IMG Credit: WWE

Main Event
Date: April 19, 2018
Location: XL Center, Hartford, Connecticut
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Percy Watson

Things are finally starting to settle down around here but that means we have a bunch of highlights to get through first. In this case we have the full on Superstar Shakeup, which should fill in the show rather well. Other than that, we might be seeing some new names getting relegated to Main Event status. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

In memory of Bruno Sammartino.

Opening sequence.

Karl Anderson vs. Curt Hawkins

Hawkins celebrates a headlock takeover and gets dropkicked down. Anderson gets pulled throat first into the top rope and we hit the stomping for two. The chinlock keeps Anderson in trouble until he suplexes his way to freedom. A running boot to the face gives Anderson two but he walks into a Michinoku Driver for the same. Hawkins is already done though and it’s a running kick in the corner, followed by the top rope neckbreaker to extend the losing streak at 5:15.

Rating: D+. Hawkins keeps getting in offense but there’s only so much you can expect from him when he’s losing this much. At this point there’s not much left to do other than giving him a win over someone or letting him go. The win alone will be worth at least a little something, if nothing else for the people who have been watching Main Event. So like eight people?

From Raw.

Here’s General Manager Kurt Angle to start things off. He gives us a quick introduction but here’s Sunil Singh to announce that Jinder Mahal is now on Raw. Jinder isn’t happy that he was brought here in an SUV because he only travels in a limousine with a motorcade. Angle doesn’t like some of this but wants to be treated like Brock Lesnar around here. Kurt suggests that Jinder email him his issues and gives Sunil his address: Kurt.Angle (which he has to spell) @ NOFREAKINGWAY.com. We settle things in the ring here so it’s time for a title match RIGHT NOW.

US Title: Jinder Mahal vs. Jeff Hardy

Mahal is defending. The fans are behind Hardy (because they have taste) as he slugs away in the corner. A dropkick to the back of the head and a clothesline off the apron rock Mahal and we take a break. Back with Jeff in a chinlock for a good while until a big right hand drops him on the apron. Jeff is fine enough to shove him off the top though and the Whisper in the Wind gets a breather.

Sunil gets dropkicked down (and hopefully shut up) and a basement dropkick gets two on his boss. Things are starting to pick up but a jumping knee to the face looks to set up the Khallas (which Cole calls a half nelson slam). Jeff slips out so a big boot to the face gives Mahal two more. A Twisting Stunner out of nowhere drops Mahal though and the Swanton gives Hardy the title at 11:27.

Rating: C-. Not a great match (to be fair, Mahal) but Jeff winning the title is a great way to get him back on the fast track (and to give hope to impaired drivers everywhere). Hopefully Mahal falls WAY down the ladder now, though I’m curious to see what happens to Orton’s title shot as a result. Just please not another triple threat. Is that too much to ask for?

From Raw again.

Here’s Roman Reigns to talk about how he’s here again tonight, unlike Brock Lesnar. He’ll win the title in Saudi Arabia and bring it back here full time. Cue Samoa Joe to say Reigns is a great talker but never talks about getting the job done. I remember him doing plenty of jobs. Joe talks about how Reigns can never put him away and at Backlash, he’ll put Reigns to sleep again.

We see a video of Lesnar destroying Reigns at Wrestlemania so Reigns wants to fight now. Joe comes down the ramp twice before walking away, as expected. Again: if they want Reigns as a big deal, DON’T PUT HIM OUT THERE WITH PEOPLE WHO SLAUGHTER HIM ON THE MIC!

And, from Raw.

It’s time for MizTV with some special guests who will change Raw forever: Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, who Cole flat out said COULD NOT be included in the Shakeup. Cole brings it up again here but Coach and Graves basically tell him to get over it. The five of them have a group hug with Miz saying this is better than the NWO and calls the team better than the Avengers. They won’t be held down by Shane McMahon or Kurt Angle, the latter of whom comes out with a rebuttal.

Apparently this can’t happen but Owens says plans have changed. There was an email sent out earlier tonight and Sami has printed it out. With his glasses on (that’s funny for some reason), Sami reads that Angle’s decision on Sami and Kevin’s status has been overturned because Stephanie McMahon thinks they proved themselves last week.

Owens is thrilled but Angle has some news: Miz is now going to Smackdown, as per Daniel Bryan’s request. Miz takes it in stride but gets even more bad news: the Miztourage is staying on Raw. For a going away present though, the five of them can face Finn Balor, Seth Rollins, Bobby Lashley, Braun Strowman and someone making their Raw debut.

From Smackdown.

Miz didn’t like Daniel Bryan tweeting about wanting to punch him in the face. That’s not happening tonight because Miz is in Los Angeles with Maryse and his newborn daughter. He’ll be here next week and he’ll kick Bryan’s a….Maryse: “Mike! Language!” Miz: “You catch my drift.” That match is going to be awesome when it takes place.

