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rzombie1988

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Yeah, same exact card.

 

I forgot to mention Jason Jordan. I think he might be a break out star down the line. He has a great look and great charisma. 

 

Demott did pretty much the same exact bump in Tampa. Only when he did it there, he looked like he broke his leg/shin in the second rope. He stayed down for a good 5 minutes. One of the refs was checking on him and Demott bonked the Ref with a shot to the for-head. The ref walked away after that. Either he likes taking that bump and selling it, or he messed up back to back.

Did Crowe win with the Black Out move?

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I forgot to mention Jason Jordan. I think he might be a break out star down the line. He has a great look and great charisma. 

 

From what I remember from Naylor's Wrestling Observer Radio appearance Norman Smiley said Jordan picked up Wrestling the fastest of anyone he has ever taught. The kid seems to be a natural. The key now for him is a continual commitment to improve and fulfil initial potential. 

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I need to listen to Naylors interview. How can I get it? Do I have to subscribe?

 

Jordan comes from an athletic background, so he is probably so used to training and practice and of course the dude has probably got some insane natural talent.

 

Plus, water stays in his hair...

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Enzo's injury is a tragedy.  He'll make a great manager in the meantime, at any rate.  I would buy one of those SAWFT T-shirts.

 

I literally did not recognize any of the lumberjacks that wasn't Tyler Breeze.

What SAWFT t-shirt?

 

 

Enzo and Cass were wearing them in the backstage bit with Aiden.  Just had the hand with the finger pointing outward and the word "SAWFT".

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Enzo's injury is a tragedy.  He'll make a great manager in the meantime, at any rate.  I would buy one of those SAWFT T-shirts.

 

I literally did not recognize any of the lumberjacks that wasn't Tyler Breeze.

What SAWFT t-shirt?

 

 

CORQEVv.jpg

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I find the NXT divas to be massively overrated. Ring wise they aren't any better than the current roster who do fine (honestly better) when they are actually given more than two minutes.  What the NXT divas have going for them is pretty much character focus given to them by NXT. The problem is they more than likely won't have that on the main roster unless they luck out like Summer Rae getting a position next to character like Fandango.

 

I think the women on the main roster are definitely underestimated. AJ gets most of the praise but Nattie, Naomi, Alicia, and Kaitlyn have also had some really good matches over the last year or two. Even The Bellas and Tamina are showing improvement. But most of the NXT women (Paige, Bayley, Emma, and even Sasha to a lesser extent) came in with the experience advantage already so it's not even a fair comparison. 

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The weirdest thing about the lumberjack match was all the guys who haven't really been on TV yet. 

 

Also, I really didn't like that Ascension match much. A lot of the dosey-do stuff at the beginning seemed like it was the wrong sort of choreographed stuff for an Ascension match. Richards' bumps were over the top and that he really didn't sell the really scary belly to back flub was sort of ridiculous (that the hot tag wasn't hot at all didn't help). That said, some of the stuff the Pitbulls ate looked good; that might have been the best I've seen the Fall of Man look. 

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The weirdest thing about the lumberjack match was all the guys who haven't really been on TV yet. 

 

That seems to be a trend with NXT.  I went back and watched some old NXT from the beginning of this year (because I have free Hulu Plus & to hopefully encourage RIPPA to finish more retro-workrate reports) and most of the guys who would be part of the Shield/Big E brawls were dudes I've never seen before.  They either have an agreement with some obscure Florida indies when they need extra bodies and have a ton of random dudes training who aren't on TV.

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The match was awesome. I prefer Zayn/Cesaro more but that's just because I like matches that have some flying. Just a stylistic preference because this was such a smart, well put-together match. It was also really unique in that almost all of the match happened on the mat. Regal and Cesaro were in physical contact with each other for almost all of the mat -- not a lot (or any?) moves bouncing off the ropes, etc.

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The match was awesome. I prefer Zayn/Cesaro more but that's just because I like matches that have some flying. Just a stylistic preference because this was such a smart, well put-together match. It was also really unique in that almost all of the match happened on the mat. Regal and Cesaro were in physical contact with each other for almost all of the mat -- not a lot (or any?) moves bouncing off the ropes, etc.

 

Noticed that too. Some great, unique mat-reversals that had crowd ooh-ing and aah-ing. You had Cesaro attacking the knee which Regal sold expertly and Regal going after the arms so Cesaro couldn't lift him up for the Neutralizer. Put together very well.

 

Loved Regal's pre-match interview knowing he's the underdog old guy riding off into the  sunset and Cesaro's hesitation to finish off a man he respects and helped him get into the company. Shawn/Flair-esque in a small sense.

