NXT – October 23, 2013: The B-Team, Haircuts, And 10,000 Squirt Guns

NXT
Date: October 23, 2013
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Tensai, Alex Riley

We’re back after last week’s excellent, pay per view level show. I’m pretty sure this is the start of a new set of tapings so things should feel a bit more fresh. It’s hard to say what’s coming with this batch as a lot of the main stars were on a tour of Abu Dhabi when the shows were filmed. NXT hasn’t let me down yet though so let’s get to it.

Welcome Home.

That’s quite the interesting choice for analyst on commentary this week.

Sasha Banks vs. Emma

We start with something resembling a dance off before they poke each other in the chest. Emma takes her down and gets two off a rollup before cranking on Sasha’s arm. Another pair of rollups get near falls for Emma as the announcers list off hashtags the girls have started. Sasha sends Emma into the buckle to take over but Emma sends her face first eight straight times to come back. Emma gets taken down into a chinlock and we take a break.

Back with Emma still in the hold complete with a bodyscissors. Emma finally fights up but gets taken right back down with a backbreaker for two. We hit the chinlock again because two minutes of it wasn’t long enough. Emma fights up again and scores with a clothesline followed by the Dilemma (Tarantula) and the running cross body to a seated Sasha for two. Emma loads up the Emma Lock but has to go after Summer Rae. Paige comes out to take down Mrs. Fandango but the distraction allows Banks to get a rollup for the pin at 7:20 shown of 10:50.

Rating: D+. This was pretty disappointing with far too much time spent in a chinlock. That being said, it’s still WAY better than anything the Divas of WWE have done in months with the girls looking natural instead of looking like they’re walking a tightrope of a set of spots. Paige vs. Laycool II should be fun when it actually happens.

Post match Summer goes in for a cheap shot on Emma and Paige accidentally clotheslines the Aussie by mistake.

We get a video from last week of Bo Dallas saying there was nothing wrong (“Controversy schmontroversy”) with how he beat Sami Zayn. He’s taking a vacation now and going on a world tour, including a stop in Bo-livia to deliver 10,000 squirt guns to starving children. Konichiwa, and remember don’t stop Bo-lieving.

We recap Ascension retaining the titles last week and Graves turning on Neville.

Here’s Graves in a suit to explain his actions. Adrian Neville and the NXT Universe will want to know why he did what he did, but before he can explain here’s Neville to jump him. They head to the ring with Neville pounding away and diving over the top to take Graves out again.

Casey Maron/Tommy Taylor vs. Ascension

Non-title here. Maron starts and draws the still awesome LET’S GO THIS GUY chant. Victor takes him into the corner and pounds away before it’s off to O’Brien for some running shoulders. Taylor is knocked to the floor and Maron is taken down by a modified double powerbomb. The Fall of Man ends the squash at 2:30.

We look back at Zayn vs. Dallas from last week.

Last week Sami said that he had no problem with the match being restarted for Dallas’ foot being on the rope but he does have a problem with the match not being restarted after he was rammed into a buckle. Maybe JBL has it in for him?

JBL doesn’t approve of Renee Young wearing a non-NXT approved tank top before talking about how the universe doesn’t revolve around Sami Zayn. He stopped a referee’s error because it was best for business but he can’t do everything. Sami Zayn won’t be here until JBL decides he’ll be back.

CJ Parker vs. Alexander Rusev

No LeFort or Dawson for Rusev this week. He runs over Parker to start as we might be in another squash. A blonde woman in a red dress is walking around ringside as the Accolade makes Parker give up at 1:18. Total squash.

The woman in red leaves and seems pleased with what she saw in Rusev.

During the break Tyler Breeze come in and hit the spinwheel kick (named the Beauty Shot) on Parker. Breeze even cuts off some of Parker’s hair to make it personal.

Breeze vs. Parker next week.

Corey Graves vs. Adrian Neville

The bell rings and Adrian immediately hits a dropkick to take Graves down. Some kicks to the leg send Graves to the floor and Neville adds a big dive to the outside. Back in and Graves takes him down by the leg but a cannonball off the ropes is countered into a rollup for two. Corey kicks away at the leg and pounds away with right hands to the head.

More stomping to the body has Adrian down and a clothesline gets two. Off to a standing figure four for a good while before a leg drag gets two. Back to a kneeling figure four but Neville fights up with some forearms to the face. A third one puts Corey down but Adrian hurts his knee coming off the top. Lucky 13 is good for the submission for Graves at 7:10.

Rating: C-. This wasn’t much to see but it made logical sense. Neville is a high flier and for once taking out the flier’s leg actually worked. It also sets up a rematch where Neville can come back and get his actual revenge after looking like he can’t beat Graves the first time around. Nothing great here but it was acceptable.

Graves puts Neville in the hold again on the floor to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. This wasn’t nearly as good as I’m used to with NXT but it still wasn’t bad. This show did a good job of showcasing some of the lower level people in NXT and the result is the same: if you put time and effort into stories and characters, they’ll be entertaining. The top guys being gone can be a good thing if they use the time right, and so far it hasn’t been that bad.

Results

Sasha Banks b. Emma – Rollup

Ascension b. Casey Maron/Tommy Taylor – Fall of Man to Maron

Alexander Rusev b. CJ Parker – Accolade

Corey Graves b. Adrian Neville

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