WEDF NXT: Episode 1 -- 11th May 2015

[Joshua Bishop]

The future is NOW! Tonight, we are proud to launch the official developmental brand for WEDF, and we have a lot in store for you! Step up and experience the future waiting in store for the WEDF!

This is my current focus as I am undecided on the future of iPW with 2k14. Never say never, but I'm just so invested in this atm

[MainEventQuality]

What happened to the other developmental WEDF had? Or am I thinking of something else. It was DCO or something.

[Joshua Bishop]

You're right, Dre. It was DCO.

DCO was more or less D.O.A. as far as the idea and its implementation. Looking back retrospectively, it seemed like Frank wanted to treat DCO as more of a third brand than a developmental system. That's why guys on his main roster (i.e. Lesnar/Lashley - and notably Suspect, who returned because he was the last to have the DCO Championship iirc when Danny ran it for the original version of NAW) would appear. He was hoping to boost DCO's awareness by supplementing it with his own roster, but the problem with that theory is exactly like I mentioned - identity crisis. So is this a developmental brand? Is this a third brand to replace your "ECW" style brand? What is DCO? Why does it need to be here? And if it is a developmental, why are the main roster guys appearing every week? What purpose does Suspect have being here beyond the first month? Why does Suspect carry the belt and call himself DCO Champion while actively pursuing a mid-card belt that should outweigh the importance of the developmental's top belt?

In all fairness, it is probably fine that Suspect was awarded his title back - Suspect, other than Danny Jackpot or Smokey at this time, is a well known CAW in WEDF's universe. Let him return to DCO and drop his old crown to someone else and boom, have a guy everyone will pay more attention to and you can let Suspect go on his merry way on the main roster while allowing him to give back to his old stomping grounds. (To be fair, Suspect had been a WEDF Superstar before the creation of DCO - but still, he had been a DCO talent by the time Danny actually closed it down - unless I've got my history mixed up, which I'm sure I do as this is 5-6 years in the past.)

The other thing that ultimately lead to the dissolution of DCO was the clash of egos and booking decisions that were coming down from all the critics of DCO's handling - some reasonable, some irrational and overblown (And I am not innocent as far as that "irrational and overblown" part goes.) - but this ultimately lead to a lot of stress for Frank. So, he stopped doing DCO because he didn't enjoy doing it. It felt like a chore to him and everyone wanted a say on how the show should be, who should be getting shine, who should be the face of the brand, etc.

That's the difference between then and now. NXT may be more like WEDF mirroring WWE (which I feel is fine because like my good friend, Patch [whom you may remember as Shetty], pointed out many times, it's easier to accept WEDF like a WWE fantasy fed - kinda like OTE or BJGrand's custom vids.), but I feel confident saying that I'm at least more headstrong about what direction I want to go in and who I want on the show compared to the trainwreck that was DCO's chain of command. If I ever had any doubts I would ask the ones I trust the most for advice - and those people know who they are because I talk to them nearly every day, even if I act silly and nonsensical most of the time.

[MainEventQuality]

OMFG, that was the most long-winded way to say "yeah, it got stupid so Frank closed it" lol

Thanks for the backstory.

[Joshua Bishop]

Yeah, I usually have to do that.

Some people just don't leave it at simple "Well, this happened" because the next thing that usually happens (at least for me, I dunno about you) is "WHY AND HOW WAS THIS A THING?"

So I just threw it all out there and we can move on with our lives