Steve Austin Talks About Why NXT Is Better Than WWE
Recently on The Steve Austin Show, Sean Waltman, a.k.a. X-Pac, joined WWE Hall Of Famer Steve Austin for an in-depth conversation on all things pro wrestling. Notably, Austin and Waltman talked about why NXT is superior to WWE's main roster programs and Waltman shared his view that the genre is in the early stages of another boom period.
According to Waltman, NXT is better than WWE main roster because NXT does not have to cater to everyone while RAW and SmackDown Live are true variety shows that must be all things to all people.
"I mean, they're the same company, but, man, [TakeOver and SummerSlam were] night and day to me, personally. It's like [NXT] know they're fanbase. It's a little bit [of a] different fanbase and it's easier for [NXT] to cater to them because they're not trying to, I think maybe, cater to everyone and every demographic. Like, I don't know. I like how they present the storylines they do. It's nice and simplistic on how they present everything. You don't [have] to do a lot of [thinking]. It doesn't rack your brain. It's easy to follow. I like the characters." Waltman continued, "there are a lot of people on that [NXT] roster, but you've got to fight to be on that show. You've got to be one of the best guys to be on that TakeOver show or best girls, yeah. One of the best ones out there."
Austin concurred with Waltman's assessment, saying NXT is like a throwback to classic pro wrestling like Mid-South Wrestling and NWA. Moreover, 'The Rattlesnake' suggested that main roster storylines get too "convoluted".
"The thing I like about the NXT thing is it's almost like [Waltman] said, the main roster is almost trying to cover or cater to everybody. And to me, the NXT thing is more? they are both under the same umbrella, it's WWE, it's sports entertainment. It ain't pro wrestling anymore. Now, it's sports entertainment officially, but in my mind, it's still pro wrestling. And to me, NXT, yeah, it's kind of like a throwback. And it's all modern stuff, great lighting, great production values, everything else, but the storylines are very easy to understand and very simple. And, I mean, the announcers aren't trying to go overboard trying to explain whatever's going on." Austin added, "sometimes when I watch the main roster stuff, it's like they're trying to play to so many people that the storylines get kind of convoluted."
In Waltman's learned opinion, the pro wrestling business is at the beginning of another boom period. The former 1-2-3 Kid assumed that this boom has been borne from fans rejecting the mainstream WWE product.
"I think we're at the beginning of a [pro] wrestling boom." Waltman professed, "I don't think it's going to be comparable to the one we went through, Steve, because I just think the landscape is too different, but I can't help but feel that because I'm out there and I feel that the excitement that's being picked up. I honestly think that it's a lot of the people that are frustrated with the WWE product, the ones that you're not going to please them no matter what. I don't know. They just want to be that counterculture, I don't know, almost like that punk rock mentality. And I think that's kind of fuelling the whole indy pro wrestling resurgence [or] renaissance. I don't know what you want to call it, but there [are] a lot of guys doing really well out there right now."
Oh hell yeah! If you use any of the quotes from this article, please credit The Steve Austin Show with an H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
Source: The Steve Austin Show