My NXT project

[NikoBaltimore]

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

Sasha Banks Vs Charlotte Vs Becky Lynch Vs Bayley: This was decent for a fatal fourway, but these matches aren't really conducive to great wrestling. It doesn't matter, because this is all about Sasha finally winning the belt. Once again, she was the star of the match. Actually, she's looking head and shoulders above the other girls right now with her all-round game. She ends up pinning Charlotte with a cradle after Charlotte refused to tap out to the Banks Statement. A tap-out win would have been more satisfying, but at least she got to beat the defending champ. Bayley, for the record, is still the sentimental favourite of the crowd, which is impressive after all this time. Sasha got a nice pop for her win though. After the match they go for a 'respect' thing between Charlotte and Sasha, with Charlotte hugging Sasha, but then Sasha shoves her and mocks her. I could have done without that, to be honest.

I remember liking this match a lot but they all said that this is where WWE's version of the 4 Horsewomen was born.  They were so hell-bent on having the best match possible that they ended up bonding a ton over this.  So if you're up for historic matches this one at least for me fits the bill.

[The Natural]

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

NXT Takeover: Rival.

Sasha Banks Vs Charlotte Vs Becky Lynch Vs Bayley: This was decent for a fatal fourway, but these matches aren't really conducive to great wrestling. It doesn't matter, because this is all about Sasha finally winning the belt. Once again, she was the star of the match. Actually, she's looking head and shoulders above the other girls right now with her all-round game. She ends up pinning Charlotte with a cradle after Charlotte refused to tap out to the Banks Statement. A tap-out win would have been more satisfying, but at least she got to beat the defending champ. Bayley, for the record, is still the sentimental favourite of the crowd, which is impressive after all this time. Sasha got a nice pop for her win though. After the match they go for a 'respect' thing between Charlotte and Sasha, with Charlotte hugging Sasha, but then Sasha shoves her and mocks her. I could have done without that, to be honest.

Kavin Owens Vs Sami Zayn: This is kind of booked like a Brock Lesnar, with Owens in the Lesnar role, just dominating Zayn for long portions of the match, with Zayn getting some desperation/hope spots. It kinda reminded me of Brock/Eddy. I'm disappointed in the fans for doing dueling chants for this. Sami is supposed to be their guy, and they're gonna cheer for the guy that betrayed him and stole his moment? I really like the finish of this. Zayn hits a dive on the outside, but his head hits the steel ramp, which knocks him loopy. From there, he can't regain his wherewithal (Zayn's selling is a bit too Shawn Michaels-esque here, but I'll forgive it) , and Owens counters the Helluva kick into a pop-up powerbomb. Zayn kicks out, but Owens is like a shark who smells blood, and continues to powerbomb Zayn until the ref stops at the match at the doctor's recommendation. The crowd chants bullshit, but then there's a pop/gasp when Owens is announced as the new champ. I like that they got that visceral reaction from the crowd, and did it the right way. I liked the booking of this a lot.

The Battle of the NXT Four Horsewomen. I liked how Sasha Banks transitioned the Banks Statement into the crucifix pin on Charlotte Flair as her finish weakened her enough to do so. I agree with Niko that its got historical value to it. Surprised we never had it on the main roster, we've had three go at it in triple threats but not all four.

Zayn vs. Owens is one of my favourite NXT matches. I like you, really liked the finishing stretch as Zayn hurts himself with the outside dive and Owens powerbombs him repeatedly. The referee steps in and KO wins by referee stoppage. Be good to see that way end a match again. The best Owens/Zayn match in WWE.

Edited June 5, 2019 by The Natural

[Yo-Yo's Roomie]

2/18/15

The show starts with Regal in his office telling us that Kevin Owens will face Adrian Neville in a none-title match tonight. Owens then comes out to cut a short promo about beating Sami Zayn, and facing Finn Balor. He says no-one will take the title from him and his family. I really like Owens's character, the guy who's just trying to make money for his family, but will do whatever it takes to provide for them. It's an interesting twist on a traditional 'doing it for the money' heel character. 

Rhyno Vs Elias Samson: Really quick squash with Rhyno making his NXT debut, and getting a big pop. I saw Rhyno face Samoa Joe at an indie just before this, and the crowd was chanting NXT throughout their match. I guess Joe is coming in soon, which I'm excited about.

Enzo Amore and Big Cass Vs The Vaudevillains: Enzo and Cass are with Carmella, and do their usual shtick before the match, adding that they are looking for a tag title match. Enzo has some ridiculous beard. I find Cass somehow more punchable than Enzo. He's got such a hateable face, especially when he does that stupid stutter thing before he says 'spell it out for you'. This is disappointingly short, with Enzo and Cass going over. Blake and Murphy pop up on the tron and cut a heel promo on them. They mock the Cass stutter, so this is a babyface promo to me.

