NXT Getting The Axe: Is There Any Redeemable Value Left?

[Jack-Hammer]

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the third season of NXT is scheduled to end November 30th. As of now, there aren't any plans to continue the show as an internet property. So it looks like NXT is about to finally succumb to a long, drawn out and painful death. The third season is the stuff that nightmares are made of, but I very much enjoyed the first two seasons.

At any rate, since it appears that NXT is all but done completely at this point, is there anything at all from NXT that's worth salvaging?

I was thinking about this and I had an idea pop up. I'm not saying it's a good one, but I kinda like it. There's been all sorts of talk about the WWE unifiying their titles, including the IC and US straps, so I was thinking that maybe the WWE could create an NXT Championship for an NXT Division. The title would be something along the lines of a lower mid-card championship in the same vein as the NWA, later the WCW, World Television Championship. And, of course, the idea for a division is based on TNA's X-Division. The NXT Division would be something for only young talent in the WWE, no matter their weight or whatever, as a means of giving them something meaningful. Off the top of my head, guys like Yoshi Tatsu, Zack Ryder, Ezekiel Jackson, Kaval, Husky Harris, Michael McGuillicutty, Curt Hawkins, Vance Archer and others would fit in just fine in my opinion. Many of them aren't doing anything of any note and I feel that it could be something worth doing as it would give these guys, most of whom are lower mid-card at best, something relevant to be part of.

 

[klunderbunker]

I'm fine with it going away. The show is nothing but comedy anymore and a chance to look at fairly decent looking women act stupid. It's a bit hard to come up with ways to use such massive amounts of characters anyway with so many new ones being added every few months through the show. It's not something I'm going to miss at all and it's probably done as much as it could, all things considered. It leaving is fine.

As for a new title, I like the idea but if there's no show then there's really no place to put it. It's not like they don't have room for all those people on the two shows that they have no since only Primo and Goldust show up on NXT and they're nothing special at all. Another title wouldn't really be needed if they have two titles already. Just go with the IC or US instead.

 

[Klown_Karnage]

In truth, I was pretty excited with the concept in the beginning...until the WWE turned NXT into a scripted version of Survivor. There were enormous chunks of every episode devoted to "challenges" which had little to nothing to do with what a superstar would have to do once they graduated from NXT. Even WWECW was less of a waste of T.V. time than NXT was. In my opinion, NXT is a failed experiment and I have a feeling that the WWE is doing just fine dropping to two shows.

I suppose that a third show specializing in developmental talent wouldn't be too bad an idea if it had its own championship, rather like the ECW championship was, but one would have to be prepared for the fact that it would have almost no prestige in the context of the rest of the WWE (again, much like the ECW championship.) I'd make it two hours and have most of the new and debut wrestlers on such a show. It could work...but I just can't see the WWE doing that and doing it well. It would be too much time and effort for them and too little tie-in with the other two shows.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

I don't have a problem with NXT going away. I enjoyed the first two seasons because we got a chance to see WWE's young stars go through the pains of breaking into the WWE, but now NXT has become a comedy show. Yeah, we get to see attractive women participate in these goofy challenges, but watching hot women act like fools can become tiresome after a while. Also, the matches on NXT now a days can either be atrocious or decent, so there's nothing to look forward to when it comes to the wrestling.

The NXT Championship sounds like a good idea, but I don't think it would work out in the long run. The US and IC title are more than enough for the mid card. Sure an NXT Championship could help guys like Ryder, Tatsu. and Primo, but there would not be enough time to showcase them on TV. Things are crowded enough as it as on Raw and Smackdown, so they wouldn't have much time to see any sort of spotlight.

 

[Navi]

All I can say is Thank God. This season of NXT has been bloody horrible and after the first two episodes, completely unwatchable for me. The only saving grace on the whole show was the constant tantrums by Vicki G.

I didn't watch the first season at all, and only bits and pieces of the second, so not going to miss it at all.

There is only so much room on the roster and there was no way all these girls/guys would be able to get a spot. If you look at the mid card it's full, and Wade Barrett and Danial Bryan are the only standouts in my opinion out of all of the rookies.

The WWE missed a great opportunity though by not doing a tag team version of NXT. A lot of fans want to see the tag team division rebuilt, and this would have been the chance to do it. It would have given the WWE a place to form and try out new teams from the existing roster, and showcase some new talent coming in. I was so disappointed when I heard it was going to be a Diva edition. That's all we need is another bunch of women who can't wrestler worth a damm.

