10 Ways NXT Got Its Groove Back

10. Out With The Old...

Finn Balor, 2016; Gargano/Ciampa, 2018; Adam Cole, 2019.

Like vintage wine to a sommelier, recalling these names and dates can't help but bring a smile to the faces of any wrestling fan. Each of these wrestlers was responsible for making NXT appointment viewing, and they all played a crucial role in turning WWE's developmental program into the hottest wrestling show on the planet.

Unfortunately, like a vintage wine left open for too long, these NXT icons eventually soured and left a bitter taste in fans' mouths.

The implosion of Adam Cole's Undisputed Era faction, which had the potential to be the hottest storyline in NXT history, instead resulted in a sluggish morass of self-indulgent matches; Gargano and Ciampa's legendary feud stretched on too long and ended with the abysmally poor One Final Beat (aptly described by WhatCulture's Michael Hamflett as  "One Giant W*nk); and Finn Balor's return to the brand as an ultra-serious veteran waszzzzzzzz...

These men deserve all the respect in the world for what they accomplished in NXT's black-and-gold days, but they needed to move on so NXT could start building for the future.  Which is not to say that NXT's renovation happened overnight...