The latest NXT doomscroll has informed a take that will likely get louder in the weeks and months to come now that every title on 2.0 is in the possession of somebody exclusively of the brand new era.
It's time for the letters themselves to go.
This isn't as damning on Triple H (unlike just about every decision Vince McMahon has made in the last 18 months) as it might first sound. In its current form, the black-and-gold brand's mostly-awesome legacy simply cannot be tied to this. Certainly no more than the Full Sail era could in any way be connected to Wade Barrett, Keval, Kaitlyn and Johnny Curtis' pyrrhic victories on the original format. The visceral euphoria of a TakeOver is past tense, and so too should be the initials.
Bron Breakker smashed a logo to pieces but proudly holds aloft a belt adorned by the very thing he destroyed. It's not just the big yellow X - none of the pieces fit anymore, and while NXT's rise felt as much for the consumers as it did 'The Game', its fall seems firmly rooted back in the command of a Vince McMahon determined to have one last go at promoting big lads, generations after they've been wrestling's primary concern.
"Death of NXT" has been far too familiar a phrase over the last few years. It's time to at least let those that loved it mourn its passing in peace.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