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It was different from the Ohno match, which was an all out slugfest, whereas this told the better story of Regal needing to use his guile to get by. Once again, he does the little things so well that everything pays off at the end. I'm quick to put this ahead of the Ohno match, which was more of a BattlArts type match, whereas this was worked liked a hybrid of that style, a Lucha maestro match and a World of Sport match. This might be Regal's crowning achievement and cements Cesaro as the best wrestler on the planet

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So much awesome stuff. 

 

My favorite three bits:

 

1.) Regal's foreshadowing of the leg selling after he got tossed across the ring on a counter early on. 

2.) Everything from the dickish kicks in the corner, to Cesaro grabbing the ropes and rising up to the chop block transition. One of my favorite visual segments ever in any match. I need someone to make Cesaro getting up like that an animated gif.

3.) When Regal comes back and works on BOTH biceps. For some reason that had me smiling like an idiot.

 

Every single thing after the failed knee trembler was just brilliant, from Cesaro being forced to fight with just his head and his legs to the strained battle over the Regal Stretch. Then he pops his arms back into place. It's the most well-thought out story-driven match I've seen in ages. It ends with Regal's hand sort of sliding down the referee's shoulder into the handshake. Man.

 

Which means... god damn it Gregg. There are so many themes and stories and so much performance art and little flourishes in that match and you just give us a lame "Well, I like flying more but they sure did nuzzle up against each other" post. Rewatch the thing and try again. 

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So much awesome stuff. 

 

My favorite three bits:

 

1.) Regal's foreshadowing of the leg selling after he got tossed across the ring on a counter early on. 

2.) Everything from the dickish kicks in the corner, to Cesaro grabbing the ropes and rising up to the chop block transition. One of my favorite visual segments ever in any match. I need someone to make Cesaro getting up like that an animated gif.

3.) When Regal comes back and works on BOTH biceps. For some reason that had me smiling like an idiot.

 

Every single thing after the failed knee trembler was just brilliant, from Cesaro being forced to fight with just his head and his legs to the strained battle over the Regal Stretch. Then he pops his arms back into place. It's the most well-thought out story-driven match I've seen in ages. It ends with Regal's hand sort of sliding down the referee's shoulder into the handshake. Man.

 

Which means... god damn it Gregg. There are so many themes and stories and so much performance art and little flourishes in that match and you just give us a lame "Well, I like flying more but they sure did nuzzle up against each other" post. Rewatch the thing and try again. 

 

Ha! I will I didn't have time to write up a lengthy tome yesterday but I just wanted to go on about how great a match it was.

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I loved that Regal's mugging to the crowd lead to him turning his back for the chop block. I almost viewed it as Regal evolved into such a comedy wrestler *on the main roster* that he couldn't help but try to get a laugh out of the crowd and it led to his knee being taken from him

 

As noted, everything about this was great. Regal is such a great promo, the matwork was great, the psychology was great, the finish, the post-match. Just a picture perfect timeless pro-wrestling match.

 

I get all the reasons why Regal isn't used more on Raw or SD. With his health history he shouldn't be on the road full-time, and at his age I'm sure they see him more valuable as a mentor/announcer than as a full-time guy, and really...I'd rather see him have a long, healthy life than try to push it a year or two too far, but, man...it'd be great if they gave him that kind of time on Raw against a guy like Cesaro or Ambrose or Rollins or had him in a tag against one of the really good teams. I think it'd get over. If 2013 was the year of the Goldie Renaissance, maybe Regal can have one last sustained run.

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Okay, I'll try again per Matt's order.

 

"This is wrestling." That's the chant the NXT audience broke out in the early part of the match. And I think that really just says it all.

The main thing that jumped out to me during the match is how stylistically different it is compared to what wrestling looks like these days. So much of this match are these guys in physical contact with each other. There's very little of anything off the ropes. The only time we see mat wrestling anymore is during submissions -- the Yes Lock and various reversals, Anaconda Vice, STF, etc. And even that's for such a small percentage of a match. Even guys who have amateur backgrounds, even those with that worked into their gimmicks like Kurt Angle, never put this much time on a mat. So much of this match, even beyond the opening segment, is on the mat. It's so interesting to see.

I love Regal working the kip up's early. That's such a great crowd bait spot. I mean, the NXT eats his stuff up anyways. But those kip ups lead to a "You Still Got It" chant -- well-played, Sir William. And it also looks like Regal gets confidence after it, too. Regal gets Cesaro up on his shoulders. He hooks in a nasty cross-armed surfboard thing, and even makes sure his shoulders aren't down as he does so. Even afterwards, he still works the cross-arm until Cesaro snapmares him out of it.

Cesaro gets in one of the weirdest and coolest strength spots. It's this weird reverse suplex thing out of a seated position. When was the last time the crowd popped for a strength spot from the ground like that?

