THIS IS NXT! By: Anthony Hammett

THIS IS NXT
By: Anthony Hammett

"It started with a whisper". Those were the five words uttered by Paul Levesque, AKA HHH, as he stood in the middle of an NXT ring amidst a packed crowd in the Barclays Center of 13,000 fans. He spoke softly at first, just as if it was only you and I and him together. Then the lights hit and the crowd roared. This was no longer a developmental system. He grabbed the microphone and simply said the only three words that needed to be said. "THIS IS NXT!"

So what is NXT? It started out as a developmental system in Florida. in August of 2012, WWE closed down its former feeder system in Winter Park, Florida called Florida Championship Wrestling. They kept a bunch of the talent and workers, and rebranded themselves. HHH had a vision for a place where they could have a top notch facility to hone their craft. He achieved his dream a few short years later. Enter the WWE Performance Center.

It has 7 rings inside it, all specialized for each ability. They've made each ring set up differently for high flyers, women, and big men alike. They have promo classes which were instructed by one of the greatest in the business, "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes. Dusty passed away this year, but his fingerprints are all over NXT, and we got a glimpse of how much last night in Brooklyn.

In just 3 years, NXT is no longer just a developmental brand. They are a brand within itself. The crowd last night in Brooklyn was as rabid as an ECW crowd. They were supportive of the people they liked and they were against the people they didn't. It had a magical feel to it. HHH had struck a gold mine. I can only imagine the satisfaction he had to feel standing in that ring hearing 13,000 people chant NXT to the top of their lungs. They had come a long, long way from Full Sail University.

If you need any more proof of what kind of a difference NXT makes, just look at the main roster right now. Its a ever growing list that will soon be filled with NXT blood. Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, and Roman Reigns were part of the first class, along with Bray Wyatt. The next batch saw Neville, Bo Dallas, Sami Zayn, and The Ascension. But then, then WWE decided to pull out the big guns. They went out and they reached for the biggest names in the business from the independent circuits, and they struck gold. It started with Kenta Kobayashi. The Japanese sensation was lured in with the likes of Hulk Hogan and HHH in Japan to announce it. We now know him as Hideo Itami. That opened the door next for his friend, Fergal "Prince" Devitt to come over from land of the rising sun as well. He left his own faction "Bullet Club" and everything he built for himself as Prince Devitt to become Finn Balor. Lastly, WWE did something they wouldn't typically do. They signed a top independent star that was not the prototypical look. Kevin Steen wrestlles somewhere between 275-290, but he doesn't carry it so well. He looks like your average joe that spent too many nights at Mo's Tavern past last call. But when he's in that ring, he does special things that a man his size can't do. WWE let down their reservations and they took risks on guys that were different. We are seeing the benefits of that now as Kevin Owens is a force on the main roster, Finn Balor is the NXT Champion, and Neville is teaming with The Green Arrow tonight for Summerslam.

As big as this weekend is for the "NXT 5", aka, "The New Kliq", there was another kliq that stole the show last night, and it wasn't the men. NXT paid off a storyline 3 years in the making. All these women that are on the main roster now (Charlotte, Paige, Becky, Sasha) they were all there with Bayley. Bayley was always the forgotten one and the one not taken seriously. That all changed last night when Bayley hit a reverse hurricanrana off the top rope and then the Bayley to belly suplex to become the new NXT Women's champion.

When the match was over, they had their own "kliq" moment. Charlotte and Becky came down to congratulate Bayley. Sasha grabbed the title and walked over and handed it to Bayley in tears and they all embraced. That's when they gave us the moment where they pulled the curtain back. They were not characters in a show at that moment. They were sisters who had made it together. The 4 Horsewomen ride away. In style. WOO!

If you don't watch NXT yet, what is wrong with you? Its bar none the best one hour weekly television show, and you can get it on the WWE Network for 9.99, by the way. They keep making stars and that will continue. If there's a talent out there looking to make it in this business, HHH will find you. Apollo Crews (Uhaa Nation) is the latest in his projects to make into a star. The list above and the lists to come will just keep going, because this is NXT, and the future is NOW!

-Anthony Hammett is the Co-Founder, Co-Host, and Editor for Wrestling Goons Radio.
Email: wrestlinggoonsradio@gmail.com
Twitter: @GoonsRadio