Would You Be Interested In A NXT VS WWE Main Roster Rivalry?

[Hard Hit Prince]

This thread will probably be overdue now, specially since the last batch of NXT guys that made their debut on the main roster are actually doing okay - Kevin Owens and Charlotte as holders of the WWE Intercontinental Championship and WWE Divas Championship respectively. However, what would you guys think if WWE approached the main roster vs. development dynamic in the same way we had SmackDown vs. Raw a few years back?

I've always been a fan of different brands (alongside 90% of you probably). Sometimes Raw just wasn't fun for me and SmackDown, most often than not, would really provide a better alternative. And once a year, we would have a gimmick PPV where both rosters would fight, just to crown the better brand. I'm not even asking for a PPV dedicated to it, but what about a storyline? NXT Champion vs. WWE Champion... Or even NXT Team vs. WWE Team.

Not only would they bring more eyes and attention to their NXT product (exclusive on the WWE Network) but also it would be a big opportunity for some of those kids to actually feel a WWE PPV. There are downsides of course. The main roster losing would be equivalent of a rookie or junior team, beating the senior team and that could hurt their credibility. Also some guys making their main roster debut just like that, could be a real let down for some who expect a far more bigger and individual role. However, with the right storyline and the right approach, I would just love to see them doing something like that.

You could have Finn Balor, Samoa Joe, Apollo Crews, Enzo Amore & Cass take on a special assigned team by Triple H. Someone like Sheamus, The Big Show, Stardust & The Ascension. This could also be the stage for some rivalries to begin for either brand, with unexpected turns or performances. Imagine Apollo Crews just demolishing The Big Show and being the sole survivor (or the one who gets the pin), or even Samoa Joe turning on Finn Balor.

It may be just silly fantasy booking, but I can really see a fresh side to it and I would totally like to know what do you guys think of this NXT vs. WWE rivalry/match. Discuss!

 

[X]

This already happened, and it was called the Nexus. And after about two weeks of promising segments, it turned to shit and the NXT guys all looked like jokes. There's really no reason at all to believe things would turn out any differently if they tried it again.

 

[laodaron]

At no point should you ever have a pseudo-Indy fed fight against the WWE on a product that would be bankrolled, produced, scripted, and booked by the WWE. It isn't even a WWE thing, but it would literally be the worst booking ever to have one of the WWE guys lose to an NXT guy in any fashion besides a fluke, and at that point, no one gets and heat.

 

[Hard Hit Prince]

I don't usually follow up discussions in the threads I post, but I have to do it, because I feel like people are not really grasping the "idea" behind it.

This already happened, and it was called the Nexus. And after about two weeks of promising segments, it turned to shit and the NXT guys all looked like jokes. There's really no reason at all to believe things would turn out any differently if they tried it again.

Hey X. Thanks to your reply man, but in no way shape or form did I ever mentioned it like being an invasion. Just a type of brand vs brand scenario, or even a champion vs. champion. Think Bragging Rights PPV, where you had a SmackDown vs. Raw event!

At no point should you ever have a pseudo-Indy fed fight against the WWE on a product that would be bankrolled, produced, scripted, and booked by the WWE. It isn't even a WWE thing, but it would literally be the worst booking ever to have one of the WWE guys lose to an NXT guy in any fashion besides a fluke, and at that point, no one gets and heat.

I'm sorry, but did you miss NXT Champion Kevin Owens defeating John Fucking Cena cleanly in his first PPV match? What? Did Cena lose any credibility whatsoever?

 

[showstopper8705]

I think i could be very interested, but I think Triple H needs to lead nXt vs Vince. Blur the lines again we all know it's hard to do today, but having a few heels from nXt come out and take out Vince and have Trips make the "save". Cut the your time is done promo blah blah blah, then just good matches. I really think some wwe guys need to go back to nXt, trips boys Rollins and Owens

 

[rbv13]

If we look back at the early days of the Brand split it was most certainly an exciting time in the WWE. Exclusive talents, multitude of personalities and different styles for each show. In those early days it was almost something special to see a cross over or Brand representatives lock horns. It is in large part what we see today w/the "Main Roster" and NXT. They represent different philosophies. Almost like a ying and a yang. What happened way back then was the two Brands began interacting more and more with one another and eventually they morphed into one lump product. My fear would be that NXT would eventually be consumed by the "spectacle" of sports entertainment and lose it's unique identity. As of right now I'm happy with the occasion NXT advertisement. While I'm not totally thrilled with the idea I'll even except NXT performers showing up on Raw once or twice a year. That is about as far as I would with crossing the two. Bottom line, things are working how they currently stand and there is zero need for change.