It isn't until maybe 10 minutes into this thing that we have our first strikes. They come after Regal has Cesaro in the corner. The ref tries to separate them. Regal does a great "How am I cheating?" face to the ref and uses that distraction to really dickishly kick Cesaro in the face a bunch of times. Cesaro has this look in his face like "Oh, f this." Regal keeps this face up as he torments the ref but that leads to Cesaro getting up and chop blocking Regal into oblivion. He sells the chop block like he's blown out every ligament in his knee at once.

Cesaro now works Regal's knee on the mat. It's so interesting, though -- Regal is always reaching for a finger or hold, etc. Cesaro then takes off the knee brace. Cesaro eventually wraps Regal's leg around his head and hoists Regal up -- another mat strength spot that is so unique.

There's FINALLY a rope bounce. Regal gets some near falls via old-school roll-ups and backslides. He hits Cesaro with a Euro uppercut. Cesaro bounces off the ropes and explodes with one that's about 500 times harder.

Cesaro eventually gets the swing on and Tensai explains how bad a move it is to get hit with, and how it's hurting that damaged knee.

Regal counters the Neutralizer with a backdrop. He then immediately drops a knee to Cesaro's bicep. I mean, it's a kneedrop that you've seen 5,000 times. But it looks like the most vicious thing ever done because of Cesaro's reaction. Cesaro pushes Regal into the corner and charges for another European Uppercut but Regal then kicks the hell out of the OTHER bicep. How the hell does the strongest man alive deal with that?

Regal wants the knee trembler. But he doesn't have the leg strength to go for the move. Cesaro sees this. He headbutts Regal in the chest (the only weapon he has). He then goes for another but Regal knees him pretty much right in the temple. Oh man.

 

Regal goes for his butterfly suplex. Cesaro counters with a delayed bridge back thing. But Regal held on (!) and goes for the Regal Stretch. Cesaro, though, somehow fights to the ropes before Regal can get hook it on.

The end sequence I'm a bit hit-and-miss on. Cesaro uses a rare dropkick to send Regal to the mat. Cesaro then "resets his arm" into place in hopes to make his arm useful again. I sort of hate this. I don't think his elbow was dislocated. His biceps were worked over. That's not a joint popping thing. It's a muscle pain and pinched nerve thing.

We have another rope move, with Cesaro bouncing off and hitting his double stomp on Regal but right on his skull. Ugh. Regal looks legitimately dead.

Cesaro then looks sad as he's about to put Regal out with The Neutralizer. He looks down upon the man he looked up to -- who helped him get a job -- with total pity. The old dog finally gets up to his feet. Cesaro screams and puts Regal down for good. (More on this in a second.)

Post-match, Regal walks off and Cesaro stalks him, only to give shake his hand out of respect.

I sort of don't like the ending. The whole match was set up with Cesaro being a jerk to an announcer, Regal standing up to him and then realizing he may have bitten off a lot more than he could chew. It wasn't Cesaro looking to earn the respect of Regal. It was Cesaro looking to humiliate Regal. So him feeling bad about what he did at the end of the match and then offering his hand... Eh. I liked the end of his match against Zayn better where he pantomimed kicking dirt in his face. I liked the end of Regal/Ambrose better -- when Regal realized Dean got the better of him and applauded right before he ate his own finisher. I would have loved Cesaro to do some dastardly heel thing to Regal as opposed to shake his hand.

I can see why people would love this ending, though. But on a second watch... it sort of goes against what they just set up. To each their own.

The work in this is sterling, naturally. And it's absolutely completely different than anything else in years. There are no whips or even corner spots. Great, great stuff.

I still like Sami/Cesaro better. But like I said earlier -- that's just a preference for a babyface who can fly like Sami working off a heel base like Cesaro. That match had so many crazy spots -- the tornado floor DDT, Sami's dive, Cesaro's friggin' CHINLOCK, and the insane end sequence. And Cesaro was still such a total dick post-match as opposed to my thoughts on this end.

 

But if anyone wants to say this is the 2013 NXT MOTY, I'm not going to shout you down. It's Regal and Cesaro, who just rules right now.

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Okay, I'll try again per Matt's order.

 

"This is wrestling." That's the chant the NXT audience broke out in the early part of the match. And I think that really just says it all.

The main thing that jumped out to me during the match is how stylistically different it is compared to what wrestling looks like these days. So much of this match are these guys in physical contact with each other. There's very little of anything off the ropes. The only time we see mat wrestling anymore is during submissions -- the Yes Lock and various reversals, Anaconda Vice, STF, etc. And even that's for such a small percentage of a match. Even guys who have amateur backgrounds, even those with that worked into their gimmicks like Kurt Angle, never put this much time on a mat. So much of this match, even beyond the opening segment, is on the mat. It's so interesting to see.

