5. Better Treatment Of Championships
WWE.comThe treatment of championships like props is the worst thing to happen in wrestling in a long time. Today's WWE is one in which the midcard titles are traded back and forth in matches that are largely meaningless since neither competitor ends up better off for having held the belt. Even the top title is treated as if it is secondary to some personal issue between the Superstars. When that happens, the championships become devalued to the point that they are, it is hard to convince the audience that they mean anything close to what they once did. Case in point: the Money in the Bank briefcase is as sought after, if not more so, than the actual WWE title. Not good. NXT treats its championships with the respect that they deserve and most of that goes back to Triple H's history as a wrestling fans. Growing up idolizing Ric Flair and enjoying Crockett Promotions and the NWA, he watched shows where the championships were of the utmost importance. Every major storyline evolved around them and every Superstar was focus on obtaining them. NXT is very much the same way. Adrian Neville is the champion, a fighting champion at that, and every NXT star dreams of one day knocking him off the mountaintop and wearing the gold themselves. The champions hold the titles longer, too. They are not traded like baseball cards on the playground. It means something to beat the champion and take the title. Look no further than the aforementioned Neville, who ended Bo Dallas' near year-long reign back at NXT Arrival. Paige also had a reign that lasted nearly a year before being stripped of it when she made her main roster debut. The Ascension's reign is well over 200 days old and looks unlikely to end anytime soon. The reigns are long, the champions are protected and strong and the fans perceive the titles to be important as a result. What a wild concept.