PARKS’S TAKE: NXT is in a creative rut and the fans are starting to let them know they’re not happy

While WWE’s main product feels cold heading into the biggest show of the year, WrestleMania, the company’s developmental arm is mirroring the creative malaise of its parents, Raw and Smackdown.

Nothing exemplified that more than the catcalls received by Ricky Saints in the main event segment on NXT TV Tuesday night. It didn’t seem like the normal “heel gets heat” kind of reaction. It’s also notable that the NXT crowd, some who attend weekly, have shown a high tolerance for nonsense presented in front of them in the past.

It’s not just the Saints segment that shows what kind of rut NXT is in. Let’s look at some of the other high-profile happenings and goings-on in NXT right now:

-Tony D’Angelo has returned, minus the mob character (and apparently, the accent). He’s now just another angry dude, stripped of any semblance of character or depth that he once had.

-Sol Ruca and Zaria finally had their big blow-up after weeks (months?) of teases where, at times, neither came out of the segments looking like a proper babyface.

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Check out the latest episode of “PWT Talks NXT” with Kelly Wells and Nate Lindberg, part of the PWTorch Dailycast line-up: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “pwtorch” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)

-After excelling in AEW, Blake Monroe, nee Mariah May, has disappointed both in the ring and as a character. The writing hasn’t been very good but she also hasn’t shown the ability to rise above that.

-The promotions of major players like Oba Femi, Je’Von Evans, and Trick Williams has left a void at the top of the card that has yet to be adequately filled. Saints and Joe Hendry seem the most likely to inherit that mantle, but it’s been hit-or-miss so far.

NXT used to be guilty pleasure viewing that was occasionally sneaky good. It’s now become a slog with unlikable characters, little depth, and repeated angles (ANOTHER backstage attacker?). The good news is there’s a lot less at stake for NXT in their creative valleys than there is for WWE, especially as the company tries to fill seats at WrestleMania.