PWTorch.com - ASK THE SPECIALISTS ROUNDTABLE: The Women of NXT - will they change the Divas Division when called up?

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ASK THE SPECIALISTS ROUNDTABLE: The Women of NXT - will they change the Divas Division when called up?

Mar 9, 2015 - 3:30:06 PM

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The "Ask the Specialists" Roundtable is the latest spin-off from the "Ask the Torch" feature. CSI led to CSI: New York and CSI: Miami, which is where you'll find the Specialists tackling a regular topic submitted by PWTorch readers to askpwtorch@gmail.com.

Ask the Specialists Roundtable #78

- Question from PWTorch reader Kevin Potts: Do you think any Divas making the transition from NXT to WWE are just going to wind up being wasted? There's some awesome in-ring work happening from the likes of Charlotte, Sasha, and Becky Lynch, but the way the "main roster" Divas keep getting treated on TV, I worry all that amazing athleticism is going to just be wasted once they're called up to the WWE rosters.

- "Hits & Misses" Jon Mezzera responds: Yes. I have talked to multiple fans who don't watch NXT and are trying to figure out why Paige was considered a big deal. I have said that one of her last matches on NXT was a great match against Emma and they almost scoff as Emma hasn't been anything but a joke in WWE and Paige hasn't been given more than maybe seven minutes to have a match on the main roster.

There is ZERO doubt in my mind that they will be wasted just like Paige has been wasted once they get called up. If you are a fan of women's wrestling, then you want them to stay in NXT where they can have these good longer showcase matches in storylines that actually make sense and aren't just spawned from a cheesy reality show.

- "Showstopper" Shawn Valentino responds: Thanks for your question, Kevin. It depends on what you mean by wasted. It should be the goal of every NXT wrestler to make it to the WWE. The role of Divas on the main roster is to fill a few minutes and add some sex appeal. I cannot imagine Charlotte, Sasha, and Lynch changing that. I think you should enjoy the showcase of their athleticism while they are in NXT because we saw what happened when Charlotte made her debut in WWE. I cannot imagine any of these girls being given the opportunity to have stand-out matches in the current landscape.

- "Mr. PPV" Nathan Kyght responds: One of the worst things WWE does is manage its Divas division. Charlotte is phenomenal, and I hope she gets a huge push, but the company generally treats the division as a bathroom break segment and sadly, I doubt that's changing.

- "Common Fan" Jimmy Eaton (@TheCommonFan) responds: Hi Kevin, thanks for the question. For me, it's simple. Everyone that is good on NXT, needs to stay on NXT. Why? Because they will in fact be lost in the shuffle of garbage that is Total Divas storylines. It's sad to say and maybe I'm being too pessimistic, but I would say the same for anyone on the NXT roster. It defeats the purpose of having NXT, where you should want to advance to the next level, but I don't care; I would tell WWE not to mess with the one good wrestling show they offer!

- "Instant Reaction" Ben Tucker (@BTuckerTorch) responds: Considering the main roster women's division has received sub-five minute matches on a weekly basis for 20 years, I can pretty much guarantee that all of them will be wasted to a certain extent. Charlotte has the best chance of being treated special, but even the top Divas in the division, such as Paige, feel like complete afterthoughts in general due to a lack of character arcs and consistent development. Moving up to the main roster may be great for the NXT Divas from a financial standpoint, but in reality it will probably be more of a negative for their most ardent fans.

- "Mr. NXT" Justin James (@Justin_M_James) responds: Kevin, this has been a sore spot with me for a long time. Look at what happened with Emma, Paige went from being an amazing wrestler to.. well... not so amazing (ditto for her character and presentation), and Naomi's natural athletic talent has been wasted. Charlotte would likely only get a fair shake because of who she is, never mind the fact that she has been a tremendous success as the Brock Lesnar of the female division. Every time I see a great women's match on NXT I pray that either they never get called to the main roster or Vince McMahon hands the reins to Triple H.

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[ FYI: The specialists consist of a mix of current PWTorch contributors providing their opinion on today's wrestling scene and modern wrestling history questions, including Shawn Valentino, Michael Moore, Ben Tucker, Jon Mezzera, Justin James, Brian Leahy, Jimmy Eaton, Nathan Kyght, Tony Donofrio, Mike Roe, and Mike Metzger. ]