-Byron Saxton joins JR this week.
-Match 1: Seth Rollins VS Jiro
-Rollins wins a chop exchange, then lands some clotheslines before finishing quickly with the Blackout (jumping stomp to the back, driving opponent's face into the mat) at 1:32.
-Briley Pierce gets some words from Rollins, who promises to "change the world, one heart at a time". Jinder Mahal enters for the next match, and he & Rollins exchange glares.
-Match 2: Jinder Mahal VS Jason Jordan
-Jordan gets an entrance this week, cutting off Mahal's pre-match promo. Mahal gets the early jump and hits a neckbreaker for two. Mahal keeps the pressure on, and hits a butterfly suplex for two. Jordan tries to make a comeback, but Mahal cuts that off with knees, and finishes with the Camel Clutch at 3:03.
-Mahal vows to mold NXT into his vision, and begin a new wave of dominance in WWE.
-Leo Kruger profile video. He likens himself to a lion and says he's treated like a god in Africa.
-RAW MOMENT: Bobby Heenan can't get into the first show.
-Match 3: Leo Kruger VS Aiden English
-Kruger takes one dropkick, but then swats a second away before hitting some mounted punches. Kruger goes to work in the corner, then hits a snap suplex and puff his chest out to celebrate. Kruger finishes with a rear naked choke at 1:20.
-Richie Steamboat profile video.
-Match 4: The Usos VS The Ascension
-William Regal joins the booth. Cameron starts for his team, and learns quick that you can't headbut a Samoan. O'Brien holds the ropes open, and Jey falls through them. The Ascension take turns working Jey over in the corner, and O'Brien gets two. They let Jimmy make the hot tag, and he cleans house, but gets caught with the Downcast, and O'Brien gets the pin at 3:58. OK abbreviated tag formula match. Feels like it should be a bigger deal when someone who hasn't been on a main show beats someone who has.
-Match 5: Richie Steamboat VS Rick Victor
-Back to Saxton on color. Steamboat opens with a side headlock, followed by a couple armdrags. Steamboat works the arm, and hangs on to it after taking a slam. Steamboat hits a sliding clothesline for one, and goes back to the arm. Victor fights out and hits a couple European Uppercuts, but soon falls victim to a chop followed by an armdrag. Steamboat picks up the pace as the crowd chants "Steamboat", and finishes with the Slingblade (JTG's wrapping clothesline finisher) at 4:23. Not bad.
-Same Antonio Cesaro video from last week. He's up next.
-RAW REBOUND: Cena VS Jericho, with Big Show interfering, leading to a beatdown on Cena.
-Match 6: Antonio Cesaro (w/Aksana) VS Dante Dash
-Cesaro has music he never had on the main shows. Cesaro promptly hits the deadlift gutwrench. Cesaro demolishes Dash, finishing with the Neutralizer at 1:45. Not sure what the point of this was, since Cesaro was already on the main shows and this show is already filled to the brim as it is.
-Bray Wyatt hype video. Even better than last week's.
-Match 7: Johnny Curtis VS Derrick Bateman
-Curtis bitch slaps Bateman and hauls ass. Bateman catches up and goes to work, adding a slap for a receipt. Bateman misses a high knee in the corner, and Curtis gets a nice leg takedown to capitalize. Curtis works the knee, and applies a deathlock. Bateman fights out, but Curtis busts out the SPINNING TOE HOLD OF MILD DISCUMFORT. Bateman makes a comeback and gets a nice takedown, but hurts his knee in the process. Curtis goes for another leg takedown, but Bateman counters into a headlock driver for the pin 3:46. This was alright for a midcard match, but doesn't make for much of a main event.
-FINAL THOUGHTS: Holy fuck they tried to cram way too much into this show. Seven matches for an hour show means nothing gets any time to mean anything, including the main event. I know Mahal is a big part of this show for at least a little while, but why is Cesaro here? Why not hold off on Ascension VS Usos and make that next week's main event? I'm looking forward to see Kassius Ohno next week, if nothing else.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Catching Up With NXT: 6/20/12
-So after reading some reviews of recent NXT shows, I'm taking an interest in the show. Don't want to try jumping in without knowing what's going on, I've decided to start from the beginning of the new NXT as the show went from the competition show to developmental on TV.
-From (as always now) Full Sail University in Orlando, FL
-William Regal introduces JR, who brings out interim NXT GM Dusty Rhodes. Dusty announces the blockbuster main event of Tyson Kidd VS Michael McGuillicutty.
