8 Big Questions Behind WWE’s Attempts To Buy ROH
5. What Does This Mean For NXT?
The WWE Performance Center is already stuffed with emerging grapplers. Aside from those competing on NXT TV, there are dozens of wrestlers waiting to debut, including the likes of Aleister Black and Kimber Lee. There’s a major talent backlog at Full Sail, and if WWE complete this takeover, it’s going to get worse.
Regardless of whether WWE choose to bring in a handful of ROH stars or as many as 15-20, NXT will be stretched to its limits. The brand already struggle to find consistent roles for established workers like Andrade Almas and Oney Lorcan, and these guys would likely be pushed to the side should the likes of Adam Cole arrive.
Furthermore, signing a boatload of ROH personnel could result in a talent exodus at the Performance Center. WWE can only hold so many wrestlers at a time, regardless of their resources, and numerous NXT hopefuls could find themselves cut loose to accommodate new arrivals. It would represent another big shift away from NXT’s original purpose as a developmental territory, and while this adds a jolt of star power, the glut of ex-indie talent would only fuel the argument that the brand has lost its identity.