Report: NXT Backstage Morale Has ‘Really Shifted’ Since Start Of Pandemic

Published: Jan 14, 2022 by Sanchez Taylor | Last Updated: Jan 14, 2022 by Sanchez Taylor

Sanchez has over six years of pro-wrestling news writing experience, covering the biggest news stories in WWE, NXT, AEW, TNA Wrestling and more. He has personally interviewed a number of top stars, producing exclusive content with the likes of AEW's Swerve Strickland and WWE's Nick Aldis.

An update has emerged on the backstage morale within WWE NXT since the brand’s reboot.

Following the premiere of NXT 2.0 in September, the developmental show began to focus on establishing younger stars, rather than showcasing former indie wrestlers.

There have also been a number of cuts to Performance Center staff and talent since the reboot, with the company releasing a number of ‘Triple H guys’ including William Regal on January 5.

During a Fightful Q&A podcast, Sean Ross Sapp stated that morale backstage has shifted significantly since the start of the pandemic. Sapp also noted that the locker-room knew a change was coming for the brand long before the revamp was confirmed.

Sapp said:

“They knew a change was happening, this has been evident for a very long time, since about June or July honestly, and then it became very transparent August/September. And then October, ‘Things will never be the same again’ type of thing, and then there were a lot of people looking at that entrance that they had Bron Breakker do and going, ‘Really?’.

“The morale at NXT has really shifted since the start of the pandemic. That’s when everything changed based on the people that I talk to, and I talk to a lot of people there, and I talk to even more that were there then. Just the cuts, the changes, being pushed in and out of the PC, the firings, all that – it doesn’t go well.”

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Two title changes have already taken this year in NXT, with Bron Breakker defeating Tommaso Ciampa to win the NXT Championship, and Carmelo Hayes pinning Roderick Strong to unify his North American Championship with the Cruiserweight Title. Stay up to date with every title change in WWE using our championship tracker, at this link.

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