-Bo Dallas profile video. He's still boring.
-This must have been the week before the 1,000th Raw, since it's heavily pimped, including Lawler introducing his favorite Raw "moment" of Vince being in the hospital and getting annoyed by Mankind and attacked by Dr. Austin.
-Match 1: Bo Dallas VS Rick Victor
-Poor Victor doesn't even get an intro. JR mentions that Dallas is "young, single, & hungry". Not sure what his marital status has to do with anything. Regal puts Victor over as the latest "last survivor of the Hart Dungeon". Victor gets an arm wringer, but Dallas fights out. Victor lands a cheap shot in the corner and a chop that draws some "oooo"s. Dallas fights back as Regal mentions that Dallas split his kidney during a match. I'm sure that felt GREAT. Dallas lands a couple throws and a spear to finish at 2:19. JR & Regal put Dallas over big on commentary, but this wasn't a particularly impressive squash.
-Briley Pierce gets some words from Dallas about his win. He advises everyone to keep watching because we will know Bo.
-Hype video for Seth Rollins, who debuts next week. He says some things that are meant to be "deep" but end up sounding like bad high school poetry.
-Antonio Cesaro (who was already winning squashes on Smackdown at this point) will also be on next week's show. The video was actually pretty good and should have aired on Smackdown to get the crowds to know him a little.
-Match 2: Damien Sandow VS Jason Jordan
-Sandow deems Jordan an unworthy opponent, and refuses to wrestle him.
-The Ascension rises next.
-RAW REBOUND: John Cena sends Big Johnny into the sunset with a beatdown.
-Match 3: The Ascension (Kenneth Cameron & Connor O'Brien) VS Mike Dalton & CJ Parker
-Ascension's entrance is supposed to be scary, but it comes off as more a combo of Kevin Thorn & Glacier. Ascension beat the shit out of Parker, finishing him with The Downcast, a chinbreaker by Cameron that sends him into a flapjack by O'Brien at 1:15. Another squash, but holy hell that finish is weak sauce.
-Pretty cool Bray Wyatt promo. I've heard good things about him, and that video is already more interesting than anything he did as Husky Harris.
-Derrick Bateman meats Johnny "Fandango" Curtis in the bathroom. Curtis was throwing up because he's worried about what he's going to do to Bateman in the main event next week. Regal is disgusted because Curtis didn't wash his hands.
-Match 4: Michael McGuillicutty VS Tyson Kidd
-Pretty slow start until Kidd gets a fancy takedown and forces McGuillicutty to go to the ropes. McGuillicutty wins a Greco-Roman knuckle lock, but Kidd escapes with a nifty arm drag. McGuillicutty comes back, and hits a snap suplex for one. Kidd clotheslines McGuillicutty out over the top, then hits a suicide dive as we go to commercial.
Back from break, Kidd is still in charge, and he hits a leg lariat for two. McGuillicutty catches Kidd with a knee to the head, and hits a ropes-assisted hangman's neckbreaker for two. McGuillicutty pounds away, then Kidd takes Uncle Bret's bump off an Irish Whip, and that gets two for McGuillicutty. Kidd gets a rollup for one, but McGuillicutty fires back with a clothesline to the back of the neck for two. Kidd gets tied to the Tree of Woe, and McGuillicutty works him over, getting two off that. Back to the Tree of Woe, but Kidd sits up to avoid a baseball slide, and McGuillicutty crotches himself on the ringpost. Kidd lands a series of kicks, and gets two. Kidd tries a springboard, but gets met with a dropkick for two. Kidd gets set up top, but kicks McGuillicutty off him, and hits a moonsault for two. McGuillicutty grabs the apron to avoid a submission hold, then hits a Saito suplex for two. McGuillicutty gets a Sharpshooter, but Kidd gets the ropes. Kidd blocks a PerfectPlex with a small package for two, then finishes with the Dungeon Lock at 13:43 shown. That's a pretty sweet submission. Too bad Kidd will never have the opportunity to break it out on a show people actually watch.
-FINAL THOUGHTS: Not much to this show. The main event picked up pretty nicely towards the end. The two squashes before it weren't particularly inspiring, but knowing that Rollins debuts next week and that Bray Wyatt is coming makes me want to keep watching these, and that's all you can really ask for.
