10 Glaring Problems WWE Must Solve Before SummerSlam 2021
6. Black & Gold Woes
If you need any more proof we are living in an unjust universe, consider NXT's ratings woes. Despite being the most consistently entertaining part of WWE programming, NXT routinely fails to draw anywhere near the numbers it deserves.
NXT is filled top to bottom with great talent, and every division has something to be excited about. The men's tag team division is back on track with MSK, Grizzled Young Veterans, Ciampa & Thatcher and Legado Del Fantasma leading the charge; the midcard scene is in rude health, with the Cruiserweight and North American belts main eventing the past two shows; and William Regal wasn't resorting to hyperbole when he said NXT has the best women's division on the planet.
Yet all of this is lost on the casual audience, and WWE have only themselves to blame. WWE have spent years running NXT's hottest talents into the ground on the main roster (Baszler, Bayley, Ricochet, Aleister Black, Andrade...). This has left the impression that NXT is very much a case of "The best of the rest", a mere second-string division for those who can't make it on RAW or Smackdown. And its viewing figures unfortunately back that perception up.
Can WWE fix this before SummerSlam? Unlikely, but they need to start soon. NXT has one of the best talent pools in wrestling history, and they deserve a much wider audience than they're reaching at the moment.