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rzombie1988

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Loved the main event, but agree that it doesn't seem as impressive after Cena/Bryan and Punk/Lesnar.  Sort of wish they would have edited a few things around and found a way to get this on an earlier episode.  I've been hearing about it for over a month.

 

Still, great work.  Cesaro's chin lock is the best cut off spot in wrestling right now.  When you throw in the spin, it does actually look like a finisher somehow.  I hope he ends raw matches with it when they eventually push him again.  I'm about 99% sure they know what they have in the guy, so he can continue on as the solid hand who gets beat for the time being.

 

Completely agree that Zayn > Generico.  

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I think the real reason the Antonio/Zayn match deserves the hype it got is what it might mean for both guys in the future. That there was ANY hype at all from an NXT taping is notable enough (much like the Antonio/Kofi match). But now both guys have a solid stake in the company and will draw eyes from this point forward. Which should be exciting for ROHbots like me who watched them come up for years. Lots of good matches this year sure... but it would appear there are a boatload more on the way.

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I think the real reason the Antonio/Zayn match deserves the hype it got is what it might mean for both guys in the future. That there was ANY hype at all from an NXT taping is notable enough (much like the Antonio/Kofi match). But now both guys have a solid stake in the company and will draw eyes from this point forward. Which should be exciting for ROHbots like me who watched them come up for years. Lots of good matches this year sure... but it would appear there are a boatload more on the way.

 

There were other matches from the WWE's farm system that got a decent amount of hype. Ambrose/Rollins did. So did Ambrose/Regal and Ohno/Regal.Some people crapped a bit on Ambrose/Rollins but I thought it was a terrific Ironman match, which is my favorite gimmick. Just a heated match between two dudes who hated each other but couldn't even pin each other (it was set up by a bunch of time limit draws), let alone beat the other guy. So one the pinfalls happened, it was IMPORTANT. And it definitely felt like the future was coming. Those dudes (and Roman) have been awesome in The Shield. I even think Ambrose has been misused a bit since he's an A+ mic guy.Ambrose/Regal was just an awesome climax to the relationship between the two that developed over time. Ambrose punked Regal at some point (I forget the exact details) and it woke Regal's inner demons. The match that capped the feud was a disgusting brawl that saw Ambrose target Regal's eardrum. Post-match, it ended with a knocked out Regal getting to his knees seeing he was unable to defend himself against Ambrose's incoming knee trembler. Regal applauded Ambrose as a sign of respect (it's what he would have done) and then was crushed.Regal/Ohno was another nasty brawl that involved Regal attacking fingers.I also loved the six man Regal was involved with against the Wyatt's. It wasn't high-end like these matches but was really effective in how it was structured. That match is proof that those dudes can work in the realm of their characters like no one else.

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Just watched highlights and the finish from the Zayn/Cesaro match, and that was a rather epic finish. Why Cesaro isn't competing higher up the card is mind-boggling. Same with Zayn.... that tornado DDT through the ropes to the ramp.... wow.

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Just watched highlights and the finish from the Zayn/Cesaro match, and that was a rather epic finish. Why Cesaro isn't competing higher up the card is mind-boggling.

 

I think Cesaro's biggest problem is that he hasn't connected with the crowd yet.  He's a pretty vanilla heel and hasn't shown much of a personality yet (other than the WWE youtube stuff).  I'd actually like to see him as a face with a bit wackier personality.

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Just watched highlights and the finish from the Zayn/Cesaro match, and that was a rather epic finish. Why Cesaro isn't competing higher up the card is mind-boggling.

 

I think Cesaro's biggest problem is that he hasn't connected with the crowd yet.  He's a pretty vanilla heel and hasn't shown much of a personality yet (other than the WWE youtube stuff).  I'd actually like to see him as a face with a bit wackier personality.

 

 

There was a period from the end of last year through the beginning of this year where Cesaro seemed like he was getting over.  Things leveled off with his push and that was that 

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Why Cesaro isn't competing higher up the card is mind-boggling.

It was more important that he jobbed to Darren Young this week on Smackdown.

 

 

I think it's telling that he did, though. WWE, for obvious reasons, wants to make Young look good. Given that it's Cesaro they chose to put him over, I think that speaks to their high opinion of his in-ring abilities.

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Thoughts on the latest show

 

- Bayley vs AJ told a cool story but the match itself was a little awkward.

- The Ascension squash was fun

- I loved the announcers being totally baffled by Parker.

- Renee Young's reactions to the Parker/Breeze confrontation were great.  She's really good at being the normal person surrounded by weirdos.

-  Russev vs Ziggler got better as it went on.  I dig Russev as the Bulgarian Savage.

- Cersaro vs Sami was awesome, with some great moments by both guys.

 

She's used to this - she used to work at theScore.

