Five Reasons Why NXT Moving To FS1 Is A Bad Idea

Five Reasons Why NXT Moving To FS1 Is A Bad Idea

All Elite Wrestling will begin their new weekly TV show on October, 2. The show will air live on TNT each Wednesday.

It has been reported that WWE will try to counter this by moving NXT to FS1. This will see the black and gold brand go head-to-head with AEW in the ratings on Wednesday nights.

While this could work in WWE’s favour, stealing viewers away from AEW’s new show, the move would not come without some potentially damaging consequences to NXT.

In this piece, we will list five reasons why WWE moving NXT to FS1 could be a bad move


5. Losing NXT’s Aura

One of the reasons why NXT is so loved and works so well, is because it feels completely different to any of the other products that WWE puts out.

One of the reasons why NXT is so beloved is because of the fact it is not on TV, and the audience feels like a smaller close-knit, hardcore community.

Should WWE decide to go ahead and move NXT to FS1, the show would likely undergo a whole host of changes, with the NXT product fans grew to know and love becoming nothing but a distant memory.


4. Vince McMahon’s Involvement

One of the main reasons why NXT is so successful and appreciated by fans and critics alike is because of the long-term storytelling and detailed angles that it has. These have all been spearheaded by Triple H.

There is no way that Vince McMahon would allow NXT to move to a major cable network without his involvement. The show would become another version of Raw and Smackdown, with McMahon having the final say on everything.

It is no coincidence that the most enjoyable special events with the most engaging stories and the best in-ring action can be found in NXT, a place where Vince McMahon currently has no involvement.

Should NXT move to FS1, do not expect any storylines like the fantastically drawn-out Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa feud to become common place.


3. Two Hour Show

Another reason why NXT is so good is because of the fact that their weekly show is only one hour long, with Takeover events very rarely lasting longer than two and a half hours.

AEW’s TNT show is set to run for two hours. With WWE moving NXT to FS1 to counter AEW, you would expect to see NXT’s weekly show double in length.

The one hour format works so well as it ensures that we do not see the same wrestlers working every week. This means that characters remain fresh, reducing the chances of storylines or wrestlers growing stale.

For example, the crowd in NXT loves Johnny Gargano, but should they begin to see him wrestling every single week on TV on a two-hour show, the company would soon fail to come up with fresh ideas for him, and the crowd would likely backlash.


2. Comparisons to AEW

In terms of in-ring action, NXT and AEW are probably the most similar. Both brands boasting some seriously good talent, with dream matches being put on at almost every major event.

However, NXT’s flaws would be exemplified if they are to move to FS1 and go head-to-head with AEW. Whilst NXT moving to FS1 would be a big deal, the majority of fans would choose to watch AEW’s first show on TNT.

Whilst NXT does boast impressive wrestlers like Adam Cole, Johnny Gargano and Matt Riddle, AEW has the likes of Kenny Omega, Cody, Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley on their books.

While NXT might be able to match AEW for in-ring ability, they fall short with regards to star power.

Many fans would choose the household names of Moxley and Jericho over the lesser-known performers in NXT, something that would likely cost Triple H’s brand dearly.

NXT would likely fail to really make an impact on AEW in the TV ratings, and this could make Vince McMahon give up on the project altogether, something that would be disastrous.


1. There is nothing wrong with NXT at the moment

There is a saying that goes “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Nothing seems more appropriate to this argument.

At the moment, NXT is certainly far from “broke”. There has yet to be a bad Takeover event, and the black and gold brand is currently the only consistently good thing about WWE right now.

WWE should be concerned about AEW, but moving NXT to FS1 is not the solution. An NXT show on cable TV would be so far removed from the developmental brand we have all grown to know and love. NXT would lose its identity.

WWE should focus on improving the things that are wrong with their company, rather than messing with the one thing that is good about it.

Apart from the odd show here and there, Raw and Smackdown have been rather disappointing since WrestleMania 35. Rather than focusing on NXT, Vince McMahon and other WWE higher-ups need to turn their attention to the issues with the current main roster.

 

5 years ago by Wrestle Talk

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