12 Live Observations From NXT Download Festival

7. Obnoxious Crowds Add To The Experience

Live tweeting the event it was clear that the crowd reactions were a significant point of interest to those following on social media: and it shouldn't come as any surprise. The simple formula or free tickets, day-time alcohol, rock music and high spirits made for a boisterous crowd who were very keen to interact (and draw reactions out of the wrestlers inevitably).

Two particular highlights (though not for either star) came when the crowd fixated on Sawyer Fulton's physique (and his "boobs" in particular) and then refused to accept Nikki Storm as a heel at all. Rather than responding to her attempts to antagonise, the crowd responded with chants of "Scotland", "haggis", "deep fried Mars bars" and "Irn Bru", and then circling through almost every Scottish cultural reference point. it might have marked Storm's failure to get the right reaction, but it was very funny and she adapted well.

In the era of edited audio tracks and accusations of reductive smart assery, obnoxious crowds are a dying breed (or it feels like it anyway), and this proved (at times) that the snark adds not only to the atmosphere, but to the match narrative. Plus the NXT cameramen both kept bursting out laughing, so they were clearly fans.