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-Bayley-AJ was a lot of fun.  The only time besides the anger management that I've heard a crowd chant for a hug.  I liked how AJ turned Bayley's hugging around to attackher, then when Bayley finally got her hug in and turned it into a (albeit weak-looking) offensive move.  Entertaining.

-Ascension match was...well...I'm still going with their gimmick being time-traveling gay clubbers from the future...

-CJ Parker's the first NXT character I've seen in the last little while where I feel like his gimmick is...off.  If he were going to be a heel, as Greggulator said, he should be more of a modern hippie.  If we're sticking with him as a face, he should be funnier/wackier (I'm thinking like T.J. Miller from 'Our Idiot Brother'), heck I'd even take him in the direction of The Dude.  But, spaced-out, peace-loving, stupid-dancing hippie doesn't seem like something that's EVER going to get over with fans without being a really great wrestler which...Parker isn't.  Like, you could've stuck that gimmick on Zayn and he would've still gotten over based off his wrestling, but Parker's going to need something to click.  I'm perfectly okay with Breeze doing the Zoolander gimmick, but I'm not sure I'm down with him actually doing the voice, as well.  I liked that he used the word 'please' when he told  him to stop ruining his photos.

-I REALLY dug Ziggler-Rusev.  Rusev has a pretty amazing look (I MIGHT give him furry John Nord boots...but I also like the barefoot look) and actually looked pretty solid in here.  I'm not sure that the gimmick can get over in 2013 WWE but man he looked good here.  The spinning wheel kick was cool and the top rope splash was NUTS.  

-Zayn-Cesaro was terrific.  I feel like the announcers undersold the chinlock until after it lead to the fall, they maybe should've been tipped off to put the chinlock over more and both seemed shocked by it.  Third fall was nuts, though.  You could probably do this match on Raw (Say with Cesaro holding a title) and have Zayn over like crazy tomorrow.

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Thoughts on the latest show

 

- Bayley vs AJ told a cool story but the match itself was a little awkward.

- The Ascension squash was fun

- I loved the announcers being totally baffled by Parker.

- Renee Young's reactions to the Parker/Breeze confrontation were great.  She's really good at being the normal person surrounded by weirdos.

-  Russev vs Ziggler got better as it went on.  I dig Russev as the Bulgarian Savage.

- Cersaro vs Sami was awesome, with some great moments by both guys.

 

She's used to this - she used to work at theScore.

 

And they broke her in by pairing her with Mean Gene on WWE Classics Rewind (or whatever the hell that show is called).

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It's kinda remarkable how much better the women's wrestling is on NXT compared to Raw/Smackdown.  I mean, Bayley-AJ wasn't anything spectacular or anything, but it was entertaining and didn't make you want to scream at the TV/leave.  Then you turn to Raw and have two (two!) separate women who use an ass to the face as a signature move!

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EPISODE REVIEW!I really hate Corey Graves and The Ascension. But I liked how this got set up. Corey was kicking game to Renee/waiting to do an interview when he got assaulted in a cheap shot. The Ascension did some great "bad guy from MST3K film in the Mike era" taunting laughs.Tyler Breeze's gimmick is great. I loved how he cowardly fled anytime CJ Parker indicated he was going after his face. He's still got a lot to go before he's ready for primetime but he'll be on the main roster at some point. This match, though, had a great terrible ending. Tyler knocked CJ out with his iPhone. What, a model who spends all day taking selfies wouldn't have a $2,000 protective case on that thing?Emma/Renee Young was pretty funny. Renee does exasperated really well.  Emma's goofy charm knows no pounds. Summer Rae swatting away Emma's leftover bubbles was a great little bit if prissy heeling.Emma/Summer Rae was pretty solid. Emma tried to go for her submission early and then got into a nasty little catfight with Summer. Summer used her horribleness as a person to gain advantage and then worked on Emma's left shoulder. She did a fairly decent impression of ADR in terms of finding a weak body part and going for it. Summer also did some great taunts mocking Emma's dance moves. Emma ended up back in control, hit her version of the tarantula that she teased earlier in the match (I hear you, dolt in the crowd, chanting ECW) and ended it with the Emma Lock that made Summer Rae tap immediately. After the match, Summer poured Emma's bubble solution in her face. Emma sold it like it was some sort of toxic agent. Regal also put it over, too. Summer stood over her making fun of her dance while pretending she was blind. This wasn't epic or groundbreaking. But this was good professional wrestling -- a decent match that saw moves executed pretty well and ended in ridiculous fashion. 

