10 Biggest Ways WWE Changed In AEW's First Full Year
7. Moving Finn Bálor And Others To NXT
After some time away, in October of 2019, Finn Bálor made the jump from the WWE main roster to NXT. No longer considered a developmental brand and live each week on the USA Network, NXT was a place where Bálor could reinvent himself. At the same time, WWE was interested in having a legitimate star on Wednesday nights.
Not only did Bálor give a boost of star power to the NXT brand, he turned heel, attacking Johnny Gargano and effectively saying to viewers that NXT was a can't miss show. This was a former Universal Champion choosing to go to NXT where he was quite public about how much he enjoyed it there. He's being widely praised for his ability to find himself since he made the jump.
While Bálor was the biggest star to return to the brand that would oppose AEW each week, Fandango and Tyler Breeze became regulars again, Killian Dain was moved back to the roster and Kevin Owens made a surprise appearance at a TakeOver event. Charlotte Flair is now the NXT Women's Champion.