10 Things We Learned From Attending NXT TakeOver: New York Live
5. Varying Energy Levels
The Brooklyn crowd were, for the most part, incredible. They peaked at the right moments, raised the roof for their favourite performers, and rarely went into business for themselves, focusing, instead, on the wrestlers. They had character, too: a mid-show Papa John's advert drew one of the loudest negative reactions of the whole night.
Despite this, energy levels definitely wavered at various points throughout the evening. It was first notable during the early stages of Velveteen Dream vs. Matt Riddle, particularly prevalent in WALTER vs. Pete Dunne and the women's four-way, and there were quiet moments in Adam Cole and Johnny Gargano's first fall too.
This isn't necessarily a problem or a complaint; more an observation. The performers are so skilled that they were able to swing the crowd back around every single time, too, so it's not something that WWE need to look into, but it definitely happens.
Main roster shows yield crowd fatigue for their grueling lengths. Here, the problem might be pace, as the audience are fed so much great action from the very first bell that crowd lulls are inevitable. Rest periods are essential, and fortunately, the wrestlers are effective at managing this.