Should WWE Ditch SmackDown And Replace It With NXT?

There seems to be a lot of talk among fans recently about the current state of SmackDown. It’s no big secret that the show doesn’t appear to be much of a priority for WWE at the moment which has caused the quality of the program to decline. The SmackDown of today is a far cry from the SmackDown of old.

This has caused many fans to suggest that WWE consider replacing SmackDown on Thursday nights with NXT. There are certainly things to be said for both keeping SmackDown and the idea of replacing it with NXT. Today we’re going to be looking at the pros and cons of both scenarios.

Why Replacing SmackDown With NXT Is A Good Idea

SmackDown is an institution within the world of WWE, but as we mentioned before the brand doesn’t get as much love as it should. Ever since the brand split ended SmackDown has just been a show full of Raw recaps and a talented roster without any gripping storylines to utilize in order to get themselves over. SmackDown is essentially a ship that’s just drifting in the ocean as whatever happens on the program very rarely has any sort of impact on the general WWE landscape. Thursday nights are in need of something fresh and with WWE moving SmackDown to the USA Network next year, it might be time to start promoting something new in that time slot.

NXT has generated a massive buzz recently thanks to the way it presents professional wrestling. NXT has a way of making wrestling look cool again and it might be able to do the same thing for Thursday nights. Placing NXT in SmackDown’s time slot would easily get the attention of the wrestling fans and it could draw in some new fans as well. Fans who are already loyal to the product will tune in and fans who are curious will also likely tune in so that they can see what all the fuss is about. Moving NXT to Thursday nights would get people talking.

NXT on Thursday nights would certainly be a game changer as it’s an alternative form of sports entertainment that falls under the WWE umbrella. The NXT roster is hungry and constantly trying to push the genre to the next level which would ultimately create competition between NXT and Raw. Putting NXT on Thursday nights would give WWE the brand split that fans have been asking for without factoring SmackDown into the equation.

NXT is used as a platform to introduce new WWE stars to the fans, but if it were moved to Thursday nights it could also be used as a proving ground for current WWE stars. NXT truly does feel like its own world within the WWE landscape and having established stars from Raw come over and start at the bottom of the food chain in NXT on Thursday nights could give a lot of names the fresh start that they need. Watching guys like Dean Ambrose, King Barrett, or Cesaro reboot their careers in NXT could make for some entertaining television.

In any case, pushing NXT into the mainstream could certainly shake things up for the WWE and a shake up is something WWE definitely needs right now.

Why Moving NXT To Thursday Night Is A Bad Idea

SmackDown has been on the air for quite some time now and it’s not just the type of show that you can make disappear. SmackDown definitely needs to be resurrected but changing the concept altogether and replacing it with NXT is a risky move. If they’re not familiar with the brand, some viewers might get the wrong idea as to what NXT is and then end up tuning out altogether.

WWE has a lot of talented up and comers on the NXT roster, but they also have a lot of stars on the main roster still trying to find their footing in WWE. Replacing SmackDown with NXT would give the next generation the push it needs, but it could also force wrestlers on the main roster that are currently in need of some attention to be pushed to the side. WWE has a hard time showcasing all of their stars over three hours of Raw and two hours of SmackDown every week, eliminating SmackDown could be harmful to stars like King Barrett, Stardust, Neville and others still on their way up.

Furthermore, SmackDown has been a great show in the past and with the right amount of effort it could be again. There have been times that many fans felt SmackDown was better than Raw and it has the potential to reach that level if WWE wants it to. Similar to the WWE roster itself, SmackDown is full of untapped potential. SmackDown has a chance to be great again and it really doesn’t need the NXT name to do so.

Conclusion

So should NXT replace SmackDown? There are certainly cases to be made for both sides of the argument, but replacing SmackDown completely at this stage of the game probably isn’t the way to go. What’s obvious though is that SmackDown needs an overhaul big time.

Replacing SmackDown with NXT might not be the best idea because it could be damaging to the entire concept of NXT. Although NXT isn’t really thought of as a developmental brand anymore, pushing the NXT roster too fast and too soon would only be counterproductive at the end of the day.

However WWE needs to look at NXT and figure out what they need to be doing with SmackDown to generate the same buzz for SmackDown that NXT generates among the fans. When SmackDown moves to the USA Network next year fans need a reason to tune in.

Perhaps Daniel Bryan was on to something when he suggested that the Intercontinental Championship become exclusive to SmackDown. Bringing the brand split back might not be a bad idea either. SmackDown needs something exclusive to the show. Thursday nights need a sense of urgency and they need to feel important again. But the question is will WWE be able to make SmackDown special again?