main roster they'd probably wouldn't even be talking about the match. Jordan & Gable have to get a big match on the next Takeover.

[Slasher]

I think if nothing else, NXT has established themselves as a place where people can see the best wrestling show that is not overly micromanaged (like WWE) or horribly mismanaged (like TNA). This is the hottest ticket in town when it comes to pro wrestling right now. And there is actually this implicit level of trust because these guys aren't going anywhere because it IS the top wrestling promotion...even if they are cosplaying an indie fed. The money isn't gonna run out like other companies like ECW faced. The WWE knows how to extend this property out properly...at least for now.

[Sean Liska]

I'm at the point where I haven't enjoyed anything as much as NXT since 2004-2008 ROH. And I have my least interest in WWE since the HHH 20 minute promo days of 2003. It's funny the comparison has already been made because the crowd responses for Gable/Jordan and Zayn brought Attitude flashbacks.

[cpst]

The Observer this week (copied by all of the newz sitez) mentions that there are people in the WWE worried about the prospects of Bálor and Bayley on the main roster.

 

The worries about Bálor are that his past experiences and age combined with main event matches on the NXT touring schedule will break him down too much and limit his shelf-life.

 

The prospects for Bayley are considered to be extremely bimodal; she will either flounder or become a huge star in the "female John Cena" role. She currently has a "big sister" appeal to young girls, and she may outgrow that unless they pull the trigger on bringing her up soon.

 

Personally, I don't think either of them have any chance on the main roster at the moment. Bálor's been having good matches, but he's missing a certain something. Someone on the PWO reaction shows (I forget who) summed it up well: he's never really felt like the central focus of NXT. If they do the demon gimmick with the head dress on the main roster, then they're going to have to be more polished and they're going to need to use it more sparingly.

 

Even putting WWE's booking woes in the women's division aside, bringing Bayley up is an interesting booking challenge. How do you repeat the underdog story when a substantial portion of the audience has already seen it in the same company?

[Slasher]

It's not like anyone expects Sami Zayn to get called up as a guy who is an offensive dynamo that invokes fear in his opponents. Zayn plays an underdog in NXT and will most certainly be an underdog when called up and he has the right charisma to make it work. I think Bayley falls in the same category but I am not sure if she has the right kind of charisma or if girls like her because she has been pretty much the only pushed female wrestler who isn't portrayed as a bitch. But regardless, there is already a blueprint in booking a good kind of underdog (without being so much of a jobber people lose interest), it just requires the WWE creative team to be willing to get there with her.

[topropepodcast]

I think with Balor, particularly out of the demon costume, he has a tendency to just come off as a guy, as opposed to being someone who can be the guy. A heel run might be what he needs to get there.

 

With Bayley, I think you completely redo her character arc. Have her get overwhelmed by the WWE atmosphere but still give her steady screen time so that when she finds herself, the crowd is there with her.

[Matt D]

They screwed up Bo. They didn't restart his arc.

[The Chief]

I think with Balor, particularly out of the demon costume, he has a tendency to just come off as a guy, as opposed to being someone who can be the guy. A heel run might be what he needs to get there.

 

With Bayley, I think you completely redo her character arc. Have her get overwhelmed by the WWE atmosphere but still give her steady screen time so that when she finds herself, the crowd is there with her.

 

I actually really like this way of debuting Bayley. Great way of transitioning what made her work without just letting her sink or swim.

 

I think she has much more potential on the main roster than Balor does.

[DMJ]

I'm really surprised about the Balor talk. To me, he's about as main roster as you can get. Ridiculous entrance? Check. Offense full of crowd-pleasing high spots? Check. Overdramatic kickouts that made Dolph Ziggler an IWC darling for years before everyone got kinda sick of him? Check. Guaranteed pops for his debut if its in a big post-WM or SummerSlam town due to his NXT/indy background? Check. Dashing good looks? Check. I'm not a massive fan of the guy or anything, but I'm amazed that there is any question on whether or not he's going to get over. He's pretty much everything the WWE wants and needs in a babyface character right now (which, I'll remind everyone, the main roster is sorely lacking). If Balor doesn't click on the main roster, Sami Zayn should probably retire because skinny Seth Rogen who likes ska music is not gonna work either.

 

Bayley is a tough one. Tremendous potential, hard worker, and, to me, has shown incredible range over the past year - maybe even a hair more than Banks due to a more varied list of opponents (I thought her match against Nia Jax was reminiscent of a Sting/Vader match). I definitely am worried, though, that unless they restart her story arc, she's going to get lost in the shuffle. Her character is just so not what a typical WWE diva, even a babyface one, has ever been. Honestly, when's the last time the WWE promoted a white meat, non-sex-based female diva? Molly Holly? Alunda Blayze? Bayley has almost no footsteps to follow - she will be charting her own course entirely. (One could point to Natalya or Paige, for example, as second gen-ers like Charlotte, or, if you're willing to stretch, look at AJ Lee as what Sasha Banks could be due to the somewhat anti-Barbie look but undeniable charisma). I feel like even the NXT Creative team looks at her success and asks in admitted astonishment, "What did we do again...?"

[The Chief]

I think Zayn has a much better chance than Balor because Zayn can draw sympathy as a babyface unlike pretty much anyone else on the roster right now. Balor has really struggled at working from underneath. And due to his size, that's something he's going to have to do when he gets called up. It's possible he will struggle with this since his role in NXT is the dominant babyface ace. He will not be playing that role on the main roster.

