NXT found a new way to promote their brand by hitting smaller venues and the company may have found a sweet spot in the 2300 Arena.
With NXT finding a new broadcast home on The CW, Shawn Michaels and his team assembled there put on an event, that if done consistently, can create a very strong and rapid fanbase, echoing the very vibes that ECW Arena was notorious for.
That creates appointment television and the brand is on the right track, starting with Swanson & Ritner.
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I was on site for WWE NXT 2300 and spent a half-decade in Philly (two of those years right down the street on Snyder Ave.). I’ve seen many wrestling shows there from many promotions (past the Paul Heyman heyday) and I haven’t seen a crowd that electric.
There were previous reports that Heyman’s induction into the WWE Hall Of Fame was the spiritual “closing the book” of ECW, but Tuesday dispelled that notion. WWE sees there’s still market for it and Tuesday night walked a very nice balance of mixing the legacy in without overdoing it. As a matter of fact, the tone-setters for the show can greatly go to a clearly stacked women\'s division.
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WWE got the heavy-hitters for legends. ECW names like Rob Van Dam (I know that guy!) and Bully Ray set the tone for the whole evening by their mere presence. They’re home run hitters for those three letters and pairing Bubba with the NXT Champ Trick Williams ties history with future. Fans were ready to go ballistic if RVD had a match and they dangled that carrot for down the road. Even RVD said he plans to be back for a bout. Knowing that those two were going to be there established buzz and then they had a good deal of names in store for the show.
Then you had the surprises to help to blow the roof off the building. D-Von walked out to “get the tables” for Trick and Bubba in a “send the fans home happy” moment. I was admiring the ECW mural in the bathroom when Rhyno came out to Gore Robert Stone, but that pop ‘The Man Beast’ got was worthy of a TNA Hall of Famer.
I felt “family” and heritage collide when Nunzio surprised Tony D’Angelo by challenging ‘The Don’ for the North American Championship and it was a nice way to get Tony D even more over and creating a “lineage” that adds to the value of The D’Angelo Family.
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Nunzio was an “off-the-beaten-path” ECW incorporation which made it refreshing and the same can be said by having Dawn Marie and Francine involved. Blue Meanie would have been an excellent addition to the festivities, but hopefully there\'s more to come with the 2300 pairing.
The merchandise was well executed to make this event feel special. You had an “NX F’N T” tee, a 2300 NXT tee and of course, an RVD special event tee. The line was quite long before the show.
NXT Has A New Energy And It’s For Good Reason
Speaking with a key creative name in the NXT mix, a credit to the growing identity of the brand goes to the incorporation of athletes not from wrestling and the positive team environment behind-the-scenes. The fact that many names have played in organized sports make taking direction much easier and while some aspects have a bit of a learning curve, the ROI has reverberated through the roster. Today’s wrestling has a lot of just “pro wrestlers” and haven’t played a lick of organized sports in high school. They\'re strictly used to fending for themselves on the indie scene. That doesn’t create a foundation for “tough love” and the reception for criticism is less welcoming. If you get a good deal of that early on, you get more of a team effort and friendly competition. That in turn, creates good energy.
You embrace that with unique (and historic) atmospheres such as the one on Swanson & Ritner, and you get yourself something different than everyone else. Now that Deadline has been announced for Minneapolis at The Armory, they’re geared up for yet another spectacle.
