ESPN had a big E:60 special on WWE and NXT. Here are some of our staff thoughts!
Darren Paltrowitz
This was among the best hours of wrestling-related television I have ever watched.
I don’t mind if stories were manipulated a little bit for dramatic TV effects, or if Vince McMahon and Triple H were both hamming it up, this special was entirely captivating and real. It reminded me of why it is that I am a fan of WWE.
I now feel awful for all of the negative comments I have made about Adam Rose. I don’t think the majority of people would be able to do their job if they were dealing with his family matters.
I liked Xavier Woods before this, having known about his background, and I like him even more now. But I found it surprising how behind him they were in the meetings shown, yet the poor creative he initially had to deal with. I mean, he was initially tagging with R-Truth and feuding with Brodus Clay. I was also surprised that they acknowledged his TNA past with the photo shown.
Corey Graves’ story I was aware of from listening to podcasts. Had this special aired six or even three months ago, before his story got out there, it would have been a more compelling segment. Nonetheless, it was a feel-good story and gives home that Graves has a long-term future with the company.
While Rose, Woods and Graves got the most screen time, there was a lot going on in the background that would captivate a diehard “RAW” viewer. For example, Bray Wyatt being guided on how to carry the lantern. As another example, the people who sit in on the talent development meetings.
Hopefully this special will get the warm reception it deserves, and WWE themselves will begin to produce more ESPN-ish content for the WWE Network in the future.
CB
I will forever be an Adam Rose fan, not only because of the documentary, but because it coincided with something that hits closer to home than it would have even 2 weeks ago. You see, my baby boy was in the hospital for the past 7 days after my wife and I noticed he was shrugging his shoulders and then moving his head forward. At first, we thought maybe if was reflux, but then we went to the neurologist and after an overnight EEG to monitor brain activity, we found out that he has something called infantile spasms.
After 1 week of treatment and another EEG, we have been blessed with the news that he is responding to the treatment and his brain activity is being normalized. At the end of the day, we may end up having a tougher road than some, but the longterm prognosis is trending upwards and a normal life is very much a possibility in our case.
I never thought I would end up being a special needs parent (who does?), and we are hopeful that things will progress towards the best possible outcome.
But to see Adam Rose embrace his child and be so tender and supportive in a situation that is far worse than mine, like I said, I am now an Adam Rose fan for life.
Travis Leamons (@SkipKassidy)
I DVR’ed the special with a means to watch it last night. I did not, but I did catch something in passing as it was airing regarding Xavier Woods. During his time with NXT he obtained a Masters in Psychology (in 2013). Now he is currently working for his PhD in Educational Psychology.
Granted, I could have found some of this info on Wikipedia or online if I had bothered to look, but its brief mention in the hour-long E:60 piece was pretty insightful. Especially with working for his Ph.D while part of World Wrestling Entertainment and all the traveling it entails.