CJ Parker comes out, and he's pissed that he wasn't on Takeover, and says that he's hijacking the show. He starts putting caution tape across the ring, but then we get some technical issues and Solomon Crowe hits the ring. Crowe leaves Parker lying. I'm not sure about this to debut Crowe. It seems like more of a heel character, and this was definitely a babyface move. 

Sasha Banks Vs Blue Pants: I love the graphic for this, hyping Banks Vs Pants, like Pants is her last name. Blue Pants does, indeed, have Cass introducing her and singing her to the ring as her entrance music, which is awesome. Another short match with Sasha going over.

Kevin Owens Vs Adrian Neville: This is pretty much booked the same way as the Sami match from Rival, but then Neville comes on strong, and it ends up being more about Owens trying to survive the onslaught. Neville throws everything at him including a 450 on the floor, a deadlift German and a reverse rana. But Owens managed to avoid a shooting star press and hit the popup powerbomb for the victory. Nice little match they had.

There were a few backstage promos this week too, from Finn Balor, Bayley and Becky Lynch kinda reacting to what happened at Rival and talking about what's next for them. A good way to feature these guys without taking up a tonne of time. This was a fun show in general.

Episode MVP: Kevin Owens.

3 star match: Kevin Owens Vs Adrian Neville.

 

[Yo-Yo's Roomie]

2/25/15

Hideo Itami Vs Bull Dempsey: You wonder what Bull's role in NXT is, now that he's no longer the undefeated wrecking ball. Well, for right now, at least, it's putting over Itami in a short match. Tyler Breeze lays Itami out with a Supermodel Kick at the top of the ramp, but Itami recovers and chases him off.

The Lucha Dragons Vs Tye Dillinger and Jason Jordan: This match is more of an angle to break up the Jordan/Dillinger team. Tye is having his problems in the ring, but is too proud to tag out. When he finally does reach for the tag, Jordan has had enough and walks off. This allows the Dragons to pick up the win. The Dragons have to be getting called up soon, right? I think they debuted the night after Wrestlemania. Dillinger grabs a mic and demands Jordan come out and explain himself, and says he doesn't care whose match is up next, because he will fight that person. I think I know who's coming out. Yep, Corbin's music hits.

Baron Corbin Vs Tye Dillinger: No mention of who Corbin's original opponent was, as this is quickly made a match, and quickly finished off by an End of Days. In the back we see Jordan walking out the arena, and he says he'll explain himself when he's ready. Not sure who's supposed to be the babyface in this situation, if anyone.

Becky Lynch Vs Bayley: Decent match, which sees Becky debut the Dis-Arm-Her to pick up the tap-out win. I guess they're building Becky up for a title shot now.

Finn Balor Vs The Brian Kendrick: I wasn't aware Kendrick made any returns to WWE prior to the Cruiserweight tournament. They give him a nice build-up for this match, with a video package, and the crowd pop for his return. I always liked Kendrick. This match isn't particularly good though, and the real story develops on the commentary desk. Kevin Owens joins Graves, Riley and Rich on commentary, and Riley asks him about what he did to his friend, Sami Zayn to become champion. Owens says it's because he'll do anything that he is the champ, and that Riley wouldn't understand because he (Riley) has never been a champ. Riley says that as a man he wouldn't have done what Owens did. Owens leaves saying he doesn't want to do something he'll regret. After Balor puts Kendrick away with the Coup de Grace (not the coup de gras), Owens comes back out and throws Riley across the announce table. It's not exactly Regal feuding with Ohno or Cesaro, and kind of came out of nowhere. Getting me to care about Alex Riley is a pretty hard sell, also. But we'll see where this goes.

Episode MVP: Kevin Owens.

[Yo-Yo's Roomie]

3/4/15

We start with Riley in Regal's office demanding a match with Kevin Owens. Regal says he's an announcer now, and that he can't do both. Riley, quite rightly, points out that Regal did just that, and Regal replied that he did, but that resulted in the end of his career. He says you can't prepare to be a wrestler while you have the responsibilities of an announcer, and that Riley has to make a choice. I really liked this. Good fire from Riley, who acted exactly like you'd expect a real person to act in this scenario, and good attention to detail bringing up Regal's history and the potential pitfalls of what Riley is requesting. Stuff like this is why NXT is so good.

Tyler Breeze Vs Adam Rose: Rose is back on NXT to do a quick job to Breeze. 

Alexa Bliss cuts a promo in the back saying she's recovered from her broken nose at the hands of Sasha Banks, and is coming after Banks to show who's really in charge. I barely noticed she was gone.

