10 Times WWE Actually Admitted It Sucked

5. The Original Version Of NXT

Kevin Owens Shane McMahon
WWE.com

NXT was absolutely wild. That sh*tty theme song was at least half-accurate.

It was so fatally inept, and revealed so much of what WWE is, systemically, that this was essentially WWE putting itself on trial and acting as the snarky, witless prosecution, telling the judge it was tired and needed to make a phone call to its mother - which couldn't wait, because what was more pressing? Those women embarrassing themselves in the ring on live television? Hey guy, do me a favour: wake me up when the bimbos turn into wrestlers and I'm paid to give a sh*t, all right?

NXT ridiculed its contestants in anti-fertile conditions in which to create a star. Great technical wrestler? Nerd, don't care so much! Everybody else? Boring! Female? LOL!

These people were buried for being pathetic and green and terrified on a show that actually happened on national television for a while. It was insane. "Riveting!" became a catchphrase among the bored broadcast team, who treated the whole thing - lives, careers - like 4-5PM on.a Friday.

In a previous era, Randy Orton might have started life under the tutelage of Mideon, and not Ric Flair.

In a future one, Velveteen Dream might get snorted at by Michael Cole. "Someone should tell this goof that we already had a Rick Rude, on a show that wasn't god-awful!"

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!