WWE's Indie Acquisitions & the Real Purpose of NXT
WWE is awash at the moment with names who have passed through Ring of Honor, IMPACT, New Japan, and other similar promotions. That makes sense: they're on the lookout for the next big star, or guy/girl with "a tremendous upside." Finding and acquiring them is the name of the game.
In the territory era, a wrestler had to cut his teeth in a given area to learn and come out of his shell. These days, independent wrestlers travel the world and learn how to work by becoming versed in different styles, predominantly Japanese puroresu, Mexican Lucha Libre, and the mat-based technique and brawling of the UK.
As the years go by, they get noticed and bigger promotions come calling, esp. WWE. That's how AJ Styles got to where he is and Daniel Bryan and Cesaro and Samoa Joe -- and the list goes on. All of them are doing reasonably well for guys who got their start elsewhere and came in as virtual stars already.
But that's not where the story ends. For one, anyone you can name has been in the business awhile and is most likely in WWE to finish up. Some guys do more to put over other talents in their current role -- like Kassius Ohno as of late.
The next hot heel or over babyface is not going to be -- for long anyway -- a 40-something veteran. Vince needs them young and dynamic and, more importantly, he prefers them homegrown. That in mind, it begs a question: what is his actual thought process, then, in regard to all these new signings?
Simple, really: he wants all the world experience they bring to season his superstars in training within his yard so they won't need to travel the world to work eclectic people for years. Want the fastest, most expedient way of breaking in the next generation without sending them all over? That'd be it.
I first noticed this with Baron Corbin when he faced Austin Aries and Joe a few years ago. The strategy comes with a caveat: it's only amounting to WWE's hope for their present and future homegrown talent. It has only begun to bear fruit.
The Performance Center is a crown jewel of the company currently. While its vaunted status speaks for itself, WWE wants to seriously cement the facility's nascent and growing legacy. They want it to really mean something in terms of an investment.
But that's not where the story ends. For one, anyone you can name has been in the business awhile and is most likely in WWE to finish up. Some guys do more to put over other talents in their current role -- like Kassius Ohno as of late.
The next hot heel or over babyface is not going to be -- for long anyway -- a 40-something veteran. Vince needs them young and dynamic and, more importantly, he prefers them homegrown. That in mind, it begs a question: what is his actual thought process, then, in regard to all these new signings?
Simple, really: he wants all the world experience they bring to season his superstars in training within his yard so they won't need to travel the world to work eclectic people for years. Want the fastest, most expedient way of breaking in the next generation without sending them all over? That'd be it.
I first noticed this with Baron Corbin when he faced Austin Aries and Joe a few years ago. The strategy comes with a caveat: it's only amounting to WWE's hope for their present and future homegrown talent. It has only begun to bear fruit.
The Performance Center is a crown jewel of the company currently. While its vaunted status speaks for itself, WWE wants to seriously cement the facility's nascent and growing legacy. They want it to really mean something in terms of an investment.
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| Velveteen Dream, shining star on the rise. Via Daily DDT. |
But NXT has made very few original stars in comparison with the indie talent filling up its cards the last few years. Braun Strowman and Elias are the two PC success stories getting over on the main roster. Back in Florida, Velveteen Dream is shaping up to be something special and an asset to the brand.
Enter the complications: for each of them, there are twice as many stars getting a push who made their names elsewhere. And they did that with those frequent flier miles mentioned earlier. Further, it is they who are more rapidly turning into the superstars of the future, leaving a majority of NXT/PC originals in the dust.
What WWE has in NXT and its breeding ground is an idea that sounds good on paper, has mixed results -- to put it generously -- in practice. While that could always change, it's a trend that shows no sign of slowing.
Regardless, it's the best thing WWE has going and I have faith in Triple H to keep it strong. He brought it this far and we all can see what it is today. All the cards are in the right places, in the ring and behind the scenes.
We see the indie darlings breaking in the greenhorns at TakeOver shows. What we don't see most of the time is the work put in backstage by Matt Bloom, Adam Pearce, Norman Smiley, Robbie Brookside, Sara Del Ray, Sara Stock, and others including The Game himself. All are well-traveled vets who made their names and now move to the next level.
Names like that get results and they can tip the scales in the favor of Perf. Cen. graduates the place can lay claim to through and through if they try. But they have to start soon.
Anytime now, guys. Your rep is at stake.
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