Arn Anderson Discusses Why NXT Has Lost Some Of Its Swag

Since the Wednesday Night Wars have started between NXT and AEW, NXT has seen an increase in main roster talent joining the brand including big names like Finn Balor and Charlotte Flair, who is currently the NXT Women's Champion.

During The Arn Show, Arn Anderson discussed why NXT feels to some that it has lost its coolness and swag with the debut of AEW. Anderson credits the returning stars from the main roster as the reason NXT feels different.

"Well do you think that some of the guys from the main roster that were bumped back down so that you have more star power on that show," Anderson said. "This is in the front offices mind, 'Okay, we'll take some of these proven talents and bump them back down to make that a more competitive brand with those people', but when they come back down they bring their Raw or Smackdown style with them. So it's not NXT or NXT style matches.

"Now it's guys from Raw or Smackdown that are bringing their style of work back down with them so that show dynamic changes. [The fans] are seeing a lot of stuff they see on Monday or Friday and now it's on NXT so it's not a pure NXT show."

Anderson also talked about his first thoughts about NXT when it originally started up and became a developmental brand. He noted what he enjoyed so much about it as a platform to teach talent the fundamentals of wrestling.

"I loved the fact that it was a wrestling show," Anderson said. "Basics, fundamentals, teaching these kids coming in because a lot of them weren't students of the business. We went out and we solicited a lot of the talent that was in NXT. They weren't guys that were independents that put their time in and worked from nothing, had driven thousand mile long trips to get a booking. Some of these guys were having to pay those dues, and you were happy to hear that they were teaching fundamentals.

"Not necessarily moonsaults of the top to the floor or powerbombs through tables, even though that's a big part of the culture now, before you do all that you got to be able to properly do an armdrag, a hip toss, a headlock takeover, a backdrop, a slam, or a backbreaker. You have to be able to wrestle through chain wrestling before you get to all that other stuff and that's what was being taught and Triple H was able to teach those things. If you watch his style and the guys around him had a knowledge of chain wrestling and making it make sense and having psychology and not doing things too big to where you put them.

"Once I saw that all of that was being taught, I was on board [with NXT]. I knew they could go out if they took the show that was on TV and took it on the road, with some stars from the independent scene who our audience are up to speed on, they know who the indy guys are and the hot guys are and who's going to be the next star. Plus you have the kids who have all the time in the gym who can go to the Florida towns and do those shows. So I thought it was a great idea, and I still do."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit The Arn Show with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.