WWE’s SummerSlam is one of the biggest events of the year, and it will also be the first event with Triple H in the driver’s seat of WWE Creative, and a new report indicates Triple H’s influence will not just be felt on Raw and SmackDown, but also NXT. According to a new report from Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, there’s a belief within WWE that NXT will “revert back somewhat to Levesque’s previous vision of it”, and that while WWE will still continue to sign athletes, NXT will be more open to also using experienced wrestlers on the show.
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The report also states that NXT will be open to bringing in “better wresters who aren’t as big or as good looking as McMahon wanted on the roster.” This all seems to be driving NXT closer toward Triple H’s original vision for the brand, better known as the black and gold era.
Triple H had to step away from his work in NXT in September of 2021 due to health issues, and afterward, the brand received an overhaul in presentation and style. The NXT 2.0 era was far more colorful and focused more on characters, and Bruch Prichard and Vince McMahon took a more active role in development.
NXT also started focusing on signing athletes and new talent as opposed to the previous era’s focus on bringing in stars from the independent scene, and the multitude of changes led to several longtime NXT stars leaving, including Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, and Johnny Gargano. Stars like Shotzi, Raquel Rodriguez, Ciampa, Theory, LA Knight, and Gunther have all moved to Raw or SmackDown as well, paving the way for a host of new talents in NXT.
Despite the divisive reaction to all the changes, the brand has produced several promising stars that are Raw or SmackDown bound sooner than later, including Carmelo Hayes, Nikkita Lyons, Bron Breakker, Roxanne Perez, The Creed Brothers, and more. We’ll have to wait and see what this newest era of NXT looks like, but a combination of the 2.0 and Black and Gold eras would probably be the best-case scenario, so here’s hoping that is what happens.
What do you think will happen with NXT? Let us know in the comments or as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!
H/T Cultaholic
