Will NXT Go Home Again, New WWE Strategy For Keeping Talent

Before the pandemic, the black and gold brand had regular fans on a college campus…but will NXT go home again? And after some stunning releases, a new WWE strategy for keeping talent seems to have emerged.

Will NXT Go Home Again

As things begin to return to normal, we get to ask: will NXT go home again?

By home, of course, we mean will NXT go home to Full Sail University.

According to a recent report in the Wrestling Observer, it appears as though NXT will not go home again.

Source: custom, Full Sail University screenshot

At least, that’s the plan for now…but as we all know, plans change.

There are a couple ways to look at that position.

On one hand, it’s the logical stance for WWE to take regarding NXT. In 2020, as WWE scrambled to make use of what facilities it had available, it made some upgrades.

Specifically, WWE sunk capital into it’s own Performance Center. The upgrades gave us the new home of NXT, the Capital Wrestling Center.

The move to WWE-owned space in 2020 was driven due to obvious reasons. Full Sail and so many other large venues closed down, and fans were prohibited.

WWE made the best of a bad year and poured money into a facility they owned, using it to give fans an upgraded experience.

That move was also lined up with the introduction of the ThunderDome concept. So 2020 brought a lot of change, and while many NXT fans loved the Full Sail experience, that is the past.

The NXT set is exponentially better inside the Capitol Wrestling Center.

Although, i do miss those Full Sail University crowds.

Will be interesting to see if WWE expand the amount of fans allowed inside the Performance Centre from July.#WWENXT

— Owen @ WrestleNews365 (@365Wrestle) June 2, 2021

It seems that NXT will not go home again…but they are enjoying their new home.

New WWE Strategy For Keeping Talent

Following a couple tumultuous months, a new WWE strategy for keeping talent has emerged.

Specifically, it seems quite clear that the company won’t pay to keep anyone and everyone on the roster, simply to keep them away from AEW.

That view was discussed on a recent Wrestling Observer Live segment.

The perspective was made abundantly clear when, just as we entered June, WWE dropped a talent bombshell.

Specifcally, WWE released Braun Strowman, Aleister Black and others.

source: custom, WWE twitter screenshot

So what is this new WWE strategy for keeping talent?

The idea appears to be that they will no longer be overpaying any one talent purely to keep them off of a competitor’s roster.

In addition to that, it seems as though the company is no longer worried about who it releases becoming a star over on AEW.

Whether this is WWE saying that while they recognize AEW exists, they do not feel it is a threat…remains to be seen.

That may be the case, however. For all the big talent the company is acquiring and has on it’s roster, it still reminds us that it is capable of having some terrible matches.

While the downsizing and trimming of fat makes some think a sale is imminent, that may not be happening.

Still, this could be both good and interesting all around.

Good, because we won’t see WWE hand out some crazy contract to some inconsequential talent (like Mike and Maria Kanellis).

Also good because other disgruntled or poorly used Superstars may be freed up to get used in better ways.

Interesting for the same reason…plus, with some fresh and perhaps underused talent coming free, maybe AEW picks up a few smart additions and grows into a bigger threat.

Competition is a good thing, in the grand scheme of things. A stronger AEW could give us a better WWE product.

We can dream, anyways.