James Storm made his debut in NXT, and that is where he needs to remain.
I was there for the debut match, and his unadvertised surprise appearance drew a great crowd reaction. That reaction furthers my point to him being NXT only and not going to RAW or SmackDown.
There is a greater divide than most any other sport or entertainment in the fans who are casual pro wrestling fans and the ones who are hardcore, constantly searching for more information. The hardcore fans know who James Storm is, many more of the casual fans don’t. That is not a knock on Storm, it is reality.
His NXT debut in Orlando films 20 minutes away from where TNA Wrestling spent a decade filming their television at Universal Studios, where Storm was a featured talent. The NXT audience and product is geared around a general premise of smarter fans more invested in the genre and a product that has a throwback kind of feel from the mainstream entertainment format found on RAW and SmackDown.
So of course, the NXT audience is going to react to Storm, it’s a perfect fit. Storm walks out unadvertised on RAW, and there’s not nearly the same energetic reaction or care. There is a difference between having heard of someone and knowing about someone enough to invest your time and money into seeing them.
Storm can then be packaged and a story can be told to educate these fans on who he is, but why? He is 38, and in wrestling time, is such a precious commodity. There are only so many spots to be had on television, especially on RAW and SmackDown. Every month, you use a spot on a 38-year-old Storm, that’s a spot that can’t go to somebody 10 years younger who has put their time in the WWE system.
CLICK HERE for the rest of the column on what would happen if he went to RAW or SmackDown, his role in NXT and his future.
