As with so many of the other entries on this list, this is an issue that exists on the main WWE roster outside of the tag team division as well as within it. Too often, WWE matches are entirely predictable because there are certain people who just will not be beaten in an average television match. No one expects the likes of John Cena and Roman Reigns to take a pinfall during an episode of Raw or SmackDown without a whole lot of asterisks attached to the result. In the NXT tag team division, however, anyone can win. Crucially, anyone can lose as well. Regardless of how high up the card someone is in NXT, they can lose a match on TV every bit as much as they can take a defeat at one of the live special events. This is especially true in the tag team division, in which unpredictability is a key part of the appeal. The Dusty Classic tournament, in particular, was a prime example of this, with the champions The Vaudevillains losing a match to Dash and Dawson. Blake and Murphy are also a key example of this, winning the NXT Tag Titles in only their second televised win. It's tough to imagine WWE adopting the concept of shock results, however, their tag team division would really benefit if there was a sense that, at any time, the champions could be vulnerable to defeat by any team. Wrestling is often at its best when it has the power to shock, which is perhaps the main lesson that the WWE creative team should learn from NXT.
Freelance film journalist and fan of professional wrestling. Usually found in a darkened screening room looking for an aisle seat and telling people to put away their mobile phones. Also known to do a bit of stand-up comedy, so I'm used to the occasional heckle.