Wesley Blake and Buddy Murphy Vs Angelo Dawkins and Sawyer Fulton: How come they never did anything with this Fulton chap? He's massive and has amateur credentials. Standard win for the tag champs.

There's a backstage bit with Bayley and Emma. Bayley is all happy to see Emma, but Emma kinda makes fun of her, and says being nice didn't get her anywhere. This looks like the start of heel Emma. I'm looking forward to this.

Baron Corbin Vs Tony Briggs: It doesn't look like Briggs really achieved much in wrestling. The standard quick win for Corbin here.

Kevin Owens comes out and is trying to intimidate Riley by staring at him. Riley tries to no sell it, so Owens pours water over his head. This time Riley jumps up and has to be held back by Albert. Another good segment here. Owens is great in the bully role, and Riley is showing good fire. Shortly after this, Riley storms into Regal's office, and quits as an announcer. CJ Parker is with Regal, and laughs at Riley. Regal says Riley has to prove himself before he gets a match with Owens, so Riley asks for one with Parker instead. I guess that's next week.

Sami Zayn has sent in a promo from the streets of Montreal. He talks about how NXT seems to have changed since he's been gone, with new champions and new number one contenders, but he'll be back soon, and he can't describe what he's going to do to Kevin Owens.

Solomon Crowe Vs Bull Dempsey: Crowe's in-ring debut. The guy just looks weird. Stupid hair, his face is a different colour from the rest of his body, he looks like a midget who's been kind of stretched to full size, and the singlet isn't doing him any favours either. Just essentially having him come out as a normal guy having normal matches doesn't help. They should have worked with the gimmick a bit more. And he gets mostly dominated by Bull before putting him away. Not the right opponent. So, pretty much a failure all around I'm afraid.

Sasha Banks Vs Charlotte: Sasha's first title defense is a good one. Sasha is pretty much the MVP of the show whenever she's on these days. Dueling chants from the fans for these two. Finish has Charlotte going for the super Natural Selection she used to beat her in their first match, but Banks holds onto the ropes, and then pins Charlotte with her feet on the ropes. Good stuff.

Episode MVP: Sasha Banks.

3 star match: Sasha Banks Vs Charlotte.

[Yo-Yo's Roomie]

3/11/15

Enzo and Big Cass Vs The Lucha Brothers: This is a number one contenders match for the tag titles. It follows the usual Enzo and Cass formula of Enzo getting his ass kicked, and Cass bailing the team out. Enzo and Cass pick up the win.

Alexa Bliss Vs Carmella: This lasts longer than I'd like it to, but both these girls need the ring time. Maybe not against one another though. Carmella is so annoying on the mic. Bliss debuts the Twisted Bliss, which is billed as the Sparkle Splash here, to pick up the win. I don't know if this is just how I've been conditioned, after watching her on the main roster for so long, but I just can't see Bliss as anything other than a heel. She just looks so bitchy.

Alex Riley Vs CJ Parker: Riley gets a nice pop for his in-ring return. He cuts a nice promo in the back before this match too, talking about how he still has a lot to offer in the ring, and saying he feels like he's been in a cage for 2 years. He's performed really well in this angle so far. It's a shame that, in the ring, he's still bland as hell. He picks up the win with a top rope blockbuster. Kevin Owens comes out and says Riley is the dumbest man in NXT for quitting his announce job to fight him, because he's going to end his in-ring career too. What I like about this angle so far is the realism with which it's been presented. They're not making out Riley is some retired legend or anything like that, and Riley is acting suitably pissed off that he got shunted to the announce table while he, in his mind, was still in his prime.

Tyler Breeze Vs Hideo Itami: Breeze really needed to win this match to have any credibility going forward, and he did so. The problem is, it's just another nail in the coffin of Itami being seen as anything special. The match is fine.

Episode MVP: Pretty low key ep. Actually gonna give it to Riley for his promo and his intensity.

[JonnyLaw]

Solomon Crowe may have been the single worst debut in NXT (not debuts as jobbers).

[MORELOCK]

I *loved* that Riley-Owens angle at the time. Very well executed, and a great argument to use against anyone that thought Riley was totally worthless - I'm glad you were pleasantly surprised.

Sawyer Fulton was injured near the start of the Sanity angle, was out six months, worked the Florida loop for a bit after returning, and then was gone. Not sure if there was anything more to it than that.

[NikoBaltimore]

7 minutes ago, MORELOCK said:

I *loved* that Riley-Owens angle at the time. Very well executed, and a great argument to use against anyone that thought Riley was totally worthless - I'm glad you were pleasantly surprised.

Sawyer Fulton was injured near the start of the Sanity angle, was out six months, worked the Florida loop for a bit after returning, and then was gone. Not sure if there was anything more to it than that.

That and he's now in Impact as Madman Fulton working with Sami Callihan's group.  I'm way behind on the shows so not sure how much he's improved.

[Yo-Yo's Roomie]

3/18/15

This episode was taped at the Arnold Sports Classic in Columbus, Ohio, making it the first time NXT had gone on the road.

Tyler Breeze Vs Kalisto: This was a much better match than the last time they faced off. Breeze wins with the Beauty Shot.

There was a backstage bit with Finn Balor warning Alex Riley not to take Kevin Owens lightly in his match tonight. This was a really weird promo from Finn, who was taking a sharp intake of breath before every line he delivered. Finn would be better served not talking.

Wesley Blake Vs Big Cass: Carmella takes a bump off the apron, which allows Blake to roll Cass up for the win. I've been impressed by Blake. Most of my focus has been on Buddy Murphy, but Blake has quietly shown a lot of promise.

We get a hype video for Dana Brooke (!), I guess to tie in with the Arnold Classic. She's coming soon.

Alexa Bliss Vs Sasha Banks: Non-title match. A lot of to-do made of the fact this is Alexa's hometown, but the crowd is 50/50 at best, which the announcers point out. Short match with Bliss winning by count-out. In the back afterwards, the two argue, and William Regal makes a title match between the two for next week, to go with the Owens/Finn NXT title match.

Kevin Owens Vs Alex Riley: This is a bit of a disappointment. Owens pretty much crushes Riley, and the fans are overwhelmingly pro-Owens too, which hurts the storytelling aspect of it. Not that I'm advocating a Riley win, of course, but maybe another hope spot or believable nearfall would have vindicated Riley a bit. Owens continues to beat Riley down after the match, before Balor makes the save. The highlight of this whole show is Owens giving the prone Riley another quick stomp as he runs away from Balor. I do wonder what's next for Riley, as that was a pretty damp squib ending for what has been a well done angle.

Episode MVP: Kevin Owens. 

[Yo-Yo's Roomie]

3/25/15

Sasha Banks Vs Alexa Bliss: Women's title match. This is the best Alexa match so far, mainly due to Sasha continuing to be the MVP of NXT. The crowd is split at the start, but gradually get more and more behind Alexa, who does a pretty good job playing the underdog here. But this is the Sasha show really, and she wins via tap-out with the Banks Statement. Decent match, but not in the league of the best NXT women's matches.

In a backstage promo, Owens tells Balor to bring the demon tonight.

Backstage segment with Emma and Bayley. Emma again tells Bayley to stop listening to the fans, but Bayley replies that it's because of the fans that she's got as far as she has. Emma responds to this by slapping the shit out of Bayley and walking away. I'm liking this development.

Tyler Breeze is being interviewed by Devin. Hideo Itami walks in and challenges Breeze to a 2/3 falls match next week.

Balor says that he doesn't need the demon to beat Owens.

Another backstage bit sees Enzo, Cass and Carmella chilling, when they are approached by Blake and Murphy. Blake and Murphy give Carmella some jewelry to make up for her getting hurt last week. Carmella likes the gift and complains that Enzo and Cass never get her jewelry. Not sure where this is all leading.

Kevin Owens Vs Finn Balor: A lot of time given to this match. 20 mins plus. And for most of that time, it's pretty dull. Not bad, but it just seems like a lot of killing time. It finally picks up in the last 5 mins or so, when Owens starts working over Balor's leg. Fuck Balor for no-selling the legwork to deliver the shotgun dropkick though. But it does play into the finish when he hits the Coup de Grace, but is too hurt to make the cover. Owens has time to recover and hit a desperation pop-up powerbomb to get the win and retain his title. The last portion of this saved the match for me. 

Episode MVP: Sasha Banks.

[DreamBroken]

That angle and build was so good but hated that it basically led to Owens squashing the shit out of Riley. Riley was always one of my top favorites so I was excited to see my guy finally getting one more shot at something here and then it was killed dead just like that

[Yo-Yo's Roomie]

4/1/15

The show starts with the return of Sami Zayn who cuts a promo saying that his first order of business is to kick Kevin Owens' ass. Crowd is happy to see him back, and so am I. Balor and Riley weren't really doing it for me as the babyface focal points.

Rhyno Vs Jesus De Leon: De Leon is AKA Mr 450. He doesn't get a name here though, and is squashed by Rhyno in seconds. Rhyno cuts a promo saying he came to NXT for the NXT championship, and says it doesn't matter who gets in his way. Rhyno Vs KO could be interesting.

Bayley Vs Emma: I'm enjoying this storyline so far. Emma comes out very half-heartedly dancing. Rich Brennan describes it as her almost making fun of herself, which is a good way of explaining it. NXT has gone to a two-man booth now, and it's so much better. Brennan and Graves are pretty good together. I can see why Graves was so popular in NXT (I think he's garbage on the main roster, for the record). So, this match is a pretty fun taster of what these two could do if they really cut loose, but it's more advancing the story. Emma is being very derisive towards Bayley, and trying to get her to lose her temper. Bayley ends up surprising Emma with a sunset flip for the win, and Emma's reaction is great. She's clearly super-pissed she got beat, but is still trying to act above it all. Bayley helps Emma up, and seems to think that's the end of their differences. I'm willing to bet it isn't.

Blake and Murphy Vs The Lucha Dragons: I feel like I've seen this match a million times. This is none-title, and ends with Blake and Murphy picking up the win.

Devin interviews Sami Zayn in the back, but Rhyno interrupts. He says he doesn't care about Sami's personal vendettas, and that the line for the NXT title starts behind him.

Jason Jordan Vs Tye Dillinger: Remember when these two were a team, and then Jordan walked out on Dillinger, and said he'd explain his actions when he's good and ready? What was that, a year ago? Seriously, I'd forgotten all about it. Jordan picks up the win here. It seems like Jordan's a guy they've been wanting to push for a while now, so we'll see if this leads anywhere (other than the team with Gable).

Tyler Breeze Vs Hideo Itami: 2/3 falls match. Well, there's only about 10 mins left in the show, which doesn't bode well for this 2/3 falls match. Sure enough, the first fall comes right off the bat with Itami hitting his flying boot thing. Breeze catches him with a Beauty Shot out of nowhere to win the second fall shortly after. So far, so lucha, but if this were lucha they'd have about 20 mins for the 3rd fall now. Announcers putting over the exhaustion levels 5 minutes into the match. I'm legit shocked as Breeze wins this clean, catching Itami with another Beauty Shot as Itami goes for the flying boot. This was an okay little match but a big disappointment as a hyped main event. The booking of Itami continues to be a headscratcher.

Episode MVP: Emma. I'm liking what she's doing with her character. 

 

 

[Yo-Yo's Roomie]

4/8/15

This episode is a WrestleMania Axcess special as we get the semi-finals and final of the tournament to find which NXT competitor will take part in the Andre battle royal at Mania. Some odd booking in the first round matches as Neville beats Kalisto, Balor beats Corbin, Breeze beats Dempsey and Itami beats Jordan.

Hideo Itami Vs Adrian Neville: So, I realise during this that what puts Itami and Neville above Balor to me is the fact that both carry themselves and come across like actual badasses, and guys who aren't afraid to get in someone's face. Neither are perfect wrestlers, by any means, but they at least have that going for them. Balor just seems like a nerd who can do some cool stuff. Anyway, this match is pretty good, and Itami picks up the win.

Finn Balor Vs Tyler Breeze: Balor picks up the win with the Coup de Grace. 

Hideo Itami Vs Finn Balor: I had no idea who was going to win this, and can't remember either of these guys showing up in the Andre ever. I figured Itami might get his win back though, and I was correct.

They then show a nice little package highlighting Itami's WrestleMania experience (including him getting eliminated by Big Show). This is actually a nice video, showing him with his kids, and interacting with some of the other wrestlers backstage. I get the feeling this is going to be Itami's WWE highlight. I don't like these 'non-canon' episodes though, and am looking forward to getting back to the real stuff next week.

Episode MVP: Itami. Duh. 

3 star match: Adrian Neville Vs Hideo Itami.

 

[Yo-Yo's Roomie]

4/15/15

Solomon Crowe Vs CJ Parker: I kinda thought they'd given up on Crowe already. At any rate, it's not a good sign when you get dueling chants in a match with CJ Parker. Crowe wins with a stretch muffler. This is better than the Dempsey match, at least.

Baron Corbin Vs Steve Cutler: The standard Corbin squash win. They need to do something different with Corbin, because crowd reactions are way down for him for these squashes.

Enzo Amore and Big Cass Vs Angelo Dawkins and Sawyer Fulton: Dawkins and Fulton have their own entrance now. Carmella was with Enzo and Cass, and Blake and Murphy came out to give her flowers. Enzo and Cass picked up the win, but were mad at Carmella for accepting the flowers. I don't really like or dislike this angle. It just seems kind of lazy.

Alex Riley with a promo in the back. I guess he has another shot at Kevin Owens next week. 

Dana Brooke Vs Blue Pants: Blue Pants is cute as a button. Expect me to say that whenever she shows up. Let's see what Dana Brooke's got then. I always thought she was pretty worthless, but I'm open to being proved wrong. Well, this is basically a quick squash, so not many conclusions to be drawn here.

Sami Zayn Vs Rhyno: It's good to have the NXT MVP back, doing what he does best- giving someone a much better match than you would think they could have. Not that I think Rhyno is bad. I like Rhyno quite a bit. But this match is better than any match I've seen Rhyno have since probably 2001, and by quite a bit too. Standard immovable object vs underdog babyface match, but Sami does these so well, and Rhyno is good in his role too. Sami picks up the win with the Helluva kick after avoiding the gore. 

Episode MVP: Sami Zayn.

3 star match: Rhyno Vs Sami Zayn.

 

[Yo-Yo's Roomie]

4/22/15

Finn Balor Vs Tye Dillinger: Standard win for Balor, but the notable thing here is Tyler Breeze popping up on the tron afterwards and basically calling out Balor.

Dana Brooke cuts a pretty bad bitchy promo with Devin in the back. Next Devin interviews Kevin Owens about his rematch with Alex Riley tonight. Owens is pretty much looking past Riley.

Becky Lynch Vs Bayley Vs Charlotte: Number one contenders match for the women's title. Corey Graves is really laying it in to Becky. He says she's the kind of person who thinks that Avril Lavigne invented punk rock. I have to say, Becky does indeed come off like a massive tool in NXT, and I'm dying for her to dump this rock chick shtick and bring out the steampunk. Bayley is the big fan favourite here, but Becky gets some chants too. No bus bringing in the Charlotte fans must have broken down on the way to the arena. Solid enough match, with a nice finish. Charlotte has Bayley in the figure 8 (dubbed as such for the first time by Corey), but Becky crawls over and, almost without realising it, pins Bayley. Yeah, it kind of makes Becky's win look like a fluke, but I thought it was creative.

Hideo Itami Vs CJ Parker: Parker back on job duty. I should apologise to Solomon Crowe, who I kinda bagged on because Parker was getting cheered against him last week. Well, Parker gets some chants here against Itami too, so I guess it's just that Parker has his fans in the crowd. Parker is definitely getting better in the ring. 

There's a little backstage bit between Sasha and Becky. Basic stuff with the two of them throwing some jabs at one another. I'm looking forward to their match. I know it was well-received.

Rhyno Vs Jesus De Leon: Didn't Rhyno already squash this dude? (checks notes) Yes, he did. 

Kevin Owens Vs Alex Riley: This is probably a little better than the last match they had. Riley receives a warmer welcome at Full Sail, although Owens always has his fans. We also see Riley get in a little more offence. It ends the same way though, with Owens winning with the pop-up powerbomb. Once again, Owens goes for the apron bomb, but this time it is Zayn who makes the save. Sami and Owens have a big brawl to close out the show, with Owens retreating in shock.

Episode MVP: Sami Zayn.

Edited June 26, 2019 by Yo-Yo's Roomie

[Yo-Yo's Roomie]

4/29/15

We start with Kevin Owens coming out and calling out Sami Zayn. William Regal makes his way out instead, but Owens says, with all due respect, he has nothing to say to Regal and wants Sami. Sami finally does come out and Owens demands a match with him. Regal makes the match for the title at the next Takeover. Owens says he wants the match, but Sami doesn't deserve a title shot. This is when the segment gets good, as Sami totally goads Owens into putting the belt on the line by using the same tactics Owens used against him, saying that he (Zayn) is a prize fighter, and that Owens isn't the prize, the NXT title is. Owens, despite his assertions, has clearly got a personal issue with Zayn, so he gives Zayn what he wants. More good work on the mic here from these two, and more good storytelling from NXT.

On the flip-side of that, the Enzo/Cass-Blake/Murphy angle doesn't seem to know what it wants to be. We see a backstage skit with Blake and Murphy trying to hit on Carmella, with her basically telling them to fuck off. Alexa Bliss comes in and tries to comfort Carmella, but 'Mella pie-faces her. This is obviously foreshadowing Bliss's alliance with Blake and Murphy.

In Regal's office, Zayn is signing the contract for the NXT title match. Alex Riley barges in and starts begging for another shot at Owens. Zayn acts a bit condescendingly to Riley and Riley goes off on him. This sets up a Zayn/Riley main event. 

Enzo and Big Cass Vs Blake and Murphy: Now, for some reason, these two teams are facing off in a none-title match. Enzo and Cass win clean. I just want to get this feud over with. I actually hate Enzo and Cass. Blake and Murphy's shitty entrance theme is a total ear worm.

Bayley is in the back all concerned because she can't find her headbands. It is revealed that Emma stole them.

Dana Brooke Vs Bayley: Bayley is in control until her music plays, and Emma comes out wearing her headbands and t-shirt. The distraction allows Dana to pick up a big win. Dana and Emma high five afterwards.

Regal in his office announces Finn Balor Vs Hideo Itami Vs Tyler Breeze in a number one contenders match at Takeover. I don't really need to see any iteration of these three again. 

Hideo Itami Vs Adam Rose: This is post-Adam Rose heel turn. Pretty much a squash win for Itami. 

Becky Lynch Vs Sarah Dobson: Becky wins a squash with the Dis-Arm-Her.

In the back, Rhyno challenges Baron Corbin to a match. 

Sami Zayn Vs Alex Riley: Kevin Owens joins the commentary team for this one. The match doesn't go too long before he heads to ringside and attacks Zayn, after Zayn had hit a dive on Riley. He lays Zayn out and then finally hits the apron powerbomb on Riley, letting out a hearty laugh afterwards. Is that the end of Riley in NXT? I feel like he hung around as a pre-show guy for a while after this, but not sure. 

Episode MVP: Very angle-heavy episode this week, which I'm okay with. It would have been nice to have one longer match though. I'm gonna give the nod to Owens here.

Edited July 2, 2019 by Yo-Yo's Roomie

[Yo-Yo's Roomie]

5/6/15

Charlotte Vs Emma: Emma is still wearing Bayley's stuff, and is a clear-cut heel now, emphasising the fact by refusing to do her classic ring entrance. Charlotte wins the match with Natural Selection. Emma could have really used the win here, since she hasn't won since being back on NXT, and certainly wasn't winning much on the main roster. But, I guess Charlotte always has to be kept strong. Yawn. Bayley comes out and confronts Emma. Emma wants to hug and make up. Bayley obliges but turns it into a Bayley-to Belly, before retrieving her belongings.

There's a long video package on Becky's journey, and it seems they're framing her as a babyface now, which makes sense.

We get a sit down interview with Kevin Owens conducted by Michael Cole. There's some pretty good stuff here with Cole trying to find out Owens's motivations for his attack on Zayn. Owens maintains an air of detached professionalism and doesn't give anything away, reiterating again that he's just trying to be a good family man and provide for his wife and kid.

Rhyno Vs Bull Dempsey: Rhyno pretty much runs through Bull, who has been reduced to jobber status now. He then cuts another promo saying he wants Corbin.

In the back, Regal is with Apollo Crews, who is signing his NXT contract. I've never seen anything in Crews that really impressed me, but we'll see. They air a video for him afterwards, so they're clearly giving him some hype.

The Mechanics Vs Enzo and Big Cass: Oh shit, I forgot the Mechanics existed. Now, we just need the Vaudevillains to come back from whatever dimension they got lost in. This match never happens as we see on the tron that Blake and Murphy have left Enzo and Cass lying.

Michael Cole also sat down with Sami Zayn, and we see that now. Zayn says he needs to know why Owens did what he did and that, since the match is already signed, next week he's going to ask Owens for the answer, and Owens should just tell him. I'm not really seeing Zayn's logic now. If Owens has this thing hanging over Zayn, that is clearly bothering him, he'd be a fool to relive that burden from him.

Next is the contract signing for the women's title match between Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch. Becky cuts her standard promo about travelling the world to get to this stage. Sasha has a custom stamp of her signature with which to sign the contract, which gets a pop from me, and a 'like a boss' chant from the crowd. Sasha attacks Lynch and stands on her head while standing on the table and holding up the belt. Lynch fights back though and ends up locking on the Dis-Arm-Her which sees Banks tap. Good segment.

A video airs showing Alex Riley cutting a promo about how he's having a surgery. He says his whole career has been about taking risks (has it really?) because the rewards were worth it (were they really?), but after hearing the fans chant 'thank you Owens' when Owens powerbombed him on the apron, he wonders if it's worth it anymore. He says the fans won't be seeing him for a while, which is apparently what they want.

Dana Brooke is interviewed by Devin Taylor, and cuts a promo on Charlotte being chosen for a Tapout commercial over her. So, this is the modern day shampoo commercial feud? She also calls Devin's body 'whack'. Dana Brooke, you, madam, are the whack one. She should come out to the 'Whackaday' theme song (reference for the Brits).

