I would love to think that this was months in the making...all the shitty NXT episodes, a very poor RAW last night (before the finish), so on and so forth, that it was all a build-up to this. The fact that it's been SO LONG since something like this has happened makes it all that more refreshing, and in hindsight, it was probably smart to wait that long. It was definitely money.
I'm not going to proclaim anything just yet, but it has generated a buzz, and it's opened the door to so much more. I can't think of a better way they could have integrated the NXT wrestlers into the rosters, that's where I think I give the biggest props. More importantly, the rosters now are very lopsided in that most of the big stars are heels. Now those heels can perhaps turn face to wrestle the NXT guys and get even more over than they already are. It gives instant credibility to all the NXT guys (who all have an identity, IMO). The armbands signify that this could be a legit long term program, without them, I wouldn't be thinking anything into this. Very, very well done.
Again, not going to proclaim anything just yet: I think one of the biggest mistakes many of the IWC does is try to figure everything out before anything happens. I think that instead of trying to dissect everything, it's better to just enjoy the ride. If it's a successful program, it's going to be very long term, and it's going to happen slowly. Don't rush anything.
If successful, all 8 of the NXT guys will be relevant, lots of fresh faces will freshen up the program, force the guys who aren't drawing to start drawing or be replaced, and enhance the WWE guys that take them on. Also, now it gives us more incentive to continue watching NXT, to introduce the new guys, and then see what or how they are integrated into the program, and how they are integrated with the first season of NXT guys.
I've been beating the "WWE is for kids" drum for a while now, but after watching the first 170 minutes of RAW, it really did seem like the whole crowd of kids only cared about one thing and one thing only: John Cena. They weren't interested in ANYTHING else and were just waiting the whole time (3 long hours) for him. Even the Edge/Orton match got virtually no reaction, of any kind, and that had build behind it. Cena can't carry a whole 2 hour show singlehandedly, no matter how popular he is, and Vince knows he needs more than that. Hogan alone in the 80's would not have been enough to sustain a product.
I'll be watching, and hoping for compelling television. I'm really hoping they prepared for this long term (unlike the seat-of-their-pants booking of TNA), because they just hooked a lot of people here would are probably thinking this is WWE's last shot to lure them back. If WWE lets those people down, they might lose them for good.
