Could a small stint in NXT revive Swagger's WWE Career?

[Trill Co$by]

Or would he ultimately end up as another Alex Riley?

Jack Swagger has been one of my favorites to watch in WWE. There's just something about him that, to me, screams champion and it's something that I'm disappointed in WWE over. Now I get it. WWE has a lot more talent now than ever before, and that includes the Attitude Era. There are downright megastars entering the WWE that makes it hard to push people like they could've in the past. Guys like Finn Balor, Shinsuke Nakamura, Samoa Joe, Austin Aries, Bobby Roode, Eric Young, and Hideo Itami are all chomping at the bits in NXT while others like AJ Styles, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Roman Reigns, and Cesaro are trying to prove that they belong as the WWE's lead conductor... and on top of that you've still got John Cena, Randy Orton, The Miz, Sheamus, Alberto Del Rio, and other former world champions still wanting to stay relevant. So needless to say, the talent pool is fat for the WWE. And I get why currently can't push a guy like Swagger on the main roster. But could possibly pushing him down to NXT where he can either A) Start pushing for an American Alpha stable with Jordan and Cable or B) Be put into the Main Event spot and hold things down as guys like Joe, Aries, Balor, and Nakamura get brought to the main roster?

Or would it be best for Swagger to just call it a day and head on over to TNA or even ROH?

 

[Mantaur Rodeo Clown]

Unless a stint in NXT also manages to make Swagger 10 years younger and un-arrest him for a DUI, probably not. He could go down there and have some great matches, but it's not going to launch him back to the main event.

Swagger is one of the glorious Lost Boys, a generation of Big Johnny DSW/FCW rejects caught between the NXT era and the OVW era. He'll never be anything but a solid hand that jobs to Rusev. Seriously, you could set your watch to those squashes.

Underrated wrestler, and actually had a better match with Zayn on NXT than Cesaro did. Unfortunately, Real Americans was his last peak and being a Swaggie fan is now suffering.

 

[Aquaman6686]

Jack Swagger is one of the best talents in WWE, but is part of a generation also including The Miz, Dolph Ziggler, Alberto Del Rio, and Sheamus, where their time to be main eventers was completely skipped over. An entire era of talent was robbed of their opportunities that were instead given to the guys coming in after them. What WWE did to them was wrong, but they're clearly never going to give those guys a fair chance. What happened to them was basically as if WWE went from the Hulkamania Era to the Attitude Era, and completely skipped over The New Generation Era. Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Yokozuna, etc., would have never gotten to be stars, and that's what happened to Swagger, Ziggler, Miz, Del Rio, and Sheamus. Their time at the top came and went in the blink of an eye, despite the fact that they're far superior to most of the talents who were given the pushes that should have gone to them.

 

[wrestler36]

I don't think NXT is the answer. The brand split may put him in a better position and provide him with new opportunities. New feuds, and maybe a returning Kurt Angle can be something special. Some sort of 'I'm more american than you' feud.

 

[Kamala316]

Jack Swagger is a complete waste of a big frame (just like Luke Gallows), and I'm truly amazed he stayed employed for so long, and received as many pushes with different titles as he did. For lack of a better word, he is awkward in the ring - when he takes a punch or kick, there always is a slight hesitation or awkward movement. When he runs, he looks like he's trying to sprint, when it's really a slow gallop. And whatever that thing is that he does when he comes to the ring (double fists to the chest with his mouth open) is beyond stupid. I'm not even going to comment on his abilities on the mic, because I'm trying to just stick with his physical attributes. But I think the only reason he got picked up was because he is an Oklahoma boy, and probably enjoys a certain type of barbecue sauce.

 

[ComeOnVince]

I don't think NXT is the answer. The brand split may put him in a better position and provide him with new opportunities. New feuds, and maybe a returning Kurt Angle can be something special. Some sort of 'I'm more american than you' feud.

I agree with this. With the split, one would assume more exposure for some of these guys instead of the same handful dominating both shows. I think a Jack Swagger among others will somewhat benefit from this.