Recap of who went where.

Gran Metalik/Lince Dorado vs. TJP/Ariya Daivari

Metalik flips away to start and kicks Daivari down for two. TJP comes in and kicks away, setting up something close to an Octopus Hold. That goes nowhere so Metalik bounces off the ropes for an armdrag. Dorado comes in for two off his falling splash and the masked guys tease a double dive as we take a break.

Back with TJP cranking on both of Metalik’s arms until a right hand breaks things up. Daivari sneaks around and pulls Dorado off the apron in a rare useful move. Not that it matters as Metalik backflips out of a double belly to back suplex for the real hot tag. TJP’s sunset flip gets two but the springboard Stunner into the shooting star gives Dorado the pin at 9:47.

Rating: C+. Another nice little match here, even if it’s something we’ve covered so many times before. If the cruiserweights do get the Tag Team Titles, I hope they’re defended here a few times (I know they won’t be) as the tag matches around here aren’t exactly interesting in the first place. Just give them a little something to work with and maybe this will get better.

We’ll wrap it up with some more Smackdown.

AJ Styles/Daniel Bryan vs. Aiden English/Rusev

Bryan wastes no time in taking English down into a surfboard so AJ can come in off the top with a shot to the chest. Rusev tries to come in and the threat of a double submission sends the villains bailing to the floor. Back with AJ fighting out of English’s chinlock but getting backdropped for two. Rusev comes in and stomps away as the fans aren’t as in to the RUSEV DAY chants as before. It’s almost like you can kill a crowd if you try.

It’s back to English who dives to keep Styles from the tag. That earns him a Pele and the double tag brings in Bryan and Rusev. Everything breaks down and Bryan scores with the YES Kicks on Rusev. Graves: “You can’t call them that because the Miz is coming to Smackdown Live!” Phillips: “Oh shut up.” There’s the running knee to Rusev but here’s Nakamura with a low blow to Styles. Cue Big Cass to kick Bryan in the head for the DQ at 12:38.

Rating: C. I heartily approve of this Cass push. I was a fan of the guy before he got hurt and now without the little fungus around him, there’s potential there. They must think something of him if they’re putting him with Bryan right off the bat, as Bryan can definitely get a good match out of him.

Cass stares down at Bryan and Nakamura still can’t speak English to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Like I said at the beginning, it makes sense to have some big stuff to focus on for a show like this. The big moments from Raw and Smackdown helped a lot as it made the show go by that much faster. On top of that though you had a pair of nice original matches, making this one of the better Main Events in recent memory.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the WWE Grab Bag (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

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Smackdown
Date: December 5, 2017
Location: Valley View Casino, San Diego, California
Commentators: Corey Graves, Byron Saxton, Tom Phillips

It’s back to the blue side this week with the continuing issues between Sami Zayn/Kevin Owens and Shane McMahon. The question is now becoming where Daniel Bryan fits into this whole thing, which could open up a bunch of new directions as we move forward. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Here are Sami and Owens to open things up so we look at a clip of Zayn helping Owens defeat Randy Orton last week. Owens talks about what happens when you’re the victims of a McMahon Family grudge and how they’re the latest names on that list. This all stems from humiliating Shane in their Cell match and the plan didn’t even work. They’ve beaten Shane at every turn, which really isn’t all that hard.

Sami explains the differences between being in the ring and being at ringside before walking up the ramp, saying that’s no longer being at ringside. Therefore, he didn’t break Shane’s ruling last week and everything is fine. With Sami in the aisle though, Orton sneaks in with an RKO to Owens.

This brings out Shane, to make Sami/Owens vs. Orton/a partner of Randy’s choosing for Clash of Champions. As for tonight, Sami can work off some energy by facing Orton in a one on one match. Just to keep an eye on Owens, he’ll be handcuffed to the ring ropes. Why not just watch the match from somewhere else and say if Owens is involved at all he’s in whatever kind of trouble? Plot convenience I’m assuming?

Post break Sami explains things to Owens, who doesn’t remember a thing. That’s a good way to sell the RKO.

Rusev/Aiden English vs. New Day

Before the match, English debuts the 12 Days of Rusev but Big E. cuts him off before the third day. Music hater. English tries to suplex Big E. to start so we hit the gyrating. Kofi comes in and hits his jumping clothesline but Rusev pulls Aiden outside. Some dancing takes us to a break.

Back with English holding a chinlock until it’s back to Rusev for some kicks to the ribs. Rusev grabs a bearhug for a bit until a double stomp out of the corner gets Kofi out of trouble. The hot tag brings in Big E. for the house cleaning and Kofi nails the big dive over the top onto Rusev. Back in and Kofi’s springboard is broken up, allowing Rusev to superkick him for the pin at 9:24.

