Loser Leaves Town

[MTL722]

Back in the territory days, the Loser Leaves Town match was the typical way for a hot star to switch territories while also putting over the guy taking over as at the headliner.

More recently, the match has served to keep a guy or faction off of TV for a couple weeks, with no real payoff. The most recent example being The Authority losing at Survivor Series, getting fired, and them being brought back at Cenas request (total garbage)

I'd like to propose a way to bring this match back, while also making it meaningful. I want to see a meaningful feud (I know already asking too much) that ends with a Loser Leaves Town match on Raw or a PPV. Maybe a month later, although probably sooner) the Loser of this match doesn't come back to Raw, but instead goes to NXT

Before anybody views this as "Why would you want to make NXT a punishment?" I'd like to bury that thought. It wouldn't be a punishment for the superstar to be in NXT, it would be their only option. They cant go back to Raw, why not go down to the hottest wrestling show their is? Spike the subscriptions, increase viewership, and down the road, find their way back to Raw

Name the superstars you'd want to see in the feud, the outcome, and what happens once the "Loser" gets down to NXT

 

[@smarkmouth]

Good idea, but tread lightly with it. I'm reminded of when Booker T was traded to Smackdown. He turned heel in the trade by proclaiming he was better than Smackdown and belonged on Monday night. I remember enjoying the turn, but had to acknowledge how close it came to burying the entire roster. Treating NXT as someone's last resort would have to be treated with equal delicacy.

We've only got a hint of this feud so far, but Jericho vs Ambrose might be a nice way to send Jericho to NXT. Jericho works almost exclusively to put talent over. That attitude would fit NXT like a glove. Beyond that, NXT should never be about established stars, so if you do send anyone down, their appearances should be sporadic at most. Once again, Jericho fits that mold with his come as he please schedule.

 

[MTL722]

Treating NXT as someone's last resort would have to be treated with equal delicacy...

Jericho fits that mold with his come as he please schedule.

I see how the idea of "being forced" down to NXT could be seen as a negative towards NXT, but the reaction has everything to do with how it's sold

NXT is basically a minor league. Hence Raw and Smackdown being referred to as the "main roster". With that, you're already selling NXT as lesser than Raw. If a veteran were to be bumped off those shows, going to NXT would just be logical.

I'm not viewing this fantasy as a "Loser has to go back to the minors" idea. It's simply Loser Leaves Town. He wouldn't be fired. He'd just be under contract but "not allowed" on Raw or Smackdown. Showing up at NXT could be huge if sold correctly and done with the right guy

Im with you on Jericho. Of all people, he could definitely pull this off the right way

 

[Noshowers]

I honestly wouldn't mind seeing this happen with a guy like Cody Rhodes. He has accomplished a lot and in my opinion could be trusted with more, but he has kind of been stuck in a malaise.

You could manufacture this match, or heck even have Goldust be the one to do it to him (kind of the opposite of a young wrestler getting a rub), but then after the defeat he is off Raw or Smackdown (could even specify a time, like 6 months).

From here he would go down to nXt without the Stardust gimmick and basically start back from what looks like square one. He could be heel and despise his time there feuding with Regal, etc, or he could be billed as a down on his luck star who maybe gets ran over for a while and eventually finds his way again.

I feel like a wrestler with some ability could get a positive rub down in nXt and actually use that environment to generate some excitement for you again.

I think I would like a storyline where a wrestler is tore down then built back up is a little more appealing then just a veteran guy just going down and getting beat in hopes that will build the other nXt stars up even though this guy already publicly lost all momentum and his spot on the main show.

 

[Azane]

People don't buy this split between WWE Brands, during Smackdown vs Raw, when it was an official split, people didn't care, and now they wouldn't care.

Loser Leaving Town loses any value if the person pops up again in a WWE ring, not just "not on RAW".

I'm not against more talent going to NXT to put over or help develop people, I'm just against building a feud with a completely false premise, that's Russo booking.

 

[Deoxyribonucleic A.C.I.D.]

The last time I remember this match was used properly, was when CM Punk defeated Jeff Hardy in a Steel Cage match on Smackdown to end their feud back in 2009. It was Hardy's last match with the WWE.

