Hi folks. Today, we’re touching on the subject of NXT 2.0 and how it has failed to live up to WWE’s expectations. This will be my fifth article on the brand in the past 7 months, so for continuity’s sake, I recommend reading those if you haven’t already. If you don’t have the time? I will get you up to speed in the next section.
WWE: The Rise & Fall Of NXT – Where Did It Go Wrong?
WWE NXT 2.0 Is An Acquired Taste Of Inspired Rookies & Illogical Booking
Top 20 Worst NXT to Main Roster Call-Ups So Far: Part #1 – Part #2
To summarize, the Rise & Fall of NXT was about highlighting what made the original black & gold brand special, along with the changes WWE made to bring about its downfall. The key reasons for NXT’s downward spiral can be attributed to:
Rise & Fall
– Stifling talent’s potential by calling them up either too soon, or too late. Also, by developing them as professional wrestlers, more so than sports-entertainers who won’t need changing on Raw or SmackDown.
– Using the brand as a tool to take viewers away from AEW Dynamite, by extending it an extra hour to be on at the same time.
– Losing its identity as a developmental brand, by having main roster talent crossovers to spike ratings. Bringing in Charlotte Flair & Finn Balor full time and having them become champions defeated the purpose of NXT.
– Shying away from the “We Are NXT!” mentality. The underground atmosphere the black & gold brand instilled in to its audience during its peak, all but disappeared and left a hollow feeling. It’s almost like it was ashamed to speak out as the alternative it once was.
– WWE admitted defeat by moving NXT away from its Wednesday time slot. The original NXT would have stayed and fought harder, but management decided it was being hurt too badly to remain. This told fans it had become weak, and a shadow of its former self. William Regal recently admitted the brand needed a change.
Acquired Taste
When the NXT 2.0 revamp landed, I was skeptical, but willing to give it a chance. After all, it was promising a return to being a developmental brand, which is what I had wanted to see. Yet, the change was a mixed bag, which I explained in the “acquired taste” article. Again, let’s summarize my initial thoughts on NXT 2.0:
– While I admired the literal fresh coat of paint, we didn’t get Triple H, William Regal, or any veteran NXT Superstar to explain what the revamp would promise. They should have shared their mission statement from the beginning. With no explanation, NXT 2.0 began with more questions than answers, which many fans struggled to ask because the changes were so vast.
– Calling it 2.0 admits the original NXT wasn’t good enough. This was an upgrade, but what about it makes it an upgrade? Other than a new look with fresh talent? Again, NXT 2.0 struggled to tell us how this was any better than the original.
– The first episode’s booking confused me, because LA Knight was challenging for the NXT title, but Bron Breaker defeated him in the first match. B-Fab was so green, she got called up to the main roster to be fired, along with the rest of Hit Row. What was Trick Williams trying to say in his promo? And how the hell does a complete stranger like Von Wagner get in to the title match? I’m still not understanding this.
– My conclusion states that the storytelling and ring work has hardly changed, but the roster is so different it will take time to get used to all the unfamiliar faces. I still feel like this is the case, although it’s not as profound. I said the brand needed to prove itself and hoped Triple H would return soon to let us know he is behind this. The fans will resist so long as they know NXT 2.0 creative is heavily influenced by Vince McMahon, because it has always been led by Triple H and his team (with McMahon’s blessing).
The last two articles talked about the failures of the original NXT, whether or not it was the brand’s fault, including 20 WWE Superstars and groups such as:
Authors of Pain, Bo Dallas, Bobby Roode, Chelsea Green, EC3, Ember Moon, Emma, Karrion Kross, Keith Lee, Lars Sullivan, Retribution, Ricochet, Sanity, The Ascension, The Forgotten Sons, The Vaudevillians, The Viking Experience, Tucker, Tye Dillinger & Tyler Breeze
Now you’re caught up, let’s talk about the current state of NXT 2.0.
Admitting Failure
With any change comes resistance. With extensive change comes a greater reluctance to accept. That’s what happened with NXT 2.0, as the myriad of colors was shadowed by the volume of blank canvas superstars. Who are these people? Why should we care? And what’s going to happen to those who built the brand? So many questions were asked, like, who was going to lead it in to the future?
