NXT – September 27, 2012: Back To Basics And They Still Work

NXT
Date: September 26, 2012
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Byron Saxton, William Regal

Back to Florida for another NXT today. The main story now is Ohno vs. Steamboat which has been building up for a few weeks now. Other than that we have the Usos vs. Ascension in the main tag feud which may wind up being for a spot on the main rosters, which the Usos already have. Hopefully NXT can get its spark back tonight. Let’s get to it.

We open with a recap of Ohno attacking Richie Steamboat a few weeks back as well as the events of last week with the sparring session where Ohno destroyed a jobber until Steamboat made the save.

Michael McGillicutty vs. Bo Dallas

Regal tells a cool story about Dallas’ grandfather (Blackjack Mulligan) and McGillicutty’s grandfather (Larry Hennig) fighting each other decades ago. Dallas starts by tossing Michael into the air for a crash landing to take over. Some clotheslines in the corner have McGillicutty in even more trouble and an elbow knocks him to the floor. Dallas pounds away even more on the outside and they barely beat the count back in.

The referee tries to pull Dallas off of McGillicutty allowing the man that should be called Joe Hennig to get in a right hand and send Dallas’ shoulder into the post as we take a break. Back with McGillicutty pounding away on Dallas’ head and putting on a hammerlock. The fans chant YOU TAPPED OUT at one of the guys. I can’t tell which because I don’t remember either of these guys tapping out recently. Did Dallas tap out to Mahal in the tournament? That’s a long time ago to reference something if he did.

Dallas comes back in off the apron with a sunset flip for two but McGillicutty takes out the arm again to take over. Dallas comes back with some clotheslines and a bulldog with the bar arm for no cover. He loads up something but McGillicutty drops to the mat to keep Dallas from trying it. Dallas walks into a forearm and the McGillicutter gets the pin at 8:12 shown of 11:42.

Rating: C+. The more I see of McGillicutty the more I like him and the more I can’t stand his name. I ask this a lot but are they really this afraid of him going to TNA and taking the company by storm as Joe Hennig? The guy gets better and better every week but his name makes him sound like a clown. Dallas is a guy who has energy but he doesn’t seem to have a lot of potential in him if that makes sense.

Video on Paige.

Raw ReBound.

Jake Carter vs. Leo Kruger

Kruger crouches in the corner before charging straight at Carter and stomping away in the corner. He sends Carter to the floor and stalks him before stomping even more back inside. I’m digging Kruger as the psycho big game hunter. He puts on a very modified STF and pulls on Carter’s hair and ears. A middle rope shoulder gets two for Leo and Carter comes back with some basic offense. He pounds away in the corner but misses a splash, letting Kruger hit his twisting cutter, apparently called Kruger’s End, for the pin at 3:56.

Rating: C-. Not as entertaining here as it was much more of a squash than anything else. Kruger’s new gimmick where he used to be a big game hunter in Africa and is now insane is much better than being all proud and rich or whatever he was when NXT got started. Kruger looked good here but that’s about it.

Ryback vs. Francis Rene Dorian/Aiden English

Ryback’s singlet is torn partially in the opening of the match. Other than that it’s the usual destruction with the high powered offense from Ryback. English gets powerbombed, Dorian gets killed with the clothesline, and it’s a double Shell Shock for the pin at 2:27.

Kassius Ohno vs. Richie Steamboat

JR jumps in on commentary as he does with most main events on this show. Feeling out process to start until Steamboat hits a cross body and some shoulders for two each. A backdrop puts Kassius down and it’s off to a chinlock from Richie. Ohno fights up and sends Richie out to the apron and then into the buckle, knocking him to the floor.

We take a break and come back with Ohno holding a cravate across the ropes which gets two. They chop it out in the corner and it goes to a standoff. Ohno charges at Steamboat but Richie takes over with some forearms to the head. Ohno rolls through a middle rope cross body for two and hits a top rope dropkick for two. A big boot puts Richie down for two but he snaps off a superkick for two of his own. Steamboat misses a moonsault and Ohno pounds away in the corner but misses the knockout elbow, allowing Richie to small package him (fitting given his father) for the pin at 8:42 shown of 12:12.

Rating: C+. Another solid match here as this was about finding a way to beat the other guy, which is a good dynamic. The idea of the wrestler vs. the striker worked well here as you had Ohno looking for ways to hurt Steamboat, only to get caught and rolled up for a pin, which is a fine story for a match like this.

Ohno lays out Steamboat with the forearm post match and hooks that arm trap reverse cravate hold of his until referees pull him off to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This was more like the NXT that got me fired up to watch the show every week. The idea of bringing in a name like Ryback every week is fine and it makes the fans feel like they’re getting a special treat. On top of that we got a good showing from some future stars tonight and the first real match between Ohno and Steamboat. This was a fun show overall and one of the better ones they’ve had in weeks. Also, keeping Rollins off TV for a few weeks at a time is a good idea as it makes his appearances feel special as well as allowing other names to be built up as potential challengers for the title.

Results

Michael McGillicutty b. Bo Dallas – McGillicutter

Leo Kruger b. Jake Carter – Kruger’s End

Ryback b. Francis Rene Dorian/Aiden English – Shell Shock

Richie Steamboat b. Kassius Ohno – Small Package

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