8 Reasons Why Last Night's WWE Raw Failed To Live Up To The Hype

5. The NXT Call Ups Were All Wrong

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Of those new faces, it was telling that none would have been particularly high on the list of talent fans were clamouring to see called up from NXT. Instead, they were acts very much in the Vince McMahon mould. Apollo Crews is talented, absolutely, but what Vince sees is the physique, nothing more. He will soon lose interest when he realises Crews cannot cut a promo.

Baron Corbin€™s redeeming feature is that he is tall. Ish. But he has the charisma and personality of a bowl of soup and his in-ring ability is moderate at best.

That the decision-makers would view him as someone with main roster potential ahead of, oh, I don€™t know, the f€™n Bullet Club, explains a lot of WWE€™s problems. That they didn€™t even put him over the expendable Dolph Ziggler does not bode well for his future.

On the matter of Corbin, I really hope that the folding-arms-next-to-the-Andre-trophy deal does not become a permanent fixture at this time of year, but I fear it already has. It is almost as bad as that infernal sign pointing we have to endure every year from Royal Rumble onwards.

Even NXT favourites Enzo & Cass can be considered McMahon-friendly due to Cass€™s height. They might get over and become the modern day New Age Outlaws, or comedy promo foil for New Day, but eventually Vince will want to push Cass solo as a single€™s heel.

Then, his career will likely go the same way as that of Ezekiel Jackson, a solo Titus O€™Neill, Matt Morgan, or any number of other oversized but limited grapplers. The business has changed, fans expect something more than lumbering giants in 2016, but Vince McMahon does not €“ and never will €“ see that.

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The author of the highly acclaimed 'Titan' book series, James Dixon has been involved in the wrestling business for 25 years as a fan, wrestler, promoter, agent, and writer. James spent several years wrestling on the British independent circuit, but now prefers to write about the bumps and bruises rather than take any of them. His past in-ring experience does however give a uniquely more "insider" perspective on things, though he readily admits to still being a "mark" at heart. James is the Chief Editor and writer at historyofwrestling.co.uk and is responsible for the best-selling titles Titan Sinking, Titan Shattered, and Titan Screwed, as well as the Complete WWF Video Guide series, and the Raw Files series.