It’s looking like NXT could have some stiff competition in the form of AEW. The presentation of AEW on TNT is very similar to that of WCW back in the day, which makes sense because WCW used to air on the same network.
It’s a beautiful thing to see Tommaso Ciampa healthy, as he has sustained his fair share of neck injuries. Finn Balor will definitely challenge Adam Cole for the NXT Championship at Takeover: Wargames in November for the NXT Championship. Matt Riddle could possibly get involved because of how much Triple H loves his ability in the ring (as he should) since Tommaso Ciampa is not yet ready for in-ring action.
The return of Finn Balor to NXT after just over three years on the main roster is a lateral move now within the company. NXT, as far as I’m concerned, has elevated to the same level as Raw and SmackDown. It will then serve to create a significantly higher probability of more fans on the USA Network to tune in to NXT every week because they likely already know Finn Balor from Raw. This will also create some nostalgia because Balor is the longest-reigning NXT Champion in history.
So, this is what Vince McMahon had in mind for Balor when he took his hiatus from WWE after losing to The Fiend at SummerSlam. The reintroduction of Balor in NXT completely wrecks my own personal WrestleMania 36 plans for him, but whatever; this is way better.
My new plan for Balor is for him to do this for a year or two and subsequently come back to the main roster, this time winning the Universal Championship again and keeping it this time for an extended period. This is very similar to the plan when Balor first debuted on the main roster in 2016. He won the first-ever Universal Title at SummerSlam but had to relinquish it the next night due to injury, even though he was scheduled to hold the title for an extended run. This is much like WWE did with Kevin Owens instead.
Shane Thorne made a huge statement against the Heart and Soul of NXT Johnny Gargano despite the fact that he did not even lose to one of Gargano’s primary finishing maneuvers (casual fans won’t notice that). It’s a huge step for Thorne to be placed on the card for NXT’s first full episode on USA. It’s telling of how much trust Triple H has in him because his push is still relatively new.
Candice LeRae definitely deserves an NXT Women’s Championship rematch at Takeover: Wargames against Shayna Baszler because of how much she connects with the NXT universe. Shayna Baszler has been Champion for borderline too long and Candice LeRae seems to have the physical capabilities and charisma to carry the women’s division in NXT.