More on WWE’s Plans for Major Changes to NXT Brand & Backstage Power Struggle

As noted before, WWE released another sizable amount of talent earlier this month from their NXT brand and developmental system. These releases were part of WWE’s current plans for major changes to be done for their developmental system going forward.

Dave Meltzer reported in this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter that his sources within WWE stated that Vince McMahon, Bruce Prichard, and John Laurinaitis were the main people responsible for deciding who got cut for the recent set of releases. Paul “Triple H” Levesque and Shawn Michaels reportedly had no input nor were even aware of releases being made until after Laurinaitis had started contacting the talent being cut.

Meltzer also reported that there has been a growing behind-the-scenes power struggle involving Levesque and people in his camp and those fearing for their jobs if and when Levesque takes over control of the company. The recent releases and the company’s new directive for their NXT brand reportedly has been viewed as an attempt to undermine Levesque from those who against him.

Meltzer also reported that Levesque not being involved in the recent releases nor plans for the new direction of WWE’s developmental system was also seen as a surprise to many within the company. It had been assumed that while Vince McMahon still has final say over everything, Levesque would be the one primarily running the wrestling end and WWE President Nick Khan running the business end of the company if something were to happen to McMahon.

In regards to NXT’s failure to stop AEW’s rise, Meltzer reported that it gave Levesque’s detractors within the company a lot of ammunition to use against him. NXT’s failure to attract younger viewers and becoming the oldest skewing wrestling show between AEW and WWE was seen as a major negative towards his vision for the future of WWE’s product. Another major negative was the perception that Levesque was only stockpiling talent who had no main roster star potential and were not being developed to work a main roster style of wrestling.

Meltzer reported that those spoken to within the company stated that the situation backstage has been growing toxic and feel that WWE’s talent are just pawns in this whole situation.

In regards to Bronson Reed’s release, Meltzer reported that those spoken to stated that McMahon made the decision to cut him after his dark match tryouts due to not feeling he was going to make it as a star on the main roster. This same mentality reportedly was the reason behind the decisions for the other recent cuts from NXT.

Meltzer also reported that there have been no talks recently within the company of resuming house show events for their NXT brand nor going forward with the idea of a NXT Evolve-like brand for the company’s developmental system.