{"id":128276,"date":"2024-11-16T08:00:31","date_gmt":"2024-11-16T13:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=128276"},"modified":"2025-07-09T14:23:19","modified_gmt":"2025-07-09T18:23:19","slug":"five-promotions-nxt-could-feature-after-nxt-2300","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2024\/11\/16\/five-promotions-nxt-could-feature-after-nxt-2300\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Promotions NXT Could Feature After NXT 2300"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>NXT&#8217;s partnerships should be taken advantage of more, from TNA to the territories. <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On November 7, NXT ran from the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The historic venue hosted the night\u2019s <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.fightful.com\/wrestling\/wwe-nxt-air-former-ecw-arena-wednesday-november-6\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">tribute to ECW history<\/a> while platforming younger talents. Plunder matches, familiar faces, and attitude were the order of the evening.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, throughout the episode, the spotlight shone on NXT\u2019s brightest strength\u2014the women\u2019s division. Without rose-tinted glasses, the brand\u2019s biggest strength evoked what made ECW special.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a promoter, Paul Heyman understood that playing to strengths made for a stronger product. The focus on the women reflected that.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NXT\u2019s women\u2019s division has consistently been a topic of praise in wrestling fandom and media. As WWE creates a healthy crop for the company&#8217;s future, fans see the work being put in. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nights like NXT 2300 can happen more.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">WWE can take advantage of promotions that they own and those they&#8217;re partnered with. If WWE is serious about positively influencing the outer sphere of wrestling, this could be of mutual benefit. They can honor history while elevating new stars.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>WCW<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s get the obvious choice out of the way, shall we?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From the late 1980s to the early 2000s, WCW stood opposite WWF. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the promotion dominated the mid-late 1990s. They remained on equal footing with WWF, sporting talents such as Goldberg, Sting, and Diamond Dallas Page.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">WCW had an additional temporary boost once the New World Order (NWO) took over. For 83 notorious weeks, WCW beat WWF in the ratings as many will kindly remind you. Though it petered out between 1999 and 2001, some fans still fondly remember WCW.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Holding an NXT Tuesday Nitro event is a no-brainer. Recreating the iconic entrance ramp with an NXT logo, with a flame-adorned ring apron can instantly evoke those nostalgic feelings. Cameoing talents such as Page, Goldberg, Kevin Nash, Sean Waltman, and other surprise guests could keep that nitrous flame burning.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The highlights can take wrestlers to cruiserweight highs since WCW\u2019s cruiserweight division was one of the promotion&#8217;s high points. My immediate recommendation? Rey Mysterio versus Je\u2019Von Evans\u2014that&#8217;d be so awesome!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Main roster stars to bolster the show, with Atlanta\u2019s own Cody Rhodes or former WCW wrestlers still active like AJ Styles. Michael Buffer is still around, perhaps he can call the main event like the old days.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With how much more loving WWE is to WCW than the previous regime, I wouldn\u2019t rule this out. The company <a  href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/wwe-survivor-series-war-games-fifth-men\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">brought back WarGames<\/a> for a reason.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>TNA Wrestling<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Following the closure of WCW, TNA Wrestling opted to take off where the former left off. Stemming from Nashville, Tennessee, TNA has undergone many changes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Changes that should have ended it but didn\u2019t. There\u2019s a \u201cHard to Kill\u201d joke in there somewhere.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Revitalizing the careers of WWE, WCW, and ECW wrestlers, TNA also boasted fresh crops of talent. The X-Division and Knockouts Division were ahead of where WWE had been at the time. But most importantly, they had a six-sided ring.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, a TNA-WWE collaboration isn\u2019t anything new. The wrestlers of TNA have already stepped foot in a WWE ring and vice versa.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some include The Rascalz, Joe Hendry, Frankie Kazarian, Alex Hammerstone, and <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2021\/02\/23\/impact-wrestling-tna-world-heavyweight-championship\/\" target=\"_self\">Jordynne Grace<\/a>. Before that, Mickie James made her iconic entrance to \u201cHardcore Country\u201d at the 2022 Royal Rumble, with the Knockouts Championship proudly on her waist.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But what if WWE and TNA pushed further? It wouldn\u2019t have to be an invasion per se, but rather akin to AEW and NJPW\u2019s exciting Forbidden Door events, talents competing for the love of the game. Six-sided ring: optional.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Pro Wrestling NOAH<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Born from a mass exodus of All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) in 2000, Mitsuharu Misawa helped usher in a new age for Japanese wrestling.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Combining the booking styles of AJPW and <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2021\/11\/20\/njpw-and-noah-revived\/\" target=\"_self\">New Japan Pro Wrestling<\/a>, NOAH became one of many forward-pushing companies worldwide.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In its early days, NOAH featured talents like Naomichi Marufuji, Takeshi Morishima, and KENTA. These fresh talents (and others) developed styles and finishers that contemporary talents use today. It would be an understatement to say that NOAH changed the game\u2014 they revolutionized things.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">WWE fans may have already seen WWE talents in NOAH, including NXT&#8217;s own Tavion Heights. But now, it\u2019s time to spill their emerald paint onto NXT\u2019s canvas. Ultimately, the biggest tell of a great NOAH show is hard-hitting matches that leave fans on the edge of their seat.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At their best, the stiffness and storytelling of NOAH are of match-of-the-year quality. NXT could use this \u2013 the men\u2019s division could use the tweaking to catch up to its women\u2019s division. A NOAH night can reset perception, possibly for both brands.