Days removed from a seminal NXT event, which showcased the best in the future of the ‘biz’, I turned on RAW from Monday night. I had to endure, in my opinion, another lacklustre show – the continuation in a long line of uninspiring and uneventful episodes.
It’s an interesting observation between the A show and, what everyone considers, the C show. With NXT pushing the envelope with bright, future stars and engaging storylines – Why can’t RAW do the same?
Monday Night RAW revolved around a Jerry Springer segment involving the Bella Twins. Whereas the ladies on NXT focused on the championship climb for a beloved babyface wrestler who is not just sympathetic but relatable to a crowd.
It’s the classic underdog story that wrestling fans love – your favourite wants the title and to get it they will have to go through an imposing force. Meanwhile on RAW we saw a segment with two girls who are not relatable on a personal level. At least not to a high percentage of the audience, with zero stake behind it. (You could make an argument that the ‘stake’ is their relationship as sisters, but is this a believable storyline in 2014? Particularly when both girls personal lives are well documented from a high profile reality show)
That’s not to say that RAW didn’t have its moments. If I surveyed most fans on what was the best part of RAW on Monday, I’d bet that a good section, both casual and hardcore, would mention the sublime NXT tag match.
The reason why NXT is, to me, the top show is that they are doing all the things that wrestling fans want. They want compelling, linear storylines from the top to the bottom of the card. They want inspiring in-ring performances that provide escapism and, most importantly, they want titles that they can invest in.
Look at the NXT titles – the Tag Champions seemingly mean more than that of the main roster. The Women’s Championship is compelling and has reinvigorated Women’s wrestling. (See Paige vs Emma, Charlotte vs Nattie and Bailey vs Charlotte.) The NXT Title itself has the feeling of prestige that each contender will fight to their last breath to win it.
On the main show, without looking, I want you to tell me who is the US champion right now and who they defeated to win it…
Here’s another, who are the WWE Tag Team Champions and when was the last time they were treated as such?
Maybe the most important question of all – aside from the main event, tell me a storyline that you are currently compelled with?
Maybe my love for NXT is like my favourite wrestling storyline – routing for the underdog. But with so many rising stars coming from NXT, (many of which will soon transition to the main roster) it begs the question – if the ‘C’ show is perceived as superior in quality, why would they ever want to leave?
– By Sam Kennerley (Guest writer)