This makes the whole Total Divas thing that much more depressing. Sara Del Rey and everyone in NXT is training these girls really well. At the very least, they know how to tell a competent in-ring story in their allotted time. (Paige and Emma, in fact, had a really good match to decide the first champion.) They execute their moves decently well, for the most part. They have good characters besides "bimbo." I know the Total Divas crew have a huge E! rating but all of the current group of NXT girls are way more entertaining than the Bellas/Funkadactyls/Rookies. Sigh.A French guy who is mostly shirtless and wears a giant gaudy cross manages some redneck goof and is obsessed with making money. He's trying to broker a deal with some Test looking goof and his manager who looks like he's in some weird Color Me Badd rip-off band that you'd see in like Season 3 of the original 90210. This is why I love NXT -- parts of it are actually really good and parts of it are great indie weird mismatches. The Test dude/Enzo Amore combo also is a great look at the subtle differences of Jersey culture. The redneck goof called them Jersey Shore wannabe's. They got upset at that. They are Jersey Shore wannabes but aren't Seaside guido trash. They're more Wildwood human garbage.

 

Summer is in the back and is confronted by Sasha. This had a great Degrassi: Next Generation vibe. Summer explained why she's "up there" and Sasha and the rest aren't. She's willing to do whatever it takes, even if it's not popular. Also, SummerSlam was named after her. Sasha has a match in two weeks against Paige. Summer told her that she needs to get a mean streak or she's going to lose. I like this -- Summer justifies her awfulness and is not trying to corrupt someone into following her. And we see the payoff in two weeks.

 

Dawson/Enzo was sorta there. It ended with that Bulgarian dude in the toga ran down and attacked Enzo's boy Cass. The French dude raised the Bulgarian dude's hand in triumph -- I guess paid him off. So great that a French slimebag has arranged to have a stable of some redneck mesh hat guy and a Bulgarian muy-Thai expert who wrestles barefoot and dresses like he's in some Gladiator LARP deal.

 

They (rightly) hype up the Cesaro/Zain classic. Sami comes out wearing a jeffcap and Against Me shirt underneath a blazer -- if you substitute Against Me with Less Than Jake, you have the same exact wardrobe I wore in 1996 or so. I approve of this message. Sami's character of being a nice guy is so great. It sounds so genuine. Bo Dallas is an amazing tool. Zeb comes out and calls Bo a "hardworking American" before taunting Sami some more before Swagger attacks him from behind. Sets up a future Bo/Sami match but with Cesaro's running buddy looking to get his licks in first.

 

Nevile/O'Brian had a match. This was also just sorta there. Nevile's got great spots but Conor's a total load. Rik VIctor (we don't make fun of his hairline enough) lays Neville out after the victory. Graves comes out with his ribs taped up to help his brother but he goes down, too. Whatever.

 

Thank you, NXT, for being you. As always.

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-  If all Connor O'Brian did was crush dudes and use his supervillain laugh, he'd be the best.

-  I thought Parker/Breeze was a decent opener.  Shame on the announcer for not mentioning that Tyler Breeze had entered the building though

-  Emma's pretty decent at being able to cut a serious promo and then slide back into being a goof.

- Tyler Breeze left the building,

- If Emma's fans are Emmacrats does that make Summer's fans Raepublicans?  Really fun match, I think Summer should use that grounded full nelson as a finish, it looks pretty cool.

-  Enzo's hair is something else.  Lefort and Dawson's exchange about getting paid was the best.  Does this make Enzo and Big Cass good guys now?

-  Summer Rae was pretty good at trying to lure Sasha to the darkside.

-  The whole Enzo/Dawson match/angle was perfect.  The crowd loves Enzo, which got them to hate Dawson more.  Enzo got to show off a bit and we get more Rusev so it's all good.

-  Sami hitting on Renee was cute.  Bo being delusional is great.  Zeb was Zeb and Swagger killed Sami with that powerbomb.  What more could I ask for?

-  The Neville/O'Brian match was better than I expected.  Neville hit a really nice 450.

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I reviewed the show here:
http://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2013/08/wwe-nxt-8282013-results-and-review.html

 

Audio review is here -


Overall thoughts: Pretty good show overall. There was only one real good match but the characters, angles and interviews were all really good here. I smiled, I laughed and I had a great time watching this show. This is clearly the best wrestling show on TV and there is something for everyone here. Check this one out.

Some shots from the show:
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Cheers for the heads up that NXT is on Hulu now. Awesome. About half way through this week and damn, it's really fun wrestling TV. Sami Zayn is a complete natural. Though I wish after he had asked the crowd if they were saying BOOOOOO or BO-OOOOO, he'd said "Oh, you were saying BOO-URNS".

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Had to start with September 26th since there seems to be a pretty big gap at one point.  In the middle of the show right now.  Fun little Bo Dallas/Now Curtis Axel opener.  It's interesting how they mix in some of the WWE main roster guys too - this one has a RyBack squash on it.  Main Event is Steamboat/Ohno which I'm looking forward to.

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