I for one don't give two turds for Jack Swagger. He is a mid-to-low-carder who kind of had his day in the sun already. In fact, I think the fact that he even sniffed a WHC feud was more than he deserved. The most entertaining I ever found Swagger was when Colter was his handler. So. I was really entertained by Colter. Swagger just happened to be standing there.

If he were to do NXT, he would have to completely repackage and manage to come up with something that covers up his lack of natural charisma and lackluster character. Also, cutting that flop haircut would be an excellent start.

He is good in the ring, no doubt, but we know that it takes more than that in the WWE. For me, anyway. A guy's either got to have some ability to stand out other than great ring skills. Take Brock Lesnar for example. His mic work is awful. But his very presence is enough to make him stand out. His amateur accomplishments as well as his short UFC career eliminate the need for great mic skills. Enter Paul Heyman. problem solved.

Now look at Roman Reigns. Adequate in the ring, terrible on the mic. Has a good look, but is a statue when it comes to promos, not only on the stick but also with body language. So a lot of us crapped on that. Maybe it's the system -- we've had moments of what looked like some natural charisma from Roman. But not many.

Bret Hart. Great technical wrestler, and attitude dripping out of his pores.. most of it bad. Not great on the mic, but more than adequate. So the good outweighs the bad.

So on and so forth. FOR ME, an interesting/entertaining character needs more than just ring skill, which Swagger has plenty of. But that's about it.

So unless he's going down to completely repackage, I think a solid midcard spot on Smackdown is about perfect for ol' Jackie.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Swagger is only 34, so he's quite a ways off from being shuttled off to the old wrestlers' home. Swagger's a strong worker inside the ring but there are lots of guys in WWE who can make that same claim who also haven't been around primarily doing nothing for the last 8 years. I think Swagger's last best chance for success came with Zeb Coulter and he screwed that up himself by getting arrested for DUI and drug possession back in 2013.

There are guys on the main roster or in NXT who're generating far, far more buzz than Swagger and are simply fresher. On the mic, Swagger's lisp bugs the crap out of me; I know it's not his fault, but that doesn't really change anything. Unless Swagger has ultimately accepted his place in WWE, his only real shot to breathe new life into his career would be to try his luck elsewhere and I just don't see him doing it.

 

[stingray11214]

Swagger will be little more than a jobber at this point. If he really wants to rejuvenate his career, he needs to go to a place like Japan or Europe where his amateur skills will help him. And, he could be much more appreciated in a place like Inoki Genome, where it is a mix of puroresu and MMA. Hell, he might even think of going the MMA route by joining WSOF or Ballator. Lashley vs Hager, anyone?

 

[Sean Valjean]

NXT couldn't hurt him. It'd be a fresh start (possibly a chance for a new persona ala Emma), and the Full Sail crowd would likely give him a warm reception. That still doesn't mean NXT will make him a big deal. Swagger in Orlando would likely be similar to Zack Ryder and Alex Riley: a platform to shine a bit brighter, but ultimately doesn't change his overall standing in the company.

Swagger still has value as a jobber who can have a solid match with basically anyone. Someone has to fill that role, and it'll keep him employed for the foreseeable future. But if Jack has higher career aspirations, he needs to jump to TNA or another promotion in general because WWE is probably never going to push him as anything major again.

Overall, I have a hard time feeling sorry for his plight because WWE gave him a huge opportunity and Jack royally screwed it up for himself. I firmly believe he would have beaten Del Rio at WM 29 if not for his DUI/drug charge. Granted, that was over three years ago and perhaps shouldn't hang over his career forever. Even so, there's still little reason to push him that hard again given the plethora of wrestlers superior to him.

 

[GameOver]

I only saw one thing in him and that was a small glint of Kurt Angle being the "american hero" and using the same finisher otherwise he's never done anything worthy, he can't talk for shite, he's "ok" in the ring but doesn't have a great presence.

