Examining the Breakdown in Character from NXT to WWE's Main Roster

NXT has been turning heads among pro wrestling fans for quite some time now, especially since the REvolution event that took place back on December 11.  That night saw the ring debut of Kevin Owens, the war paint of Finn Balor and the crowning of Sami Zayn as the new NXT champion.

Since that night, WWE's developmental territory has been the destination for many fans who are ready to see the company move ahead.  But while the NXT stars are most certainly the main-event players of tomorrow, the fact is that something is getting lost in translation from Florida to the main roster.  There is definitely a breakdown of character from NXT to WWE.

The truth is that, for some fans, NXT's evolution to its current state may have come as a bit of a surprise. The reason for that lies in the fact that NXT was initially meant to be nothing more than the proving ground, the place where prospective Superstars would go to learn the WWE way.  

This was especially true in WWE's previous territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling.  Many of the talents like Brock Lesnar, Batista and John Cena basically cut their teeth in the business in Vince McMahon's minor league, long before Florida became the main location for WWE's talent in training.

But little by little, the talent flow into OVW began to change.

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Many of the workers coming in had already spent several years in the industry on the independent circuit.  CM Punk was perhaps the best example of this, as he was a guy who had built his career on the indie scene and had risen to prominence in Ring of Honor.

Suddenly, OVW was less like the place for new faces and more like the halfway house for established stars on their way to WWE's main roster.

This could actually describe NXT perfectly now, as guys like Zayn, Owens, Balor, Hideo Itami and Adrian Neville all made their livelihoods long before they made it to the big show of WWE.  And for many fans, NXT has never looked better: The territory has become more of a standalone entity than just a WWE introductory company.

But despite how successful NXT is right now—or how much the fans are enjoying the product—the truth is that something is changing.

NXT has a different vibe than both Raw and SmackDown.  There is an aura about the program, a feel that WWE's main two programs just do not have.  The stars on NXT are hungry, anxious to prove themselves and ready to show the world what they can do under the bright lights.

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And much of that aura comes from the talent—men and women who have connected to the audience and have a firm grasp of who they are as characters.  

Baron Corbin, Charlotte, Bull Dempsey, The Vaudevillains and Sasha Banks are just a handful of the NXT stars who have gone over with the crowd.  That success is due not only to ability in the ring, but also the characters who they portray every week on TV.

But the question is: Would the NXT roster succeed on either Raw or SmackDown today? The product feels so different from Florida to the main roster, so there may be some doubt if the NXT cast would truly be able to go over with the mainstream WWE crowd.  That crowd is perhaps not accustomed to the no-frills presentation of NXT, so it may not be realistic to accept a more straightforward product.

Even the characters who should translate well from NXT to WWE have had some issues adapting.  

Big E was the second NXT champion and had a decent run next to Dolph Ziggler on the company's main roster.  But even though he has the size and power that WWE has historically always favored among its top stars, the fact is that he's now in the New Day faction that is still struggling to connect with fans.

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Cesaro was pegged by many fans as the next great NXT success story, and it seemed that would be the case.  He had a prime spot on TV, and fans were beginning to react positively to him, despite the fact that he was a heel.  But pairing him with Paul Heyman was apparently not enough to get him to the main event, and after months of great matches, Cesaro is—for some reason—now tagging with Tyson Kidd.

Adam Rose was over in NXT and appeared to be on his way in WWE.  His gimmick was different, his character was unique and fans were responding.  However, Rose is now turning heel, thanks to a man in a bunny suit and a silly turn of events that surely made many fans shake their heads.  

So what happened?  Where did these characters go wrong and, more importantly, what happened between NXT and WWE?  Is the NXT crowd that different from the typical Raw and SmackDown crowds, or is the booking to blame?

The fact is that maybe it's a combination of both.  Guys can only go as far as the bookers will allow them to go.  Without prime spots on TV and opportunities to shine in main-event matches, no Superstar can hope to get anywhere in WWE.  Without the machine behind them, talent stands still.

And could it be that WWE creative does not grasp the impact that the characters in NXT can have if only they were allowed to evolve?  

The Shield and The Wyatt Family remain the best examples of what happens when NXT stars are given the opportunity to continue on the same path.  

Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose were not a trio in NXT, but the characters they portrayed on WWE's main roster were practically the same ones they already had.  It definitely seems that when the company decides to change paths or tweak too much, the outcome is not good.

The latest example of this is The Ascension, who debuted on the December 29 edition of Raw.  Even though they ran heel in NXT, they were booked against The Miz and Damien Mizdow in an impromptu match.  

Mizdow is over with the fans, and creative surely knows this, but he was crushed in the ring by The Ascension anyway.  Though Konnor and Viktor brought the intensity to the match, the crowd didn't seem to care for them or their new look.

Once again, a gimmick that worked in NXT with two characters who looked good is off to a rocky start on the main roster.  

The fact is that NXT is working.  It's become much more than a developmental territory. It has become an entertaining entity all on its own.  And somewhere along the way, WWE creative is missing the mark when those entertaining stars are called up to the main roster.  The key is character, and thus far the company seems not to be overly concerned with getting it right.