RIPPA RETRO NXT WORKRATE REPORT - April 17, 2013

[RIPPA]

RIPPA RETRO NXT WORKRATE REPORT – APRIL 17, 2013

(by PHIL RIPPA)

 

WHAT WORKED

Look at that – Justin Gabriel vs. Leo Kruger… again. I guess since Mania is over, they can get back to all the random feuds that were happening. I am at the point where they space out these matches far enough that I may be watching the same match over and over and I just don’t remember it. It is perfectly fine but we are now getting to the point where South Africans only work South Africans on NXT. Much like African Americans only tag with African Americans on RAW.

 

See now – making a video package that involves the NXT Talent and their involvement at Mania is brilliant. There should be like a 1000 of these. I mean you had Emma randomly dancing with fans in hallways. Whoever had the brilliant idea to make sure they got lots of backstage footage of The Shield deserves a pay raise. And then the end with Langston and Rollins talking about finally getting to wrestle at Mania was pretty boss too.

 

Paige gets promo time which is really good. She also takes a crazy bump for some reason when Summer Rae attacks her.

 

Hey! It’s Bayley! FUCK YES!! SHE IS WORKING EMMA!!! And this crowd fucking LOVES Emma. They go wild when she actually flips herself into the ring this week and then chant for her.  Whether it was planned or just happened organically – since this is clearly the first crowd to Emma as a full fledge face – Bayley works a subtle heel. FUCK! WHERE DID THE TARANTULA COME FROM? God I am enjoying this way too much. Emma dances her way into your hearts and the win column.

 

WHAT DIDN’T WORK

Tony Dawson’s “It’s Over!/That Will Do It!” count – 4

 

Bah – I am not a fan of Corey Graves and I’m generally not a fan of tattoo sleeves. So Graves talking about his ink is a terrible idea.

 

Bray Wyatt squashes Yoshi Tatsu… again. I am fairly positive this was the same match I watched back in January.

 

Why NXT feels the need, at times, to add random stips to matches is beyond me. In this case – the Graves/Rollins match is now a lumberjack match. A lumberjack match where the lumberjacks are all the NXT jobbers (that part makes me giggle).  But yeah… let’s cut this shit out. Anyway – I guess the concept is that no one likes Rollins and Graves is trying to keep the other Shield members away. Of course – instead you get a bunch of goobers with terrible tats trying to get themselves over on the outside. And since it is the jobber squad – Ambrose and Reigns still come out and take out all 12 guys and Rollins wins the match. I don’t mind Graves looking stupid but this was just a waste.

[Goodear]

NXT has a weird habit of bringing back old school gimmick matches like 2 out of 3 falls, lumberjack matches with a tornado tag coming this week.  The latest lumberjack match was filled with unknowns too and it kind of worked because you don't have the 'outside the ring brawl between lumberjacks' spot.  I look forward to the sure to be coming coal miner's glove matches.

[Matt D]

They've really taken ownership of the 2/3 falls match. They talked it up a lot during Kruger/Zayn as being the NXT go to match.