Aug18 NXT HW Look Ahead

Peter Klein

NXT Heatwave 2025 should feel like a marquee event, but instead, it feels more like a glorified TV show. Once again, WWE is using NXT as a sacrificial lamb in their battle with AEW — this time countering Forbidden Door with a PLE that lacks the spark of a true “TakeOver.”  Ex-Sportsnet 960 morning show co-host Peter Klein breaks down: 🔥Why WWE’s counterprogramming strategy is hurting creative. 🔥How NXT Heatwave compares to AEW Forbidden Door. 🔥Why the current card feels flat compared to NXT’s glory days. 🔥What this says about WWE’s approach to competition.  From Jordan Grace’s latest story, to Trick Williams, Oba Femi, and the women’s contenders match — the show has talent, but nothing feels must-watch. Instead of raising the bar, Heatwave highlights how far WWE has strayed from making NXT events feel special.  Do you agree? Does Heatwave 2025 feel like a PLE worth watching, or just another TV special dressed up as something bigger? Let’s discuss. 👇  #NXTHeatwave #WWE #AEW #ForbiddenDoor #WrestlingDiscussion #NXTPLE #wwevsaew   🎧 Listen on: Apple https://apple.co/49NGm2L | Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3QgazeHcSKSteZbBIubcuM?si=icY7NEBvT7yZadv_JFlT6Q  💬 Follow for live breakdowns: X.com/primetimepk | Twitch.tv/primetimepk  | Kick.com/primetimepk  🔗 Support the Show:   - Tip Jar: https://streamelements.com/couchpotatodiary/tip (fuels more content!)   - Partners: C of Dead http://cofdead403.ca/ | Swift Energy https://www.swiftenergy.gg/?ref=mriusnqm PROMO CODE: PKPrimetime for 25% Off!

Transcript

00:00AEW has a forbidden door concept that isn't as strong as it used to be. NXT is countering with

00:07a heatwave show that certainly has cooled off. This is not a battle of the titans or anything.

00:16This is barely a very interesting television show for NXT. But they're doing it, so we're talking

00:23about it. NXT, once again, the sacrificial lamb in the battle against AEW as they go up against a show

00:44featuring Hangman Adam Page, MJF, Nigel McGuinness' return, Hiroshi Tanahashi, maybe for the last

00:52time on an AEW program. Okada against Swerve. Tony Storm, Mercedes Monet, the return of Cope and Cage.

01:02And they are doing so with this. Heatwave coming to us on the PLE for NXT. This, like, Heatwave

01:15should be, hey, this is a big Tuesday TV show for us. Put it on the CW. This is going to be, like,

01:22it's not a PLE. It's not a standalone whatever. But we're going to put this in the, you know,

01:27we're not even going to put it in at full sale. We're going to hit the road with this one and

01:31it's Heatwave and we're doing it from blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. That's fine.

01:36If this is just a big tentpole television show, this is a good show. But as a standalone PLE,

01:42to hold this up against the standard of any, um, takeover is laughable. And we have gotten so far

01:50from that point. And I get, that is, like, two or three versions of NXT ago. But NXT used to be the

01:56brand that when they're on, you know you're getting something. You know you are getting a big wrestling

02:03show. An exciting wrestling show. You're going to get an unbelievable program. Um, and instead now,

02:10like, nothing on this card stands out in any way. These are all definitely wrestling matches.

02:17And that's about all you can say about it. Jordan Grace against Blake Monroe. Um, the Jordan Grace

02:22being just an absolute psychopath character is interesting to me. And, uh, so that story has

02:28been fine. But Blake Monroe has not clicked in any conceivable way, uh, or measurable way with the

02:33NXT audience. And so, okay. Whatever. Um, like, it's, it, it, it is a story that I think is helping

02:41one more than the other. And we, we get a match out of it. So, great. Uh, JC Jane against Masa

02:47Slamovich against Ash by Elegance for the Knockouts Championship. Um, if JC Jane wins this, then okay.

02:54And we keep moving on with this. She has multiple belts from, uh, TNA and NXT thing. Or the TNA belt

03:00goes back to TNA and everything's fine. Like, I just, this feels like a one-off regardless of what

03:04happens with it. And I'm just, I'm not all that interested in it right now. Jada Parker, Kalani

03:09Jordan, and Lola Vice at number one contenders match is really fun. Like, I, I think all three

03:14are very talented. Lola Vice popping up on, uh, Triple Mania on the weekend. I think there's a lot

03:20there. I think Kalani Jordan, I think a lot of her. Um, I think she's a very, very talented performer.

03:25And, uh, Jada Parker has said some things that you don't love. Um, she also has quite a lot of

03:34ability, has a look, all these things. Like, these are some talented humans who are going to be in

03:37this. And a good showcase for the women's division. So, there's that. Hank and Tank against Darkstate,

03:41I don't care. I just, like, the, Darkstate has ramped it up by attacking people, but then they're

03:47cutting promos in the back. And one guy's entire gimmick is that he's unaware of double entendres.

03:51Like, that sucks. Um, so this doesn't feel all the great. And then Obafemi, Javon Evans,

03:56and Trick Williams will be fun. It's a match we've seen before. And, like, if Oba, if Oba loses and

04:04he's up to the main roster, then fine. But I just, like, none of this is standing out as a,

04:08I am so happy we are getting this. This more feels like, like I said, it's a TV show more than a

04:15premium live event. And it is another case where WWE, right now, is just flooding the zone trying

04:22to take away from AEW. And I'm not going to say, like, I don't think it's going to affect AEW's

04:29buy rate even a little bit with Forbidden Door. And I don't think that this is going to all of a

04:34sudden mean that TKO is going to lose billions of dollars or anything like that. But it's just

04:38another time where the wrestling fan has to put up with this. And it is competition at the sacrifice

04:46of creative. And I hate that right now from WWE. They are too big to fail. And they are

04:54in a very, very good spot. But they are going out of their way to hurt themselves. And I can't,

05:02for the life of me, figure out why. So, um, Heat Wave will happen. We will talk about

05:08it. But holy hell do I not want to. Because it's just, it's so blah. It is so blah. As we

05:16get ready for that one. So I'm about the whole thing.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended