Does anyone feel like NXT needs more storylines and "sports entertainment" vibe?

[TheMainEvent]

Let me start by saying I love NXT and how it is currently structured. They keep things simple in the context of their feuds/storylines and focus alot more on the in-ring action and the importance of winning/losing and the titles. However, while introducing NXT to a few friends who only watch Raw the first thing they mentioned was that they'd watch a few episodes of NXT and there wasnt really any storylines to follow or get invested in. They like some of the matches but are accustomed to the Raw style of in-ring promos, backstage skits, drama.

So i guess my question is do you think NXT is lacking in that drama and over-arching storylines style that we are accustomed to in main roster WWE? IE: stables developing, people vying for power, personal blood feuds, etc? Does not seeing the same roster or the World Champion every week hurt NXT to an extent? If so what type of things would you like to see?

 

[Navi]

But that's why NXT is so successful, there is storylines but not the soap opera drama that dominates the main roster. And it is about wrestling and introducing new and up and coming wrestlers to WWE fans. I don't want the same shit that we see on RAW on NXT.

They only have an hour a week, compared to the 5-6 that the main roster has, and the one complaint I hear the most is that SD is just a replay of RAW, except maybe with more tag matches. The main roster is big, but they don't utilize the talent they have properly. NXT does and that's why it works so well.

There is something to be said about a storyline when it works, and it should be kept short and sweet. The main roster drags them out too long, and we become to an extent bored with them. NXT stuff goes so fast if you blink you miss it. Please do not turn NXT into RAW, some of us actually enjoy watching it.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

One of the reasons for NXT's success, and there are quite a few reasons, is the simplicity of the storylines and the distinct lack of a "sports entertainment" type of vibe.

The strategy of NXT is to keep the focus on the wrestlers & the action happening in the ring, keep the storylines simple & engaging, using the face vs. heel dynamic in an easy to invest in type of way and to use simple logic combined with enforced continuity. It's a formula that works, has been working and shows no sign of not working in the future; NXT ain't broke, so don't try to fix it.

 

[Azane]

It's a great balance they have now, they still have a little promo, and most people have a gimmick or character to play.

A lot of the character development is left to interpretation, and fans don't feel like they're having their intelligence insulted.

Instead of Finn Balor spending 20 minutes telling us about the demon, he just becomes the demon, Samoa Joe's promos leading into Dallas were short and sweet few minutes to explain what's going on. Asuka vs Bayley's entire leadup was Asuka making a save then patting the title on Bayley's shoulder, rather than a 40 minute speech about the lineage of the title.

The people watching NXT are usually more hardcore fans that have seen all of these storys played out on RAW or Smackdown with longwinded speech and vignette, we don't need that, we know what's going on as soon as 2 wrestlers make eye contact over a title, we know the blood feuds coming to a head before they even are written into the show.

The Insulted intelligence and discontinuity of story is something that's kept me from watching RAW weekly recently, and it's something NXT does well, I only wish NXT skipped the "recap" weeks like after Dallas, since everyone subscribed to WWE can just watch Takeover.

And ya, 56 Minutes without the 20+ minute commercial breaks, I think NXT actually has more actual wrestling than 3 hour RAWs do right now. The viewer fatigue doesn't setup with the 20 min promos and 20 minute commercials in between matches, so it's overall more enjoyable.

 

[Good Golly It's Ollie]

I think it's good that there are both kinds of products. NXT is meant to feel very different from RAW since WWE finally realised there are, hold the phone, different kinds of wrestling fan.

For the record I enjoy both formats, but a lot of people feel the NXT format really works for what it is and it's a good alternative for those who dislike the highly-produced and heavily "script written" promoey nature of RAW.

For a balance between the two I actually suggest you watch a bit more Smackdown if you don't already.

Literally the point of NXT is its storyline acknowledgement that everyone is competing to be the best and get to RAW. The storyline is "win the title" and I think for what NXT is, that's fine.

 

[yur_momma]

nxt is a joke. they perform in front of 500 people, half of which are planted there by wwe to start chants and make noise. this is television after all and dont think for a second wwe doesnt control every aspect including the crowd. 500 people chanting "blue pants" omg THIS IS AWESOME! lmao!
those pathetic marks will cheer for anything.
also once they get to the main roster, its fucking over for them.

 

[dsotm5150]

I'd leave NXT the way it is, there are plenty of people out there that would prefer a more action based product over the soap opera based Smackdown & RAW. If NXT isn't your thing, don't tune in. Same goes for RAW and Smackdown, nobody is forcing you to watch it.

 

[ShinChan]

nxt is a joke. they perform in front of 500 people, half of which are planted there by wwe to start chants and make noise. this is television after all and dont think for a second wwe doesnt control every aspect including the crowd. 500 people chanting "blue pants" omg THIS IS AWESOME! lmao!
those pathetic marks will cheer for anything.
also once they get to the main roster, its fucking over for them.

Yeah this joke is so much better than main roster. TakeOvers which are nowadays better than the main roster PPVs in every matter are part of this joke? TakeOver Dallas was way more entertaining than Wrestlemania 32. Even in terms of wrestling, the former was better.