 

[Messiah]

It was already done a few year's back, angles like this in wrestling usually are disappointments, this will likely be no different.. Most fans wouldn't be interested simply because there's not enough guys on NXT people care about.. It's not a good idea. Very few people on NXT have any credibility at all to make this interesting... It might be something you want, but WWE is smarter than that.

 

[BestSportsEntertainer]

No, this isn't a bad idea, but I'm not a fan of it.

NXT wrestlers are not your ordinary developmental employees. A lot of them aren't even rookies.

However from a casual's perspectives, NXT wrestlers are rookies. They haven't done anything in WWE, and they think WWE is the only thing that matters or even exists.

Besides, this storyline already happened. Remember the Nexus? That storyline failed horribly, and can you name one wrestler who came out of the Nexus that is doing anything relevant today? Maybe Ryback, but that was 3 years later and he took on a completely different gimmick. And Daniel Bryan was only in the Nexus for one Raw, so he doesn't count.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Eh, I think it's much too soon for any sort of potential WWE vs. NXT situation. NXT has come a helluva long way in the past few years and maybe if the WWE Network continues to grow, more people subscribe and NXT continues to grow then it could be something to consider a few years down the road.

However, one immediate downside to this is the major lack of exposure of NXT compared to the main roster. If there's ever an NXT TV program that's broadcast like Raw and SmackDown, then that'll be different. As of right now, however, NXT's buzz lies entirely among hardcore net fans and/or subscribers to the WWE Network. If the Network ever gets somewhere in the 4 or 5 million subscriber level, that'd also solve that particular problem.

Another potential downside is the fact that such an idea would almost certainly cause the consistently efficient booking of NXT, which is ultimately what's been setting it apart from the main roster, is going to take a beating. On the main roster, the final creative call is made by Vince McMahon; everything that makes it to TV might not be his idea, and I'm of the opinion that creative comes up with things sometimes with the primary purpose of something they know Vince will like, but every idea that makes it to TV gets his seal of approval. There's a lot of old school elements in NXT that's helped make it work, grow and be a breath of fresh air; some of these elements Vince wants the more mainstream WWE to steer clear of as much as possible because Vince thinks they're obsolete and actually cause people to see WWE as a wrestling company. Even though WWE is a wrestling company, Vince believes that the "sports entertainment" label actually fools people. Vince doesn't like that his wrestling company is actually called a wrestling company, which may very well mean that many of the old school elements that Triple H prefers and has used in NXT, to great success, will be taken completely out of the equation.

The odds of this coming off with the most potential for success isn't great because Vince and Triple H have some pretty different philosophies; they look like minor things to outsiders but a few minor things can work wonders. As I've said, nothing is going on in NXT that can't happen on the main roster; it's mostly a difference in vision of the people in charge. Until Vince steps down, which will have to happen at some point as the man is 70 years old after all, and if Triple H is the one who steps into his shoes, I think it'd be better to wait for some sort of WWE vs. NXT thing as it'd be more likely to be what I think most of us would be hoping it could be.

 

[KromyD]

I dont see how having NXT invade WWE could really be a bad thing tbh?

WWE could use it as a way to bring in 2/3 stars (1 being the NXT championship holder), have them team up with Neville & Zayn or something. The timing of bringing the feud in so it doesn't get stale would be the question tho. Who wouldnt be interested in the below feud if given time during WM32?

Itami (C), Neville, Balor, Crews & Zayn VS Kane, Big Show, Randy Orton, Sheamus & Rusev

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

I'm sorry, but did you miss NXT Champion Kevin Owens defeating John Fucking Cena cleanly in his first PPV match? What? Did Cena lose any credibility whatsoever?

A) John Cena is a unique case for anyone, even veterans, but especially rookies.

B) When things like beating Cena happen extremely early in a wrestlers career, there's really no place but to go down. It's a classic case of too much too soon. You also get idiots claiming Cena "buried" said wrestler because of that very reason. I call them idiots for a reason, but they are annoying.

