How I evaluate NXT talents

[Psykohurricane55]

That's something that i was thinking about yesterday when i watch NXT, i'm i the only one that watch NXT and start evaluating everybody and where i think these guys will end up on the main roster.

I mean that when i watch, let's take for exemple Roderick Strong, i don'T listen to the crowd response but how good he is in the ring and how much charisma he as and then realize that while he's a really good Wrestler, the fact that he's really can'T cut a promo to save his live will probably mean that he's going to end up either on the same level as apollo crews or in the cruiserweight division when they decide to call him up.

Also when somebody gets called up and don'T necessarily get a push that fans and journalist thing he deserve, i look at how he was book on NXT before getting called up. Let'S take for example Tye dillinger. Here a guy that came up to the main roster because the 10 chant was over but he didn'T really get a push since he got called up, Fans and journalist that saw him being over in NXT we're outrage that WWE wasn't doing more with him. THen i went back i watch how his NXT run went, and i realize that it was the exact same push they gave him in NXT, the guy was super over but he's was pretty much a job guy in NXT, so why are we surprise that he gets treated like a job guy on the main roster? Really he's just doing the same thing he was doing on NXt but on a bigger stage.

In the end, i think the fact that you are over in NXT mean nothing because it's easy to be over in a small pond, So you need to be able to work on the in ring and promo's skills if you want to make it on the main roster. If you're a great wrestler but have the charisma of a door nob, you won't go far when you're going to be called up and that's why a lot of the NXT guys in my opinion do fail on the Main roster, because they don'T realize that they are on the big stage now and that wrestling skill won't help you as much to get over on the main roster.

 

[JoeMallard]

Too bad the worst performer in the entire company is holding and killing the WWE title, anything is possible.

 

[JoeMallard]

Too bad the worst performer in the entire company is holding and killing the WWE title, anything is possible.

The reason why some don't work is because Vince nor his beaver looking friend care to build on anything the performers did in NXT. Neither one cares about giving the talent a story the fans can get behind, which is the reason why someone with the potential of Nakamura is failing on the main roster.

 

[Psykohurricane55]

The reason why some don't work is because Vince nor his beaver looking friend care to build on anything the performers did in NXT. Neither one cares about giving the talent a story the fans can get behind, which is the reason why someone with the potential of Nakamura is failing on the main roster.

I don't see it that way. Everybody think that HHH is the be all and end all, as far as how it's booked and who they hired for the brand. Let's face it, if vince didn't want a certain guy to be offered a contract and being push on top of the nxt brand, they wouldn't be push no matter how much HHH wanted it.

Vince is the be all and end all as far as anything wwe is concern. The main roster is the big league and if you can't connect with the casual, that's on you. Nakamura is connecting with the fans even if he doesn't get to have thoses 5 star matches that the hardcore's and the dave meltzer's of the world want him to have. For those peoples if you can't have a 5 star match every night, you have failed on the main roster.

Wrestling especially on the main roster is all about character and not in ring, if your a great wrestler, then the more to you but if you don't have the charisma to help the you're character translate to the fan, you will fail. Nakamura is not failing, he's just continuing the same push he had on nxt and if you think that vince is the reason why nakamura is supposedly failing, then that's on you. Continue believing that. But in my eye, nakamura isn't failling and he's finally getting comfortable with the wwe style of wrestling. I didn't care for him in nxt and since he join te smackdown roster, the guy got me interested in him every time he shows up on screen now.

 

[Radical]

I mean that when i watch, let's take for exemple Roderick Strong, i don'T listen to the crowd response but how good he is in the ring and how much charisma he as and then realize that while he's a really good Wrestler, the fact that he's really can'T cut a promo to save his live will probably mean that he's going to end up either on the same level as apollo crews or in the cruiserweight division when they decide to call him up.

Really good point there.

Indeed, in NXT you can't really listen much to the crowd reaction because basically EVERY SINGLE wrestler there gets a good crowd reaction and it simply does not always translate the same way into a larger audience.

The key things to look at, like you said, are ring skills, charisma/mic skills. And, at the end of the day, that is usually what set some apart from others. At this point in pro wrestling there really aren't too many wrestlers who are poor wrestlers. Some may be basic but all of them can do pretty good moves so what really sets people apart is a next-level in-ring talent or next-level charisma and mic skills that draw people in.

Now sometimes certain talents will get a chance because of their look, almost alone. Jinder Mahal may not be the most charismatic or best on the mic but he has, I guess, a certain charisma because of his ripped physique and that's what the SD team are running with to give him this push.

That said, there is a reason why Mike Bennett wasn't immediately pushed to the moon (didn't translate well to the crowd with in-ring skills or charisma) and there are reasons why certain NXT stars don't stand out much or become 'jobbers' on the main roster.

Also, some people forget that jobbers ARE NEEDED. You do need a few characters on the roster who are good wrestlers but don't really win very much but can make opponents look good. It can be a tricky wire to balance on because the more you lose the less likely anyone who beats them is going to look impressive but that's where short winning streaks can come in handy.


One other thing that is kind of the surprise ingredient in whether a NXT talent will be successful on the main roster is timing. Sometimes timing is a huge aspect. If you are there at the right time when the WWE needs a certain something you can offer then it can work out well for those talents.


The good/bad thing about WWE right now with NXT constantly developing talents is that there feels like there is a speeding up conveyor belt where new talents need to keep being called up on a consistent basis whether or not there is really room or the right time on the main roster. Whereas in the old days, you didn't really know when someone new was coming so there wasn't so much of anticipation.

Oh well, new era, new challenges.