NXT is, without a shadow of a doubt, the hottest brand in all of professional wrestling right now. And the reasons for this are very simple. Firstly, every single person on their roster is hungry for success and are aiming for a spot on the more lucrative WWE main roster. That means that every wrestler in every match is giving it their all, with nobody phoning it in. This results in fans feeling that theyre getting great value for money, whether theyre watching live or online. Secondly, the wrestlers themselves arent overexposed. NXT has one hour of television a week and a live Network special once a quarter. People tend not to appear on the show week in, week out. Instead, very much like the old school territorial days or World of Sport days in the UK, a wrestler may appear every few weeks, making their appearance more special. Again, compare this to Raw, where the same faces appear every week in order to fill out the three hour weekly timeslot. And finally, one of the great appeals of NXT is how almost anyone can turn up on the show. This time last year, it would have been unthinkable that TNA mainstays like Samoa Joe and James Storm would appear on NXT, using those names as well. But weve seen them, as well as female stars like Kana (Asuka) from Japan, Kay Lee Ray from Scotland, and veterans like Rhyno. There has been talk of adding an hour to NXT each week, or recording an hour at the start of Raw or Smackdown tapings. The WWE should resist the temptation to tamper with a winning formula. As the old adage goes, if it aint broke, dont try to fix it.
Dean Ayass is a well known name to British wrestling fans. A commentator, manager, booker and ring announcer who has been involved in the business since 1993, Dean's insight into the business is second to none.
