What role, if any, will NXT have in the WWE Draft that begins tonight?
Based on the draft rules that were released on Thursday, WWE NXT talent will not be part of the Superstar pools eligible to be drafted. I imagine we will see NXT stars promoted to Raw or SmackDown as the company shakes up the rosters but it does not look like there will be any involvement through the Draft on SmackDown and Raw. Given the way Keith Lee has been handled on Raw lately, I am terrified to see any accomplished NXT talent go to one of the main brands.
Do you think having separate brands in WWE is worthwhile? Wouldn’t it make more sense to put the most entertaining Superstars across both shows, allowing for angles have to more build?
WWE has gone back and forth on the brand extension but at the end of the day, they have five hours of main roster television and a large Superstar roster. The brands are good to maximize television time and help build up competition within the company. Raw and SmackDown generate separate fan bases and make pay-per-views more special. The biggest frustration I have with the separate brands is crossover appearances. They should only be done on the rarest of occasions. As soon as talent starts crossing over, the brands become useless.
What is your opinion on Chris Jericho revealing Vince McMahon does not care about the Intercontinental title?
Anyone who has followed WWE over the last two decades is not surprised to hear Vince McMahon said no one cares about the Intercontinental title. The company has done a better job with it recently but for years it was booked more as a prop. The dreadful WWE 24/7 Championship is a rib on all of us who believe in long title reigns where the belts should mean something. It’s like Vince gets humor out of treating titles like props.
Would you consider AEW Dynamite’s first year on TNT to be a success?
AEW Dynamite has been very successful over the first year. Had it not been for the COVID-19 pandemic and the lack of live crowds, they would most likely be drawing a consistent audience over one million viewers. The biggest mistake AEW could make is adding more television. I know talks are already underway to debut another one-hour show on TNT but it is a mistake. AEW needs to laser focus on establishing Dynamite as a viable alternative before trying to build up another program. This includes expanding Dynamite to three-hour program. AEW Dark is fine as a secondary show but the focus needs to be on two hours of Dynamite each week.
The next installment of Ask WNC is scheduled to run on Monday, October 12, 2020.
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