JCM Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 Neville's stock has went way up over the last few months in my eyes. I used to see him as an uglier Evan Bourne, but he's improved at every facet of the game during the Zayn feud. Let's not overlook how good Neville was in all this. He played a fantastic ace. This feud to some kids was probably like Flair/Steamboat was to me as a kid. Also sign me up for some Balor & Itami vs Kidd & Cesaro matches please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NikoBaltimore Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 There's no way they'll lose that goofy aspect that you love. But there's still plenty of great matches to balance that (last night is an excellent example). The fact that in a lot of cases you have guys/girls who are goofy AND can have great matches is what makes NXT the best around. Oh, almost forgot a hilarious moment. During the Balor/Itami tag match, this happened: "WE WANT KENTA!" "NO!" *five seconds pass* "LET'S GO HIDEO!" 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greggulator Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 Tyson Kidd is pretty much the definition of what I want to watch.Sami has made EVERYONE he's worked with since his debut look better -- Cesaro looked like the best wrestler alive, Bo Dallas's ridiculousness, Renee Young as amazing interviewer, Tyler Breeze, Neville, Tyson, etc. Hell, he got good matches out of Titus O'Neil. And he's managed to put guys over left-and-right yet still become the champion.Man, if Sami was on the main roster and they told this story over the year, the IWC would be kicking and screaming about how he was getting buried. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCM Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 I highly disagree with that. Sami's story was much better and more logically booked than Bryan's. Bryan beat the freaking top guy of the last 10 years clean BEFORE his road to redemption even started. Orton was ice cold with no momentum before taking the title, and the whole joining the Wyatt's thing was just shit. The fans had to force the booking they wanted for Bryan(because it wasn't going to happen otherwise) while the NXT crowd went along for the ride because they trust the booking. I can't remember the last time a year long story was told and performed this well in a WWE ring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NikoBaltimore Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 Oh, and the other key thing worth noting: This show is only an hour at most. It's not 2 or 3 hours, so there's not as much of a chance for filler segments. That, and there's no need to have everybody out there every week. Just makes for a tighter show, with proper emphasis on stories that matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cristobal Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 On the "How Neville could work" front: a flyer tag team with Kalisto. Hunicara's ok, but I don't think Lucha Dragons' gimmick flies (no pun intended) on Raw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyJ Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 Man, if Sami was on the main roster and they told this story over the year, the IWC would be kicking and screaming about how he was getting buried. The difference is nxt has nuance and subtlety. On the main roster, the storyline would be picked up and dropped multiple times. JBL would tell you each week that the guy doesn't look like a wrestler and loses all of this matches when it matters. If he was actually over, he'd job a few times to Rusev. Instead of garnering sympathy, he'd come across as pathetic. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technico Support Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 I just keep thinking about how Kevin Steen and El Generico are top guys on a WWE product. Is this real life? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Fresh Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 Oh, and the other key thing worth noting: This show is only an hour at most. It's not 2 or 3 hours, so there's not as much of a chance for filler segments. That, and there's no need to have everybody out there every week. Just makes for a tighter show, with proper emphasis on stories that matter. Huh? It was 2 hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cristobal Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 I just keep thinking about how Kevin Steen and El Generico are top guys on a WWE product. Is this real life? Welcome to me 9-slash-16 months ago with Bryan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NikoBaltimore Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 Oh, and the other key thing worth noting: This show is only an hour at most. It's not 2 or 3 hours, so there's not as much of a chance for filler segments. That, and there's no need to have everybody out there every week. Just makes for a tighter show, with proper emphasis on stories that matter. Huh? It was 2 hours. Sorry if I didn't indicate it, but I meant the weekly shows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w. josh Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 Man, if Sami was on the main roster and they told this story over the year, the IWC would be kicking and screaming about how he was getting buried. The difference is nxt has nuance and subtlety. On the main roster, the storyline would be picked up and dropped multiple times. JBL would tell you each week that the guy doesn't look like a wrestler and loses all of this matches when it matters. If he was actually over, he'd job a few times to Rusev. Instead of garnering sympathy, he'd come across as pathetic. Yeah, the biggest difference in the two stories is the commentary/recap. In NXT, Sami has always been treated like a big deal. Even the heel announcers talked about how talented he was and how much heart he had before wondering if he just didn't have what it takes to get to the next level. There wasn't anybody screaming "Look at this pasty redheaded goof with weird writing on his pants! He's a loser! And he's tiny!" The story they told - consistently - was that Sami was one of the best wrestlers in the world, but somehow kept coming up short. That's why it worked so well. It's the best story the WWE has told, beginning to end, in ages. Whether it was Dusty or HHH or Sami himself or the dude who used to write quips for Rachel Ray, it worked like gangbusters, and I hope like hell that someone important fully understands that and is working toward getting some semblance of it on Monday nights. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technico Support Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 We are doing a live blog over at SC Live Blog Dudes, don't sleep on this. Vaudvillans are working as hipster artesianal cocktail bartenders. Why is Prince Devitt in blackface? Wouldn't a minstrel gimmick work better for the Vaudvillians? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 Man, if Sami was on the main roster and they told this story over the year, the IWC would be kicking and screaming about how he was getting buried. The difference is nxt has nuance and subtlety. On the main roster, the storyline would be picked up and dropped multiple times. JBL would tell you each week that the guy doesn't look like a wrestler and loses all of this matches when it matters. If he was actually over, he'd job a few times to Rusev. Instead of garnering sympathy, he'd come across as pathetic. I honestly think a lot of the problem is just too much TV time. If they had to tell it on a 3 hour Raw and 2 hour smackdown, it would have been more compressed in all the wrong ways. We have a ton of haphazard Main Roster losing streaks to compare it to. There was never a sense, to me, that Sami was on a losing streak. He lost matches but they were matches he should have won or almost won. They were slip on a banana peel losses. He almost looked better in losing than he came in looking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCM Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwcLDFntJ4I Regal vs Owens down the line? fuck yeah 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonnyLaw Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwcLDFntJ4I Regal vs Owens down the line? fuck yeah Regal is amazing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Fresh Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 That promo is masterful. And having Owens take out Regal while Sami is still "injured" is the best way to take this thing up a few notches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig H Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 Back to Neville, but I think the proper way to use him is like how Benoit was used. Regardless of how you feel about what the guy did, it's pretty amazing he was used as effectively as he was during his WWE stint. Neville could fill that spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 It's way more likely they use him like Jerry Lynn was used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig H Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 He's a physical specimen with an insane work ethic who is exciting as hell to watch in the ring. Regardless of his height, I bet HHH loves him. No way he gets used like Jerry Lynn did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overly Critical Man Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 One thing that I thought detracted from that great main event was the commentary. Was it Riley shouting about how Zayn deserved to lose his career while he was hitting his finish and pinning Neville? Simply awful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomAct Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 Had a crazy thought. You know how WWE gets all pissy about indy groups running on Mania weekend? Why don't they run a big NXT show on Friday or Saturday before Mania? NXT is basically a well produced super indy as it is, so they could really have their cake and eat it too with something like that. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NikoBaltimore Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 Keep Riley out and stick him on pre shows only. Graves is a significant upgrade. RandomAct, they do NXT at WWE Axxess. Unless you're talking a promoted show then yeah that would be great. Pop it on the Network and it'd do wonders. Question is: Would you have a WWE star or two on there since they're already at Axxess? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerva Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 Had a crazy thought. You know how WWE gets all pissy about indy groups running on Mania weekend? Why don't they run a big NXT show on Friday or Saturday before Mania? NXT is basically a well produced super indy as it is, so they could really have their cake and eat it too with something like that. I think I read somewhere that giving the timing of the NXT Takeover shows the next one would be around Wrestlemania weekend. Agreed with putting the Axxess stuff on the Network to show all matches tied to it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Man Known as Dan Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 In a show full of Indy darlings, top flight international performers, and what not, it says a lot that I can legitimately say that Sasha Banks gave one of the better performances of the night. Of all the development NXT has done, she might be there best success story. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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