October 6, 2012

The change from FCW to NXT

There was talk about  the future of WWE developmental territory, FCW, after the announcement that it would no longer be taped in Tampa. It was speculated that it would be moved to Connecticut near WWE headquarters. The rumors were put to rest when WWE formally announced that they were moving their NXT tapings to Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. The FCW talent would be used and the name would eventually be changed to WWE NXT.

WWE NXT was originally shown in America  on the SyFy network as a replacement for the ECW brand. Halfway through the third season it was taken off television and made as a web based production that was taped on Tuesdays previous to Smackdown.  According to James Caldwell of PWTorch  “Moving NXT away from the Smackdown tapings will allow the developmental wrestlers to perform in a more intimate setting in front of a crowd mainly consisting of college students would be expected to actually react to the wrestlers. Also, WWE management will be able to focus more on the tapings when not scrambling to put the finishing touches on Smackdown”.

There has been mixed reviews about this merger/change. FCW did have a deep rich history, but as with everything there comes a time for change. It is a huge opportunity for students at Full Sail as an internship. It’s a win for all involved. The students gain experience and the WWE cuts production costs with the help of the interns. It is held in a new revamped venue and format. Proceeds from the tapings go into a scholarship for students. It is an amazing partnership for all involved. Triple H stated in the Miami Herald,  “We did some events here. We turned them into TV. We got the idea to do the show here. The show took off. We didn’t want to have no value for tickets, so we started charging a little for tickets. Then it was like, ‘You know what. Let’s take that money and give it back to the school. Let’s make a scholarship fund and give it to the students.’” How amazing is that? I love it.

Personally, I am ecstatic about this change. As a student of Full Sail, in the Sports Management Master's program, have this opportunity to add this internship to my resume. I will get to work with one of the most versatile and diverse groups of individuals in the entertainment industry. Upon my acceptance in the program, I had hopes of working within some aspect of professional wrestling. This change of venue had not been announced at that time. Weeks after my acceptance, opportunity fell right on my lap, and I am going to embrace it fully. NXT is the future of the industry on so many levels. I get to grow as a professional in the industry as the talent does also. It an awesome dynamic.  Through this blog I hope to shed light on my experiences, showcase the talent of NXT, and news about it.

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