Early on, we got the answer to some of these questions. Some veterans remained, but many were phased out. No more Finn Balor, Samoa Joe, Kyle O’Reilly, Johnny Gargano, and several others. Without them, who would be the new face? Well, Bron Breakker made an immediate impression. He was the only raw talent who fans saw something special in, and not just because Rick Steiner is his Father.
Of course, Tommaso Ciampa had to bridge the gap, so while WWE wanted to push new stars, it needed a passing of the torch from the black & gold over to the rainbow splash. That’s fine, but the rest of the new roster suffered because many of them did not get their defining moments to show they are above what came before. Instead, they would wrestle each other, but a lack of direction, experience, and credibility makes it more of an uphill climb than it needed to be.
WWE had the veterans to transition in to this revamp at a much slower pace. Instead of throwing all of your eggs out of the basket to replace them with fresh ones, it could have done this one at a time. NXT needed to develop itself in to this moment, where the black & gold brand would go out fighting, and 2.0 would emerge from its ashes, but the suddenness of it all left a sour taste. Many fans loved the way NXT was, because WWE had done an exceptional job of building it as an alternative to Raw & SmackDown.
Stand & Deliver
The original NXT always delivered on its PPV events, but it leaves a prodigious question mark to sport a roster where at least 75% are strangers. Can they really stand and deliver? When they’ve had so little time to develop? And with so many gimmicks flying around, it feels a lot more like a circus than the professional wrestling show many had become accustomed to. This was sports entertainment, and that alone was enough to turn fans away. Despite all this, I was one of those willing to give it a chance.
This was what I wanted, it made sense to get back to what made NXT work, but it was a lot to take in. It’s like waking up one day and finding someone’s made you a buffet, although you’re not that hungry and didn’t ask for it. Digesting this nourishment would be difficult, but over time, I began accepting this as NXT. Some of the old formula remained, but at least the superstars were being developed for a sports entertainment show, and not a pro wrestling environment.
While bringing in main roster crossover rarely makes sense, it did with someone like Mandy Rose. Like many others, she was promoted way too soon, and has flourished with her stable Toxic Attraction after becoming the NXT Women’s Champion. The brand wanted some sex appeal, and that’s not a bad thing. Some of the biggest draws in wrestling history have been sex symbols, so it’s not something I look down on, so long as the episodes don’t become another soft-core porn show.
Outside Mandy Rose & Bron Breakker, I’m struggling to see any genuine progress. For example, Grayson Waller’s feud with AJ Styles doesn’t make me believe he’s ready for the main event. I love Tony D’Angelo’s character, but is it ready for Tommaso Ciampa? Again, WWE is rushing things, it’s not allowing characters to grow and get over organically. And even with someone who is pretty over, like Cameron Grimes, WWE cannot see what’s in front of them and pushes Carmelo Hayes (who is nowhere near over) instead. Not that I don’t think Hayes has potential, but I’ve yet to see what WWE is seeing.
We see Pete Dunne debut on the main roster as “Butch”, but why didn’t they build to his character change before he left NXT? Does WWE assume that 2.0 is in its own bubble, and only a small portion of its audience would care if he suddenly appears with a new name and look with little explanation? The point of developmental is to develop characters, not tear them away when they get promoted. Pete Dunne is starting from scratch again, and WWE can’t show previous footage of him, because they then have to explain this is how he used to be.
Going Backwards
Having Bron Breakker as NXT Champion went over well. I thought, right, this is the guy who will help to rebuild this brand. He can be like Roman Reigns is to SmackDown, and one day he’s going to put someone who needs it over before getting promoted. You need a passing of the torch, but going backwards isn’t accomplishing this. Remember when I said before about bringing in main roster talent to spike ratings? There’s no point in this. If you promote a show as developmental, bringing in veterans from Raw or SmackDown undermines everything you are doing.
