Feb 19 2025 72 mins 4
NXT Vengeance Day delivered thrilling matches and title changes, with Stephanie Vaquer dethroning Fallon Henley for the Women's North American Championship, and successful title defenses by Fraxiom, Oba Femi, and Giulia. Eddy Thorpe and Ethan Page also secured key victories.
However, beneath the surface of these exciting contests lies a deeper issue plaguing the developmental brand: the struggle of both free agent signings and NXT call-ups to achieve sustained success on the main roster.
NXT has become a hotbed for independent wrestling talent, attracting a diverse array of performers like Giulia, Stephanie Vaquer Ethan Page and recently, Ricky Starks now Ricky Saints.
Since 2023, NXT has welcomed numerous free agents, seeking to capitalize on their established reputations and skills.
Simultaneously, NXT has served as a launching pad for rising stars heading to the main roster. Since 2023, names like Austin Theory, Carmelo Hayes, Tiffany Stratton, and Bron Breakker have made the jump. While the post-Vince McMahon era has seen a decrease in outright main roster flameouts, a new, perhaps more insidious problem has emerged.
These call-ups, while not crashing and burning, are largely failing to reach their full potential. They often find themselves stuck in mid-card purgatory, unable to break through the glass ceiling and consistently compete for top championships.
This raises serious questions about the effectiveness of the current system. Is NXT truly preparing these talents for the main roster's demands, or is it simply a holding pattern, delaying their inevitable stagnation?
The influx of free agents, while adding depth and excitement to the NXT roster, also contributes to this bottleneck. Many of these established stars find themselves in a similar predicament, unable to ascend to the top of the NXT card, let alone earn a main roster call-up.
They become valuable cogs in the NXT machine, but their own careers often plateau. The result is a roster brimming with talent, yet a system that seemingly can't elevate that talent to its maximum potential.
The future of NXT and its stars hinges on addressing this critical issue, ensuring that the developmental brand truly lives up to its name and provides a genuine pathway to sustained success on the main roster.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wrestling-is-real-wrestling-podcast--1559158/support.
However, beneath the surface of these exciting contests lies a deeper issue plaguing the developmental brand: the struggle of both free agent signings and NXT call-ups to achieve sustained success on the main roster.
NXT has become a hotbed for independent wrestling talent, attracting a diverse array of performers like Giulia, Stephanie Vaquer Ethan Page and recently, Ricky Starks now Ricky Saints.
Since 2023, NXT has welcomed numerous free agents, seeking to capitalize on their established reputations and skills.
Simultaneously, NXT has served as a launching pad for rising stars heading to the main roster. Since 2023, names like Austin Theory, Carmelo Hayes, Tiffany Stratton, and Bron Breakker have made the jump. While the post-Vince McMahon era has seen a decrease in outright main roster flameouts, a new, perhaps more insidious problem has emerged.
These call-ups, while not crashing and burning, are largely failing to reach their full potential. They often find themselves stuck in mid-card purgatory, unable to break through the glass ceiling and consistently compete for top championships.
This raises serious questions about the effectiveness of the current system. Is NXT truly preparing these talents for the main roster's demands, or is it simply a holding pattern, delaying their inevitable stagnation?
The influx of free agents, while adding depth and excitement to the NXT roster, also contributes to this bottleneck. Many of these established stars find themselves in a similar predicament, unable to ascend to the top of the NXT card, let alone earn a main roster call-up.
They become valuable cogs in the NXT machine, but their own careers often plateau. The result is a roster brimming with talent, yet a system that seemingly can't elevate that talent to its maximum potential.
The future of NXT and its stars hinges on addressing this critical issue, ensuring that the developmental brand truly lives up to its name and provides a genuine pathway to sustained success on the main roster.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wrestling-is-real-wrestling-podcast--1559158/support.
