Why Mickie James Hopes Souped-Up WWE NXT Doesn't Happen All The Time

The arrival of talents such as Becky Lynch, Baron Corbin, and Dominik Mysterio has given "WWE NXT" a significant ratings boost over the past few months, garnering the attention of fans who may otherwise not watch WWE's developmental brand. While the infusion of main roster stars has helped fast-track the growth of the likes of Tiffany Stratton and Bron Breakker, Mickie James cautions WWE against going overboard with the formula. On "Busted Open Radio," James noted that "NXT" was still meant to be a developmental show, and could suffer an identity crisis if legends such as Undertaker, John Cena, and Paul Heyman continue to make cameos, as they did this week — while going head-to-head against a special Tuesday edition of "AEW Dynamite." 

"Honestly, I hope it's something that doesn't happen all the time," James said. "Because I think it was awesome for the "NXT" brand and everything, but when I think about it from a business perspective, people go to that show for free [at the WWE Performance Center]. So, to throw in all these people on a show ... do fans from "Raw," "SmackDown," or the pay-per-view start to feel slighted "NXT" is getting all these stars for free?"

James clarified that she enjoyed watching Undertaker, Cena, Heyman, LA Knight, Cody Rhodes, Jade Cargill, and others showing up on "NXT," and that her concerns were purely from a business perspective. "I just hope it's not something we end up doing all the time. I'm glad it was just a one-off thing because AEW had to switch programming [to Tuesday night] and stuff like that." The next instance of WWE and AEW going head-to-head will occur on November 17 when "AEW Collision" airs on a Friday, the same night as "WWE SmackDown," instead of its regular Saturday night slot. The scheduling change is due to AEW producing its Full Gear pay-per-view on Saturday, November 18.