Hideo Itami Vs Tyler Breeze: What is this? The fifth match they've had on NXT TV since this rivalry started? I'm over it. Finn Balor is sitting at ringside to get a closer look at his Takeover opponents. To be totally fair, this is probably the best match they've had against each other. Itami letting a bit of his inner-dickishness come out here, including setting up for a  a big knee drop after taking off his knee pad, but lazily kicking him in the head instead. At one point, Itami goes for a big kick on Breeze on the outside, but Breeze moves and Balor takes the shot instead. Could have seen that one coming. Itami ends up picking up the win with the shotgun kick. Balor gets in the ring to confront Itami, and Breeze drops them both to stand tall. I liked that. Breeze needed that after dropping the fall. Okay, maybe NXT can get me interested in this triple threrat afterall.

Episode MVP: Hideo Itami.

3 star match: Hideo Itami Vs Tyler Breeze. 

 

 

[MORELOCK]

I don't remember if that Riley angle ever led to anything, but he was definitely under contract for a year or so after. 

[Yo-Yo's Roomie]

5/13/15

The big story going into this show is that Sami Zayn hurt himself on Raw answering John Cena's open challenge. We'll see hwo that effects the Takeover main event.

Baron Corbin Vs Solomon Crowe: It tells me that they've already lost interest in Crowe if they're putting him in against Corbin. Actually, this is the best Crowe has looked so far to me. He took the fight to Corbin throughout this short match, and took a wicked End of Days to end it. The height difference stood out here too. Rhyno makes his way out and asks Corbin if they're going to do this, and they immediately start throwing hands. Officials rush in to separate it, a couple of them eating gores. Nice little pull-apart to set up their match at Takeover.

Sasha Banks Vs KC Cassidy: Okay, i thought this was Peyton Royce on job duty, and wiki confirms that it was. Billie Kay also worked a dark match on this episode apparently. Could we be get the Iconic Duo soon? 

Devin interviews Charlotte and Bayley about their issues with Dana Brooke and Emma. They challenge them to a tag match at Takeover.

Another hype video for Apollo Crews.

Alexa Bliss Vs Carmella: There's something so weird about the way Carmella moves when she comes out. I can't put my finger on it, but all her movements are kinda robotic in a way that reminds me of an 80s fitness video or something. This match is pretty rough. Carmella is in control, but Blake and Murphy come out and cause a distraction, allowing Alexa to win. Alexa blows the tag champs a kiss. 

Devin is with Dana and Emma now, who accept the challenge. Dana actually uses the term 'jelly', as in "Charlotte thinks I'm jelly of her?" Dana is the worst. She also has this thing she does where she pats Devin patronisingly on the head after all of their interviews. DON'T TOUCH HER, YOU WHORE. Sorry.

Tyler Breeze and Adam Rose Vs Finn Balor and Hideo Itami: Pretty fun tag match. Breeze is pretty awesome in this with his character stuff, making nice to Rose's face, but clearly being disgusted by him behind his back. Itami and Balor are at odds with one another, and finally it costs them, as Breeze picks up the win. Breeze once again lays them both out. I know he isn't winning the match, but he's looked great in the build-up. There were little interviews with each of them interspersed throughout the show, and Breeze came off by far the best in those too. Although, he should really, given that Balor and Itami aren't really known for their strong promo work.

The main event segment was the promised face-off between Zayn and Owens. Zayn addressed the injury he got on Raw, and said that the match at Takeover is still on. He then asks Owens to tell him why he attacked him. Owens, thankfully, didn't answer. Zayn tried to goad him into it, by talking about how KO's kid would rather wear a Sami Zayn shirt than a Kevin Owens one, and wonders if it's simply about jealousy. Owens just walks away, and, when he's at the top of the ramp, tells Zayn that at Takeover he's going to put him out again, but this time Zayn won't be coming back. Nice effective angle to end a nice effective go-home show.

Episode MVP: Tyler Breeze.

[NikoBaltimore]

1 hour ago, Yo-Yo's Roomie said:

She also has this thing she does where she pats Devin patronisingly on the head after all of their interviews. DON'T TOUCH HER, YOU WHORE. Sorry.

Not to spoil anything else but be prepared for more of that as that was part of Dana's gimmick at the time.  I was rather amused by it and it ended up being an in-joke at the house for some time.

[Brian Fowler]

I had totally forgotten about Dana doing that. Such a great little heel quirk.

[JonnyLaw]

Sarah Dobson is/was Sarah Logan, right?

[Eivion]

2 hours ago, JonnyLaw said:

Sarah Dobson is/was Sarah Logan, right?

yes

[Ramo2653]

On 7/2/2019 at 11:17 AM, MORELOCK said:

I don't remember if that Riley angle ever led to anything, but he was definitely under contract for a year or so after. 

It didn't, by the time he came back, Owens was gone from NXT and Sami was working his way back from his shoulder surgery. He had a few random matches here and there against guys and he kinda looked like a Family Dollar version of HHH by the end of his run.