(NEXSTAR) – Casual fans of professional wrestling who are familiar with WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) may see headlines about NXT moving to the CW Network in October and wonder, “Exactly what is NXT and how is it different than 'WWE RAW' or 'Smackdown'?” The short answer: NXT is part of WWE, and it's integral in developing its future superstars. NXT started as a way to feature up-and-coming wrestlers that WWE hoped would be its future WrestleMania superstars. Paul “Triple H” Levesque, the current WWE chief content officer, launched NXT in 2012 as a training center to give its athletes real-world reps and gain experience.  NXT started as a small television show to showcase newer talents and quickly grew in popularity, developing its own brand and fanbase. Its initial batch of superstars included names like Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Charlotte Flair and Bray Wyatt. Over the years, NXT has put on sold-out arena shows, premium live events on Peacock, and will now be available on network television when it debuts on CW on Tuesday, Oct. 1 at 8 p.m. ET. NXT Women's Champion Roxanne Perez is introduced at an NXT show. (WWE via CW Network) So is NXT essentially WWE’s minor league? Yes and no. While it does feature some up-and-comers who could be considered draft picks or developmental talents, it also regularly spotlights stars with quite a bit of experience who may be a better fit for NXT’s style, or not have an active role on WWE’s flagship programs "RAW" and "Smackdown." As an example, current NXT champ Ethan Page has been a wrestler for nearly 20 years and could be performing on WWE’s main roster. WWE mainstay Baron Corbin, who defeated hall-of-famer Kurt Angle in his retirement match, recently did an extended program in NXT preparing Bron Breakker for his "WWE RAW" debut. Nearly 90% of the participants in last year’s WrestleMania were developed under the NXT banner, according to WWE. Interestingly enough, NXT is led by “Mr. WrestleMania” Shawn Michaels. Michaels is a former multi-time WWE champ, and regarded as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. NXT fans would tell you this product offers more emphasis on in-ring action versus the traditional WWE product, which is more storyline driven. If you’re a fan of intense competition and athleticism, you should love NXT.  How to watch football without cable If you’re a first-time viewer, you’ll notice NXT has high production value but usually takes place in a small venue designed for television rather than an in-person fan experience.  Occasionally, there are exceptions to that rule, like the first two episodes of NXT on CW, which takes the show on the road: NXT will visits the Allstate Arena in Chicago on Tuesday, October 1, and the Enterprise Center in St. Louis on Tuesday, October 8. Additionally, the live arena shows will feature special appearances by WWE Superstar CM Punk in Chicago and WWE Superstar Randy Orton in St. Louis. Wondering who to watch for? In NXT, it’s often worth starting with their champions. The athletes who hold titles including the NXT Championship, NXT Women's Championship, and NXT North American Championship are usually top stars — often being primed for positions on WWE’s main roster. Should you give NXT a shot? If you're intrigued by wrestling but you think it's mostly monster-sized men and silly characters pushing each other around, you'll probably be pleasantly surprised by the imagination, innovation and athleticism that NXT brings to the table. And who knows: you might just be watching the next Roman Reigns. (Video produced by CW Network with in-ring footage contributed by WWE)