Rating: C-. I’m sure English and Rusev will be added to the title match now right? Or that they’ll replace New Day. Probably not actually as Shelton Benjamin/Chad Gable got beaten last week and are in the match anyway so it’s not like the thing makes sense in the first place. If Rusev and English don’t get anything out of this though, I continue to not understand a lot of things this company does.

We look back at the Hype Bros splitting.

Mojo Rawley is tired of hearing about what he did to Zack Ryder last week. With Ryder out, things were going up. He won the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal but then Ryder had to come back and drag him down. If anyone has a problem with him, they can shove it.

English and Rusev have been added to the title match.

Lana, Carmella and Tamina aren’t happy with Natalya getting another Women’s Title match. Daniel Bryan says Carmella can be involved if she cashes in the briefcase but she says no. The Riott Squad comes in and wants to know why Ruby isn’t involved in the match. Is it because he doesn’t like her tattoos? Sarah Logan asks if it’s because Bryan has something against people from Kentucky (she’s from Indiana) and something about tasting live game. Bryan finally snaps and makes the title match a lumberjack match.

Bobby Roode and Baron Corbin get into a math argument over triple threat match. Thankfully, Dolph Ziggler comes in (What am I saying?) to brag about his success and promise to win the title.

Bludgeon Brothers vs. Adam James/Josh Carr

Carr gets knocked outside to start and Harper hits a heck of a lariat. Back in and the reverse powerslam plants James. The double spinebuster is good for the pin at 1:02.

We look at Charlotte in Psych: The Movie.

Owens has talked to Daniel Bryan, who will think about intervening in the main event stipulation. For now, they wait.

Bobby Roode vs. Baron Corbin

Non-title with Dolph Ziggler on commentary. Corbin pokes him in the chest to start but Roode dropkicks him in the ribs to send him outside. A hard right hand rocks Roode though and it’s off to a chinlock. Back up and Roode kicks at the knee before stopping a charge in the corner. The Blockbuster doesn’t work and it’s a double clothesline for a double knockdown. Ziggler stands up and gets in the ring for a Zig Zag on Roode and the DQ at 3:27.

Rating: C-. How bad is it that I was relieved at the DQ? I was worried they would have one of them get a clean pin here and it was very nice to have the match end with a screwy finish instead. I’m still not sure why the match needs Ziggler in it whatsoever but he’s kind of there whether you want him around or not.

Corbin gets a Zig Zag as well.

Natalya tries to get Tamina/Lana/Carmella to be on her side against Charlotte. They don’t seem interested. The Riott Squad comes up and Natalya backpedals in a hurry. A lot of sucking up ensues and Natalya bails.

Long recap of AJ Styles vs. Jinder Mahal.

Charlotte vs. Tamina

Non-title with Lana, Natalya and Carmella are at ringside. Charlotte works on the arm to start but gets shoved down with ease. A running kick to the chest gets two on Tamina but she drives Charlotte into the corner as we take a break. Back with Charlotte snapping off some chops and getting a rollup for one. The Figure Eight makes Tamina tap at 6:42.

Rating: D+. This was a good win for Charlotte, even though there was no doubt about her winning. Tamina is fine for a low level dragon but that’s about the extent of her capabilities. When you have Nia Jax being that much better than her in every aspect, there’s just not much hope for her.

Post match the three on the floor get on the apron with Natalya saying this is a preview for Clash of Champions. Cue the Riott Squad to say we need a real preview, including the real stars of the show. The lumberjacks get into it with Lana and Carmella having to hold Tamina back. Charlotte leaves as everyone else sneers at each other.

Bryan won’t help Kevin in the main event and the handcuffing goes through.

Randy Orton vs. Sami Zayn

Before the match, Bryan and security is ready to cuff Owens. Kevin says no, but Bryan threatens him with suspension. Orton wastes no time in taking Sami outside and dropping him back first onto the barricade. Sami starts running and hides next to Owens in a smart move. That’s fine with Orton, who grabs Sami and bounces him off the announcers’ table.

Owens offers a distraction though and Sami gets in a hard shot to take over for the first time. Some trash talk from Owens takes us to a break. Back with Sami stomping away and saying he’s not afraid of the Viper. Sami snaps his throat across the bottom rope and pulls out some bolt cutters (which they just had laying around underneath the ring). Orton breaks it up before the chain can be cut but Sami posts him instead.

Back in and Sami gets crotched, setting up a top rope superplex to put both guys down. Owens grabs the cutters and gets free, only to be taken down by an Orton clothesline. The RKO is loaded up but Owens offers a distraction so Sami can get two. The RKO doesn’t work but the Helluva Kick misses as well, allowing Orton to grab a rollup for the pin at 11:44.

Rating: C+. So to clarify: Orton can beat the two of them clean on his own so now we should totally be interested in watching him and a partner face off with Sami and Owens on pay per view. The idea should be that Orton can’t handle these two because they keep cheating and using their numbers advantage but instead we get Orton pinning Sami when Owens interferes. Where’s the logic in that?

Post match the beatdown is on until Shinsuke Nakamura makes the save. The heroes shake hands and we seem to have a partnership. Owens takes and RKO and Zayn gets a Kinshasa.

Shane and Bryan are in the back and Shane says he’s not done with Zayn and Owens. He’s going to be the guest referee at Clash of Champions and if Sami and Owens lose, they’re fired from WWE (meaning they can’t go to Raw). Bryan doesn’t look pleased to end the show.

Overall Rating: C-. I wasn’t really feeling this week’s show, even if they set up some stuff for the pay per view. The problem is the more they talk about the upcoming show, the more it becomes clear that “all titles on the line” is a really terrible gimmick. I’m assuming AJ vs. Mahal will main event, but that’s far from the biggest match on the card at the moment. Also, throwing so many people into so many of the matches really doesn’t help things and just shows a lot of the problems this show has at the moment. Maybe the pay per view will be better but they’re not heading in strong.

Results

Rusev/Aiden English b. New Day – Superkick to Kingston

Bludgeon Brothers b. Adam James/Josh Carl – Double spinebuster to James

Bobby Roode b. Baron Corbin via DQ when Dolph Ziggler interfered

Charlotte b. Tamina – Figure Eight

Randy Orton b. Sami Zayn – Rollup

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Volume VI: July – December 1999 in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

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Who might be the stars of the future?  Here are eleven of them.  Why eleven?  Eh no reason.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/kbs-review-wrestling-prospectus/

NXT
Date: June 5, 2014
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: William Regal, Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton

We’re starting a new cycle tonight after Takeover blew the doors off the place last week. There aren’t a ton of stories coming out of the show but the main thing was Tyson Kidd refusing to shake Adrian Neville’s hand after his loss in the NXT Title match. Kidd as a heel is an interesting idea and might lead to either a rematch with Neville or a match with Sami Zayn. Let’s get to it.

We open with a recap of the end of last week’s show.

Opening sequence.

Tyler Breeze has entered the building.

Mojo Rawley vs. Aiden English

Aiden sings about Mojo failing America last week. Mojo shoves him into the corner to start but English kicks him down and gets two off a running neckbreaker. We hit the chinlock for a bit but Mojo rolls out of it and kicks English in the face to take over. A Rear View takes English down and Hyperdrive gets the pin at 2:50. Nothing to see here.

We look at the Takeover post show from last week with Paul Heyman needling him a bit about the loss. Kidd seems very upset.

Natalya supports her husband.

Some Special Olympians are here.

Bayley vs. Charlotte

Non-title. The fans are entirely behind Bayley as Charlotte takes her down into a headlock. Back up and Bayley grabs an armdrag followed by another coming off the middle rope. She rolls over Charlotte on the mat in an overdone bit, only to have Charlotte nail her in the back with some hard knees for two. Charlotte tries to do the same amateur roll and looks more inept than comedic.

Off to the figure four headscissors by the champion before Bayley comes back with some weak right hands. Sasha Banks takes a right hand as well but Charlotte gets in a few shots of her own. Cue the returning Summer Rae to hug Sasha but the distraction isn’t enough to distract Charlotte as she nails Bow Down to the Queen for the pin at 4:20.

Rating: C-. Not much of a match here but it was much more about the angle than anything else. I’m glad we’re actually getting some closure to the BFFs as Summer getting promoted just kind of killed the thing dead, but now we can get a blowoff match in the future to get rid of Summer for good.

The BFFs reunite and triple team Bayley until Paige and Emma make the save.

Jason Jordan and Tye Dillinger talk about names.

Video on the Ascension being all dominant.

Jason Jordan/Tye Dillinger vs. Phillip Ghouljar/Stuart Cumberland

Regal loves the name Ghouljar. Fans: “LET’S GO JOBBERS!” Dillinger chops away at Cumberland to start and the chops rip the skin off his chest. Off to Ghouljar as the fans chant Charlie Haas at Dillinger. Jordan comes in and puts on a front facelock before the pretty boys drop some knees. The jobbers actually take Dillinger into the corner for a bit but he comes back with chops to Ghouljar. A not very hot tag brings in Jordan and it’s a superkick from Tye into a Jordan Slam (Angle Slam) for the pin on Cumberland at 5:50.

Rating: D+. The pretty boys are fine for a thrown together team but they still need some more wins before they fight the Ascension. They’ll be good challengers and maybe even the team that takes the belts, but more importantly they’re an actual team that can face the Ascension instead of a bunch of jobbers.

CJ Parker is in the front row with a pro-forest sign.

Summer Rae brags about her accomplishments to the BFFs.

Here’s Tyler Breeze to introduce his music video and make fun of Sami Zayn (Seth Rogen’s uglier brother) for his loss last week.

