10 Reasons Why January 2018 Was The Best Month In Wrestling History

8. NXT Takes Center Stage

Andrade Almas Ronda Rousey Chris Jericho
WWE

A fresh coat of paint to kick off a brand new year for the developmental brand, old WCW stomping ground Center Stage offered a welcome break from Full Sail University for NXT.

In the same way the Impact Zone gradually because equal parts blessing and curse for TNA during the days they looked even remotely like competition to WWE, the NXT regulars that once added emotion to even the driest affair have since taken to orally abandoning the hottest of contests. It's become a tricky balancing act for the company in terms of maintaining a prosperous relationship with the brand's home base and damaging the perception of their latest crop of future stars.

There are only 50 miles separating the two venues, but the Center Stage fans felt a 'universe' apart from the typical crowd. Their energy infused every pre-TakeOver: Philadelphia rivalry with a vigour the company have found tough to recapture after Christmas breaks in years past.

There have been fewer taping cycles in the last two years so unanimously well received, and the change of scenery cannot be just brushed off as a creative coincidence. Hopefully more than just a one-and-done, the group indulging in further use of the venue in the months ahead would almost certainly have a similar - ahem - impact.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett