My NXT project

[NikoBaltimore]

19 hours ago, Yo-Yo's Roomie said:

Hideo Itami Vs Justin Gabriel: The in-ring debut of Itami. Gabriel should be a good opponent for him, and it turns out to be the case. He makes all Itami's offence look good, and Hideo gets over really well. After Itami finishes Gabriel off with a top rope double stomp (I have to think that gets changed soon), the fucking Ascension do a run-in and lay Itami out with the Fall of Man. I don't think a newcomer who they want to push should be getting left lying after his very first match.

Looking at this post Itami was screwed from the start.  If they gave him at least a month of looking strong before this he might have fared a bit better.  But from the start he was the guy getting his ass kicked save for his debut until he had help.  Really wish they did his first month a lot better.

[Yo-Yo's Roomie]

9/25/14

Bull Dempsey Vs Mojo Rawley: Rematch from Takeover, which goes much the same way. Bull squashes him in less than a minute. He finishes with a flying headbutt instead of the Bulldozer. His flying headbutt looks like shit. I guess they lost interest in pushing Mojo. As Mojo is leaving after the match, Tyler Breeze makes his entrance for his match. Mojo, disrespectfully I feel, kinda pushes him aside as he passes, which Breeze does not like. Breeze sends Mojo into the ringpost, laying him out. Bad night for Mojo.

Tyler Breeze Vs Justin Gabriel: Weird to follow up that heelish act by Breeze by having him face another heel and have him basically play babyface in the match. Gabriel dominates most of the match, but Breeze catches him with the Beauty Shot for the win.

In the back, we see Natalya basically begging William Regal to give Tyson Kidd another NXT title match. Regal agrees, but says it will be his last shot as long as Neville is champion.

Bayley Vs Alexa Bliss: Bliss has new music. It's the opening refrain to her current music, followed by something generic. At least her ridiculous old music was memorable. This is wrestled as a clean cut babyface match, including the two high five-ing each other after one exchange. Bayley soon shows her superior class though, and picks up the win with the Bayley-To-Belly. She then grabs a mic and asks Charlotte to come out. She tells Charlotte that she feels like she let everyone down at Takeover, and asks for one more shot at the belt. Charlotte says she finally earnt her respect, and that it would be an honour to face her again. Not a big fan of babyfaces losing clean and then asking for another chance.

Another fun camera phone video of Cass, Enzo and Carmella at the performance centre. I'm liking these.

Enzo Amore Vs Marcus Louis: Louis has the Kurt Angle-style headgear with wig combo, but looks very embarrassed. Of course, it comes off in the match, which allows Enzo to roll him up and pick up the win. Poor Marcus.

Tyson Kidd cuts a promo in the back saying Nattie's heart is in the right place, but he doesn't need her to get him a title match. He says it's his last chance, and he will make it count, and points out that he's the only guy to hand Neville a defeat this year. This would have been a good promo, but was ruined by the fact that, for some reason, Tyson cut it like he was talking to someone off camera, rather than looking into the camera. I kept expect the camera to pan out to reveal who he was talking to, but it never did. Really weird way to stage a promo.

The Lucha Dragons Vs The Ascension: This is about as good a match as I think the Ascension are capable of having. It's solid. They're just such a dull team though. Towards the end of the match, Hideo Itami's music hits and he comes out to the top of the ramp. This distracts the Ascension enough for Kalisto to hit the Solida del Sol on Viktor and retain the belts. Konnor attacks Itami, but Itami lays him out with a kick, and that's how we end. Not a particularly good episode this week.

Episode MVP: Tyler Breeze.

 

[Yo-Yo's Roomie]

10/2/14

Charlotte Vs Bayley: We're kicking off with the women's title match. Charlotte comes out smiling and slapping some kids' hand. Hard to tell if she's a a babyface now or not. She is obviously the de facto heel in this match regardless. Another good match between these two, seeing Charlotte working over Bayley's leg. I think this is the debut of the figure-8, or at least the first time they really focused on it and put it over. Charlotte's matches need better finishes though, as the Natural Selection is just so anti-climactic, and is never really built to at all. After the match, Charlotte raises Bayley's hand and shakes it. Good work from these two tonight.

Hideo Itami Vs Viktor: This match never starts as The Ascension just attack Itami in the ring and lay waste to him. It's a decent beatdown that Itami sells well, but this booking of Itami is not good.