[Cap]

I was trying to explain this to my buddy the other day regarding Balor. I like Balor. I really do. He has just felt like he hit a plateau as ace. He is good at just about everything, but nothing (even the demon stuff anymore) really seems exceptional anymore. It came up because I really loved the Joe/Balor match. I thought it was easily Joe's best match since joining NXT and probably Balor's too. There was a sense of urgency in that match that just built and was contagious. The finishing sequence had me dead hooked, too. I think Balor needs to keep working with Joe. It could also help give him an edge, pushing him beyond being just really good and add some dimension to him as an NXT/WWE performer.

[jcmmnx]

Zayn is a better worker and a better talker than Balor. He's pretty much the perfect replacement for Bryan, and I think he's a slightly better babyface than Bryan with his awesome heartfelt promos. I think the fans showed they really don't care about looks by choosing Bryan as their guy so if Balor doesn't make it I really don't think it effects Zayn(who's superior to Balor in every way besides looks).

 

I think Balor will be fine probably he'll have a few IC and US title reigns, and will sell a decent amount of merch. As for Bayley I have no clue they haven't done anything interesting with Charlotte, Sasha, and Becky in 6 months. In fact those 3 are probably less over now than they were at the start of the angle since they don't have their NXT matches to get them some smark buzz anymore.

 

I think Chad Gable has looked pretty good working underneath so far. He seems to have that natural likeable babyface charisma.

[Coffey]

Finn Bàlor could work on the main roster, I think. Out of The Demon gimmick, he should be a cocky, brash babyface that dresses in suits & backs up his mouth with results in the ring. The Demon should only be used when his back is against the wall & he needs something to "even the odds" so to speak. WWE should really play it up like it's damn near two different people too. Like The Demon persona should do different things, have a different finish, be more reckless & breakneck & hard to topple.

 

Sami Zayn is a good worker but I feel like that's all he is. That might be enough. If Daniel Bryan comes back though, what does Zayn bring to the table that's any different or better? Not that I would be against having more good workers on the main roster but I can't foresee a WWE main event picture that's chalk full of guys like Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Daniel Bryan & Finn Bàlor, although that would give us some pretty good matches.

 

I don't know, I have a tough time picture WWE of the future being ROH of the past, but I guess it's possible. We've had main events of C.M. Punk Vs. Daniel Bryan before.

 

Bayley I just feel bad for. I don't think she's going to work on the main roster. It's not her fault, Becky & Sasha aren't really working on the main roster either... and they're all tremendously talented. When I heard Bayley say on Breaking Ground that one day she is going to main event Wrestlemania, I just felt bad. That's never going to happen.

 

I think Samoa Joe would work on the main roster more than most of them, honestly. He's a decent promo & he can get over by just being a Samoan ass-kicker that chokes people out. He needs new gear badly though.

[Grimmas]

The fact anybody can think it's difficult to book an underdog babyface says a lot of bad things about the WWE.

 

Bayley should be the easiest person to book in the WWE. Giver her challenges, let her struggle to finally overcome them.

[jcmmnx]

From where I'm sitting Zayn is the best match to match storyteller in WWE, and the best babyface promo in WWE. Cena is the only guy that's close in that regard, but I prefer Zayn because it doesn't feel like a used car salesman talking to me when Zayn is selling me on a feud. I can't imagine he'd be outside my top 5 as a worker either. The guy took Neville and carried him to a great long term feud in and out of the ring.

 

As for what Zayn brings that Bryan doesn't. He brings clean bill of health for starters, and the chances his body will fall apart right in the middle of a push is far less than DB right now. I think Zayn is a better at drawing sympathy, sells better, is a better promo, and probably has flashier high spots as well. All the things Bryan does better than Zayn(like working on top and mat work) don't matter much for a WWE babyface.

[Coffey]

I can't stand when Sami talks. But to each their own.

 

This could be fun!

 

 

Which NXT Superstar had the best 2015? What was your favorite NXT match of the year? You will be able to make your voice heard on these topics and more, starting tomorrow!

 

WWE COO Triple H announced on Twitter that the first NXT Year-End Awards in WWE history, recognizing the best NXT had to offer in 2015, will be presented on the Jan. 13 edition of NXT on WWE Network. The NXT Universe will be able to cast their votes exclusively on WWE.com, beginning New Year’s Day at 10 a.m. ET in six categories. The awards are:

 

Overall Competitor of the Year
Male Competitor of the Year
Female Competitor of the Year
Tag Team of the Year
Match of the Year
TakeOver of the Year

 

Polls for the inaugural NXT Year-End Awards open tomorrow, Jan. 1, 2016, at 10 a.m. ET on WWE.com and close on Jan. 6 at 10 a.m. ET. Don’t miss the chance to help your favorite NXT Superstars win these prestigious honors!

[sek69]

Dave once mentioned that since Vince has granddaughters who are right in the age range of Bayley's core fanbase , if Hunter shows him any video of those girls going nuts for her that could mean she'll succeed on the main roster.

[Coffey]

Damn, Jordan & Gable aren't even an option for the Tag Team of the Year category. Guess I'm not voting on that one!

[Cap]

Zayn's greatest strength is his babyface comebacks. He takes a great beating, sells well, and puts together high energy comeback sequences in a way that I think would translate well to the main roster, give the fans what they are missing with Bryan out.

[topropepodcast]

Bayley worked the live show I was at tonight. Was able to get over with a new crowd in the course of 10 minutes or so, facing Naomi (Sasha at ringside just felt like a tease).

 

I think she'll succeed just fine on the main roster.