25 Worst Wrestling Moments Of 2021

NXT spent years building a reputation as a proving ground for some of the world's leading wrestling talents. Seeing indie darlings like Kevin Owens, Adam Cole, Sami Zayn, Seth Rollins, and countless more given massive exposure and great opportunity was a wonderful thing. In exchange, WWE founded a new and credible brand at a time that it's main roster was indulging in The Funkasaurus.

Looking beyond the talent itself, Triple H had successfully built a recognizable and trusted identity for NXT. The company's black-and-gold era is enough to make any fan go misty-eyed at the thought of world-class feuds between Ciampa and Gargano, Banks and Bayley, or any other great rivalry that's coming to mind as you read this. 

As rumors persisted that Vince McMahon and Triple H were at odds with one another, NXT decided to completely overhaul its look and presentation. NXT 2.0 came at a point when Levesque was away from the company after undergoing heart surgery. The black-and-gold was replaced by a horrific neon rebrand, and the lighting and presentation moved into a more fun and family-friendly format. It went against everything that had worked for the brand during its best days, and was another reason that NXT suffered such a credibility hit in the first few years of this decade.