This week WWE made the major announcement that NXT would be moving homes and from September will be airing on the USA Network, with the black and yellow brand set to directly compete against AEW when it launches in October.
The Wednesday night wars have officially begun between the two shows, and whilst all the focus has been on that aspect, people have forgotten how big of a deal this is and how much impact it is going to have on NXT as a product.
The brand that has been the hottest and most consistent show in all of wrestling is set for some major change, so within this article, we will be taking a look at five reasons why the move is a positive, and five why it could be a negative decision.
10 Negative: It Could Lose Its Charm
One of the best things about NXT was that it had its own distinct look and feel, making it feel very unique with its lower lighting and smaller arena, the black and yellow brand had a charm about it that really worked.
One of the reasons why NXT has been allowed to do that is because each episode was put on the WWE Network, meaning that WWE had full control and could decide to do whatever they wanted.
When NXT is placed onto the USA Network, the company will lose that control, with the USA Network executives likely demanding certain things from them, which could see NXT lose some of its charm.
9 Positive: Creating Bigger Stars
Even though NXT has certainly created many different stars, they are only really well known to the diehard wrestling fans who go out of there way to watch a lot of content on a regular basis.
However, a mainstream casual audience likely isn't aware of people like Matt Riddle or Io Shirai, but by going on the USA Network every week, that is all about to change, with more people getting the chance to see the product.
With more eyes on them, the talent will have more pressure, but if they can perform to the highest level and be a success, then WWE will have created even more major names, which will simply improve the company.
8 Negative: It's Not For The Right Reasons
There have been talks about NXT being moved to a cable network for a while now, with speculation that it could be part of the FOX deal and others stating it would go to the USA Network, proving it has been something that WWE has at least been considering for a while.
While the move is a major deal for NXT and proves that it is no longer a developmental and is, in fact, a third brand, it really doesn't feel like the right time for NXT to be making the transition, with WWE doing it for all of the wrong reasons.
NXT isn't just some pawn to be moved around in this game of chess, it is a vital show for many fans, and instead, WWE is simply forcing major change simply to combat against AEW's upcoming television launch.
7 Positive: Competition Breeds Success
NXT will be going head to head with AEW when wrestling's brand new company launches in October on TNT, and this is the main reason why Vince McMahon has decided to move his developmental brand.
Whilst that may seem like a crazy decision, this is going to bring a brand new wrestling war, and as the Monday Night Wars showcased, having real competition is always a great thing from the sport.
Competition brings out the best in everyone and that is exactly what is going to happen for NXT, with the in-ring talent and the creative team being forced to up their games in order to battle AEW.
6 Negative: AEW Could Crush Them
For as popular as NXT is, there is a real risk by going head to head with AEW that the black and yellow brand could get crushed in the rating war, as there is no denying how popular AEW is right now.
It is the hot new company and because NXT and AEW share very similar audiences, people are more likely to lean towards the new show to see what it is all about, meaning more fans will be watching AEW.
With NXT being available on the WWE Network the very next day, fans are more likely to watch AEW live and wait for NXT on the Network, which could be a big mistake on WWE's behalf.
5 Positive: The Brand Will Likely Tour
At the moment, WWE has claimed that NXT will be sticking at Full Sail University for the first set of live episodes, which might be great for the people of Orlando, but for the rest of the world, it isn't.
With NXT taping a new episode every single week, it is unlikely that the Full Sail crowd will be able to commit to appearing on such a regular basis, which means eventually the attendances will drop.
When that happens, WWE will no doubt make the decision to turn NXT into a touring brand, meaning more people will get the opportunity to see NXT live for a TV special.
4 Negative: Lack Of Experience
Even though the majority of AEW's roster has never experienced what it is like to work on a weekly television show, they at least have major names such as Cody Rhodes, Jon Moxley, and Chris Jericho who have tons of experience at the highest level.
The NXT roster really doesn't have the same, with only Breezango really having worked on a weekly television wrestling product, and the majority of their runs with the main roster saw them sitting in the back during those live episodes.
The complete and utter lack of experience is going to make this a daunting prospect for a lot of the wrestlers, which is something that WWE really needs to be preparing itself for.
3 Positive: No Wasted Call Ups
The future of NXT call ups is very much in doubt at the moment, with the black and yellow brand becoming an official brand in the company, it is very unlikely that WWE will be pulling as many talents away to Raw or SmackDown.
Because of that, the chances are that there won't be anywhere near as many NXT Superstars being moved to Raw and SmackDown, and whilst that is a shame to some extent, it also going to be a positive.
Many of the NXT call ups have been a major disappointment, with the likes of AOP, Bobby Roode, and SAnitY all being wasted on the main roster, which will now not happen as often.
2 Negative: Tough To Debut Talent
At its very core, NXT was supposed to be a developmental brand for WWE and even though it has clearly gone way past that, the show is still the gateway for developing talent to start getting their first opportunities.
Wrestlers who are working hard to develop at the Performance Center are doing so in the hope of getting time to shine in NXT, where the pressure is slightly less and mistakes can take place without too many issues.
However, now the show is on the USA Network, there is going to be a lot of pressure, from executives, meaning creative will be a lot more cautious in bringing up new names, which could hurt the developing process.
1 Positive: More Time For Talent
On the flip side to the previous point, whilst there will be pressure there from the executives of the USA Network to make sure the show is a hit, Triple H will have an extra hour to work with.
That means certain talents such as Keith Lee, or Dominik Dijackovic will now have more time to shine, which will allow the company to develop even more stars than before.
Rather than just focusing on one or two major storylines in an episode, the creative team will have a lot more freedom to create more detailed storylines for the mid-card talents as well.