Jump to content
DVDVR Message Board

The NXT Thread


rzombie1988

Recommended Posts

The Paige babyface stuff is really weird, because every time she is on, I think she comes across as heelish and unlikable, but then I think I'm just being subconsciously gender biased. Like, if a dude cut similar promos, would I think he was a no nonsense hard ass and think the promos were a really good representation of how he wrestles and the character he portrays? Do I not think that way about Paige because I think it seems forced and not organic, or is it because some part of me thinks that women shouldn't act like that? I really hope it's not the latter, and I don't think it is, but jeez, all of her promos and mannerisms just scream arrogance and conceit to me. I don't understand what aspect of her character I'm supposed to get behind, other than "rasslin is srs biz", which I think she does well, but it's not really a character. 

 

Also, whenever I see Ascension, I think of Ben Affleck's character in Dazed and Confused where they are talking about how he got held back intentionally to beat up freshman more. Those dudes look 40! What they hell are they still doing in developmental? It's like they made a decision that they'd rather just beat up jobbers and greenhorns instead of risking failure. I know that's not actually their character or story, but I'm filling in the blanks for myself. 

 

Corey Graves has easily been the best part of NXT so far. SJK was a guy I followed on the Indies for years, and he has really devoted himself and come a long way as a performer. It must go against every instinct he has not to be "the cool heel", and he has so many opportunities to do heelish things that would get ironic cheers, especially in that match with Sami last night. Nope, he just punches people. His punches are pretty great, by the way. 

 

Mojo's video package was fine if only because it saved me from another match with him. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Brodus Clay nip slip was especially disturbing.

 

I kinda like Brodus, but man does that splash he does look shit. You can't wrestle like Bastian Booger and expect to be taken seriously. The T-Bone that lead to a quick cover could work as a finish. But he needs to tighten up his offence, and preferably do a nice Abdullah/BDV elbow drop.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Paige babyface stuff is really weird, because every time she is on, I think she comes across as heelish and unlikable, but then I think I'm just being subconsciously gender biased. Like, if a dude cut similar promos, would I think he was a no nonsense hard ass and think the promos were a really good representation of how he wrestles and the character he portrays? Do I not think that way about Paige because I think it seems forced and not organic, or is it because some part of me thinks that women shouldn't act like that? I really hope it's not the latter, and I don't think it is, but jeez, all of her promos and mannerisms just scream arrogance and conceit to me. I don't understand what aspect of her character I'm supposed to get behind, other than "rasslin is srs biz", which I think she does well, but it's not really a character. 

 

Really?  I can kick anyone's ass isn't good enough for you?  So the Rock or SCSA or Punk or Henry doing that doesn't do it for you either?  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Brodus Clay nip slip was especially disturbing.

I kinda like Brodus, but man does that splash he does look shit. You can't wrestle like Bastian Booger and expect to be taken seriously. The T-Bone that lead to a quick cover could work as a finish. But he needs to tighten up his offence, and preferably do a nice Abdullah/BDV elbow drop.

Yeah, he just drops to his knees and falls over on the splash, looks all kinds of terrible. The T-Bone, powerbomb, and running headbutt are all fine, though. His big problem is other guys are now doing everything he had going for him in (the old) NXT - Bray has a better Fat Boy Crossbody, Big E has a better running splash, The Shield has better in-match trash talk. I like fat guy monster heels as much as the next guy, but he was really better off as a comedy act.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

The Brodus Clay nip slip was especially disturbing.

I kinda like Brodus, but man does that splash he does look shit. You can't wrestle like Bastian Booger and expect to be taken seriously. The T-Bone that lead to a quick cover could work as a finish. But he needs to tighten up his offence, and preferably do a nice Abdullah/BDV elbow drop.

Yeah, he just drops to his knees and falls over on the splash, looks all kinds of terrible. The T-Bone, powerbomb, and running headbutt are all fine, though. His big problem is other guys are now doing everything he had going for him in (the old) NXT - Bray has a better Fat Boy Crossbody, Big E has a better running splash, The Shield has better in-match trash talk. I like fat guy monster heels as much as the next guy, but he was really better off as a comedy act.

 

 

Rowan has a better splash too, though he hasn't done it much lately.

 

Bray has kind of changed up his Fat Boy Crossbody so he falls away from his opponent - it's more of a strike than a press, so I consider that spot available if he wants it. 

 

He should probably do Heart Punches and Stump Pullers too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

He's gotten way better the last like 4 or 5 weeks since the episode he beat Yoshi by count out and lost to Sami.  I would have been right there with you before that since he just could not put the pieces together as an effective heel and he's too punchable to be a face.  But he clearly seems to have had a come to Jesus moment and he's doing much better playing to his strengths of having nothing to cheer about in his matches.  He is a straight jerk wad heel and it is the best I have seen him perform.  This week's match with Sami also displayed him working on a weakness that Greg and I identified where he would sit in a hold too much without 'working' it.  He did a much better job this week cranking on the chinlocks and it made him even more effective.  I still hate his skinny jeans wearing bad tattoo having ass but in a good way.

 

Brodus can't throw a big splash to save his life.  Where is One Man Gang when you need him?  I fear for the art of being a big fat monster since it seems like the only style not well represented in NXT developmental.

 

Paige screaming is really what annoys me about her performances.  It doesn't seem like something endearing a face would do.  The ladies as a whole are in too much of a holding pattern at the moment and need some fresh heel blood or some angle to more the division along. 

 

The tag division has the same problems.  The Ascension has really benefited from working a bunch of squashes and they seem really confident right now in their performance but they need some challengers from somewhere to start progressing (maybe they are waiting for Enzo to get healthy?).  I would not be opposed to a face run for the champs at this point if we could put together a couple of sneaks like Tyler and English to provide some contrast to the smash mouth stuff.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

He's gotten way better the last like 4 or 5 weeks since the episode he beat Yoshi by count out and lost to Sami.  I would have been right there with you before that since he just could not put the pieces together as an effective heel and he's too punchable to be a face.  But he clearly seems to have had a come to Jesus moment and he's doing much better playing to his strengths of having nothing to cheer about in his matches.  He is a straight jerk wad heel and it is the best I have seen him perform.  This week's match with Sami also displayed him working on a weakness that Greg and I identified where he would sit in a hold too much without 'working' it.  He did a much better job this week cranking on the chinlocks and it made him even more effective.  I still hate his skinny jeans wearing bad tattoo having ass but in a good way.

 

Brodus can't throw a big splash to save his life.  Where is One Man Gang when you need him?  I fear for the art of being a big fat monster since it seems like the only style not well represented in NXT developmental.

 

Paige screaming is really what annoys me about her performances.  It doesn't seem like something endearing a face would do.  The ladies as a whole are in too much of a holding pattern at the moment and need some fresh heel blood or some angle to more the division along. 

 

The tag division has the same problems.  The Ascension has really benefited from working a bunch of squashes and they seem really confident right now in their performance but they need some challengers from somewhere to start progressing (maybe they are waiting for Enzo to get healthy?).  I would not be opposed to a face run for the champs at this point if we could put together a couple of sneaks like Tyler and English to provide some contrast to the smash mouth stuff.

I didn't finish this week's show yet, but I'm still  not sold on Grave's viability on being anything other than JR Punk....I give everyone a chance and noone hated Bo Dallas more than I did before he found his niche.  Maybe he will find his.  I don't see it right now, but maybe I need to re look at a couple of eps.  As far as Broadus goes, I think he has some charisma, but man, in ring he's not even as good as Bubba Rogers was.  Paige can do no wrong with me honestly and the Ascension need to go to the main roster to see if it's a viable thing.  If it isn't they should give them a hasta la bye bye.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you were a real fan you'd have pissed yourself and kept watching.

I'm just a fake fan with bad kidneys. :)

I went to the Axxess Superstore and was going to pick up a couple NXT shirts for people, but they only had Youth sizes. The guy went to the warehouse and said they had only brought a small number of each size shirt, so they were gone already. I did pass on the $50 NXT hoodies. And $30 NXT sleeve-less shirts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Corey Graves vs. Sami friggin' RULED. This is so secretly great and just an awesome in-ring story and a coming out party for Graves, who has finally figured out who he is in the ring and as a character. Corey Graves starts with some Zbysco-type stalls in an attempt to bait Sami, ala what he did against Yoshi a few weeks back. But Sami's ready for this and keeps control and does his wonderful no-hands somersault plancha to the floor. But any shot to Sami's head is going to be more devastating since maybe he shouldn't have taken this match as he barely passed a concussion test after Graves jumped him a few weeks back. Graves knows this and cheapshots Sami with a knee to the head when he's on the apron.

 

Almost the rest of this match is Graves in control with strikes and stuff like a nasty chinlock that he really, really works. I love him doing stuff like raking Sami's face while in the chinlock. Great camera work by having a close-up of it that works. Corey's punches are dynamite. Sami's a great comeback wrestler and tries for some huge moves to steal the match but Graves escapes and then finds a counter every time. Zayn finally has Corey in his control and is going to the top but he's taken such a beating to the head that he's too wobbly and can't fly. Match ends with an unconscious Sami hooked in Graves Lucky 13 -- the ref calls for it quickly because Sami's out cold.

 

Kudos to the ref for his work in this, too. The ref was a major part of this match and played it perfectly. He had to keep checking on Sami's condition throughout to put over Sami's weakness. But he did it without getting in the way of the action.

Bryan's still the best face in the world because he has historically great comebacks. But Sami's better at selling accrued damage than anyone right now. He's the Ricky Morton of our era.

 

Corey's really gotten good the past few weeks. He's figured out the character. I also love how he does absolutely NOTHING for the crowd to like him. There's nothing fancy in his moves. He doesn't need to do any cheap heat stuff and the crowd absolutely hates him. His cocky-ass walk to the ring, cold eyes and the like rule. This is the match, though, that really made him.

Kudos to everyone.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The problem with Paige is that her character has no depth. At this point, she's still a MsChif expy without the green.

 

The rest of the divas on the roster have more fully fleshed out characters and are able to inhabit them. Emma's a goof from Australia who's a submission savant. Bayley's a mark who loves everybody and doesn't know her own strength. Sasha wants to grow up to be Stephanie McMahon. Charlotte is the ultra-confident child of a legend who has always been told she's the greatest. Paige is pasty and screams and supposedly an "antidiva" for no clear reason.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The problem with Paige is that her character has no depth. At this point, she's still a MsChif expy without the green.

 

The rest of the divas on the roster have more fully fleshed out characters and are able to inhabit them. Emma's a goof from Australia who's a submission savant. Bayley's a mark who loves everybody and doesn't know her own strength. Sasha wants to grow up to be Stephanie McMahon. Charlotte is the ultra-confident child of a legend who has always been told she's the greatest. Paige is pasty and screams and supposedly an "antidiva" for no clear reason.

 

Paige's character is that she's always wanted to be the best and, as of now, she is the best. Everyone else has a goofball edge to them and/or is obsessed with glamor and the like. She's the antidiva because every single other diva has always been this tanned barbie who aren't focused on being the best at what they do.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Character-wise, Paige is akin to Benoit. There's nothing to her beyond going out to the ring and being the best in between the ropes. She doesn't care about alliances, friendships, backstage positioning, doesn't do a thing as far as getting that character over. You either like her because you enjoy good wrestling, or you don't like her because you want a "fully-fleshed character".

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Character-wise, Paige is akin to Benoit. There's nothing to her beyond going out to the ring and being the best in between the ropes. She doesn't care about alliances, friendships, backstage positioning, doesn't do a thing as far as getting that character over. You either like her because you enjoy good wrestling, or you don't like her because you want a "fully-fleshed character".

 Right. Paige is the no-nonsense brawler, from a family of fighters, who doesn't care what you think about her. She's here to win. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm still iffy on Corey Graves. Some of the mannerisms are there, and he's perfectly fine, it seems at least, as far as in ring talent goes. He does seem a bit slow though, I thought he looked really bad when trying to do anything that involved him running against Zayn. And, his tights bug the hell out of me for some reason. Still, he's better than the complete wastes of time that are Mojo Rawley and Rusev.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Character-wise, Paige is akin to Benoit. There's nothing to her beyond going out to the ring and being the best in between the ropes. She doesn't care about alliances, friendships, backstage positioning, doesn't do a thing as far as getting that character over. You either like her because you enjoy good wrestling, or you don't like her because you want a "fully-fleshed character".

 

Except those things aren't mutually exclusive, you know? I like good wrestling, but I also like good character work, and I would say that not having good character work makes it harder to be a good in ring wrestler. Not impossible, obviously, but harder. It seems as though there are divas that are at least in the same ball park as her in ring, but also have a very clear idea of who they are at all times. I don't really know what I'm arguing for or against, to be honest. I think that Paige is a great wrestler and brings an intensity that I like. I just don't see how anything she does makes her a face. I do like the Benoit comparison from earlier, because Benoit never appealed to me as much as he did to others. That being said, I think that when he was a face, maybe due to his size, he was a little better at garnering sympathy than Paige is currently. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Regarding Bill's comment on Rusev/Rawley...

I can see Rusev on the main Roster with a Samoa Joe type ass kicker character, I can't see this horrible iteration of Mojo Rawley being anywhere near the main roster.

 

I just finished watching the Sami/Graves match and I'm still not seeing what you guys are talking about....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Paige babyface stuff is really weird, because every time she is on, I think she comes across as heelish and unlikable, but then I think I'm just being subconsciously gender biased. Like, if a dude cut similar promos, would I think he was a no nonsense hard ass and think the promos were a really good representation of how he wrestles and the character he portrays? Do I not think that way about Paige because I think it seems forced and not organic, or is it because some part of me thinks that women shouldn't act like that? I really hope it's not the latter, and I don't think it is, but jeez, all of her promos and mannerisms just scream arrogance and conceit to me. I don't understand what aspect of her character I'm supposed to get behind, other than "rasslin is srs biz", which I think she does well, but it's not really a character.

It sounds like she has the perfect character for her to do a heel turn by flipping out when someone she doesn't respect beats her for title and beats her again in a rematch. Or, if there are no plans to turn her, she needs to lose at some point to someone who epitomizes everything she is against as the "anti-diva".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Regarding Bill's comment on Rusev/Rawley...

I can see Rusev on the main Roster with a Samoa Joe type ass kicker character, 

 

Maybe I'm missing something with Rusev, but the three or so times I've seen him I thought he looked horrid. Sloppy execution, timid sounding kicks, lumbering around the ring, and no sense of timing whatsoever.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...