8 Worst Improvised Moments That Made It To WWE TV
6. The First Incarnation Of NXT
The first incarnation of NXT was baffling. That’s probably understating things; it was incomprehensible.
Various “Rookies” from the old Florida Championship Wrestling feeder league were thrown onto TV and placed, deliberately, into humiliating scenarios that had nothing to do with pro wrestling, and did nothing to get them over. In a weird game show/reality TV hybrid format, the Rookies were ordered to complete various challenges - a wheelbarrow race, to cite just one nonsensical example - and were asked to speak off the cuff about random subjects.
This was a televised version of “promo class” - a difficult challenge specifically designed to be difficult. The idea is to talk in a compelling manner about something mundane; if a wrestler can excel at that, selling a strong story beat should be a tap-in.
This was an in-house practice because it often results in terrible results. It’s as much a locker room bonding experience and torturous lesson in humility than anything else. The only person known to be good at it is Eddie Kingston* (some evidence of which exists on Being The Elite). He was certainly better at it than poor Eli Cottonwood, who was so flustered that he didn’t know whether or not he had grown in a moustache when given that topic.
*Return from the injury list soon, please.
Why did Vince McMahon put it on television? Was he trying to determine who could somehow bear this unprecedented pressure? And wasn’t that a risk, since some of these guys were considered genuine prospects?
Or, simply, did he enjoy debasing people for his personal, twisted amusement?