I like Tony D’Angelo. I really do. I probably like him more than anyone else on our staff. But while watching his main event match against Kam Hendrix, I found myself uninterested.
Echoing some of Geno’s thoughts, there’s no one on the men’s side that jumps out at me as someone I need to pay attention to. At least right now. That’s not a great look for a developmental brand that, yes, is truly about developing, but traditionally carried rosters with diamonds in the rough. And the show felt exciting as a result of those gems.
Now? NXT feels more experimental than focused. It’s always thrown stuff against the wall but it always felt of a piece. Think about Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams going through that haunted house. Or Hit Row’s rap concert. Or InDex’s marriage. Those moments could feel goofy or out of place if not for them perfectly fitting in with what the territory did that week. Or just representing payoffs to stories.
NXT feels like it’s in a rut. I’m a broken record saying that but that’s what happens when vinyl gets dusty; the cracks show. Guys like Naraku and Mason Rook, who face each other next week, might be the next big things. As I said, this is still developmental and it seems like NXT has a longer leash to do just that with the main roster being so crowded. The talent can truly become elite with all the time in the world to make mistakes and hone their strengths. The problem, to Geno’s point, is the lack of standouts as captivating characters.
That’s made even worse when the show around them doesn’t seem like it knows what it’s doing.
Meh. NXT is still working out what it will be after it saw so many faces go to the main roster. We’re in June and it’s still unsure of its identity, and there’s no big captivating wrestler to build around. For now. Hopefully that changes with time. But whew, they need a lot of it.
What say you, Cagesiders?
