10 Real Reasons Why Wrestling Fans Never Get What They Want
6. The Return Of NXT "Black & Gold"
NXT is the best worst show in wrestling TV.
It is at points excruciatingly stupid. Italian-American stereotypes commit attempted murder with an invisible camera right in front of their faces. The wrestling is often terrible and dangerous; near-misses occur with a terrifying frequency. It is also weirdly charming in a very stupid way; Von Wagner's arc is so much more heartwarming than it has any right to be, and Thea Hail's spirited underdog bit is worthy of the protect-her-at-all costs cliché. When the wrestling is good, it rules: dumb jock meathead wrestling and its savage intensity is alive and well, and it's on the same show on which the best new high-flier in the world is a talk show host.
So why won't Triple H use his immense influence in WWE these days to bring back 'Black & Gold'?
Because it failed.
NXT was annihilated by AEW in the Wednesday Night War - pro wrestling moved to a new home - and while NXT "2.0" was considered sacrilegious, it was the right move. The WWE fans who wanted great wrestling migrated to AEW, and those who remained actually preferred the melodramatic big-time of the main roster to NXT. Gauging by the talents Triple H brought back in the autumn of 2022 to zero reaction, those fans didn't even watch it. NXT was no longer fit for purpose. Main roster fans prefer LA Knight to Johnny Gargano.
The paradigm has shifted completely.