As well as a new look, a new theme song, and a new vibe, the debut episode of NXT 2.0 featured some fresh faces, including a young Italian-American amateur wrestler with the ring name Tony D'Angelo.
D'Angelo introduced himself to the WWE Universe in a pretaped vignette in which he was walking down a Chicago street talking directly to the camera in front of him. D'Angelo talked about his family's business connections and used terms like "waste management" which, thanks to several decades worth of mafia-based media like The Sopranos, are typically associated with organized crime. Young Tony didn't use the words "crime" or "mafia" or "mob" but the implication was clear: Tony comes from a crime family ... in kayfabe, obviously.
Whether or not a mafia-inspired character can get over in 2021 remains to be seen, but the effort is so audacious that you have to respect WWE for trying. Sure, it's been done several times before and you could argue that forcing a mob gimmick on an Italian-American wrestler is not just lazy but also downright offensive, but let's see how it plays out. D'Angelo (real name, Joe Ariola) did a great job with the material he was given, so it's possible that he's charismatic enough to make it work.
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The first episode of NXT 2.0 had a throwback vibe to it in more ways than one. It's clear that WWE intends to take the brand back to its developmental roots, and elements of the show were strikingly reminiscent of those early black and yellow days. But beyond that, the new set made the show feel like an episode of WCW WorldWide and two Superstars who are clearly being primed for big pushes are Von Wagner (the son of Beau Beverly) and Bron Breakker (the son of Rick Steiner), who are both impressive physical specimens who wouldn't have looked out of place on WWE's 1992 roster. Add the impending arrival of a cartoonish character like Tony D'Angelo into the mix, and you can see what WWE is going for with its revamped version of NXT.
