6 Ups & 1 Downs From Last Night's WWE NXT (Jan 31)

Downs...

1. The Post-TakeOver Formula

There were no major problems with the content on last night's show. The matches ranged from good to great, the highlights packages were well produced, and though brief, the interviews conveyed everything they needed to. Thus, it was incredibly difficult to pick holes in the episode, but the standard post-TakeOver format is worthy of criticism.

We know what to expect from these show at this point, with WWE invariably delivering slight variations on the same layout every single time. We'll see a handful of pre-taped bouts, TakeOver recaps, interviews and promos previously released on WWE.com and YouTube, plus a new match announcement or two. That's precisely what we got last night. It was a great show, but too formulaic to leave as strong an impression as your standard weekly episode.

It's cool to see matches that would've otherwise been restricted to the live crowd, but do we really need full highlights of every single TakeOver bout - an event that took place just four days prior? The same goes for the regurgitated WWE.com/YouTube content. Such space would be better filled with original material, though the convenience of combining the TV taping with TakeOver makes this an easy formula for WWE.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.