10 Problems WWE Caused Themselves With NXT
5. The Full Sail Crowd
The Full Sail crowd are mean. We all love a rowdy wrestling crowd but there's a limit, and in a place where wrestlers are supposed to be learning, Full Sail sometimes goes too far. They have a habit of blasting performers like Eva Marie and Elias Samson with a level of heat that is closer to vitriol than good old fashioned fun.
They also refuse to play the game. Take Tomasso Ciampa. The other week he came out and cut a biting heel promo explaining why he’d turned on his once best friend, Johnny Gargano. Instead of having boos rained down on him, he got cheered. Eventually, some people played along, but the smart crowd was too in love with Ciampa to give him the heat he deserved.
And it ruined that moment. Imagine how hot that promo would have been if the audience had hated Tomasso. Imagine how big a moment that could have been for him. The crowd is a central part of wrestling and in an environment where you are wanting to nurture new performers into the company, having one that is both cruel and smart, is not the best look.