10 Things WWE Did When It Was Huge (And Need To Do Now)
6. Introductory Vignettes
The hardcore wrestling fandom is often its own worst enemy.
WWE tends to debut NXT graduates on the post-WrestleMania RAW because the company resets programming after the "season finale" - that, and because the boisterous hardcore crowd, on a high, is virtually guaranteed to treat these cult sensations as genuine stars. It's a short-term and lazy method of debuting new characters. Once that initial buzz wears off, there is little substance to their portrayal. Fans are left to infer the likes of The Revival as big deals on the back of one reaction. In truth, it doesn't work - local, casual crowds not swept up in the 'Mania wave nor regular NXT viewers have little idea of who these guys actually are.
Fans knew precisely who Mr. Perfect was the minute he first stepped through the curtain. As portrayed in his legendary introductory vignettes, he was this impossibly gifted a*shole better than everyone at everything - the distilled essence of love to hate. Fans of a certain age yearned to see him get his before they even knew what he looked like in his wrestling gear.
CM Punk's introduction, in 2006, was tepid in comparison - but he got over because he was evidently as talented as he was unique. The thing is, most every NXT performer is a cult hit in the Indy Era. It's not enough to be good anymore.