Why being the good guy doesn't fit the Don
Everyone loves a mob boss with a heart of gold until the booking makes him look like a total pushover. I spent eighty-one minutes listening to the PWTorch Dailycast breakdown of the current NXT state of affairs, and Wells and Lindberg hit the nail on the head. Tony D’Angelo is a fantastic performer, but his current run as a babyface champion feels like putting a tuxedo on a pitbull.
We have seen this movie before. You take a character built on underhanded tactics, cheap shots, and a swagger that screams 'I’m going to bury you in the Meadowlands,' and you suddenly ask him to be the honorable hero. It rarely ends well. Tony D fighting Kam Hendrix was supposed to be a showcase of his grit, but instead, it just highlighted how stifled his persona has become.
The creative ceiling for the Family
When you strip away the mob boss aesthetic, the D’Angelo character loses its jagged edge. In the PWT Talks NXT episode, the hosts correctly pointed out that the champ needs more than just generic wrestling maneuvers to stay afloat. He needs to be a menace. When you turn a heel into a babyface, the audience still wants to see the guy who plays by his own rules, not the guy who shakes hands before the bell.
The match against Hendrix specifically lacked that chaotic spark that defined his rise on the brand. Wrestling is about variety, and NXT has a roster full of technicians. If Tony D isn't the guy using a crowbar or causing general mayhem, he is just another guy in trunks. We are currently watching a character arc that moves in circles rather than forward.
Lola Vice is hitting the snooze button
The conversation regarding Lola Vice being stagnant is perhaps the most pressing concern for the women's division. She has all the physical tools, but the booking has turned her into a background character instead of the absolute killer she proved she could be months ago. Stagnation is the silent killer in developmental.
If you aren't evolving, you are dying. Look at how quickly a hot act can cool off when they aren't given a clear target or a coherent motive. Vice is currently drifting in a creative purgatory where she gets the airtime but lacks the consequence. It is arguably worse than being ignored; it is being tolerated.
The road ahead for NXT
I get the logic behind keeping the belt on a proven personality, but the audience isn't stupid. They know when someone is being pushed into a role that doesn't fit their natural charisma. Tony D’Angelo as a babyface champion is a 6 out of 10 at best, because the fans know he is dying to turn back into the guy who threatened everyone on the roster.
NXT has proven it can do chaos with Gotham Wrestling’s recent experimentation, so why play it safe with the top title? If the writers want to save this reign, they need to drop the Mr. Nice Guy routine before the crowd stops caring entirely. Wrestling is at its best when the lines are blurred, not painted by numbers.
The upcoming pageant might be the distraction the show needs, but it won't fix the fundamental issue of top stars drifting without a compass. When your champion feels like he is doing a bit, the belt loses its prestige. I want to see a version of Tony D that scares people, not one that poses for pictures.
Maybe we need to stop worrying about babyface-heel dynamics and start focusing on character consistency. Some people are born to be heels, and trying to force them into a hero's journey is just a disservice to the performer. It’s like watching a blockbuster action star try to do a rom-com in the 95th minute of their career; it feels forced and clunky.
Ultimately, if Hendrix can’t elevate the champion, then the champion needs a new direction. The stagnation of stars like Vice and the creative drift of the main title scene suggests that the writers might be running on fumes. I’ve seen this show get better, which is exactly why this current rut feels so painful to watch every week.