I love Regal working the kip up's early. That's such a great crowd bait spot. I mean, the NXT eats his stuff up anyways. But those kip ups lead to a "You Still Got It" chant -- well-played, Sir William. And it also looks like Regal gets confidence after it, too. Regal gets Cesaro up on his shoulders. He hooks in a nasty cross-armed surfboard thing, and even makes sure his shoulders aren't down as he does so. Even afterwards, he still works the cross-arm until Cesaro snapmares him out of it.

Cesaro gets in one of the weirdest and coolest strength spots. It's this weird reverse suplex thing out of a seated position. When was the last time the crowd popped for a strength spot from the ground like that?

It isn't until maybe 10 minutes into this thing that we have our first strikes. They come after Regal has Cesaro in the corner. The ref tries to separate them. Regal does a great "How am I cheating?" face to the ref and uses that distraction to really dickishly kick Cesaro in the face a bunch of times. Cesaro has this look in his face like "Oh, f this." Regal keeps this face up as he torments the ref but that leads to Cesaro getting up and chop blocking Regal into oblivion. He sells the chop block like he's blown out every ligament in his knee at once.

Cesaro now works Regal's knee on the mat. It's so interesting, though -- Regal is always reaching for a finger or hold, etc. Cesaro then takes off the knee brace. Cesaro eventually wraps Regal's leg around his head and hoists Regal up -- another mat strength spot that is so unique.

There's FINALLY a rope bounce. Regal gets some near falls via old-school roll-ups and backslides. He hits Cesaro with a Euro uppercut. Cesaro bounces off the ropes and explodes with one that's about 500 times harder.

Cesaro eventually gets the swing on and Tensai explains how bad a move it is to get hit with, and how it's hurting that damaged knee.

Regal counters the Neutralizer with a backdrop. He then immediately drops a knee to Cesaro's bicep. I mean, it's a kneedrop that you've seen 5,000 times. But it looks like the most vicious thing ever done because of Cesaro's reaction. Cesaro pushes Regal into the corner and charges for another European Uppercut but Regal then kicks the hell out of the OTHER bicep. How the hell does the strongest man alive deal with that?

Regal wants the knee trembler. But he doesn't have the leg strength to go for the move. Cesaro sees this. He headbutts Regal in the chest (the only weapon he has). He then goes for another but Regal knees him pretty much right in the temple. Oh man.

 

Regal goes for his butterfly suplex. Cesaro counters with a delayed bridge back thing. But Regal held on (!) and goes for the Regal Stretch. Cesaro, though, somehow fights to the ropes before Regal can get hook it on.

The end sequence I'm a bit hit-and-miss on. Cesaro uses a rare dropkick to send Regal to the mat. Cesaro then "resets his arm" into place in hopes to make his arm useful again. I sort of hate this. I don't think his elbow was dislocated. His biceps were worked over. That's not a joint popping thing. It's a muscle pain and pinched nerve thing.

We have another rope move, with Cesaro bouncing off and hitting his double stomp on Regal but right on his skull. Ugh. Regal looks legitimately dead.

Cesaro then looks sad as he's about to put Regal out with The Neutralizer. He looks down upon the man he looked up to -- who helped him get a job -- with total pity. The old dog finally gets up to his feet. Cesaro screams and puts Regal down for good. (More on this in a second.)

Post-match, Regal walks off and Cesaro stalks him, only to give shake his hand out of respect.

I sort of don't like the ending. The whole match was set up with Cesaro being a jerk to an announcer, Regal standing up to him and then realizing he may have bitten off a lot more than he could chew. It wasn't Cesaro looking to earn the respect of Regal. It was Cesaro looking to humiliate Regal. So him feeling bad about what he did at the end of the match and then offering his hand... Eh. I liked the end of his match against Zayn better where he pantomimed kicking dirt in his face. I liked the end of Regal/Ambrose better -- when Regal realized Dean got the better of him and applauded right before he ate his own finisher. I would have loved Cesaro to do some dastardly heel thing to Regal as opposed to shake his hand.

I can see why people would love this ending, though. But on a second watch... it sort of goes against what they just set up. To each their own.

The work in this is sterling, naturally. And it's absolutely completely different than anything else in years. There are no whips or even corner spots. Great, great stuff.

I still like Sami/Cesaro better. But like I said earlier -- that's just a preference for a babyface who can fly like Sami working off a heel base like Cesaro. That match had so many crazy spots -- the tornado floor DDT, Sami's dive, Cesaro's friggin' CHINLOCK, and the insane end sequence. And Cesaro was still such a total dick post-match as opposed to my thoughts on this end.

 

But if anyone wants to say this is the 2013 NXT MOTY, I'm not going to shout you down. It's Regal and Cesaro, who just rules right now.

 

Just reading this makes me want to watch this match again so I believe I shall.

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