Sending him to NXT do nothing for him, it would help the brand with an extra curtain jerker on the roster however.

 

[ShinChan]

I wouldn't like Swagger in NxT.

He has done it all he could have done in WWE.

Can't say anything about his mic work as I have never listened him but he was good enough in ring. Not great surely but almost good.

I would prefer Swagger wrestle outside of WWE instead of watching him on NxT. He could be a good addition to TNA, RoH or Lucha Underground.

 

[ramblinroy682]

I think Swagger has a place in WWE, I just think it's in the tag division. Back in the day, tag teams were meant to be a place where are wrestler who had some tools could partner up with another wrestler who also had some missing pieces. Together, they come out greater than the sum of their parts. With the upcoming brand split, if they split the tag teams between shows, you're going to need a few more teams.

For me, the perfect partner for him is Titus O'Neal. Both were college athletes, both are big strong fellas, Titus has some charisma but isn't going to carry a 20 minute singles match anytime soon. Swagger can work in the ring, but is a little light on charisma and mic work isn't his strong suit.

I see two options with this team. Option 1: Varsity Club. Have them toss on singlets like Rotundo, Stiener, and Dr. Death used to do. Give them a manager and talk about being superior athletes. Swagger carries the match and O'Neal gets the hot tag to clean house.

Option 2: Have them go in an APA like fashion. Not the Acolytes, but the boot wearing, jean wearing, ass kicking version of Farooq and Bradshaw. Hell, give them JBL as a manager. They don't have to talk much. I could really see them gelling well.

The two together would be different than any tag team on the main roster right now.

 

[thekooljt]

UM, WOULD YOU GO BACK TO JHS (JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL) AFTER GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL?

 

[Trill Co$by]

UM, WOULD YOU GO BACK TO JHS (JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL) AFTER GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL?

This is not the same, and in fact main roster guys in the WWE have already back down to NXT and it gave those guys HUGE boosts when they came back to the main roster. Zack Ryder, Tyson Kidd, Titus O'Neil, Cesaro, and Sin Cara all went back down to NXT and upon coming back they all received huge pushes in comparison to how they were booked in the past. So in short, a stint in NXT would be a way for Swagger to justify himself getting one more run as the United States Champion, or maybe even get him a run at the Intercontinental Championship so he can become a grand slam champion.

 

[Aquaman6686]

This is not the same, and in fact main roster guys in the WWE have already back down to NXT and it gave those guys HUGE boosts when they came back to the main roster. Zack Ryder, Tyson Kidd, Titus O'Neil, Cesaro, and Sin Cara all went back down to NXT and upon coming back they all received huge pushes in comparison to how they were booked in the past. So in short, a stint in NXT would be a way for Swagger to justify himself getting one more run as the United States Champion, or maybe even get him a run at the Intercontinental Championship so he can become a grand slam champion.

Whether you use the old or new format, Swagger wouldn't be a Grand Slam Champion. He's been World Heavyweight Champion, United States Champion, and ECW Champion.

Old criteria: WWE Championship (or World Heavyweight Championship) + Intercontinental Championship + European Championship (or Hardcore Championship) + World Tag Team Championship (or WWE Tag Team Championship)

New criteria: WWE Championship (or World Heavyweight Championship) + Intercontinental Championship + United States Championship + WWE Tag Team Championship (the original World Tag Team Championship no longer qualifies)

 

[Trill Co$by]

Whether you use the old or new format, Swagger wouldn't be a Grand Slam Champion. He's been World Heavyweight Champion, United States Champion, and ECW Champion.

Old criteria: WWE Championship (or World Heavyweight Championship) + Intercontinental Championship + European Championship (or Hardcore Championship) + World Tag Team Championship (or WWE Tag Team Championship)

New criteria: WWE Championship (or World Heavyweight Championship) + Intercontinental Championship + United States Championship + WWE Tag Team Championship (the original World Tag Team Championship no longer qualifies)

I think I threw in a tag title reign there somewhere lol. Idk, maybe him and Ziggler or him and Cesaro just seeming like an obvious choice for tag team champions through me off a bit. But still, him getting a nice run in NXT (in my opinion) could revive the life of Swagger in WWE. At least to the point where he's not just used on Superstars/Main Event, and actually gets a nice US/IC title reign.

