NXT, the WWE’s Minor League, Is Coming to the Tower Theater

Photo via WWE

Wrestling had an incredible boom period in the late-1990s and early-2000s. Two major promotions, WWF and WCW, aired competing shows on Monday nights. Ratings swelled. Independent promotions, like Philadelphia’s Extreme Championship Wrestling, captivated fans with innovative storylines and (sometimes) large amounts of blood and gore. But many of those fans have drifted away. The only major player now is the renamed WWE, which (for all its entertaining storylines) is aimed at children.

But in the last year or so, many fans who subscribe to the WWE Network have begun singing the praises of WWE’s minor league, NXT. WWE NXT features wrestlers in WWE developmental ranks. It doesn’t have the glitz and glamour of WWE, but many people find it a refreshing alternative to the sometimes-stale performers on top of the WWE. It’s essentially WWE’s indie-style wrestling promotion.

With this added popularity for WWE NXT, it’s now going on tour. It’ll be at the Tower Theater on May 14th and 15th.

For fans of indie promotions that tour Philadelphia often, like Ring of Honor or Combat Zone Wrestling, there are several former Philly indie performers on NXT currently. The former Kevin Steen and El Generico — rechristened Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn — have continued their long feud in NXT. The former Sami Callihan is now a hacker named Solomon Crowe. (ROH also has events that week at the old ECW Arena.)

Tickets went on sale at 10 a.m. this morning. They cost between $45.50 and $94.50 with fees. Presale tickets went on sale Wednesday and sold out quickly, so it’s a hot ticket. Probably best to order now if you’re interested.