Welcome to another edition of Triple Threat from Smark Out Moment, where three of us get together to discuss three questions based on one big topic going down in the week of professional wrestling.
This week, Dallas Allsopp, Callum Wiggins and Robert DeFelice review WWE NXT TakeOver: WarGames 2021.
Very much billed as the new breed against the old guard, just how successful was this event?
Question 1: Were Team Raquel Gonzalez worthy winners of the women’s WarGames match? Where does this leave Toxic Attraction in terms of influence within the women’s division in NXT 2.0?
ALLSOPP: I think they deserved their victory, however, the narrative within NXT 2.0 deserved a Toxic Attraction victory. Not only do they need to remain a threat within the women’s division, but Dakota Kai needed the win to essentially rid her of the stench of failure. She can never seem to win the big matches anymore. As long as Toxic Attraction are still presented as a threat within NXT 2.0, they should be ok. But ultimately, their legitimacy would have been better served with the victory.
WIGGINS: I felt that whilst the quality of the match was not the highest standard, the women's WarGames match did a good job of showcasing Cora Jade and presenting her as an ultimate underdog character, which will hopefully lead to a strong run as a babyface in NXT 2.0.
The loss doesn't hurt Toxic Attraction as they are still the most heavily featured act on all of NXT 2.0, and I imagine they will continue to hold all of the women's gold at the start of the New Year.
DeFELICE: I think, naturally, Cora Jade has been made a star coming out of this match, and should be in line for an NXT Women’s Championship opportunity relatively soon. She did not beat the champion, and there are arguably other women who can have a better match with Mandy Rose, but giving Jade that Spotlight seems like they are definitely determined to make her a star in the brand new NXT.
Question 2: Should the NXT Cruiserweight Championship be disbanded in its current form?
WIGGINS: Fundamentally, WWE has demonstrated since the early 2000’s that it doesn't care about cruiserweight divisions and titles. The belt always felt kind of out of place on NXT as well, because practically everyone on the show was already under 205lbs, and they already had a secondary title in the form of the NXT North American Championship.
Arguably, there is more reason to have it now NXT 2.0 is transitioning towards larger, collegiate athletes. But, I feel too much damage has been done, and right now it would make sense to unify the title with the NXT or North American titles to put it out of its misery.
DeFELICE: I really think that the NXT Cruiserweight Championship should have been retired by now. They have officially stated that the weight limit no longer matters, so what is this now - the X-Division Championship? Realistically, that belt should have been retired a long time ago now, as well because there is nothing special about it.
However, since it does give Roderick Strong a championship, so I guess for the time being, the NXT Cruiserweight Championship can survive.
ALLSOPP: Yes. And that is despite the practical rebranding as WWE’s version of the X-Division Championship. The title means nothing at the moment, and honestly, it hasn’t felt remotely important since Neville held it a few years ago. I’d much prefer NXT retire it and replace it with a much more useful title, such as a WWE version of the Pure Wrestling Championship.
Question 3: Should Team 2.0 have won the men’s WarGames match? Who walks out of this match as the face of NXT 2.0 going forward?
DeFELICE: Bron Breakker is currently the face of NXT 2.0. I think, ultimately, Carmelo Hayes probably stands a better chance of meeting more for the overall vision of 2.0 because Breakker would have been a star no matter what because of his legacy and his natural ability.
Given the fact that Johnny Gargano appears to have left NXT altogether, I do think they made the right decision by putting over the New Breed. I'm just not happy with the four Representatives they chose, specifically, Tony D'Angelo and Grayson Waller. I am not convinced that they will actually amount to anything just yet.
ALLSOPP: The romantic in me feels that the old guard should have won, but it makes perfect sense for NXT 2.0 to have won. They needed legitimacy as a brand going forward, and this was the best way to achieve it.
WIGGINS: Team 2.0 had to win the WarGames match, as otherwise it craps all over everything you've changed about the product since the Black & Gold. Like or not, these are the stars the brand is going to be built around, so it stands to reason that they would defeat the old guard of the previous iteration of NXT.
Bron Breakker is the clear face of NXT 2.0, and I hope he can use this as a platform to dominate the brand for a while, taking his time to develop as a performer before taking the main roster by storm.
Out of the four winners, Breakker is the obvious standout. The only question is whether he will be given the time to make NXT 2.0 his own, or if he'll be fast-tracked to the main roster, allowing Carmelo Hayes or Grayson Waller step up to the plate.
Those are our thoughts on the issue, but where do you stand?
Let us know your answers to these questions in the comments below!
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