There are lots of reasons to sign up for WWE’s new subscription service WWE Network. Free live pay per views, access to just about every huge pro wrestling event to ever be aired on television, and lots of new original programming. At the forefront of all that new, original programming is NXT.

The NXT Big Thing

NXT for those uninitiated, is WWE’s developmental league. The place where WWE builds the stars of tomorrow. That might sound like a cheesy tag line, but you can’t argue with the facts. Cesaro, Big E, The Wyatts, The Shield, Emma, Summer Rae. All of these competitors have come from NXT and every one of them is part of the youthful uprising taking place on WWE’s main roster.

If you haven’t yet had the opportunity to see NXT or what it’s all about, then my advice to you is subscribe to the WWE Network, and immediately clear your schedule for Thursday night, February 27. That’s when NXT will be airing a live special (the NXT equivalent of a pay-per-view) ArRIVAL, which features some incredible matches and may be one of the most important nights in WWE history.

Yes, I am completely serious. There are so many subtle grand implications for this event that it really bums me out that I won’t be able to experience it as it happens (us Canucks won’t get the WWE Network for a while). Don’t let the fact that this is an event for WWE’s minor league fool you. This is a big deal for everyone involved in WWE, including it’s fans.

From a roster standpoint, this is new territory for many due to one four letter word: live. NXT is usually taped once a month at Full Sail University, so the shows have time to be edited and cleaned up. All of that goes out the window on Thursday. For some of the performers, it will be the first time working without a net. Sure, they’re used to performing in front of a live crowd, but with any luck, WWE Network subscribers will be clamoring to see WWE’s future which means more eyes on them, and no editors to help them if they screw up.

But let’s not forget the men and women behind the scenes of NXT. WWE has a partnership with Full Sail University, and the NXT technical crew is made up of students enrolled at the school. They don’t have the experience of a Kevin Dunn, and they only get one shot at making the night go smoothly. Talk about pressure! So much can go wrong that it makes me sweat just thinking about it! If you don’t think those kids are looking at ArRIVAL as one of the biggest nights in their careers, think again.

WWE management will be watching too. Yes, WWE is offering Wrestlemania XXX as part of the WWE Network, but this will be their first event to broadcast live. It is the first real test to see if the technology will work at the level they want, and to see if subscribers will tune in for this kind of programming. WWE has done an excellent job of promoting this event as a big deal. They’re even bringing in an all star panel for the pre-show with Kevin Nash, Bret Hart, and Paul Heyman. They’re investing a lot in this project and want it to succeed because if it does, it could mean increased viewership among those curious and even some WWE Network subscribers with word of mouth.

This also has the potential to be a huge night for the WWE Universe as well. Many fans may not have even heard of NXT before the network launch, or not know Sami Zayn, Adrian Neville, or Paige. But Thursday has the potential to change all that. They have the chance to discover fresh new talent and watch them evolve into WWE superstars. More importantly, they have a chance to develop relationships with these characters. Learn to love or hate them before they are called up to the main roster. All it takes is one viewing, one show.

When you think about it, NXT ArRIVAL bears many similarities to the first Wrestlemania. Wrestlemania was broadcast via closed circuit, a relatively new technology at the time for sporting events and certainly uncharted waters for professional wrestling, just as the WWE Network is an unknown world, with untold rewards and repercussions. Wrestlemania was the first event of it’s kind, and it’s not unfair to say that ArRIVAL is unlike anything both NXT and WWE has tried before. And not unlike the first Wrestlemania, it is a chance for all those involved with NXT to stand up and be noticed by an audience that might not have otherwise. While I’m sure most people would say that NXT ArRIVAL won’t change the world of professional wrestling, I’d remind them that they said the same thing about Wrestlemania.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on NXT and their upcoming show ArRIVAL. What you love about it, what you hate about it. Why you’re indifferent or excited about it. All I ask is that you use #LWOS and #NXTArrival. Most of all, if you happen to subscribe to WWE Network, please watch the show, because there’s a writer up here in the great white north who would love to watch history be made on Thursday.

Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter – @AdamContant. Support #LWOS by following us on Twitter –@LastWordOnSport – and “liking” our Facebook page.

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