NXT Season 2 Participant Ideas

[Evil Vito]

<font color=goldenrod>So, it's sounding like Season 1 of NXT will be finished within 3-4 weeks and they can then cram in Season 2 from mid-June to October when the timeslot with SyFy expires. While it's possible that the show may be run differently, I'd have to guess the overall concept is the same - 8 rookies paired with 8 pros, winner gets a title shot, but several of the participants will end up with main roster jobs, etc.

Anyway, since I'm not too familiar with the guys currently in FCW - I'm wondering if anybody who watches it had any ideas as to who should be on NXT Season 2.

Off the top of my head, I can think of Kaval (who I'd have to think gets called up soon one way or another), Alex Riley (who's worked dark matches and is the FCW Champion I think), and they'd probably also want to bring up a giant for the competition - and FCW seems to have several of those. It could be a guy like Jackson Andrews if they wanted a guy who is strictly a wrestler, or Eli Cottonwood if they wanted a gimmicky giant.

Also, who should the Pros be? If they had some "returning" Pros it'd be funny to see Miz get paired up with Kaval only for him to be like "oh fuck not another indy guy". Jack Swagger and Alex Riley seems like it'd be a logical pair as well. If a giant came up it'd be funny to pair him with Mysterio.

Discuss.</font>

[CSL]

DiBiase trying to buy the competition for DiBiase

[XCaliber]

Joe Hennig

[TheAdamEvansFan]

Adam Evans

[Xero]

I've heard it might become another Superstars/Velocity-type show after this "season" is done.

[VSG]

Why call it NXT then? Atleast they gave the new ECW 1-2 years before flushing it down.

[Xero]

Apparently they thought this concept would take off.

[VSG]

If you don't go by the ratings, it actually did capture attention. But ya, I suppose without Bryan it might not have been so big.

[Xero]

Especially when they were changing the rules as they went along.

[MoFo]

They might be bringing back Tough Enough.

[TheAdamEvansFan]

They outta just move Smackdown to the Tuesday Night Slot and make it LIVE then the rest of the week, wrestlers have off, except for their respect houseshows.

[CSL]

What?

[CSL]

Ahhh, I'm guessing you meant 'respective' house shows. But yeah, Smackdown is already taped on a Tuesday. Making it live doesn't make a difference. And the house show circuit finishes on a Tuesday anyways. I believe it's Friday-Saturday-Sunday/PPV-RAW-home for the RAW guys and Saturday-Sunday/PPV-Monday off/maybe RAW-Smackdown-home for Smackdown guys.

[Sovereigntywillpr]

They outta just move Smackdown to the Tuesday Night Slot and make it LIVE then the rest of the week, wrestlers have off, except for their respect houseshows.

what the fuck difference does it make?dothey have to watch the smackdown taping friday as it airs in the WWE Stanford hQ?

[RatedRSuperstar]

Low Ki aka Kaval.

[TheAdamEvansFan]

Smackdown Live might be more popular and would have an actual shot vs Raw then being a 2nd branded show.

[BollywoodSingh]

Ya but I always read that apparently it is extremely demanding for WWE to do two live TV shows a week. But isn't NXT live or no?

[Xero]

NXT isn't usually live unless they're on the west coast. It's taped a few hours in advance. When they're on the west coat they tape it live because of the time difference. I think this is how it's done, anyway, this may have changed. I know they did it with ECW.

Also, it's not that it's demanding (well, it is, especially when tapings are slightly differently timed and there's room for editing) but apparently it's also significantly more expensive for live satellite time versus just beaming it to WWE HQ, editing, then beaming it to the networks.

[Mr. Nerfect]

I was thinking about this just the other night. I think a great way to get NXT some attention would be to have each pro be a former World Champion. On top of that, have the winning NXT rookie's pro also return to coach again. So let's just say Heath Slater wins, and Christian returns to NXT. You could have a pro roster of:

Christian
Edge
Jack Swagger
John Cena
Kane
Randy Orton
Rey Mysterio
Triple H

It'd make the show a lot better, ratings-wise. It would also give the rookies a lot more credibility. As many have already mentioned, I would definitely bring up Alex Riley, Joe Hennig and Kaval for the competition. Drake Brewer also seems like he would be a good fit, and he's competed in Japan, so I hope he wouldn't be too green. He's currently out with an injury (I'm not sure for how long), but Orton mentoring Brett DiBiase, considering the story there, would be brilliant.