 

[Trill Co$by]

NO!

You're literally not giving any concrete debate here, and honestly on the borderline of spamming.

Why wouldn't it? It's worked for other stars. Tyson Kidd, Titus O'Neil, Natalya, Sin Cara, and Zack Ryder have all gone back down to NXT and came out on the better end and have all lengthened their run in the WWE... In fact, every single one of them except Natalya and Sin Cara have all become a champion since being back on the main roster. So why wouldn't it work? Bray Wyatt also went back down to NXT as Husky Harris, came back, and is now one of the most featured stars in WWE today. Cesaro was doing absolutely nothing but jobbing with Swagger in the Real Americans until he went down to NXT where he would impress Heyman enough so that he can make a pitch for the next Heyman guy... and in doing so, ended up becoming one of the most featured stars in WWE.

So why wouldn't it work for someone like Jack Swagger? Why? Give some validity to your replies here and stop spamming.

 

[theblasterkid]

Jack Swagger is one of the best talents in WWE, but is part of a generation also including The Miz, Dolph Ziggler, Alberto Del Rio, and Sheamus, where their time to be main eventers was completely skipped over. An entire era of talent was robbed of their opportunities that were instead given to the guys coming in after them. What WWE did to them was wrong, but they're clearly never going to give those guys a fair chance. What happened to them was basically as if WWE went from the Hulkamania Era to the Attitude Era, and completely skipped over The New Generation Era. Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Yokozuna, etc., would have never gotten to be stars, and that's what happened to Swagger, Ziggler, Miz, Del Rio, and Sheamus. Their time at the top came and went in the blink of an eye, despite the fact that they're far superior to most of the talents who were given the pushes that should have gone to them.

This is so true! You know, since all these guys are still around, it could end up a great storyline! The storyline should talk how they were skipped over for these 'New Era' guys. It should lead to a war in WWE where guys like Orton and Cena are trying to maintain their spots as well.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

I don't know about re-boot his carreer, but he could be a fine assett down there.

A solid enough wrestler skill-wise to be nicely formidable if given something other than 50/50 limp dick pushes and long bouts of bobbing.

He, Cesaro and Ziggler would be a good time down there.

 

[TheMainEvent]

I was just telling a friend that I completely forgot Swagger was even on the roster anymore. He got drafted to RAW but hasn't been seen... The guy must have REALLY pissed off the wrong people a few years back because I still can't fathom how he's been held back so much recently (aside from being fed to Rusev)

I really think he could potentially breakout and shine on Smackdown if given an opportunity. I'd be okay with them trading him with Miz (I love Miz, just fits better on Raw) and starting a run at IC title against Crews, Ryder, etc.

A trip to NXT would still be better than sitting sidelines on Raw though. He'd probably go in as a heel with attitude about being in NXT and would likely feud with Almas or Hideo, which would be some good matches. I dont think it would revitalize his career but its better than his current situation.

 

[Isaac Kaye]

Swagger is really talented and can put on an excellent match with most guys on the roster. That said, he's limited in other areas, that being his mic skills, and his general demeanour. Contrary to what some people have said about his lack of opportunities, he actually had loads and hasn't been able to get himself over enough with the fans.
Swagger has been on the roster a long time, and despite some suspect angles over that time I don't think he's actually improved in the last few years. I think he's hit hit glass ceiling and that is as a midcarder.
That said, I don't know why he's not on TV. He is just the kind of guy they could use on SD so I can't see the logic of drafting him to RAW. That's unless they have plans for him.
NXT move would work, it would be refreshing and he'd have a the chance to put on some great matches. So yeah. Good idea. He's wasted at the moment.