Another Enzo/Cass/Carmella video sees Mella get inside the ring for the first time. The gag with these vids is they always end with Enzo being embarrassed, and asking Cass not to post it. Here, Carmella dropkicks him out of the ring. I really like these videos.

Baron Corbin Vs Troy McClain: I think we've seen McClain before, as I seem to remember doing my Troy McClure joke for him. I'll say it; Corbin looks like a star here in NXT. Very quick squash.

The Legionnaires cut a video promo challenging Enzo and Cass to a match next week. I don't believe they've actually run this tag match yet, despite the two teams feuding for a long time.

The Vaudevillains Vs Tye Dillinger and Jason Jordan: The Vaudevillains have changed their music to something a bit more sinister sounding. Which is great timing considering they seem to be working babyface in this match. Jordan and Dilinger, I think, have a great look, and could have been a good team. Gotch and English are still yet to really impress me in the ring. They're over though. They pick up the win here.

Devin is interviewing Bayley in the back. I'm always so happy to see Devin. Bayley says that she won't give up and she gets closer to winning every time she steps in the ring with Charlotte. Really, Bayley? You've lost twice now. Time to get to the back of the queue. Ah, here's Sasha to tell it like it is. Sasha attacks Bayley and lays her out, and says she is going to show why she's the baddest boss in NXT.

Adrian Neville Vs Tyson Kidd: Titus O'Neil has a front row seat for this NXT title match. Alex Riley tells us that lives are on the line in this one. They're not though, are they? This is good, but I think is the weakest of the three singles matches they have had. They didn't really do much to get over the desperation of Kidd, this being his last shot and all. O'Neil gets involved, violently pulling Neville down to the ground, but before he can follow up, Sami Zayn comes out of nowhere and gives him a helluva kick. Neville is able to get back into the ring, and hit the Red Arrow for the win. Jojo announces that Tyson Kidd will get no more shots at the NXT title, which I think was unnecessary, and just rubbing salt into the wound. Nice continuation of the Neville/Zayn story, and bringing Titus into the mix.

Episode MVP: Bayley.

3 star match: Charlotte Vs Bayley.

[Yo-Yo's Roomie]

10/9/14

Tyler Breeze Vs Mojo Rawley: This is a bit of a burial of Mojo, whose recent booking continues to confuse me. Breeze works over the shoulder he injured the other week, locking in a Fujiwara armbar. The ref quickly calls for the bell deeming that Mojo can't continue. Very weird finish, especially if you remember back to that time the ref let Sami Zayn compete in a long match against Corey Graves when he was clearly (kayfabe) concussed. Mojo needs a reboot.

An Enzo and Cass video airs with them asking Regal to give Carmella a try-out. Regal watches Carmella in the ring, and agrees she can have a try-out match next week.

Hideo Itami Vs Viktor: Here's the match we were supposed to get last week. Konnor is absent from ringside. This is really ugly. Itami gets knocked loopy at some point, and is clearly in no state to continue the match, struggling to stand, let alone run the ropes. Where was the ref from the Mojo match when you need him? Then Konnor comes out carrying Funaki like a piece of luggage. Funny moment as Konnor doesn't seem to know what to do with Funaki. He looks like a door to door salesman coming home after a rough day on the road, looking for somewhere to throw down his bag but finding every surface is covered in his childrens' toys. Itami is momentarily distracted, but manages to hit some sort of boot to the face to beat Viktor. Konnor clears a surface to throw Funaki down, and then hits the ring. They beat down Itami, tie him in the ropes, and make him watch as they deliver Fall of Man to Funaki. I wouldn't have much of a problem with any of this if this wasn't literally Itami's first feud. I'd even be excited about the prospect of Funaki having a match, even against the Ascension. But this is a poor way to debut your hot new star.

The Vaudevillains Vs Enzo and Big Cass: Cass pops the crowd big before the match by comparing the Vaudevillains to Hey Arnold, and saying they never should have stepped off the stoop. The match was short, with the Vaudevillains picking up the win.

Sasha Banks Vs Becky Lynch: I hate Becky's intro and shtick here. The whole headbanger thing is lame as fuck. I'm ready for steampunk Becky. Now that was a cool look. Nice little match between these two, with Sasha picking up the win with the Banks Statement. Looks like we're heading towards Charlotte/Banks.

Titus O'Neil Vs Sami Zayn: This is a really well-worked big man/small man match, and a lesson in how effective role playing and a basic but proven match structure can yield good results. I'm not a big fan of Titus going over. I'm guessing they're gonna do a Titus/Neville match for the belt, but it would be nice if Sami could win a match every once in a while. But I did enjoy this a lot. After the match, Titus is getting ready to imflict more pain on Sami, but Neville comes out and gets Zayn out of harm's way. 

Episode MVP: Sami Zayn.

3 star match: Titus O'Neil Vs Sami Zayn.

[Yo-Yo's Roomie]

10/16/14

Baron Corbin Vs Elias Samson: Straight to action with Corbin picking up another quick squash win. The crowd is big into Corbin. 

Sami Zayn comes out and cuts a promo about his loss to Titus last week, saying that he's getting tired of losing and that he's better than that. He says it's time to refocus and go after the NXT title. Tyson Kidd's Teddy Ruxpin music hits and out comes NXT's MVP. I used to love the Teddy Ruxpin cartoon when I was a kid. I never had the toy though. I think it was a toy before a cartoon. They had that scientist guy. Newton Gadget was it? And then the caterpillar dude. Tyson says that Sami is pathetic, they throw some barbs back and forth, and we end up with our main event being made. Good work from both here.

The Lucha Dragons Vs Wesley Blake and Buddy Murphy: Nice little short match here. Murphy looks good, hitting a great deadlift suplex that pops the crowd. I like the finish with Sin Cara hitting a kind of 'victory roll bomb' I guess I would call it, off the second rope for the victory.

Mojo Rawley cuts a promo in the back saying he's going to be out for a while, but he isn't going to forget what Tyler Breeze did to him. Some time off is probably good for Mojo.

Charlotte Vs Becky Lynch: I feel like I've seen this match so many times in the past few months, between NXT and the main roster. This is probably their best NXT outing so far. Both women look good. Charlotte wins with the Natural Selection.

Enzo and Big Cass Vs The Legionnaires: I thought we were supposed to get this match last week, but we obviously didn't. We don't really end up getting it here either, as Lefort accidentally pulls off Louis's headgear/wig, and Louis loses it, beating the hell out of Lefort. My feeling is that this is the last I'll see of these two. Cass grabs the mic and says we can get another match here. He calls out 'Blue Pants' from the back, and a girl wearing, yes, blue pants, comes out. Cass then introduces Carmella.

Carmella Vs Blue Pants: Big 'let's go Blue Pants' chant from the crowd. Blue Pants is independent wrestler Leva Bates. Very quick match with Carmella getting the tap-out win with the Code of Silence. She looks fine, but her debut was overshadowed by the crowd latching on to the Blue Pants thing.

Backstage bit with Becky Lynch chastising Sasha Banks for her attack on Bayley recently. Banks says Becky needs to find an edge if she's going to survive in NXT, and asks her how many times she's lost to Charlotte now. Nice callback here to the way Summer Rae corrupted Sasha both in the content and the setting (in front of a mirror, applying make-up).

Neville cuts a promo about defending his NXT title defense against Titus O'Neil next week. Neville has improved a lot on promos.

Sami Zayn Vs Tyson Kidd: Really nice match between these two, with Tyson being a a great douchebag, and Sami showing lots of heart. Sami ends up pulling it out, surviving the sharpshooter and hitting a Helluva Kick for the win, and to get his so-called 'Road To Redemption' off and running.

Episode MVP: Tyson Kidd.

3 star match: Tyson Kidd Vs Sami Zayn.

[Brian Fowler]

BLUE PANTS!!!~

[Ramo2653]

11 hours ago, Yo-Yo's Roomie said:

Enzo and Big Cass Vs The Legionnaires: I thought we were supposed to get this match last week, but we obviously didn't. We don't really end up getting it here either, as Lefort accidentally pulls off Louis's headgear/wig, and Louis loses it, beating the hell out of Lefort. My feeling is that this is the last I'll see of these two. Cass grabs the mic and says we can get another match here. He calls out 'Blue Pants' from the back, and a girl wearing, yes, blue pants, comes out. Cass then introduces Carmella.

Carmella Vs Blue Pants: Big 'let's go Blue Pants' chant from the crowd. Blue Pants is independent wrestler Leva Bates. Very quick match with Carmella getting the tap-out win with the Code of Silence. She looks fine, but her debut was overshadowed by the crowd latching on to the Blue Pants thing. 

Backstage bit with Becky Lynch chastising Sasha Banks for her attack on Bayley recently. Banks says Becky needs to find an edge if she's going to survive in NXT, and asks her how many times she's lost to Charlotte now. Nice callback here to the way Summer Rae corrupted Sasha both in the content and the setting (in front of a mirror, applying make-up).

 

Blue Pants! Odd to think that this really turned into a think for NXT for at least a year plus right?

I wish the main roster did stuff like the mirror of corruption just simple plot devices that call back to previous events. But that's not how it works.

I started watching right before Fatal 4 Way and I wasn't into Neville at all. Even though I dug his stuff as PAC in Dragon Gate. His character stuff after that point turned me though. He rounded into the Ace of NXT in my eyes.

[Brian Fowler]

I think it was a little less than a year altogether Leva was around, but it's still so strange how the audience just latched onto her and the ridiculous name.

[Ramo2653]

The culmination was her running off Alexa at NXT Brooklyn 1 right? Which was August of the next year.

Wiki also says she faced Alexa a few weeks after and then was in a random Nia Jax squash in December of that year.

[Brian Fowler]

I have no recollection of her showing up after TakeOver Brooklyn, but I'll take your/wiki's word for it.

[tbarrie]

22 hours ago, Yo-Yo's Roomie said:

I used to love the Teddy Ruxpin cartoon when I was a kid.

I only remember MAVO being ruled by the Supreme Oppressor. It's a good title. I'd like to be a Supreme Oppressor some day.

[Yo-Yo's Roomie]

36 minutes ago, tbarrie said:

I only remember MAVO being ruled by the Supreme Oppressor. It's a good title. I'd like to be a Supreme Oppressor some day.

We already have one of those.

[tbarrie]

Well... Canada doesn't.

[Yo-Yo's Roomie]

10/23/14

The Ascension Vs Jason Jordan and Tye Dillinger: Competitive squash win for the Ascension. Hideo Itami runs out and takes the attack to the Ascension, but pretty quickly gets overwhelmed and beaten down. Again. Baffling booking of Itami.

Tyler Breeze Vs CJ Parker: I'm not sure what they're doing with Breeze. He's still clearly a heel, but this is the second time in a few weeks that he's faced another heel, and basically played babyface in the match. Mojo Rawley, who just last week said he would be out for a while, comes out in the middle of the match with his arm in a sling, and watches the action. It's another shortish match with Breeze winning with the Beauty Shot.

Dasha is interviewing Titus O'Neil in the back. When did Dasha show up? All these interview chicks are interchangeable to me. Dasha, Charly, Kayla... Except Devin. Where's Devin? This interview made me laugh. Titus was such a dick to Dasha here, including barking like a dog in her face, and she just grins in approval like he's cutting a babyface promo. Titus/Neville tonight.

The Vaudevillains Vs Buddy Murphy and Wesley Blake: I think it was Alex Riley who said that Blake and Murphy want to be known as Team Thick. I'm glad that doesn't seem to be sticking. You'd have to be thick to think that was a good name. Blake gets more of a chance to shine in this match, and shows himself to be a competent wrestler in his own right. The Vaudevillains are another act that they can't seem to decide whether they want to be babyfaces or heels. They're faces in the crowd's eyes. They pick up the win with a new double team combo, an uppercut from Gotch into a snap neckbreaker from English.

Sasha Banks Vs Bayley: These two have their usual solid match. Sasha is getting so good with all the character stuff now, and has more star quality than anyone else on this show, in my opinion. Sasha wins with the Banks Statement and continues the attack after the bell. Becky Lynch runs in to make the save, but then attacks Bayley from behind. Sasha looks shocked, and then she and Lynch leave together. 

Adrian Neville Vs Titus O'Neil: This match highlights the difference in quality between Sami Zayn and Neville because, whereas Zayn was able to have a really enjoyable match with Titus, just down to his babyface charisma, this match is kind of boring. And you can't put it on Titus, because he gives another solid big man performance here. Two standout spots; Neville taking a gnarly bump to the outside, and Titus casually tossing Neville aside after hitting a pair of backbreakers. The height differential between these two does make for an impressive visual too. It just doesn't really engage. Neville wins with the Red Arrow. After the match Sami Zayn comes out and congratulates Neville, but tells him that he's gunning for his belt. Neville says he'll face him anytime, adding that everyone knows Zayn can't win the big one. This was nicely done.

Episode MVP: Sasha Banks.

[JonnyLaw]

On 4/24/2019 at 12:06 AM, Brian Fowler said:

I think it was a little less than a year altogether Leva was around, but it's still so strange how the audience just latched onto her and the ridiculous name.

It seemed so un-WWE of them to run with Leva as much as they did while seemingly having no interest in actually signing her.

Edited April 25, 2019 by JonnyLaw

[Ramo2653]

I know I've mentioned this in a thread a few years ago, but whoever was in charge of hiring backstage interview/ring announcers had a type and went on a streak. Between Charley, Andrea Ocampo, Dasha and Kayla (and even Cathy Kelly if you want to stretch), they were all dark haired, kinda racially ambiguous women.

With Dasha gone, I wonder who they'll pick up next.

FYI, looks like Devin is a CDB connoisseur and is hawking vegan smoothies on her Instagram nowadays.

[Yo-Yo's Roomie]

10/30/14

Pre-credits backstage bit sets up Zayn Vs Titus II for the main event tonight. I like this simple story of Zayn trying to redeem himself by beating guys he's lost to/had issues with before. It would be awesome if Cesaro was the final boss.

The Vaudevillains Vs The Ascension Vs Tye Dillinger and Jason Jordan Vs Buddy Murphy and Wesley Blake Vs Enzo and Big Cass: Tag team battle royal for the number one contendership to kick things off. What happened to the Mechanics, i wonder. They had that one match a few months back and then nothing. Injury, I assume. Not really much to this. The Ascension are booked as the dominant force, taking out the 'no name' teams first, and then Enzo and Cass. The Vaudevillains spent some time on the outside, but reenter to face The Ascension. Hideo Itami's music hits and this distraction allows the Vaudevillains to eliminate the Ascension and book themselves a match against the Lucha Dragons, which should be fun. Itami hits the ring and receives his weekly beatdown from the Ascension, who then literally threaten to murder Itami if he doesn't leave NXT. This feud has been so poorly booked. A real black mark on NXT.

Carmella Vs Emma: Carmella cuts a heelish promo before the match, declaring herself the Princess of Staten Island. This is a pure heel gimmick, so I hope that's the way they go with it, and they don't try to babyface her due to her connection with Enzo and Cass. Which is also a pure heel gimmick, if you ask me, but the crowd loves catchphrases. Poor Emma just looks broken. The main roster will do that to you. She just came around a year too early. I probably already said that. Carmella picks up the win with the Code of Silence. I'll note here that I still think Renee Young and Jason Albert are bad on commentary. Albert is probably the best of a bad NXT bunch. Byron Saxton has taken to doing the ring announcing now. Riley is just the worst. I mention this now only because I think Renee is actually worse during the women's matches.

Bull Dempsey Vs Justin Gabriel: I forgot this guy existed. Bull, that is. Hasn't done anything since squashing Mojo. Now here he is in another weird heel/heel match. Unless they're just treating Gabriel as a babyface again. This is the longest Bull match yet. It was fine for what it was. Bull wins with the diving headbutt.

Bayley cuts a promo in the back about Becky turning on her. She says that if Sasha wants to bring Becky, then she'll bring Charlotte. The same Charlotte who turned on her the last time they tagged.

Baron Corbin Vs Tony Briggs: Briggs never made it in NXT, but is still plying his trade on the indies. The crowd starts counting during this match to see how quickly Corbin wins, which is a really cool bit of fan interaction that I've never seen before. It takes about 20 seconds.

Marcus Louis Vs Sylvester Lefort: Both guys come out to the same music for this grudge match. I'm really not sure why either of these guys was hired, unless they just want people of as many different nationalities as they can. I certainly don't see what value they have apart. Lefort has been all over the shop since first showing up, from managing Rusev to being an in-ring jobber. Louis wins this quickly as the crowd chants 'oui'. 

Hideo Itami cuts a promo in the back saying he's tired of the 2-on-1 attacks from the Ascension (to be fair, a couple of times he's been the one doing the attacking), and that next week he's going to bring some back-up. I assume this is not going to be Funaki, which makes me sad.

Sami Zayn Vs Titus O'Neil: This is not as good as the last match they had, but better than the Titus/Neville match. Zayn wins with the Helluva Kick. As he celebrates, Tyler Breeze hits the stage, and says that next week the road to redemption will detour into Cuteville. Good continuation of the storyline.

Episode MVP: Sami Zayn.

[Yo-Yo's Roomie]

11/6/14

Sami Zayn Vs Tyler Breeze: We're jumping right into this big match. It starts kinda slow, but gets better as it goes on, and is quite exciting by the end. Kinda like their last match actually. Zayn gets the big win with the Helluva kick.

Renee interviews Neville in the back, and Neville says he considers Zayn the number one contender, and he's happy for his friend. But he reiterates that Sami can't win the big one. Neville is doing good work in this storyline.

Tyson Kidd Vs Dash Wilder: Well, I wondered where the Mechanics were. Here's Wilder on his own, so can I assume Dawson is hurt? Decent little match this. Dash looks pretty good, and it's a strong win for Kidd.

There's a backstage bit with Marcus Louis in darkness screaming to himself like a madman. So, someone other than me realised what a weird-looking guy he is, and that he's more suited to a Phantom of the Opera-type gimmick, than the typical prancing, pompous Frenchman.

Now Renee is with Sami Zayn, and he says he feels like he's at the end of his road to redemption, and he wants his shot at Adrian Neville next week. Later, Renee goes to talk to William Regal, and he agrees that, since they both want it, it will be Neville Vs Zayn for the NXT title next week. Amazingly simple and effective little wrestling angle here. Zayn strings together some impressive wins to earn a title shot, Neville is a fighting champion and agrees to the match. You add a little bit of needle, and away you go. I'm a big fan of this, and am looking forward to the match.

Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch Vs Charlotte and Bayley: I think this is the second time all four horsewomen have been in the same match. I believe there was a Banks/Charlotte Vs Lynch/Bayley match before. This is a nice match. One of the better NXT tag matches so far actually (which admittedly isn't saying a deal as the tag division has been the weakest part of NXT thus far). Between Banks doing her best to avoid Charlotte, and the heels finding ways to keep Bayley from tagging out, this has some very entertaining stuff. Sasha steals the win on Bayley with a roll-up and a handful of tights.

So, we were promised that Hideo Itami was going to bring back-up to fight the Ascension this week. The Ascension come out and bark some threats, followed by Itami. Then Finn Balor's music hits, and Balor comes out looking huge. Like, jacked to the gills. Probably looks 20lbs heavier here than he does now. Big pop for Balor, commentators put it over huge. They hit the ring and lay a pretty good beating on the Ascension as the fans chant 'yes'. This Itami/Ascension feud has been terrible, but this was a hot angle and good way to debut Balor right here. This was a really good episode overall.

Episode MVP: Sasha Banks.

[Yo-Yo's Roomie]

11/13/14

Finn Balor and Hideo Itami Vs Tyson Kidd and Justin Gabriel: Raw-style opening to this episode, as Finn Balor comes out to cut an introductory promo, but is interrupted by Tyson Kidd and then Justin Gabriel. Kidd and Gabriel aren't impressed by Balor, but before they can get physical, Hideo Itami comes out, and this is quickly made into a tag team match. Decent showing, but they don't get a tonne of time. Balor pins Gabriel with the yet to be named Coup de grace.

Devin is back on interview duty this week, first interviewing Sami Zayn and then Adrian Neville. Both cut pretty good promos, just kind of reiterating the story of their rivalry and match tonight. Zayn says he feels it's his destiny to win the NXT title tonight. Neville says that everyone, including himself, loves Zayn because he always gives 110%, but he can't win the big one and tonight will be no different. 

Sasha Banks Vs Alexa Bliss: Pretty much a squash win for Sasha as she continues to be built up for Charlotte. If only she could have had such an easy time with Bliss on the main roster.

The Lucha Dragons Vs Wesley Blake and Buddy Murphy: Solid match, pretty much the same as they had a few weeks back. The Dragons pick up the win, then Devin is with the Vaudevillains in the back, to remind everyone that they are the number one contenders.

Adrian Neville Vs Sami Zayn: I liked this match quite a bit. They really played up the idea that these two guys are pretty evenly matched, working pretty similar styles, and even did some call-backs to the number one contenders match they had way back when (which they smartly showed clips of pre-credits to play up the history here). Fans are very pro-Sami, of course. The finish sees Neville miss the Red Arrow and seemingly hurt his knee. When Sami goes to check on him, Neville small packages him for the win. Now, I liked this, because it wasn't played as Neville faking an injury to steal the win. It was Neville getting a legit injury but taking advantage of Sami's concern. Which are two completely different things. Neville is a competitor first and foremost and , for him, until the final bell rings, the match is still there to be won or lost. Sami doesn't have that killer instinct, which is why he has never been champion. Neville isn't really a heel in wrestling terms. He's an aggressive, focused babyface. He praises Sami, he fights him straight up, and doesn't cheat, but he will take advantage of a given situation in order to be successful. And that's why I like this angle so much. It isn't just a black and white, Manichaean divide. It's a much more interesting study of two different personalities. I also liked how after the match, when Sami is sitting in disappointment and disbelief, Neville drags himself over to him and gives him a little word of encouragement. I think he apologises, actually. It's, on the face of it, a nice gesture from Neville, but had to cut like a knife for Sami. This was one of my favourite NXT matches to date.

Episode MVP: Adrian Neville.

3 1/2 star match: Adrian Neville Vs Sami Zayn.

[Yo-Yo's Roomie]

11/20/14

Becky Lynch Vs Bayley: I hate this version of Becky Lynch. This whole rocker persona is shitty, and she's actively detracting from Sasha's act just by being associated with her. Alex Riley rewriting history saying that Sasha created and was the leader of the BFFs. Match is okay. Becky steals it with a hook of the tights on a roll up. Sasha and Becky start to trash talk Bayley, but Charlotte marches out and runs them off. Shortly after, the the back, Charlotte is telling Bayley that she won't be around next week to protect her, and orders her to stay away from Sasha and Becky. Okay, mum.

The Vaudevillains come out next and talk about how they deserve to be the tag champs. The Lucha Dragons' music hits, but a pair of little people dressed as the Lucha Dragons come out instead. Oh God. Get this fucking Raw bullshit off my TV. What is it with this company and little people-based comedy? It's fucking trash. The Vaudevillains should certainly be above this. The worst thing about this segment though is Renee Young guffawing at this, and putting it over as entertaining. And then, when the Vaudevillains call a ref out and it turns out, to the "Lucha Dragons's" surprise, that we're getting an actual match, and the Vaudevillains start throwing these guys around, Renee is actually saying that they should have expected it because they walked out to the ring. It's only right at the end, when the Vaudevillains put the match away, that she admits that they maybe went too far. And I realise at this point why Renee is so bad at commentary. It's because she's not treating any of this like it's real. She's reacting to it as an entertainment product. And she apparently has pretty bad taste to boot. 

Hype video for Kevin Owens airs. I'm not a big KO fan, but I think he'll be a welcome addition to this roster.

Baron Corbin Vs Elias Samson: Didn't Corbin face Samson already? Fans do the counting gimmick. We get to 22 secs before the End of Days. As Corbin leaves, Bull Dempsey comes out for his match, and the two give each other a quick glance. It makes sense to have those two face off.

Bull Dempsey Vs Steve Cutler: The fans start counting for Bull too, but this goes about a minute before Dempsey finishes it off with the diving headbutt. Crowd chants 'Baron's better'. I agree.

Tyson Kidd Vs CJ Parker: Decent match. It seems like there's been a lot of heel/heel matches on NXT lately. Kidd wins with the sharpshooter, and then cuts a promo about all the responsibility he has being a third generation Hart family member. He challenges Finn Balor to a match next week, and says he will excellently execute him. Good bit of douchiness from Kidd.

Enzo and Big Cass Vs Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder: Carmella is out with Enzo and Cass. The Mechanics are back, although not billed as such this week. Short match with Enzo and Cass going over. Afterwards, The Ascension attack both teams, and then issue a warning to Hideo Itami and Finn Balor.

Sami Zayn is out next to address the crowd following his loss last week. He asks Adrian Neville to join him, and the champ obliges, still selling the leg from last week. Zayn says Neville owes him nothing, but he'd like to have a rematch for the title, and if he doesn't win, if he can't win the big one, then he doesn't deserve to be on NXT. Neville says he'll happily give Neville another shot, but it isn't up to him, it's up to Regal. Regal comes out and makes the match for the next Takeover. Neville says that is great, but he's not going to let Zayn put his career on the line, because he doesn't want to carry that burden around with him. Zayn says that if he doesn't win the title, if it's in the contract or not, then he is done. Really great segment here. I love that both of these guys seem like real dudes with real motivations, real concerns, and real personalities. Zayn is a very natural talker, and always manages to come off very authentic, and can get the crowd to buy into what he's saying. Neville is not a natural talker at all, but is playing his character really well right now. He's walking the line between sincere and patronising very well. It's nice to see two wrestling characters who are so real and relateable.