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Recently, <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.sescoops.com\/news\/nxt\/shawn-miachales-noah-wwe-nxt\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NXT gained Yoshiki Inamura<\/a>, a younger face from NOAH, and was welcomed heartily by Shawn Michaels on social media. With his impending presence, WWE could make a big show of it. Let fans know why NOAH is a crucial part of modern pro wrestling.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Marigold<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Speaking of the women\u2019s division, Joshi wrestling has been a standard in professional wrestling. In the past few years, so has NXT\u2019s women\u2019s roster.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NXT\u2019s current biggest strength is how well-defined the women wrestlers are, from character work to in-ring ability. Marigold can keep that momentum going.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Since Rossy Ogawa&#8217;s controversial departure from <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">World Wonder Ring Stardom in early 2024, he&#8217;s made some moves. Founding Marigold, Rossy brought Giulia, Utami Hayashishita, Mirai, and Mai Sakurai to boost name value. He didn&#8217;t stop there, either\u2014he gathered talents from Actwres girl&#8217;Z (AWG) for additional substance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An all-women&#8217;s special for NXT can draw. But to include a promotion with women who kick ass on the regular? Sign me up.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This partnership can prop up former Stardom wrestlers. It&#8217;ll also introduce AWG girls to wider audiences.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Together, both teams can mutually benefit each other. NXT can serve fans hard-hitting action, while Marigold gains more notoriety.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">IYO SKY appeared in the promotion in a match <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/entertainment\/iyo-sky-praises-utami-hayashishita-193000460.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">against Utami Hayashishita<\/a> in 2024, putting on a classic. Fans should have more, showcasing the main roster\u2019s Joshi wrestlers while increasing the hype for the promotion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Well, probably just Kairi Sane and Iyo Sky. There\u2019s some history with Asuka and Ogawa that\u2019s kind of awkward.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Territories<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The territories of the past are a crucial part of pro wrestling history. AWA, WCCW, Mid-Atlantic Wrestling, and more had this interconnected web of wrestlers and bookers collaborating. Wrestlers like Dusty Rhodes, Jim Duggan, Andre the Giant, and Harley Race would travel across regions to entertain fans.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So much of what we know of wrestling stems from the people in arenas big and small. That was before the industry became monopolized. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sadly, time may <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2021\/03\/11\/death-of-the-territories-explores-life-in-the-industry-before-and-leading-up-to-wwes-systematic-takeover\/\" target=\"_self\">scrub these things away in their purest form<\/a>. So, fans deserve to celebrate these memories as they understand how far wrestling has come.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A sad truth about the territory days is that most of these storytellers have since left us. Enough remains to share what the system represented, and this could work to NXT\u2019s benefit.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Look at what AEW has done for legends in managerial positions. They&#8217;re utilized in ways that make sense.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether a special for a specific territory or the territory system in general, it wouldn\u2019t require much effort, presentation-wise. Darkened arenas, like NXT used to have.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Flags from several nations representing talent home bases, and steel barricades to instill that nostalgia. Keeping that spirit alive, I think, would ideally integrate WWE\u2019s partners as listed above.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Understandably, hardcore wrestling fans are uneasy with WWE\u2019s relationships with other companies. Historically, the company has a reputation for buying out promotions or other such things. I mean, Black Saturday wiped out most of the territories, leaving very few promotions around.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As such, the pro wrestling scene depended on WWF to live. All of that, while TNA Wrestling and the independent scene had to innovate and grow the next crop of wrestlers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now more companies and promotions are thriving, it\u2019s time that WWE genuinely embraces further. Embrace, but not conquer. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is but a mere template for if WWE truly wishes to give back to the industry.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">More From LWOS Pro Wrestling<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Header photo \u2013 WWE \u2013 Stay tuned to the\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Last Word on Pro Wrestling<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can check out an almost unlimited array of WWE content on the\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/watch.wwe.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">WWE Network<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peacocktv.com\/watch\/home\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Peacock<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NXT&#8217;s partnerships should be taken advantage of more, from TNA to the territories. On November 7, NXT ran from the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The historic venue hosted the night\u2019s tribute to ECW history while platforming younger talents. Plunder matches, familiar faces, and attitude were the order of the evening. However, throughout the episode, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5361,"featured_media":128315,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6975,13,5302,24,2192,8959,323,4,5,3,320],"tags":[9054,544,116,677,129,47],"class_list":["post-128276","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international-wrestling","category-international","category-joshi","category-noah","category-wrestling","category-tna-wrestling","category-world-wonder-ring-stardom","category-wwe","category-nxt","category-wwe-universe","category-wwe-women","tag-marigold","tag-noah","tag-nxt","tag-pro-wrestling-noah","tag-tna","tag-wwe"],"modified_by":"Marilee Gallagher, Manager","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128276","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5361"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=128276"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128276\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":137791,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128276\/revisions\/137791"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/128315"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=128276"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=128276"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=128276"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}