10 Things Still Missing From WWE Network
3. NXT's Early Days
NXT has existed in a number of different formats since 2010, but it has only taken flight in the past couple of years. The TakeOver live specials and focus on exciting in-ring action coupled with simple, believable stories has created a genuine alternative to Raw & SmackDown’s contrived sports entertainment stylings, and its popularity keeps growing.
NXT started peaking in 2014, with the rise of superstars like the Four Horsewomen, Sami Zayn, and (Adrian) Neville), and while the subsequent years have definitely improved on the brand’s early days, there are plenty of gems to be found in the show’s formative years. There’s no real way to watch them at the moment, however, as the Network’s NXT archive only stretches as far back as February 2014.
The brand switched from its old reality format to a more conventional wrestling show in 2012, but you’re out of luck if you want to see the likes of Seth Rollins climb through the ranks. Things like William Regal’s fantastic matches with Kassius Ohno and Cesaro were hugely important to NXT’s development, but they’re well out of reach at the moment. Sure, you won’t find many TakeOver-calibre events from 2012 to 2013, but the early shows had more than their share of highlights.