5 things WWE got right in 2021
WWE kicked off 2021 with Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre as its two top men’s champions. Meanwhile, Sasha Banks and Asuka were the top two women’s champions at the turn of the year.
The creative team continued to build solid rivalries for WWE’s main Superstars and kept the ball rolling throughout 2021. From start to finish, the entire year delivered the returns of some of the biggest names in the industry. Becky Lynch and Brock Lesnar shocked the wrestling world when they came back at SummerSlam.
2021 also featured the elevation of some new stars. Liv Morgan climbed her way to the top of the RAW women’s division after she spent several years in the undercard.
Not many can deny the fact that the creative team worked hard this year to entertain the fans and give WWE’s competition a tough time. With that said, let's take a look at five things WWE got right in 2021.
#5. WWE NXT went through a major change in 2021
A new #WWENXT arrives on September 14. https://t.co/kj7bkfX0sv
Many fans see NXT as WWE's premier wrestling brand. Over the years, its Superstars have put on some of the company's best matches. The brand has also served as a stepping stone for some of today's Superstars today, including WWE Champion Big E, Becky Lynch, Seth Rollins, and Sasha Banks.
On the other hand, far too many names made it out of NXT but got lost on the main roster. Recent examples include Karrion Kross, Keith Lee, and Shayna Baszler. Meanwhile, many NXT Superstars decided to stay put on the brand because they didn't want to suffer from this pattern.
For a number of reasons, in 2021, WWE decided to revamp the black-and-gold brand and turn it into NXT 2.0. The brand welcomed many new Superstars to the company; most of these performers were widely unknown to the wrestling world.
This move will help WWE build some homegrown stars for the future. Though the new theme and feel of the brand did not initially appeal to many fans, NXT 2.0 is starting to find its footing.
Bron Breakker, Cora Jade, and Grayson Waller have already made a mark on the company; each one of them has the potential WWE usually looks for in its brightest prospects. This trio's success shows that WWE made the right move by revamping the brand and saying goodbye to several of the veterans who had been performing their hearts out on NXT.
Change is here.
The future is now. And its name is Grayson Waller.
@GraysonWWE
📺 #WWENXT 2.0 TONIGHT
8/7c @USA_Network https://t.co/jWFWs4hCAh
Moving forward, NXT 2.0 can help the creative team shape the future of WWE and build many stars from the ground up.