 

[johnbragg]

Instead of an NXT Championship, why not put a championship on Superstars? Keep it distinct from the other titles--don't even call it a title. Find a sponsor, and call it the KFC Cup or the Taco Bell Trophy or the Boost Mobile Challenge. Let the name be corny. Make the gimmick a $2000 prize given to the winner every week, plus the chance to defend next week, but part of the contract with the sponsor is that the winner is exclusive to Superstars.

Suddenly, it makes all the sense in the world why Yoshi Tatsu would fight the fight of his life against Mark Henry for a Boost Mobile Challenge spot, while the Miz wouldn't return a phone call from the BMC. Cody Rhodes, MVP and Kofi Kingston would have a kayfabe dilemna--is it worth taking a step back from IC/US contendership to dominate the BMC for a while and get a little spotlight back?

It also would give a focus to Superstars, which it really doesn't have. Watch Superstars this week, and you at least know one guy who's on next week. Sometimes you'd even have an announced match.

 

[Kenny Powers]

NXT should have stopped after season 2. An NXT Divas show has been atrocious from the start. Bringing Tough Enough back would be a better idea then NXT. At least on Tough Enough there won't be silly mundane obstacle courses. At least hopefully not. Basically the message from WWE and the commentators for this season of NXT and the show in general is that this show is stupid and people shouldn't take it serious.

NXT needs to be put to rest next to ECW. Season 1 and 2 gave us hope with Nexus, Daniel Bryan, Kaval, Henning and Harris. It really hasn't done anything for the other rookies, and it certainly hasn't done anything for the divas except reminding people what a joke the division is. NXT has 3 shows left. Does anyone really care who wins at this point?

 

[Dagger Dias]

There's nothing worth saving on NXT. I would be completely fine with it ending after this season. There's nothing left they could do unless perhaps they do tag teams in season 4, but that's for another thread. I say just end it after this season and let everyone from all three seasons all join Nexus. There's nothing else you could possibly get out of the show because so few people care enough to watch it that it had to be moved online. It was a great idea but in the end it didn't work out and the final nail in the coffin was having an all divas show. That's where they lost me and countless others.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Nooooo, no no. No more titles, no more divisions, nothing. Get superstars on a better network, and introduce new wrestlers through matches, fueds, and angles on there. Like ECW, but with a little more pizaz since they can draw guys from both the big shows.

 

[Monkey_Mania]

No, none at all. It's pretty fucking hard to make a show look credible, when since the second season it's just been nothing but a fucking joke. The first season was awesome though. With the rumors of them bringing back Tough Enough, there is no reason to have anymore NXT seasons. Just take it out back behind the old wood shed, and put a bullet in it to save any sort of dignity it has left.

 

[LSN80]

I don't see how theres anything redeeemable in a show the company is screaming at you "we dont care about!" Reportedly, they never even shopped it to another network when Smackdown made the transition to SyFy, and they've really screwed up by having their own announce team tell you over and over what a terrible show it is. All reports Ive read have been that there is "zero" interest in bringing it back for another season, and with the supposed return of Tough Enough, there really isnt room for 2 "reality" based shows, even if one is on a dot.com.

As for an NXT title, it would be less relevant then the TNA Women's tag titles. THAT bad.

 

[KitInaka]

Actually I had a random idea with NXT why not make it back into the third show but instead:

A) Cut the pros and have the WWE Roster as a whole make 50% of the votes.
B) Have a roster of 10 to 15 people at a time. (The can even stick Superstars only wrestlers on the show as away of promoting it.)
C) Instead of an elimination style show have the first three weeks be the Starting Blocks on week 4 The Superstar that the WWE Universe and the WWE Roster thought was the worst is eliminated and replaced with a new person. (This is so that the the developmental guys in FCW and such get some face time and a chance to shine.)
D) The person who receives the most votes however will get a qualifying match against a random opponent (that would be as random as the draft lottery) that is a current WWE Superstar. (That way the show can have some star power every episode.) If the rookie/whatever they would call an NXT individual) wins they will get a spot on one of the two main rosters. (That way creative still gets a say in who's they want.)

I know this is a bit random but hey it can't be worst then whats going on now, right?

 

[Blush]

Greg Sansone (TheScore.ca, Right After Wrestling) said that they still have NXT scheduled for another season after this season ends. (Since NXT is shown on Canadian TV instead of just the 'net) Arda and Renee asked what kind of season will it be, and Greg said it'd be guys and that's all he knows. Not so much a spoiler as something that's still up in the air and just aired on TV.