You’re telling the men & women who are there giving WWE their all… sorry, but you’re just not good enough. We need Dolph Ziggler, Bobby Roode, The Miz, and The Mysterio’s taking your air time, because you’re just not cutting it after six months. The NXT title can go on Dolph Ziggler, just because he needs something to do and people might tune in to see that. They may also like to see a segment of Miz TV, or Dominick Mysterio in a match. Guess what? They won’t. Let’s look at the ratings for this week’s episode, which featured five long-time superstars from Raw & SmackDown.
“This week’s episode of WWE NXT 2.0 drew 624,000 viewers on the USA Network, which is up from a week ago that did 613,000.”
It’s not significant enough of an increase. With four former World Champions (Roode was NXT & TNA Champion) on your show, it should spike a rating, but it didn’t. Why? Because people don’t tune in to NXT 2.0 to see these guys, because we see them enough on Raw & SmackDown. WWE has five hours of programming to feature Ziggler, Roode, The Miz & The Mysterio’s, so what’s the point of seeing them on Tuesdays? There isn’t any. It’s a cheap trick to create buzz, to bring some star power to a show which WWE knows is suffering.
Meanwhile, who is next in line to take the NXT title from Dolph Ziggler? If Bron Breakker & Tommaso Ciampa are being called up to the main roster, nobody is ready to carry the title. Gunther or Dexter Lumis could do it, but they’d need to be built up to this soon. I can’t see anybody else who has the credibility, because most are too fresh and undeveloped. To me, it feels like WWE wants to rush the promotion of Bron Breakker so badly, it had to ask Ziggler to carry the brand in the meantime. Unless the calls of Breakker being promoted are a ruse, just to get him extra exposure? If so, then it makes sense, but we’ll have to wait and see.
Nostalgia Notes
Letting so many of the long-time players in NXT go was not the right move. WWE wouldn’t feel the need to have main roster crossover if they didn’t do this. Many of the upcoming talent need another 6-12 months to be ready for the next level, and that’s where WWE has failed. So long as it relies on main roster talent to carry the brands’ titles, it tells the audience that their potential prospects aren’t worthy. NXT 2.0 is meant to be about the next generation. Instead, it’s about WWE showing the past is more lucrative, much like how it relies heavily on Goldberg, Brock Lesnar, The Undertaker, The Rock, and Stone Cold Steve Austin.
Nostalgia is what’s cool these days, right? God forbid we develop anything original. Is it so difficult to create interesting storylines? To give characters strengths and weaknesses? Having a long-term plan for booking? Look at what they did with Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano with their feud. We know WWE has done it before, but is now unwilling or incapable of making special moments. Everything is so manufactured, micro-managed, and creative freedom is rare. You might get lucky and accidentally go viral by dunking your phat backside on to your opponent (we see you Nikkita Lyons). Outside of that, the roster is part of one big circus of illogical booking.
Everyone wants to succeed, but only a select few get lucky, because WWE has to show that the revamp was worth the effort. It doesn’t mean they will get to Raw & SmackDown and become mega stars, because, as we know, WWE could release them in a month. It doesn’t matter how successful you are, if whatever you’re doing doesn’t immediately click upon promotion, you better be worried. That’s what WWE is now. It’s a conveyor belt of talent, and it has little patience to develop 99% of its talent. Then it scratches its head and wonders why no one gets over. Brock Lesnar calls the roster out in an interview and tells someone to step up, while knowing that you can only do so if Vince gives you the ladder.
Those who push the limits are “hard to work with” and subsequently buried, while they forget anyone who stays quiet and does what they are told. The old NXT had a lot of freedom and knew how to develop characters, even if they rarely got over on Raw & SmackDown. That’s what made it work and how it succeeded as an alternative. Since the revamp, WWE is literally throwing things at the wall to see what sticks like a splattering of paint. And no, it does not look like a masterpiece. It looks like amateur hour, and I think many would agree that watching NXT 2.0 can sometimes be challenging. Don’t misunderstand, though. Some of it is entertaining, but it’s wildly inconsistent. It has yet to settle in to a format which is easily digestible.
