WWE Films Content For New NXT Show
Last fall, reports emerged revealing WWE’s plans to produce a second show under the NXT banner. The company had filmed a pilot in September 2019, with different names being pitched, including ‘NXT Underground’, well before WWE debuted the short-lived ‘RAW Underground’ segments during Monday Night RAW.
Fightful Select (subscription required) has obtained more details on the project, which is tentatively titled “NXT EVOLVE”. The company has already prepared branding, as well as a title belt with that name.
Content for the show was filmed in a warehouse near the WWE Performance Center. The company briefly used this space as a makeshift training facility during the pandemic.
EVOLVE founder Gabe Sapolsky and Jeremy Borash were heavily involved from a production standpoint, which is reportedly “nothing like anything else WWE is doing”.
Several new signings were involved, and NXT On-Air Digital Talent Josiah Williams was the host. The show is said to have “more a fight feel” to it. There was no commentary team present, which would have to be added in post-production.
Late last year, Triple H created a team to oversee the production of the show.
NXT previously operated small Florida-based house show events before the COVID-19 pandemic. These were created as a way to present newer, and even more experienced talent, time to ingratiate themselves with the WWE style.
With these house show events no longer being viable due to the pandemic, clearly, WWE is clearly looking at different approaches to highlight the extensive roster of talent on the NXT brand.
EVOLVE was officially sold to WWE on July 2, 2020. WWE has begun adding titles from the promotion’s tape library to the WWE Network.