 

[JoeMallard]

I wouldn't necessarily do a NXT vs Main Roster rivalry, but maybe another stable from NXT gets the call up. An idea, like Finn Balor's Balor Club, wouldn't be a bad idea to build on. If he gets guys that a lot of people know, like Samoa Joe, Sami Zayn and Hideo Itami, they could POSSIBLY make something out of it.

 

[MC_Live]

The problem is what happens to an NXT guy who has a storyline on the main roster, and then goes back to NXT? He'd be forgotten about on the main roster, and would probably lose a lot of momentum on NXT. Sure, short term it would be fine. But long term? These things just have a way of not working out to well.

You can only make one first impression, and you can not un-see what has already be seen. With that in mind, everything should be done with the attitude that it's going to be done perfectly. So putting NXT people on the main roster has to be done right, and in order to do that it has to be about the superstar, not the brand they wrestle for. An NXT Champion vs. Main Roster Champion feud would be fine, if the NXT champion became a full time main roster star (dropping the NXT title to someone else in the process, such as Kevin Owens) and then they follow up with it on the main roster. But that's it. Other than that, the whole "Brand wars thing" just isn't the right fit anymore. NXT is an evolution, and the main roster needs to evolve with it. Focus your attention on the stars, not necessarily the brand. Because without the stars, what's the point of the brand?

NXT is meant to be a developmental stop for guys going up to the main roster. No need to change that too much.

 

[timothy26]

Not into the idea. I like NXT as a separate brand that exists as developmental and as a place for indie and international guys to wrestle when they first come to WWE. It means they can come onto the main roster in better spots (such as Owens) instead of having to start at the very bottom.

The NXT "feel" is very different to the main roster and has evolved considerably since it began, an invasion angle would be a huge backwards step.

Owens debut on the main roster whilst still NXT champ was kind of like a mini version of that - he went after one of the top guys, NXT champ vs US champ and so on. The Shield's debut was very similar as well, they were NXT guys who "invaded" the main roster and went after everyone, they just weren't "representing" NXT

 

[John McCass]

No. Not because it happened and fell flat. But, because I think NXT vs. WWE shouldn't happen in the first place. NXT and WWE are not rivals. Why would they clash? Even if they do, it makes more sense for the officials to cool it down (kayfabe).

NXT guys are down there preparing for their imminent (well, maybe not) debut on the main roster. And think it from NXT's point of view. If an invasion does happen, most of the NXT roster would be filled of unpopular wrestlers of the Performance centre. That would squeeze the star power out of NXT. Look at NXT's Women's division. Besides Bayley, we have Kana who has just debuted. And these two are the only ones people care much about. Women's division down there is lacking star power.

Thus, gradually building up one by one makes more sense than throwing them directly on the main roster.

 

[BillAlfonsos_Whistle]

I would LOVE to see a small schism between HHH and Steph for Survivor Series.
Let HHH embrace his role as the man behind NXT and set up a sick old school SS match.


Seth Rollins/Kevin Owens/Bray Wyatt/Luke Harper
vs.
John Cena/Randy Orton/Chris Jericho/R-Truth (lol)

 

[N!CKALAS CAGE]

Roster vs roster angles have been done to death. We had enough of that during the brand split. Not to mention the Nexus angle, ECW's rebirth, and the Alliance invasion angle from farther back.

Everyone of those angles showed promise the first few weeks, buy eventually lost steam. I don't how see WWE vs NXT would be any different.

 

[OYDK]

I don't think a full roster vs roster scenario would work but like another poster mentioned, if they were to recreate The Bullet Club with say; Joe, Itami, Crews, Breeze, and Finn as the leader, and introduce them to the main roster sort of like what they did with The Nexus, it could create some compelling TV. Let's be real, can anybody really compare guys like Otunga, Slater, Gabriel, Young, etc. to guys like Balor, Itami, and Joe? Yes, one of the reasons the Nexus floundered was because of bad booking, but another big reason they failed was because a lot of those guys weren't ready or weren't deserving of that top spot. No such problem with the 5 I mentioned.

Instead of booking NXT vs WWE, why not just debut these five in a group and have them run roughshod saying they're done waiting, they're going to prove that they're the best in the world, better than Cena, etc. I picked these guys specifically because I think they can make a huge impact. Have them continuously show up on both shows and dominate the entire WWE. I doubt anybody wants to see Ryback vs Baron Corbin or something of that ilk...