So we just need three more. There is one guy named "Johnny" in FCW, who is always having good matches. I'm not sure if it is Prime or Curtis. Whomever it is should be in NXT 2. Dos Caras, Jr. would be good if he does not debut otherwise. If he does, then go with Hunico. As for the final one, I'd perhaps consider going with someone with a "look." Conrad Tanner has got the look the WWE wants, but they'll probably want an African-American in there.

I'd pair up Joe Hennig with Jack Swagger. I think that it would lead to some interesting tension. Swagger's favour rookie would probably be Riley, however, who I'd have paired up with Cena. Rey Mysterio and Caras, Jr. or Hunico would be a good fit, and Edge can have Kaval. Triple H can have Johnny Curtis, who was apparently trained by Killer Kowalski as well. That leaves Kane and Christian. Give Kane the bigger Drake Brewer, which would allow Brewer to be passed off as a monster. That can leave Christian with the guy with "the look."

[Jordan]

I'd say have Mysterio pro Kaval as the main feud like Miz/Bryan.

[Evil Vito]

I was thinking about this just the other night. I think a great way to get NXT some attention would be to have each pro be a former World Champion. On top of that, have the winning NXT rookie's pro also return to coach again. So let's just say Heath Slater wins, and Christian returns to NXT. You could have a pro roster of:

Christian
Edge
Jack Swagger
John Cena
Kane
Randy Orton
Rey Mysterio
Triple H

<font color=goldenrod>That is a really interesting idea, albeit not one I can see happening. I just doubt they would have Triple H, Cena, and Orton working an extra day. Edge being involved is also something I could definitely see, though. The show is ending in October one way or the other, and I've read that if it continues past Season 2 it would likely just become a WWE Web Show.

In the event that they choose to not bring back any Pros from season one, a lineup I could see is:

Raw - Edge, John Morrison, Santino Marella, Ted DiBiase
SmackDown - Jack Swagger, Kane, MVP, Rey Mysterio

I sorta wanted to put Finlay on the SmackDown list. He could be this year's Regal, and he has nothing to do right now...but it seems like he's become the new Kung Fu Naki. Technically employed and on a roster, but acts as a road agent. The fact that he's not re-emerged with Hornswoggle on the same show as him is surprising.

The name that immediately stands out from my list is Santino. They are constantly trying to find new funny things to do with him, so making him a Pro would be funny as his Rookie would likely be far more talented. The whole "why is this guy a mentor?" dynamic could be entertaining.

I don't think Brett DiBiase will be healthy enough to compete in NXT, but Ted can get paired with Joe Hennig. Or, he could get paired with a face and instead pay off Hennig to join him, effectively doing a "Pro/Rookie swap" or something.

Kane as a WWE Pro would also be really interesting and could make for good dynamics regardless of who he's paired with. Although he's a big guy with a limited moveset and is on the wrong side of 30, I'd really like to see Eli Cottonwood come up with his crazy man gimmick and get Kane as his Pro. It'd be funny if neither man treated NXT as an actual competition, but rather an excuse to beat the crap out of people.</font>

[RiX1024]

Mason Ryan should be there.

[St. Jimmy]

Get some real talent besides 1 Guy (Danielson)

[CSL]

Having guys like Cena, Triple H etc would take just about all of the attention away from the rookies

[Triple Naitch]

I would not put Dos Caras with Mysterio. I'd pair him up with a heel who thinks that the only way he'll get over in the WWE is to lose his mask. This creates tension, culminating in a future rivalry.

[XCaliber]

I would not put Dos Caras with Mysterio. I'd pair him up with a heel who thinks that the only way he'll get over in the WWE is to lose his mask. This creates tension, culminating in a future rivalry.

He's already ditched the mask.

[Triple Naitch]

Then replace that with Hunico.

[Perry Saturn]

Maven :shifty:

[Mr. Nerfect]

Good thoughts, Vito, as always. I've thought about the Kane/Eli Cottonwood one. I'm not sure how Cottonwood is as a worker, though, so it's hard for me to get really excited about it. I could see them giving him a name like "Abel."