11 Hot Takes On This Week In Wrestling (Dec 28)

2. The NXT Brand Is Revolting! The NXT Brand Is Revolting!

Both the NXT singles champions - Finn Balor and Bayley - have recently gone on record as saying that their immediate future plans don't involve being called up to the main roster. It would seem that money isn't as much of a factor when your merchandise is selling this well. Still, it should set off plenty of warning bells to WWE management when their two top developmental stars decide they don't want the job they're supposedly being groomed for. It's clear that Bayley is the wrestler most likely to get lost in the shuffle should she join her 'four Horsewomen' buddies on RAW and Smackdown. Her NXT character has been patiently developed over two years of television, delivering a masterclass in slow-building characterisation and growth, and her immense popularity with NXT's audience is the result of that narrative: the crowd watched her become good, then become great, and there's a lot of emotional investment involved in that. She's never going to get writing like that on RAW - after all, no one else does. It's half a year since the Divas Revolution movement/storyline got underway, and no revolution has taken place. Only in the last few weeks has Charlotte gained any traction as a personality. Paige urgently needs direction, as left to her own devices she has two settings: unlikeable babyface or popular heel, and they both appear to be the same character. Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks are two of the most talented wrestlers on the roster, and there's a good case for Banks being top ten in the world. Neither has done much of anything since being called up in the summer. If WWE can't think of anything to do with Sasha Banks, whose gimmick sells itself, they're going to be completely stumped with Bayley, a character that needs decent creative to work at all.