Noted pro-wrestling pariah Vince Russo blathers on about stuff he is speculating on, in his latest blog.
In this edition, Russo talks about how HHH is using NXT to get over with the IWC, at the expense of the main roster product. OK, Vince.
Is Hunter Working Vince…Or…Is He Running The Joint?
by VINCE RUSSO
It’s cool that Triple H wants to be the “cool kid” with the “in crowd”. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be over with the “Internet Wrestling Community”? It’s the dream of everybody who has ever been associated with professional wrestling/sports-entertainment.
Oh, brother.
Hunter being the poster boy for his project called NXT, was all well and good. I, for one, was all for a feeder system into the WWE where young men and women could be trained by some of the best in the business on their way to achieving their dream of making it to “The Show”. And, in watching NXT on a few occasions, that’s exactly how it came across to me—the minor league for a professional wrestling organization. And, that was cool–because that’s what it was. The kids there needed to be polished. Many of them came from having a great rep on the indy scene, but the WWE isn’t the indy scene. The WWE is the elite wrestling company on the planet.
And, I have to be honest with you, in watching NXT, the aspect of the brand that came across most dominate was the in-ring wrestling—the matches. The in-ring promos were a distant second, and the backstage vignettes . . . let’s just say that they needed the most work. Regardless, when the wrestling is the one element that is going to shine through, the IWC is going to gravitate to this show much like Caitlyn Jenner to a new pair of Louis Vuitton pumps.
So, it was really only a matter of time before NXT grew a cult following not only with the IWC, but with the college students who flocked to the show every week which was being held on their campus. Much like the ECW crowds of old, the fans at Full Sail University became part of the show, and it was now both “cool” and “hip” to be a fan of NXT.
As the WWE continued to slide, and the Emperor Vince McMahon began to take criticism like he never had before, Triple H, soon became the new “darling” of the internet as everybody was making it clear that NXT was in fact his baby.
On paper, all this looks good, however, a few things start to happen that seem a bit strange. For starters, Triple H publicly stated in an interview that he understood full well that all the talent at NXT weren’t going to make it to the WWE. Well, that was a bit odd. If NXT is indeed supposed to act as a feeder system to the parent WWE, then why is ANY athlete at NXT if Triple H already knows they’re not going to make it to the WWE? Why would the company continue to invest in those athletes that don’t have a future in the WWE? Just doesn’t make any sense. UNLESS–the objective is to get NXT over . . . first and foremost. Is Hunter saying that HE knows that all of the talent at NXT is deserving of one day getting a spot on the WWE roster, but perhaps, the only guy that matters when it comes to the WWE–that would be Vince–might view them a bit differently. I mean, let’s be honest–the last full-time act to go from NXT to WWE before Kevin Owens was the Ascension–and, we all have seen how that has worked thus far.
Honestly, I still wasn’t seeing anything out of the norm until Sami Zayn should up on RAW out of nowhere and almost upset the cornerstone of the WWE for the past decade–John Cena. That was indeed strange—but—Cena did still go over, so no big deal. But then, Kevin Owens came over, and Kevin Owens BEAT John Cena. Now, how the heck did Triple H talk Vince into that . . . I thought. But, still OK, still no big deal. Unfortunately, the BIG DEAL was to come only a week later when again on RAW, the NXT TITLE was positioned PROMINENTLY over John Cena’s WWE US TITLE. In other words, somehow, someway, Trips talked Vince into putting NXT over the WWE . . . ON THEIR OWN SHOW! Now this—this—was absolutely ludicrous.
So now the question—who really is running the show at the WWE these days? Is it Vince McMahon, or, is it Triple and Mrs. Triple? Personally knowing Vince, I just find it hard to believe that HE would make the decision to put the minor league team over the major league team on the major league teams HOME FIELD. That is just insane, and fails to put the WWE over in ANY way. As a matter of fact . . . it buries them.
So here we go again, the minority with the loud voice, takes precedent over the silent majority . . . who continue to disappear. At this point, in time, should the WWE be playing second fiddle to their own B-team?
Well . . . I guess . . . as long as it continues to get Triple H over with the dirt sheets.
