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While I still enjoy NXT as a how, one thing that bothers me a bit is that right now I feel there's just too much talent on NXT and as a result the booking is too focused on showcasing the big talents. That's the way it should be, but as a result the smaller names end up falling between the cracks.
Between Joe, Balor, Aries, and Nakamura the top of the card is an absolute logjam of names. Then you have Hideo Itami who should return, and various other bigger guys, there's no chance for lesser guys to really break out from the pack anymore as they did earlier in NXT's run.
I feel it's become too much ROH-ey 'These guys are the best at what they do, see them fight each other', rather than just have anyone be booked as if they could legitimately take the NXT Title.
Also it's become a bit too 'outside talent' heavy. Where in the past you could see the likes of Neville and Zayn as homegrown talent, guys like Joe/Aries/Nakamura are anything but homegrown and were debuted as such. They're established stars and pretty much completely polished, there's no upward growth, no change to give them 'learning moments' where they lose against others. Guys like Joe/Aries/Nakamura almost feel 'too good' compared to the rest of the roster, and it has created a feeling of there being two groups, rather than one big group. Because those kind of guys aren't really ever going to lose. They're there to look great and unstoppable, which is nice when they have a big match with each other, but it means all the other guys on the roster are completely fucked because you know they're gonna get mowed down.
In a way Takeover: Brooklyn was both the best and worst event for NXT as a whole. It had huge great moments and matches, but also it really started that change where some guys were started to get booked as unstoppable winning machines who could only lose against other unstoppable winning machines. And everyone else were destined to lose.
And that's never been the magic of what made NXT great, sure the work-rate and talent is awesome, but the simple but smart storytelling was what made NXT awesome in it's own way, where plucky underdogs like Enzo Amore could get insanely over, and Tyler Breeze was a believable title contender, or Sami Zayn being super-talented but having issues winning when it mattered, etc.
The talent/workrate came second. I helped it all, but it was never the be-all-end-all of the content. It was all about organic storytelling and giving a feeling that all of them were equally talented, and it's all about them trying to refine themselves.
I am reserving judgement until after the next special, which will doubtless be great from an in-ring standpoint. Hopefully it will clear the table again with Balor either regaining his title or getting his 'going to the main roster' tour, and then different names being pushed up to the top.
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