This match can be still used when a wrestler's contract is up and he won't be renewing again.

I also like your idea of "Loser can go to NXT". I know that it might seem surreal, but NXT could become WWE's own competition. By competition, I don't mean their shows airing at the same time, not a competition like WCW vs WWF was. By competition I mean a storyline where talent from NXT refuse to join the main roster, becasue NXT is simply better and of course they don't want The Authority to order them around.

Finn Balor recently did an interview where he said that he's not in a hurry to join the main roster, because right now "they're making history in NXT and he wants to be part of that". And IMO, who wouldn't? NXT is a far superior wrestling show to RAW. NXT it's like the "Elite Indie Scene".

The storyline would be that certain wrestler A loses the Loser Leaves Town match and then pops up to NXT, saying that this is his home now and that he's going to prove that he's the best in the best Wrestling Organization etc..

Jericho as someone stated works perfectly fot that role.

Another guy that comes to mind is Ziggler. Ziggler needs some repackaging and NXT could just be his cure. The same can be said for former WWE Champ, The Miz. But I think Ziggler and Y2J would be great choices to enter NXT to re-evaluate their careers.

 

[Checkmate]

This match can be still used when a wrestler's contract is up and he won't be renewing again.

That's the first thing that came to mind when I read the thread title. It has been used to decent effect in the past, and still could be done so in the future.

However, I disagree with the "loser goes down to NXT" part. If anything, I could see this match happening in NXT and the loser has to leave NXT, thus getting called up to the main roster. Since WWE main roster and NXT storylines don't intersect, one of these matches every few years could be used to neatly wrap up the NXT part of a career and allow that person to jump to the main roster. Granted, that's not really a loss, but the scenario I'm thinking of is something like John Cena vs Edge, where the heel desperately wants to get the babyface out of his hair, and the babyface wants a shot at the heel so badly that he'd risk his NXT tenure to do so.

Another way this match could work is to repackage someone, and I mean, really repackage someone. Like, not just a look, but a name change, a gimmick change, something really big. And, like someone mentioned above, Goldust vs Stardust might be the best option of current roster guys right now. Should Goldust lose, he'd stop wrestling (again), and should Stardust lose, he could (eventually) return as Cody Rhodes. Win-win.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

People don't buy this split between WWE Brands, during Smackdown vs Raw, when it was an official split, people didn't care, and now they wouldn't care.

Loser Leaving Town loses any value if the person pops up again in a WWE ring, not just "not on RAW".

I'm not against more talent going to NXT to put over or help develop people, I'm just against building a feud with a completely false premise, that's Russo booking.

Exactly.

The premise of a Loser Leaves Town match is completely lost in WWE and, truth be told, it's pretty much lost in wrestling today because it's damn near impossible to keep from finding out who'll be the loser weeks before the match even takes place thanks to the dirt sheets, Twitter, Facebook and social media in general.

Also, I agree that the notion of a "loser leaving town" is rendered completely useless if this person pops back up a month later in another section of WWE. If the brand split was in effect and if said brand split was legit, it might be something, but it isn't. Fans are so cynical these days that the only real way a brand split would gain any attention would be if it was a legit split with different creative teams and different executives making the final creative calls; we all know that ain't gonna happen so the notion of a Loser Leaves Town match is completely disingenuous right from the start.

 

[whoopin' ass]

The concept is interesting but I don't know if it would work. Guys from the main roster appear on NXT anyways so it isn't like that is a big deal. And if you are going to use this stipulation, you would probably want to use it in a bigger match but I can't see Ziggler, Rollins, Reigns, Cena, etc being sent to NXT for an extended period. Knowing wwe, they would probably book Ryback vs Adam Rose and have Rose go back to NXT. Not exactly going to grab attention. Personally, I would use it for a surprise retirement match. There is a rumor Orton is hurt pretty bad - if he could do one more match, have him vs someone with that stipulation and have Orton lose. If wwe used it in that way, it would grab attention and really stand out. Plus you have the added benefit that the guy won't return in 6 months.