NXT RETRO WORKRATE REPORT (April 24, 2013)
NXT RETRO WORKRATE REPORT – APRIL 24, 2013
(by PHIL RIPPA)
This is the NXT “Clash of the Champions”. For some reason I am little sad about them doing this gimmick but we shall see. Maybe because I know Ric Flair won’t be in the main event.
WHAT WORKED
US TITLE MATCH – Antonio Cesaro vs. Adrian Neville. The match goes here. The awkward scroll they had to run is going on the other half of the column. Hey! Neville is still half of the NXT tag champs. Poor poor taping months at a time. Dammit – I promised that would be on the other half of the column. Anyway – this is really good. Cesaro is another of those big guys who can make tiny guys look really good so Neville’s flip floopy offense looks credible. The few moves were Neville is actually “overpowering” Cesaro should have been nixed (the back slide being the prime one) because that was stretching credibility. Other than that – it was all working. Adding Mike Chioda as the ref was a nice touch.
I think I mentioned this last week but they definitely lucked out with the crowd at this set of tapings since they like to be involved and actually cheer for stuff. When they aren’t furiously masturbating to Paige, of course.
The Mick Foley DVD commercial is really good. I was going to say “Shocker – we never saw it during RAW” but then I realized I hadn’t started watching RAW again when this was airing so what the fuck do I know. But yeah – this clearly seemed like something that since Vince didn’t care about it – folks could actually be creative.
Nice interview segment with Chris Jericho setting up a match with Bray Wyatt. Could do without the whole “if Jericho loses he joins the Wyatt” stuff but other than that I am giddy. And Tony Dawson managed to hold the microphone in front of the right person… most of the time.
WWE DIVA’S TITLE – AJ vs. Kaitlyn. I said this the last time Kaitlyn defended the Diva’s title on NXT, I am not sure why she isn’t working someone from the NXT roster. Especially based on the nature of this specific show. Oh well. Can’t image why Kaitlyn’s boobs keep falling out of her outfit. These two have worked together like a zillion times so I would have thought it would have been a little crisper. Still a fun match mainly because AJ is the littlest bump machine around. She can even make Kaitlyn’s spear look deadly so that’s aces.
NXT TITLE MATCH – Big E. Langston vs. Brad Maddox. I AM SOLDIER!!! God, I miss that theme so. Much like my gripe with the Women’s match – the most appropriate opponent for this “special” show is Brad Fucking Maddox??? There really is no one on the WWE roster willing to get crushed by Langston? Fuck them. This was short, sweet and to the point… as it should have been. FIVE! FIVE! FIVE!
William Regal called the crowd “Blood Thirsty Swines”. William Regal is the best.
WHAT DIDN’T WORK
So yeah… the problem with defending WWE titles on the NXT show that you taped months ago is you get moments like having to run a giant fucking scroll at the beginning of the Cesaro/Neville match that is all WHOOPS!!! SORRY! THIS MATCH WAS TAPED WEEKS AGO! WE KNOW CESARO ISN’T THE CHAMP ANYMORE! PLEASE DON’T YELL AT US! (Kofi Kingston had won the US title like a week before this match aired.) The other problem is that you already know what the outcome of the match is going to be. And yes – I could also bring up Adrian Neville still being tag champ with a crippled partner. I am a little sad that TNA has managed to dodge the bullet with a similar taping policy.
Maybe if Vince McMahon didn’t hate Jim Ross he could have been around to call this show and give that “special” feel they clearly were going for. Instead – it is a Tom Phillips week. My ears are not amused.
Oh and someone should probably tell Phillips that the foot and knee are two different parts of the body.
Tony Dawson’s new hair cut certainly isn’t doing him any favors.
INTERCONTENTIAL TITLE MATCH – Bo Dallas vs. Wade Barrett. I am not a fan of either of these guys so there is some work they have to do to climb the mountain and get to the top half of the column. They didn’t pull it off. Of course – the fact that Barrett got his payback win over Dallas on NXT makes me giggle but it also shows what the WWE thought of Barrett at the time. I really am not hip to Dallas’ style of seeming to be perpetually wrestling with a concussion. Goofy motherfucker. Now to be fair – this is perfectly fine but it isn’t really my cup of tea. At one point Dallas takes a ridiculous bump right on his head while selling Barrett working over his arm so maybe now he is wrestling with a concussion. Oh – as a side note – this wonderfully hot crowd seems to be the first one that was anti-Bo Dallas. So I guess the seeds maybe started being planted even here. But anyway – you probably are more forgiving than me so you will like this. Not me. I am old and tired and cold and there are wolves after me.