 

[Azane]

the Main Rosters clashing with NXT would forcibly bury most the NXT talent, bringing a few diamonds up in protected environments does wonders (Remember when everyone cried that KO was being buried because he lost to John Cena?)

Invasion angles tend to always ruin a lot of people, and only save a couple. I think the developmental trickle is infinitely better than trying to inject many stars at once.

 

[MartialHorror]

I'd be interested in it, but WWE would have to handle such a concept with focus and delicacy. But the problem with it is NXT performers are consistently presented as inferior to the main Roster guys- in terms of kayfabe. This makes sense, as NXT wrestlers are supposed to be rookies. So the best in NXT won't likely surpass the midcard of the main roster. This undermines the potential conflict. But an invasion COULD be cool for a story arc at some point down the line.

 

[stingray11214]

I don't think a full roster vs roster scenario would work but like another poster mentioned, if they were to recreate The Bullet Club with say; Joe, Itami, Crews, Breeze, and Finn as the leader, and introduce them to the main roster sort of like what they did with The Nexus, it could create some compelling TV. Let's be real, can anybody really compare guys like Otunga, Slater, Gabriel, Young, etc. to guys like Balor, Itami, and Joe? Yes, one of the reasons the Nexus floundered was because of bad booking, but another big reason they failed was because a lot of those guys weren't ready or weren't deserving of that top spot. No such problem with the 5 I mentioned.

Instead of booking NXT vs WWE, why not just debut these five in a group and have them run roughshod saying they're done waiting, they're going to prove that they're the best in the world, better than Cena, etc. I picked these guys specifically because I think they can make a huge impact. Have them continuously show up on both shows and dominate the entire WWE. I doubt anybody wants to see Ryback vs Baron Corbin or something of that ilk...

Absolute genius. Add Emma and Kana, er, Asuka to that mix, and you got one hell of a Bullet Club clone. The trouble here is going to be VKM and his merry band of "writers who never watch the product". They could really screw it up big time. The only person in this scenario I question is Breeze. Why do I get the feeling that they are "cutting bait" with him? He has been in NXT since forever.

 

[timothy26]

I don't think a full roster vs roster scenario would work but like another poster mentioned, if they were to recreate The Bullet Club with say; Joe, Itami, Crews, Breeze, and Finn as the leader, and introduce them to the main roster sort of like what they did with The Nexus, it could create some compelling TV. Let's be real, can anybody really compare guys like Otunga, Slater, Gabriel, Young, etc. to guys like Balor, Itami, and Joe? Yes, one of the reasons the Nexus floundered was because of bad booking, but another big reason they failed was because a lot of those guys weren't ready or weren't deserving of that top spot. No such problem with the 5 I mentioned.

Instead of booking NXT vs WWE, why not just debut these five in a group and have them run roughshod saying they're done waiting, they're going to prove that they're the best in the world, better than Cena, etc. I picked these guys specifically because I think they can make a huge impact. Have them continuously show up on both shows and dominate the entire WWE. I doubt anybody wants to see Ryback vs Baron Corbin or something of that ilk...

It's an idea but it's very similar to what The Shield did, with a smaller group. Basically three NXT guys who debuted and went through everybody. Owens already did the "I'm a veteran and better than Cena" thing when he came up to the main roster.

 

[OYDK]

It's an idea but it's very similar to what The Shield did, with a smaller group. Basically three NXT guys who debuted and went through everybody. Owens already did the "I'm a veteran and better than Cena" thing when he came up to the main roster.

If anything like this were to ever happen, it would be crucial for WWE to decide to run full speed ahead with the faction. Unlike The Shield, this wouldn't be a tag team group in the slightest. It would be 5 guys all watching each others backs and eventually becoming an unstoppable force on both brands... at least in my mind. How are you going to beat somebody when he has four other top notch wrestlers watching his back? Kevin Owens may have already done the vet shtick but WWE didn't completely follow through with the plan. Like I said, it would be imperative that these guys are booked strongly and given the green light. WWE already copies a lot of ROH angles so why not create a better Bullet Club than already exists (if it's possible) and name it The Balor Club. Give them all the titles (NXT, IC, US, and Tag Team) while they dominate. I'm always down for a good invasion angle.