One way to keep ratings high for a TV program when all other draws have been exhausted is to "surprise" viewers of the program. In an era where WCW and ECW don't exist and TNA and ROH have such low presence to not really dent the mainstream wrestling markeplace, Raw and Smackdown no longer feature "shocking" debuts. By comparison, NXT is this wacky niche branded product where all signed talents must appear now before hitting the main roster. Thus, from Samoa Joe and James Storm to Tomasso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano, NXT's a really "surprising" show where you never quite know who's wrestling when and why. The element of surprise has been missing from mainstream pro wrestling for a generation. NXT bringing it back makes them a standout brand in the business as a whole.
Besides having been an independent professional wrestling manager for a decade, Marcus Dowling is a Washington, DC-based writer who has contributed to a plethora of online and print magazines and newspapers writing about music and popular culture over the past 15 years.