Ratings
In an update from yesterday, the USA Network said it is happy with the ratings. However, we can only take this with a grain of salt, as Andrew Zarian reported it:
“They’re doing good in the ratings. 620,000ish, they’re not doing terrible. USA Network is happy with this. I had a conversation with someone on Tuesday from USA and they’re like, ‘Yeah, we’re fine with the six-somethings,’ because listen, even with that slammed roster with like NXT being NXT they were doing the 700,000s….USA doesn’t care if there are some WWE guys there, they just want ratings. I think they’re happy with the 600 and something rating you know like that 620-650, a 7 [00] for like a big show that’s like. That’s a decent range. Yeah, it’s not that bad.”
What this doesn’t highlight is that NXT was doing these numbers while in direct competition with AEW Dynamite. Also, it would spike as high as 916k at the end of 2019 and won that week. Before Dynamite debuted, the show was regularly pulling in over 800k. And to be fair, as Chris Jericho and others have pointed out before, viewership isn’t as important as demographic ratings. NXT was struggling in the key demo of 18-49 compared to Dynamite, and the latest episode only pulled a 0.14 rating. The report said:
This week’s NXT viewership was up 4.5% from the episode that aired one year ago, while the 18-49 key demo rating was up 7.7% from the show that aired one year ago.
These numbers are bogus, because NXT only did a worse key demo rating three times while in competition with Dynamite (0.12-13). The revamp should have increased the demo rating, but it has actually hurt it. NXT was pulling in over 0.30 by the end of 2019, and now it only manages half of that with no other wrestling shows taking away from it. This is a failure, and any USA Network executive saying otherwise is saying this for damage control. They will not come out and admit to this, but the numbers are there to see. For clarity, look at this graphic.
Looking at this, Zarian is comparing the rating to the 3/17/2021 episode. He does not mention that the previous four episodes, and the following three episodes all pulled in better ratings while competing. Those same shows had better 18-49 demographic ratings, as high as 0.22. It’s easy to make something sound good when you don’t give the full picture. In reality, NXT 2.0 should pull in a regular 700-800k with over 0.16 rating, but this has been happening (courtesy of ITNWWE.com):
| 15 Mar | 624000 | +11000 | 0.14 |
| 08 Mar | 613000 | +62000 | 0.13 |
| 01 Mar | 551000 | -71000 | 0.13 |
| 22 Feb | 621000 | +96000 | 0.12 |
| 15 Feb (SyFy) | 525000 | +125000 | 0.11 |
| 08 Feb (SyFy) | 400000 | -219000 | 0.07 |
| 01 Feb | 619000 | +26000 | 0.13 |
| 25 Jan | 593000 | +6000 | 0.14 |
| 18 Jan | 587000 | -60000 | 0.11 |
| 11 Jan | 647000 | -38000 | 0.14 |
| 4 Jan | 685000 | +23000 | 0.16 |
By the end of 2019, when the black & gold brand was still firmly in place, it was drawing viewership of 600-916k viewership with demo ratings of 0.18-0.32. If the idea was to create a product catered to the 18-49 demographic, WWE has failed to accomplish this. It shouldn’t be pleased about settling on these numbers.
Conclusion
The original NXT was so consistent that many said it was the best product WWE had. Sadly, 2.0 didn’t make things any better, it just overcomplicated matters. It tried to fix a product that was becoming stale and needed a change, but not one that would inevitably break what worked. The TV ratings and comments I see from fans tell us that the brand is struggling, and WWE is the only one to blame. We can’t blame the talent, because they can only work with what they are given. Only time will tell if this revamp is an outright failure. It currently looks like it is heading in that direction, and I hope WWE can turn things around soon.
With that said, I would like to know what your thoughts are on NXT 2.0. Did it change too much, too soon? Could it have taken more time to develop talent? Is having main roster crossover superstars the right thing to do? Has it already failed as a developmental brand? And if you think it has failed, what would you do to rectify this? Please let me know what you think in the comments section. Here’s to hoping that NXT 2.0 can someday crawl out from under the acclaimed shadow left behind by the black & gold brand. Thank you for reading! See you again.