-From (as always now) Full Sail University in Orlando, FL
-William Regal introduces JR, who brings out interim NXT GM Dusty Rhodes. Dusty announces the blockbuster main event of Tyson Kidd VS Michael McGuillicutty.
-Bo Dallas profile video. He's still boring.
-This must have been the week before the 1,000th Raw, since it's heavily pimped, including Lawler introducing his favorite Raw "moment" of Vince being in the hospital and getting annoyed by Mankind and attacked by Dr. Austin.
-Match 1: Bo Dallas VS Rick Victor
-Poor Victor doesn't even get an intro. JR mentions that Dallas is "young, single, & hungry". Not sure what his marital status has to do with anything. Regal puts Victor over as the latest "last survivor of the Hart Dungeon". Victor gets an arm wringer, but Dallas fights out. Victor lands a cheap shot in the corner and a chop that draws some "oooo"s. Dallas fights back as Regal mentions that Dallas split his kidney during a match. I'm sure that felt GREAT. Dallas lands a couple throws and a spear to finish at 2:19. JR & Regal put Dallas over big on commentary, but this wasn't a particularly impressive squash.
-Briley Pierce gets some words from Dallas about his win. He advises everyone to keep watching because we will know Bo.
-Hype video for Seth Rollins, who debuts next week. He says some things that are meant to be "deep" but end up sounding like bad high school poetry.
-Antonio Cesaro (who was already winning squashes on Smackdown at this point) will also be on next week's show. The video was actually pretty good and should have aired on Smackdown to get the crowds to know him a little.
-Match 2: Damien Sandow VS Jason Jordan
-Sandow deems Jordan an unworthy opponent, and refuses to wrestle him.
-The Ascension rises next.
-RAW REBOUND: John Cena sends Big Johnny into the sunset with a beatdown.
-Match 3: The Ascension (Kenneth Cameron & Connor O'Brien) VS Mike Dalton & CJ Parker
-Ascension's entrance is supposed to be scary, but it comes off as more a combo of Kevin Thorn & Glacier. Ascension beat the shit out of Parker, finishing him with The Downcast, a chinbreaker by Cameron that sends him into a flapjack by O'Brien at 1:15. Another squash, but holy hell that finish is weak sauce.
-Pretty cool Bray Wyatt promo. I've heard good things about him, and that video is already more interesting than anything he did as Husky Harris.
-Derrick Bateman meats Johnny "Fandango" Curtis in the bathroom. Curtis was throwing up because he's worried about what he's going to do to Bateman in the main event next week. Regal is disgusted because Curtis didn't wash his hands.
-Match 4: Michael McGuillicutty VS Tyson Kidd
-Pretty slow start until Kidd gets a fancy takedown and forces McGuillicutty to go to the ropes. McGuillicutty wins a Greco-Roman knuckle lock, but Kidd escapes with a nifty arm drag. McGuillicutty comes back, and hits a snap suplex for one. Kidd clotheslines McGuillicutty out over the top, then hits a suicide dive as we go to commercial.
Back from break, Kidd is still in charge, and he hits a leg lariat for two. McGuillicutty catches Kidd with a knee to the head, and hits a ropes-assisted hangman's neckbreaker for two. McGuillicutty pounds away, then Kidd takes Uncle Bret's bump off an Irish Whip, and that gets two for McGuillicutty. Kidd gets a rollup for one, but McGuillicutty fires back with a clothesline to the back of the neck for two. Kidd gets tied to the Tree of Woe, and McGuillicutty works him over, getting two off that. Back to the Tree of Woe, but Kidd sits up to avoid a baseball slide, and McGuillicutty crotches himself on the ringpost. Kidd lands a series of kicks, and gets two. Kidd tries a springboard, but gets met with a dropkick for two. Kidd gets set up top, but kicks McGuillicutty off him, and hits a moonsault for two. McGuillicutty grabs the apron to avoid a submission hold, then hits a Saito suplex for two. McGuillicutty gets a Sharpshooter, but Kidd gets the ropes. Kidd blocks a PerfectPlex with a small package for two, then finishes with the Dungeon Lock at 13:43 shown. That's a pretty sweet submission. Too bad Kidd will never have the opportunity to break it out on a show people actually watch.
-FINAL THOUGHTS: Not much to this show. The main event picked up pretty nicely towards the end. The two squashes before it weren't particularly inspiring, but knowing that Rollins debuts next week and that Bray Wyatt is coming makes me want to keep watching these, and that's all you can really ask for.
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