The video is just Breeze singing, but it’s dedicated to all his fans….even the uggos.

We recap Bo Dallas being thrown out of NXT two weeks ago. This gets a big song about Bo never giving up. Dallas freaking out about the fans not leaving after his loss is funny stuff.

Justin Gabriel vs. Adrian Neville

No DQ and non-title. Justin’s armbar to start goes nowhere so they run the ropes a bit with Gabriel taking over with a hurricanrana. Gabriel suckers Neville in and clotheslines him to the floor, only to have the champion clothesline him right back. A running cannonball off the apron puts Justin down and we take a break with Adrian holding an armbar.

Back with Justin hitting a running forearm in the corner followed by a floatover suplex into a double arm stretch. Neville quickly fights back and gets two off a middle rope dropkick. Justin comes back with a nice rollup for two before elbowing the champion down with ease. Adrian’s springboard is dropkicked out of the air and Justin is bleeding a bit above the eye. The 450 is rolled through and Adrian hits a running dropkick in the corner, setting up the Red Arrow for the pin at 8:00.

Rating: C+. Take two high fliers and let them go nuts out there. To be fair they didn’t really have time to get as insane as they did last week, but this was still fine for the most part. It’s kind of amazing how fast Gabriel fell, as you would think that 450 would have kept him on the main roster longer than it did.

Tyson Kidd comes out for the showdown post match. He apologizes for what he did and promises to beat Adrian next time. Tyson wants one more shot and Adrian accepts the challenge, but emphasizes that it’s the last time. Nothing physical happens to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. This was kind of an episode to catch their breath and set up some future stuff. Jordan and Dillinger are fine for the kind of team they’re trying to be and we have a rematch set up for the title, in addition to Tyler Breeze lurking. It’s not a great show, but there was bound to be a letdown after how awesome things were last week. Good but not excellent here.

Results
Mojo Rawley b. Aiden English– Hyperdrive
Charlotte b. Bayley – Bow Down to the Queen
Jason Jordan/Tye Dillinger b. Phillip Ghouljar/Stuart Cumberland
Adrian Neville b. Justin Gabriel – Red Arrow

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

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NXT
Date: 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
Date: March 20, 2014
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: William Regal, Todd Phillips, Byron Saxton

Things have been looking up in Florida over the last few weeks after a few down weeks leading up to Arrival. The big story at the moment is Bo Dallas wanting his title back from Adrian Neville and the title match takes place next week. Other than that we’ve got the Divas arguing as usual, likely leading up to a good match or two. Let’s get to it.

This week’s show was available early so it looks like it’s going to be a week by week thing.

Mojo Rawley vs. Bull Dempsey

Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots is here and in a Mojo shirt. Dempsey hammers away in the corner and slams Mojo down. A knee drop gets two and we hit the chinlock complete with forearms to the chest. Rawley throws him into the air for a big crash and drives Bull into the corner with a three point stance. Some splashes in the corner set up Hyperdrive to pin Bull at 2:24. Dempsey got in too much offense but at least it wasn’t as long this time.

Sheamus is in action tonight.

CJ Parker doesn’t like Mojo Rawley because he’s hyped up on fast food and probably throws his trash out of the window. They meet next week.

Tyler Breeze vs. Sami Zayn

No match as Corey Graves jumps Sami while Zayn is high fiving a little girl. Sami gets sent head first into the post and the trainer comes out to check for a concussion.

Sheamus says it feels magical to be back in NXT but Aiden English interrupts in song. He says he’s using NXT as a stepping stone to the brighter lights of Broadway. Sheamus says it’s funny that Aiden said stones because it’s clear Aiden’s stones haven’t dropped yet. That can be fixed tonight because Sheamus will talk to JBL and get a match made between the two of them.

Adam Rose vs. Camacho

Renee Young jumps in on commentary and asks why she isn’t in the party. She dances a bit in one of the few things you’ll see her do outside of hold a microphone and smile a lot. Regal offers to take her to one of Rose’s parties but she says she might ask for Rose’s autograph and be too fangirlish. Rose, for lack of a better term, prances around the ring before Camacho grabs his arm. The fans think Rose is awesome and he rolls away from Camacho in appreciation.

Rose leans into the ropes and rocks his feet into the air to stop Camacho in his tracks. Camacho didn’t hit the feet but he’s not sure what to do with Rose. He takes Rose into the corner and chops away, drawing a PARTY POOPER chant. Hey Raw crowds: take notes from NXT on how to be amusing. Rose gets caught in a chinlock and then sent into the corner so Camacho does the prance. Adam is MAD and jumps on Camacho with right hands to the head. He nails a spinebuster and gyrates in the corner (Renee: “That’s a very erotic warmup.”) before the Slice (complete with a CHOO CHOO!) gets the pin at 5:00.

