AEW Dynamite Holiday Bash 2021 22nd December it was during the match between Orange Cassidy and Adam Cole that the anticipated debut of Kyle O'Reilly reuniting with Bobby Fish & Adam Cole just in a different brand that uses black and gold colours. When AEW made their debut on TNT it was met with competition from WWE and their third brand, the black and gold of NXT. The USA Networks newest wrestling show very much revolved around their top stable the Undisputed Era who at one point held all the gold. The North American Champion Roderick Strong, The NXT Tag Team Champions Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly and the main main in the middle of his 403 day reign as NXT Champion in Adam Cole. You'd think that seeing three of these men who were some of the centre points of WWE's retaliation to the new wrestling show on the block on the show they were sent out to undermine would be impossible. But I think it speaks to something bigger.
NXT 1.0 for ease of saying was a great developmental system just not for WWE. The main issue for NXT I always felt was a disconnect between what Triple H would sign and what Vince would want. While I'm sure signing the top guys from Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) and their annual Battle of Los Angeles tournament and whoever just lost the Ring Of Honour (ROH) title and while some would get to the top of the WWE for being sheer undeniable talent like Bryan Danielson and CM Punk a lot more misses then hits come from Triple H's independent wrestling signing spurge. For every Seth Rollins going from ROH to WWE and being a success you have Keith Lee, Shane Strickland and so many other signed. Vince doesn't want in ring work he was big men he can put in silly gimmicks. NXT originally prided itself on in ring work. It signed wrestlers to wrestler, it didn't have guys who were poker players or a women going around saying she's a 'daddy's girl' or any other wacky gimmick 2.0 has given. In a sense NXT 1.0 was the work rate brand of WWE and putting it against AEW forced fans to choose and well fans chose AEW night one, WWE said it was a marathon not a sprint and over the 75 weeks they competed against each other in the key demographic not matter what WWE through from the main roster to moving takeover cards to regular TV they lost that demo 74-1. In the end WWE lost to AEW and Vince lost to a show that was on a network bearing the name of his long hated rival in Ted Turner. Those who were focal points would suffer as Vince wouldn't take this laying down.
With the how it failed it more to look at why it failed. Long before AEW came about it always had the issue of talents signed to talents Vince would want to use prominently as of the time of writing 3 NXT Champions have held the WWE Title (probably be 4 with Kevin Owens at day 1) while 8 have either left or been released (including Gargano) it's clear no real clear plan for this developmental was ever established. In the end getting promoted to the main roster for a lot would create trepidation and when Vince changes he mind you just sit there forgotten. Maybe that will chance with NXT 2.0 and it becoming more Vince like but at the same time it's an end of NXT.
Truly NXT as it stood wasn't built to last for the WWE, it produced in ring classics in a company that wanted gimmicks or eggs (I don't even think WWE knows what it wants WWE to be anymore) and when something that worked on being more come along it would beat it. NXT was made to punch up and couldn't handle it in the long run, being made to counter week after week stops any real momentum being built. NXT wasn't set out to thrive it was set out to hurt AEW and failed which unfortunately will be the lasting legacy of the Black & Gold of NXT.
But in terms of wrestling it's not all bad. NXT introduced a lot of talent to the world at a higher level then they were before and made them TV ready and while its for the wrong company it set out for it is a positive nonetheless. The likes of Malakai Black wouldn't have the stage presentation and presence he has now working just for indys in Europe or how about FTR do they even form without NXT. A lasting legacy is one of great matches and people who are talented wrestlers getting worldwide acclaim and a platform to become wrestling ready for TV and with that when WWE fumbles these talents they invest and develop it means AEW can benefit. Time will tell but the likes of Shane Strickland, Keith Lee, Ember Moon and Johnny Gargano having been released or left there's a hell of a lot of talent WWE wasted that can be major players elsewhere.
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