The original plan for WWE NXT was far different than what fans eventually saw when the show launched on the SyFy Network in early 2010.
On a recent edition of “The Ten Count” podcast, PJ Black recalled his time as part of the original NXT and what the initial plan looked like. He said,
“The original plan was for us to live in a house like Ultimate Fighter and actually compete and do actual athletic challenges, but as the wrestling business goes, time ran out and on the day they were like, ‘Let’s write a show’, and then they were like, ‘We don’t even have time to write a show’, so we freestyle pretty much everything. That’s why the matches and the promos were kind of off because it was pretty much all on the fly.”
Instead of living in a house, each NXT ‘rookie’ was paired with a ‘pro’ and would compete in matches and challenges to try and earn immunity from elimination.
Black, then known as Justin Gabriel was teamed with Matt Hardy. The season would be won by Wade Barrett though Black would join the main roster with Barrett as part of the Nexus.
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The original plan for WWE NXT was quite different from what fans eventually saw when the show launched on the SyFy Network in early 2010. Instead of the format that became popular, which involved rookies being paired with pros and competing in matches and challenges, the initial plan was for the contestants to live in a house similar to the reality show “Ultimate Fighter” and participate in athletic challenges.
PJ Black, formerly known as Justin Gabriel, recently shared his experience as part of the original NXT on “The Ten Count” podcast. He revealed that the original plan was to have the contestants live together in a house and compete in physical challenges. However, due to time constraints, the show had to be improvised on the day of filming. As a result, the matches and promos were not as polished as they could have been since everything was done on the fly.
Instead of living in a house, each NXT rookie was paired with a pro wrestler who would mentor them throughout the season. The contestants would then compete in matches and challenges to earn immunity from elimination. Justin Gabriel was teamed up with Matt Hardy during his time on the show.
Despite the improvised nature of the show, it still managed to create some memorable moments. The first season of NXT was won by Wade Barrett, who later formed the infamous Nexus stable on the main roster. Justin Gabriel also joined the main roster alongside Barrett as part of the Nexus faction.
The original plan for NXT may not have come to fruition, but it paved the way for the successful format that fans know today. The show has evolved over the years and has become a platform for up-and-coming talent to showcase their skills and potentially earn a spot on the main roster.
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In conclusion, the original plan for WWE NXT involved contestants living in a house and participating in athletic challenges. However, due to time constraints, the show had to be improvised, resulting in the format we eventually saw on television. Despite the challenges, NXT has become a successful platform for aspiring wrestlers to showcase their talents and make a name for themselves in the industry.