NXT is losing its identity one bad booking decision at a time

The double-edged sword of the NXT brand

Look, I sat through the July 21 broadcast of NXT like a glutton for punishment, and I have questions. Some parts felt like the black-and-gold glory days, but other segments felt like a fever dream directed by a committee that hasn't watched a wrestling match since 2012. It’s hard to reconcile the raw talent in that locker room with the weird, pacing-challenged show we got this week.

Let’s start with what actually worked, because if I don’t give credit where it’s due, I’m just a grumpy old guy yelling at clouds. The main event sequence was genuinely electric. Seeing Ethan Page work a crisp transition from a hammerlock into a side-slam at the 18-minute mark reminded me of his best indie days. He knows exactly how to build heat, and his facial expressions during that final three-count were worth the ticket price alone.

The booking blunders that made the show drag

Now, let's talk about the bad, because we need to be honest with ourselves. The decision to cut Jay Malachi’s match halfway through a promising series of high-flying maneuvers was criminal. It felt like someone looked at the clock and panicked, deciding that we needed a commercial break for a protein bar rather than seeing if the kid could actually nail his finisher. It killed the crowd energy stone dead.

Then there’s the ongoing saga with the women’s tag division, which feels like it’s being held together by duct tape and prayers. We had a segment that lasted 12 minutes for a promo that told us nothing about who is actually chasing the belts. It was an exercise in saying a lot of words while conveying zero stakes. If you aren't going to have them get in the ring and beat the tar out of each other, why are we wasting television time?

The good, the bad, and the sheer confusion

To break it down for the folks who might have skipped the live stream, here is the state of the union for the July 21 episode.

• Loved the technical precision of the opening scramble match, featuring some of the tightest grappling we’ve seen on Tuesday nights all summer.
• Loved the character work from Lexis King, who is currently carrying his entire segment on his back with pure, unadulterated arrogance.
• Loved the callback to his time in the indies during the main event, which felt like a nod to the fans who actually pay attention to the lineage.
• Hated the abrupt cut to commercial during a red-hot exchange, which is the most infuriating relic of modern television production.
• Hated the stagnant nature of the mid-card feuds, which seem stuck in a loop of backstage brawls that never actually lead to a payoff.
• Hated the commentary team's frantic attempts to sell a lackluster backstage segment with an unnecessary amount of volume.

It is worth remembering that previous editions of NXT have managed to balance these elements with grace. When this show hits, it hits harder than a stiff clothesline from JBL, but when it misses, it feels like a damp rag. We are currently seeing a 50 percent hit rate on these weekly productions, which isn't going to cut it if they want to keep the die-hards happy.

Maybe I’m just jaded. I remember when every week felt like a promise of something monumental, and today, it feels like we are just waiting for the next PLE to finally get some answers. The talent is there, but the structure is crumbling around them. If the writing team keeps trying to reinvent the wheel every Tuesday, they are going to find themselves stuck in the mud.

I want to love this version of the show as much as I loved the pre-2019 era, but they keep putting obstacles in their own way. Give me more wrestling, stop the 15-minute talking segments that go nowhere, and please, for the love of everything holy, trust your athletes to tell the story with their bodies. That is what made the brand a success in the first place, and it’s what will save it from drifting into obscurity.

Ultimately, we saw a show that had the ceiling of a 9 out of 10 and the floor of a 3 out of 10. That kind of volatility is exhausting. If the creative lead can find a way to stabilize the ship by the time the next big event rolls around, maybe we’ll have a different conversation. Until then, I’ll be watching, but my expectations are officially keeping a low profile.