Episode MVP: Sami Zayn.

 

[MORELOCK]

54 minutes ago, Yo-Yo's Roomie said:

The Mechanics are back, although not billed as such this week.

The name was dropped without explanation before they settled on The Revival. I always assumed Mechanics got nixed because it's a reference to a shoot/insider term.

[John from Cincinnati]

11 minutes ago, MORELOCK said:

The name was dropped without explanation before they settled on The Revival. I always assumed Mechanics got nixed because it's a reference to a shoot/insider term.

Or a gateway to a gimmick far worse than having back hair.

[Brian Fowler]

I'll never understand how they use Renee Young. She was absolutely great on Talking Smack, on pre-shows, and as a backstage interviewer. She was horrible on commentary in NXT, they seemed to recognize that and moved her off the desk and into what she's good at.

Now here we are, and she's back on color and still fucking awful at it.

[Yo-Yo's Roomie]

6 hours ago, Brian Fowler said:

I'll never understand how they use Renee Young. She was absolutely great on Talking Smack, on pre-shows, and as a backstage interviewer. She was horrible on commentary in NXT, they seemed to recognize that and moved her off the desk and into what she's good at.

Now here we are, and she's back on color and still fucking awful at it.

 

I agree, and it sucks, because I love Renee, and think she was/is an all-time great in those other roles.

I guess you can put it down to classic WWE not utilising someone to the best of their abilities.

[Yo-Yo's Roomie]

11/27/14

Tyler Breeze Vs Marcus Louis: Louis is coming out with a towel on his head a la just unmasked-Kane. Breeze gets the mic and runs down Louis, saying there's no way he's going to touch a freak like Louis. He pulls the towel off his head and continues to berate him, saying no-one will ever love him. Poor Marcus. I love you, you crime movie henchman-looking bastard. Louis takes the abuse, and then Breeze catches him with a Beauty Shot and pins him. That was interesting. The crowd chants 'this is awkward' as Louis goes crazy in the ring. 

Carmella Vs Blue Pants: Enzo and Cass come out and introduce Carmella. These three are a good act together, but the crowd is not into Carmella, and she could hurt Enzo and Cass's popularity. Big Blue Pants chant as Cass introduces Carmella's opponent. And sure enough, here she comes. Blue Pants is really cute, I have to say. Carmella finishes her off quickly again, to the crowds disappointment. Did Carmella work any before NXT, because she looks really, really green.

Finn Balor cuts a promo in the back about his match with Tyson Kidd tonight. His neck and shoulders are covered in scratches, which is kinda weird. He's not so good with the promos.

The Lucha Dragons Vs Tye Dillinger and Jason Jordan: The commentary team is running down the Dragons, saying they should be more aggressive after the Vaudevillains mocked them last week. The match is okay. Dragons win.

Bayley comes to the ring and says that even though Charlotte told her to stay out of the way this week, she had to come out and talk about Sasha and Becky because her mom told her to always stick up to bullies. She comes off very sympathetic here. Sasha and Becky, sure enough, do come out and double team her, targeting her leg. I was thinking someone, maybe Alexa, would make the save, but it didn't happen.

A good backstage bit with Tyson Kidd and Natalya being interviewed about the former's match with Balor. Nattie talks about how excited she is, but Tyson cuts her off and says he can speak for himself. She tries to hug him when they're done and he stops her and says he has to face-time the cats. This is such a good act, and it's a real shame they didn't really get to do this on the main roster. Kidd deserved that chance, and probably would have made a good midcard heel.

We get a little silent movie deal, like an old serial, with the Vaudevillains coming to rescue when the Lucha Dragons (the same little people from last week) rob a bank. Now this is good stuff. It has some really fun details like a training montage showing Gotch wrestling a bear, and the dead Lucha Dragons having X's over their eyes at the end. More of this please.

Finn Balor Vs Tyson Kidd: I'm not much of a Balor fan, but he has an all-time great theme. Kidd and Nattie come out to "Come dream with me tonight" aka theme from Teddy Ruxpin. Decent enough match. The highlight is Kidd tying Balor in the tree of woe, and then getting mad at Nattie for not pulling back on his neck while the ref wasn't looking it. "Why didn't you do this?" he says as he shows her how it's done. Balor looks to be on course for victory, but the Ascension come out and start to lay a beating on him. Itami comes out to even the odds, and the show ends with all four men brawling.

Episode MVP: Tyson Kidd.