Rating: C+. The match wasn’t much but man alive is Rose fun to watch. He’s so over the top and into his character that it’s impossible to not watch him. It’s also interesting to see that little bit of Jim Morrison in there where every woman wants him, including Renee. He’s a great example of a guy just finding the right gimmick and running with it.

Bayley vs. Sasha Banks

Natalya and Charlotte are the seconds here. Bayley dances around to start as Byron Saxton goes into some bizarre metaphor about stealing chicken and rice. Regal: “I have no idea what you just said.” Bayley runs Sasha down and steals her sunglasses. Phillips: “Hug Life?” She sits on Sasha’s back and crosses her arms as Banks freaks out.

Back up and Bayley charges into a boot in the corner as Sasha takes over. She stomps Bayley down and puts on a chinlock for about five seconds. Sasha throws her outside but Natalya prevents any shenanigans from Charlotte. The distraction from Natalya lets Bayley get a rollup pin at 4:33.

Rating: D. This was a comedy match at first and much more about the characters than the action. It was entertaining at times but after seeing Emma and Paige beat the fire out of each other I need a little more than Sasha just stomping on Bayley for two minutes and a rollup finish.

Aiden English vs. Sheamus

This week’s song is about being in the center ring of NXT before going to the WWE. Sheamus gets a great reaction before the match but Aiden says he built this theater. He’s going to use this company to make his way to Broadway but Sheamus doesn’t think he’ll make it there. Sheamus sings us an Irish song and the fans are WAY into it until English jumps him. Sheamus says ring the bell and the chase is on. Aiden catches him coming in and stomps away but Sheamus sends him into the corner and hits the forearms to the chest.

The Brogue Kick misses with English bailing to the floor as we take a break. Back with both guys on the floor and Sheamus throwing English into the barricade. Aiden tries to run but manages to send Sheamus face first into the steps. A clothesline puts Sheamus down and they head inside for a chinlock.

Regal alters English’s character a bit by saying Broadway means the top of the WWE. He finally admits he has a man crush on English as Sheamus slugs back from his knees. Sheamus pulls himself to the top rope but Aiden slams him down into a neckbreaker (nice move) for two. Back to the chinlock and Sheamus is in trouble. Sheamus powers to his feet and throws English down. A few shoulder blocks set up the Brogue Kick for the pin at 7:44.

Rating: C. Not much to this one here but letting an up and comer like English get in some offense on a big star is always a good thing. On top of that the fans got to see one of the top guys in the company so everyone wins. Of course you can’t have Sheamus get in any serious danger here but it was far from a squash.

Sheamus brings a kid over the barricade and has him do the Sheamus pose to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a very laid back and fun show and there’s nothing wrong with that. Nothing of note happened but you had Mojo, Rose, Bayley and Sheamus to fire up the crowd. That’s the great thing about NXT: they can just take a week off like this but still have an entertaining show. Good stuff here and it flew by.

Results

Mojo Rawley b. Bull Dempsey – Hyperdrive

Adam Rose b. Camacho – Slice

Bayley b. Sasha Banks – Rollup

Sheamus b. Aiden English – Brogue Kick

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NXT
Date: February 5, 2014
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Byron Saxton, Tensai, Tom Phillips

We’re getting close to the end of this taping cycle but things aren’t looking all that sluggish for a change. The big stories continue to be Neville vs. Dallas for the title and Sami Zayn wanting another 2/3 falls match against Cesaro. I’m hoping that’s it for Zayn in NXT as there’s just nothing left for him to do, other than winning a title that he doesn’t need anymore. Let’s get to it.

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.

Rating: D+. Rusev is being treated like the monster he needs to be and that’s all that you need to do at this point. The guy is going to be a big time monster on the main shows and it’s goingt to be awesome. Cara was fine out there and the short moonsault was an error rather than the norm like it was for Mistico.

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.

Rating: C-. Renee summed the Divas division up on commentary: they’re good looking women in nice outfits and made up very well going out there and trying to entertain people. That’s exactly what you had here and the fans were entertained. What more can you ask for besides good looking women in small outfits having fun and putting on a passable match?

Post match Emma says she wants her match with Paige for the Women’s Championship but the BFFs hit the ring to beat her down. Natayla and Bayley make the save.

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.

Aiden English gets a spotlight in the back and talks about threatening Enzo last week. He celebrates this action because it was retaliation to Enzo for running over his foot. That being said, he’s looking forward to Tyson Kidd tonight and hopes to make O Canada cry.

LeFort swears revenge on Ryan.

Tyson Kidd vs. Aiden English

English takes Tyson’s knee out and drops a series of elbows for a fast two. A belly to back suplex gets the same and we hit the chinlock. Tyson fights up and hurricanranas English into the buckle to take over. A running dropkick to the side of Aiden’s head gets two but he comes back with a knee lift and a suplex for two. Here’s Big Cass at ringside to steal Aiden’s scarf and beret, allowing Kidd to hit a Blockbuster (No Kidding) for the pin at 2:43. Fun match.

