NXT RETRO WORKRATE REPORT (January 16, 2013)
NXT RETRO WORKRATE REPORT – January 16, 2013
(by PHIL RIPPA)
Well the cable is out but the Internet is still working, so I will crank out one of these instead of live tweeting Impact. This might be one of the better decisions of my adult life.
WHAT WORKED
Cool – the show opens with a recap of the Big E Langston title win and it is getting the WWE video package treatment. This is all sorts of neat. I especially liked them putting impact tremors on the screen for Big E hitting his finisher.
Also – no one else might but I really dig the NXT Title belt. Seriously? How did TNA not already do the giant fucking X as a belt for the X Division Championship? Outside of the obvious “It’s TNA” answer?
William Regal – Color Commentator
Wait. Wait. Wait. Kassius Ohno is sitting in on Color. Are we teasing the Ohno/Regal feud??? Did Regal just threaten to turn Ohno into a vegetable? Pants on the ground! Pants on the ground! Acting like a fool with your pants on the ground!!!
I’m gonna ignore the irony of having to take the belt off of Seth Rollins because he got promoted to the main roster and putting it on a guy who was about to get called up to the main roster. I’m gonna ignore it because it means I get things like Big E Langston mic time. And we also get Langston destroying Camacho. FIVE! FIVE! FIVE!
There was enough stuff that was enjoyable in the Antonio Cesaro/Damien Sandow vs. Tyson Kidd/Justin Gabriel match to be here. At least the actual match stuff. I have other issues down below. (In the column, not on my body. At least not that I know of. I am going to move along now.) I will give Sandow a lot of credit for really working with the crowd and making it a good time for all instead of just mailing it in just because they are in front of the random back lot crowd. Him yelling “WE HAVE RULES!” got a legit chuckle out of me. I also am humored that he ate the pinfall. So clearly not only is NXT for developing the WWE’s future roster but it’s also where guys can get an early start on their “push”. Poor poor Money in the Bank winner.
WHAT DIDN’T WORK
As teased last week – Adrian Neville (who I will most assuredly call Aaron Neville at some point) makes his NXT debut. And he is wrestling Sakamoto who is making his return to NXT after the whole Tensai second fiasco (but I don’t think we are supposed to know that). Since this a WWE development match that means CHIN LOCKS FOR THE SAKE OF CHIN LOCKS!!! RANDY ORTON DOES IT!!! And then the former Pac hits the Corkscrew Shooting Star Press and that’s it. The match is rather disappointing but Regal talking British wrestling almost – ALMOST – dragged this to the Northern side of the column.
Trent Baretta vs. Leo Krueger had the misfortunate of being the backdrop for the Ohno/Regal stuff so it really was just there. And since it had a commercial break smashed into middle of it and it really just keeps going on. Maybe another time.
Someone should probably get in Tony Dawson’s ear and tell him that just because Vince yelled “WHATAMANUEVER!” doesn’t mean you should.
This isn’t a NXT thing per se but during this viewing Hulu decided to keep showing the Chase commercial where the guy is some sort of superfan geek and dreams of going to a Comic Con type convention. But when he goes the dude doesn’t cosplay and that makes the entire commercial totally unbelievable for me. Stupid Chase.
I’m not really sure why Sandow/Cesaro are teaming and why they are teaming on NXT but here we are. I mean one would think they would promote it more. Or at least take advantage of having the actual US Champ wrestling in your building to help elevate one of the younger guys. But nope. I am realizing though that this just might be one of those wacky NXT things that I am just going to have to get over.