Remember when was the last main roster PPV which was main-evented by the women? Hell even these were still "divas" at the main roster till Wrestlemania.

Sasha & Bayley main-evented a NxT PPV with an awesome 30 minute IronWoman Match.

NxT entertains with "wrestling" itself in 1 hour on a weekly basis. The main roster can't do so in more than 5 hours weekly. Main roster prefers entertainment and talking over wrestling whereas it is the vice-versa in NxT. Still the latter is entertaining while being simple.

The thread is about something else and you are posting about something else. Comparing apples and oranges?

Lets assume that what you posted is true, so what? The three horsewomen were damn over in NxT. Is it over for these three at the main roster? No, these three just put out an awesome battle at Wrestlemania 32. You could have more examples like that of Owens, Zayn, Enzo/Cass etc.

Remember the last time when a main roster tag team could entertain with their in-ring work only? Maybe Cesaro-Kidd, right? Well NxT has gems in form of The Revival & American Alpha who can easily entertain with their in-ring itself.

 

[Wrestlingaholic]

Quite simply, no. If you want your wrestling to be a soap opera, watch WWE Raw. If you want an alternative soap opera, watch TNA. NXT is its own animal, much like Lucha Underground. Just because it may not be to casual fans' tastes doesn't mean it has to change.

 

[thekooljt]

Hey guys, does it worry you that many of the best wrestlers (in NXT) moved to the main roster? I agree with what many of you have said that NXT is it's own animal. But with so many of the best NXT talent on the main roster, I feel that NXT may have lost some of its luster. Just a thought.

 

[JoeMallard]

Hey guys, does it worry you that many of the best wrestlers (in NXT) moved to the main roster? I agree with what many of you have said that NXT is it's own animal. But with so many of the best NXT talent on the main roster, I feel that NXT may have lost some of its luster. Just a thought.

Oh really? Samoa Joe, Asuka, Balor, Bayley, Nakamura, Austin Aries, Alexa Bliss and now Eric Young are on NXT, that's a hell of an amount of talent.

 

[nwocongo]

Hey guys, does it worry you that many of the best wrestlers (in NXT) moved to the main roster? I agree with what many of you have said that NXT is it's own animal. But with so many of the best NXT talent on the main roster, I feel that NXT may have lost some of its luster. Just a thought.

I guess hardcore NXT fans would be upset about their favorite guys going to the main roster because they do not enjoy the WWE shows as much as NXT. I've seen people here say things like they don't want Balor or other guys to go up for fear of being "wasted" or "ruined" on the main roster, so I defintely understand your point.

It's not entirely the same since this isn't a competetive sport, but for me I think of NXT as slightly akin to minor league baseball or the NBA D league. It should be the goal of the front office and the talent that these guys become good/over enough to be mainstays on the main roster. Meanwhile, the NXT roster should be constantly getting new younger talents to continue that cycle. I doubt as a kid any of these guys were saying to themselves "when I grow up I want to break into the business and go all the way to the top spot for OVW or FCW".

 

[Good Golly It's Ollie]

Hey guys, does it worry you that many of the best wrestlers (in NXT) moved to the main roster? I agree with what many of you have said that NXT is it's own animal. But with so many of the best NXT talent on the main roster, I feel that NXT may have lost some of its luster. Just a thought.

Not in the slightest. Today's "best" is a subjective matter anyway, and there are lots of people in NXT who are on the same high calibre of performance. There's plenty of solid talent left on NXT. NXT can and should be cyclical. It's in the nature of the beast that most talent eventually goes to other areas of the company. Even if they don't it's no bad reflection on them.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Let me start by saying I love NXT and how it is currently structured

Ah, well. Thread overwith.



This actually puts into perfect perspective the targeting that is done for NXT, and why its not "better" than RAW, or vice-versa.


Your friends, who watch RAW and seem to think its good (which make them the scourge of the earth) watched NXT on YOUR paid-for Network account.


Exactly.



NXT is targeted towards the type of person who would actively seek out and pay for the network. Not only do you fit this criteria, but you said you love the show, so


Bada bing bada boom, realest brand in the room.

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

Seeing as Pro-Wrestling is a scripted sport I'd like to think all wrestling programs are "sports entertainment".

As for more story lines I don't think so since the NXT Show is only an hour long and their PPV/Specials is 2 hours. With that limited time NXT delivers the basic stories (heels vs faces) story lines effectively you spice up a backstage segment and video packages here and there and you get a show that tells a story that keeps the fans engaged.

Also one advantage NXT has is that you can stop watching NXT for 3 months and pick it up right after because their stories aren't over complex and easy to follow. Where was watching the WWE you can get lost with the product after 3 months.

 

[thekooljt]

Oh really? Samoa Joe, Asuka, Balor, Bayley, Nakamura, Austin Aries, Alexa Bliss and now Eric Young are on NXT, that's a hell of an amount of talent.

I'm not really talking about guys who came from TNA. I'm talking about those individuals who helped take NXT to that next level. Who made it more than just a minor league.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

No Way, because it's pitched as "the alternative" to the WWE style.

Regular WWE programming is best described as a soap opera SET in a wrestling show/company. NXT IS a wrestling show... it's a massive difference and USP.