How Long Until WWE Ruins The New NXT Call-Ups? A Scientific Study

EC3 Confused At What Is Going On
WWE

Current Experiment Conditions:

The rate of destruction is intensifying by the week. The conditions for star creation are so wildly unstable as to be a black hole.

In 2019, the black hole that is flagship programming has sucked into its maw Mojo Rawley, who for a grand total of two weeks (January 28 - February 4) threatened via mirror to “soon reveal who he really is”. We are still waiting for the results of this hypothesis.

Cynically, we can conclude that it took WWE two weeks to ruin his push.

Similarly, EC3 first appeared in person on the January 14 RAW, presumably to stake a claim for Brock Lesnar’s Universal Championship. We can’t be sure—he did not speak—and since he appeared in a picture-in-picture segment alongside Apollo Crews, Curtis Axel, Bo Dallas, Heath Slater and Rhyno, we were conditioned to perceive him as an extra. He literally was an extra the following week; he simply posed in front of a mirror backstage. He did not appear in the January 28 RAW. He appeared on the February 4 RAW, on which he defeated Dean Ambrose. He succumbed to the 50/50 formula just one week later, this time, inexplicably, as a heel. He did not appear on the February 19 RAW.

It took WWE five weeks to ruin his push.

Nikki Cross stood tall on her (full-time) main roster bow, defeating the Riott Squad alongside Bayley and Natalya on January 14. WWE soon reduced her to a stump; she appeared only in a non-verbal capacity on January 21, and did not appear on January 28. She lost to former tag team partner Bayley (!) and Sasha Banks alongside crazy stereotype Alicia Banks on February 4, and lost again to Ruby Riott a week later. She did not appear on the February 19 RAW.

It took WWE five weeks to ruin her push.

And, if none of these acts were worth pushing, why, logically, were they here (past tense)? Just use jobbers! They’re considerably cheaper!

What’s telling about these examples is that they are favoured Vince McMahon subjects. Guy who never appeared on the Indies! Good-looking, muscled sports entertainment prototype! Crazy zany lady!

What chance do four slender, acclaimed performers of deep, dreaded Independent circuit experience stand…?

CONT'D...(4 of 5)

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and surefire Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!