3 Ups And 7 Downs From WWE NXT 2.0 (Dec 28)

WWE.comAnd so ends arguably the most devastating year in NXT history.

As much as your writer would love to sit here and reel off the many positives the developmental land has been able to pull off over the last 12-months, it's simply impossible to escape the feeling of loss that comes with looking back on a desperately sad 2021 for Triple H's one-time pride and joy.

A decent enough start with vibrant young teams taking the gold and seemingly the tag division to new heights, a veteran NXT Champion elevating singles talent to the next level, and A Genius of the Sky continuing a stellar reign at the top would ultimately stumble and fall as Vinnie Mac seized control of the former black and gold show.

Gone were the faces that had held the place together for so long as Adam Cole, Kyle O'Reilly, Johnny Gargano, and even Finn Balor all departed in various ways, with a new focus on fresh talent pumping paint splatters and ill-advised gimmicks into the faces of those few fans who stuck around post-revamp. The mass releases that wreaked havoc on the main roster extended to Tuesday nights too. Bobby Fish and a ton of recently called up former champs like Karrion Kross and Hit Row all lost their spots in shockingly quick fashion.

But there is still hope in Breakkers, D'Angelos, and, dare I say it, even Chases that something special can still be forged in the one-time scared fires of developmental. As we take in the last stop on the road to New Year's Evil, though, it's important to remember that it can't possibly get much worse than 2021 for NXT... right?