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.

Corey takes another breather so Neville cartwheels into a plancha to take him down. Yet again Graves beats Adrian to the punch as he gets back in and we take a break. Back with Corey working on Neville’s leg in the corner and dropping a leg on the leg for good measure. He cannonballs down onto the leg a few times before pulling back on it to make Adrian scream. When Adrian doesn’t submit, Graves simplifies things a bit by just hitting him in the face.

Back to the leg lock for a bit before Graves changes targets with a fireman’s carry backbreaker for a series of two counts. They head outside again with Graves’ piledriver being countered via a backdrop. Back in and some forearms have Corey in trouble before a middle rope dropkick gets two. Graves kicks the knee out again but Adrian rolls to the apron and kicks Corey in the head, setting up the Red Arrow for the pin at 11:08 shown of 14:38.

Rating: B-. Nice long match here with both guys getting to show off a bit. It’s a simple story and Graves’ work on the leg makes sense from more than one perspective. Nice TV main event here which is something NXT can do at the drop of a hat it seems. I’m still not wild on Graves though as he’s just kind of there to me.

Post match a very serious Bo Dallas slowly walks to the ring and takes off his jacket. Before anything can happen though, here’s HHH because NXT doesn’t know how to operate without him. Somehow it takes him two minutes to make the title match a ladder match.

Overall Rating: C+. My fear for this company’s future grows every week as the main show’s influence grows more and more. With stuff like the distraction finishes, the boss having to make the major matches and feuds going on longer than they should, I’m starting to feel like I’m watching another Raw. That’s not good but it’s not past saving yet.

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
Date: January 29, 2014
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Alex Riley, William Regal

We’re coming up on the big live show in about a month with Neville earning a title shot against champion Bo Dallas by surviving last week’s Beat the Clock match. Other than that we’ve got Sami Zayn trying to get another 2/3 falls match against Antonio Cesaro but Antonio doesn’t seem all that interested. Let’s get to it.

Mike Cuellari/John Ikerino vs. Ascension

I’m sure I spelled those names wrong but does it really matter? Apparently Cuellari is Q.T. Marshall from ROH and various other indies. Viktor easily slams him around and gets two off a suplex before it’s off to John who gets his head taken off by a clothesline. Konor comes off the middle rope with an even hard clothesline, setting up the Fall of Man for the pin by Viktor at 2:20.

Sylvester LeFort is still holding tryouts for a new client. Cal Bishop, an NCAA champion, comes in but Sylvester doesn’t like his cauliflower ears.

Corey Graves vs. Camacho

This is Graves’ return match after being gone two months due to a concussion. Corey says he’ll never forgive Adrian Neville for injuring him and tells both NXT and WWE to stay tuned. A long headlock on Camacho gets things going but Camacho shoves him out to the floor. Graves comes back in and kicks at the knee before putting on Lucky 13 for the submission at 1:21.

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

Next up for LeFort is a big man named Sawyer Ford who won’t say where he’s from, doesn’t know about an audition and won’t stop shaking LeFort’s hand.

Bayley vs. Sasha Banks

Bayley’s music is, in a word, bubbly. Renee Young joins in on commentary. Bayley lunges at Charlotte but the referee keeps her in the ring, allowing Sasha to take over with a slam. Sasha ties up Bayley’s arms as Natalya cheers the bubbly one on. Bayley comes back with some running clotheslines in the corner as Natalya gets in a fight with the BFFs. Sasha grabs a rollup for two on a distracted Bayley, only to walk into the Belly to Bayley for the pin at 2:50 in another show match.

Colin Cassady vs. Tyler Breeze

The fans aren’t sure who to cheer for here as they think Breeze is gorgeous but also like spelling out S-A-W-F-T for SAWWWWFT! Breeze stalls a lot on the floor and in the corner for some picture taking but Cass gets a phone from a fan at ringside to take his own pictures. The fans completely dig it and Regal calls this more fun than a barrel of monkeys. Big Cass goes inside and we get the opening bell.

Tyler goes after Cass in the corner but the big man fires off right hands to the jaw while asking if Breeze is ok. A big SAWFT forearm to the back sets up an elbow drop for two on Tyler. There’s a nice big boot for the same but Aiden English pops up on screen to sing about Colin. He goes into the injured Enzo’s locker room and threats of violence are heard. The distraction lets Breeze hit the Beauty Shot for the pin on Cass at 2:24. The more I see of both of these guys, the more entertained I am.

After a break Colin finds a fine Enzo but there’s no English in sight. Enzo says English just threatened him and left. Cassady: “He ain’t the only one that can play games and I ain’t talking chess.” Enzo: “I don’t know how to play chess.” Cassady: “I’m talking Balderdash. Connect Four. Ring Around the Rosey. Hopscotch. Connect Four.” Enzo declares English to be sawft as Cassady goes to find English. I smell a swerve in the future.

