NXT Has Become a Stand-Alone Brand and It Should Stay That Way

Since its inception, NXT has distinguished itself from the "sports entertainment" television that we see on Monday and Thursday nights. The audience witnesses a healthy balance of wrestling and storyline building, and the fluff to fill in time is almost nonexistent.

From the days of Ohio Valley Wrestling and Heartland Wrestling Association, developmental territories have been targeted to build wrestlers to the point that their in-ring work and crowd rapport is good enough to draw ratings and ascend to television appearances.

However, that was solely the reason, as wrestlers who were mainstays in these promotions usually ended up reviving themselves either in the independent scene, or in TNA or Ring of Honor.

Now, the caliber of shows that NXT deliver has totally destroyed that concept. Not only are talents being groomed for the big leagues, but they are establishing themselves in a major way via weekly program exposure, gaining a following even before they step foot on Raw and SmackDown.

Credit: wwe.com

Not everyone is an avid follower of wrestling outside of WWE. So names like Kenta, Pac, El Generico and Prince Devitt won't register to many fans. However, Hideo Itami, Adrian Neville, Sami Zayn and Finn Balor will. In fact, those names may be better off not accepting the direction WWE television will take them, considering how over they are in NXT.

Regardless, NXT Takeover: Rival, as well as the other live specials in the past, have demonstrated what a distinct brand NXT is. The comments Triple H made on Steve Austin's podcast, particularly about allowing NXT more space to grow instead of handing them scripts all the time, have certainly manifested with the product we see on a weekly basis.

Credit: wwe.com

Superstars such as Tyson Kidd, Titus O'Neil and Curtis Axel have also benefitted from the popularity of the NXT brand. Especially Kidd, who totally rebranded his character and potentially has a tag team title in his near future.

NXT is a stand-alone brand that has created WWE Superstars such as Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Big E, Paige, Cesaro and Dean Ambrose.

Not everyone may receive the same treatment as the aforementioned stars, who all claimed championships after being called up to the main roster. However, for those who may not receive the same push they do in NXT, it is certainly a red-hot brand to be a part of right now.

Chris Featherstone is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report and WeAreWrestling.net. Be sure to follow @cravewrestling on Twitter and Facebook.