NXT – August 8, 2012: The Weakest Show Yet And It’s Still Better Than Anything On Season 5
NXT
Date: August 9, 2012
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: William Regal, Byron Saxton, Jim Ross
We’re still in the title tournament this week with the other two first round matches taking place on this show. It still amazes me to see how much better this show is with just a little effort and a few new faces in there. The show is the most efficient show in wrestling today with almost no wasted time and everything hitting perfectly. Why can’t more shows be like this? I’m sure it has nothing to do with Vince not being there to run it or anything. Let’s get to it.
We open with a recap of the announcement by Dusty last week followed by all eight participants talking about what it would mean to them to win the first title.
Gold Rush Tournament First Round: Michael McGillicutty vs. Justin Gabriel
They fight over arm control to start with Justin taking him down to the mat with an armbar into a hammerlock. The fight over the arm goes on for over a minute before Gabriel gets a side roll for two. Gabriel escapes a suplex into one of his own, floating over with it into a double armbar. We take a break and come back with McGillicutty in control and putting on a chinlock.
JR makes a Joe Walsh reference and tells the fans to Google him. It’s a shame that people would have to do that. Gabriel fights up but they both hit cross bodies at the same time to put them both down. Gabriel gets sent into the corner where mcGillicutty charges into a boot.
Michael rolls away before Justin can try the 450 so Gabriel settles for a Blue Thunder Bomb instead, getting two. In a cool move, McGillicutty grabs a small package and rolls through it even further into a Perfect Plex for two. Gabriel counters a backbreaker into the Eye of the Hurricane. Justin tries a top rope Lionsault but McGillicutty rolls out of the way and the McGillicutter gets the pin at 8:05 shown of 11:35.
Rating: C+. This was the usual good match you would expect from these guys. McGillicutty is getting better and better every time out there but he’s not going to go anywhere on the main show because of whatever their latest reason is to not push new people. Gabriel also looked good here which is a good sign as he’s showing there’s a lot more to him than the 450. Good stuff here.
McGillicutty vs. Rollins is the first semi-final.
Kassius Ohno vs. CJ Parker
Parker takes him into the corner to start but it’s quickly to a standoff. Ohno works on the arm but gets quickly rolled up for two. He bails to the floor to break Parker’s momentum, only to trip Parker up and hit a slingshot stomp coming back inside. A running forearm in the corner puts Parker down again and a flipping backsplash gets two.
Off to a chinlock for a bit before Ohno kicks him in the head to counter a sunset flip. A few more boots to the head put Parker down but he avoids the forearm and makes his comeback. Parker hits a side kick for two but charges into a big boot. The spinning forearm to the back of the head gets the pin at 4:33.
Rating: D+. I wasn’t all that impressed here. Ohno is being used as a one trick guy who uses nothing but strikes. The match was pretty dull and Parker was just ok looking. I know Ohno has been around forever and has a ton of indy experience, but this version of him isn’t working for me for the most part.
After Jason Jordan/Mike Dalton beat Hunico/Camacho last week, they say NXT is their proving ground.
Ascension video.
Paige/Tamina Snuka vs. Kaitlyn/Caylee Turner
Great, four Divas instead of two. Turne and Snuka start things off and we’re immediately told who Tamina’s dad is. Off to Kaitlyn after Turner is shoved down and they fight over a top wristlock. Paige comes in and goes nuts, stomping Kaitlyn down into the corner. Kaitlyn escapes a headlock with a clothesline for two. Off to Turner who works on Paige’s arm. The crowd is mostly dead for this. It’s back to Tamina who runs Turner over and drops a knee on her.
Turner gets a quick rollup for two and it’s off to Kaitlyn again. After Kaitlyn uses a wide variety of stomps, Turner comes in for a chinlock. This is a very boring match if that wasn’t coming across. Tamina hits a quick Samoan Drop to escape and tags in Paige. After a fallaway slam, Paige small packages Tamina for the pin at 6:26. That’s an odd finish when you consider Paige was in full control at the time.
Rating: D. I say this every week, but it’s very obvious that the majority of the Divas have no idea how to work a match longer than a minute or so. This was nothing but basic stuff over and over again with the girls looking like they were struggling to fill in six and a half minutes. I know it’s a new idea, but maybe getting some female wrestlers instead of models might help a bit.
Derrick Bateman comes up to Bo Dallas in the back and complains about not being in the tournament. He seems to think it’s Dallas’ fault that he (Bateman) didn’t qualify but Dallas shrugs it off.
Gold Rush Tournament First Round: Bo Dallas vs. Jinder Mahal
The winner gets Steamboat next week. Mahal shoves him into the corner to start and then politely steps back to let Dallas out. Well that’s nice of him. Dallas takes him to the mat by the arm and gets two off a hiptoss. The fans want to know where their Slushies are. Mahal heads to the floor and we take a break. Back with Mahal kneeing Dallas in the ribs and hitting a low dropkick for two.
Regal talks about Mahal’s family as Mahal gets two off a neckbreaker. Mahal drops some knees to the chest for two before hitting more knees to the head. Well it worked for HHH so why not Mahal? Off to a cravate but Dallas escapes a belly to back suplex into a cross body for two. Dallas makes a brief comeback but walks into a sitout slam for two. Dallas runs up the corner and hooks a bulldog out of said corner for two. Mahal’s running knee misses but he clotheslines Dallas on the top rope. A Downward Spiral sets up the camel clutch to send Mahal to the semi-finals at 8:25 shown of 11:55.
Rating: C. Not a great match or anything but it made Mahal look good which is the idea here. Dallas isn’t someone that thrills me for the most part as he looks like a kid instead of someone intimidating and interesting. He’s ok in the ring but nothing worth watching for the most part. Mahal is decent enough for a foreign villain and for a show like NXT, that’s all he needs to be.
Overall Rating: C+. This was probably the weakest show yet but it was still good stuff. They got the stuff done that they needed to get done here and now we have a final four in the tournament. I wasn’t wild on the other two matches in there but you have to expect a misfire eventually from these guys. This was still a good show though and I’m looking forward to the rest of the tournament.
Results
Michael McGillicutty b. Justin Gabriel – McGillicutter
Kassius Ohno b. CJ Parker – Roaring Elbow to the back of the head
Paige/Tamina Snuka b. Kaitlyn/Caylee Turner – Small Package to Snuka
Jinder Mahal b. Bo Dallas – Camel Clutch
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