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.

Miz throws him back inside and slides between Parker’s legs into a sunset flip for two, only to walk into a kick to the face. A double running knee in the corner gets two more on Miz and we hit the chinlock. Miz fights up and hits the Reality Check before hooking a dragon screw leg whip and dropping some elbows on the leg. Parker kicks him into the corner and hits a high cross body, only to have Miz roll through and put on the Figure Four for the win at 4:40.

Rating: C-. I was impressed by Miz’s in ring work here as his offense made sense and that dropkick actually looked good. That being said, I still don’t like the Figure Four as his finishing move. The Skull Crushing Finale took him to the WWE Title and a win over John Cena in the main event of Wrestlemania. It’s the same thing that bothered me about AJ Styles becoming a Flair clone: he was already the best in the world. What was he going to become? The best wrestler on Venus?

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

Mason Ryan says he’ll work for Sylvester LeFort if LeFort can beat him next week.

Renee Young is in the ring to moderate the contract signing for Neville vs. Dallas. This is a bit less formal though as she’s just holding the contracts and invites both guys to the ring. Dallas doesn’t show up so Neville signs his contract, only to have Bo come out in wrestling gear. He insists he isn’t scared and is far meaner than he’s been in months. Dallas tells Neville to take a seat and watch the champion work.

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.

Overall Rating: C+. Good but not great show this week, though it’s clear that they’re building up to the big night in about a month. I hope they don’t turn this into a WWE show and take away all of the good stuff that NXT has had going on in the last year plus, but maybe it’s just a quick change of pace before we get back to normal.

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

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NXT
Date: January 1, 2014
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: William Regal, Tom Phillips, Alex Riley

Happy New Year everyone. I’m not sure if it’s a new year in NXT or not because this show was probably taped back in November or so. We have a main event already set for tonight with Leo Kruger vs. Sami Zayn in a 2/3 falls match which is becoming the signature main event of the promotion. Let’s get to it.

Welcome Home.

Byron Saxton is in the middle of the ring to let us know that Tyler Breeze is in the building.

Lana introduces Alexander Rusev and is given the WHAT treatment.

Alexander Rusev vs. Kofi Kingston

Rusev pounds Kofi into the corner as Regal chides Phillips about not being able to talk to Rusev. “If he could talk to you, he wouldn’t need a translator. Fine money spent on your college education.” Kofi is lifted into the air so Rusev can drive knees into his ribs. A Samoan drop gets two on Kofi and a hard shoulder block gets the same.

Alexander misses a running splash and gets dropkicked down. The Boom Drop connects but Rusev heads to the corner so Kofi can’t try Trouble in Paradise. Instead he hits a cross body off the top (good one too despite Kofi slipping on the ropes) for two but a Lana distraction lets Rusev slam Kofi off the top. The Accolade gets the big upset submission from Kofi at 3:52.

Rating: C. Rusev didn’t look great in there but he got a win over a legitimate main roster guy. There’s definitely a future for this guy in the big leagues and he could be something special in the vein of Umaga. Kingston continues to be the same guy he’s been for years and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Sylvester LeFort is holding open auditions to replace the injured Scott Dawson. Bull Dempsey comes up but is told he’s too fat. LeFort says he needs someone bigger than life when Mason Ryan pops up behind him. Ryan hasn’t heard about an audition but LeFort promises him lots of money and holds up a one dollar bill. Mason grabs him by the beard and shoves it in LeFort’s mouth.

Natalya vs. Emma

#1 contenders match. Emma takes her down with a headscissors but Natalya reverses into a headlock. Off to an armbar by Nattie and a fireman’s carry slam gets two. Emma gets two on a rollup and strikes a pose, only to be rammed into the corner. She counters into a quick Dilemma (Tarantula) but after the break Natalya takes her head off with a discus lariat for two. Emma gets caught in an abdominal stretch complete with her leg being lifted off the mat.

In an awesome hold, Natalya gets Emma face down on the mat, ties their legs together and grabs her arms. They turn over and Natalya lays on her back while raising her legs up to put Emma in something like a Tree of Woe on the mat. That looks awesome but Emma gets her arms free. Emma counters the Sharpshooter into a small package for two before putting on the Emma Lock (Indian Deathlock with a bridge into a crossface) for the win at 4:35.

Rating: C+. Again, it saddens me that Emma is stuck down here while we have to watch Divas like Aksana, the Bellas, Eva Marie and Rosa Mendes on Raw for the simple reason of they were either there first or some attempted cross promotion with a reality show. This was solid wrestling with good looking women which could work if actually presented on Raw.

Natalya raises Emma’s hand because she got beat fairly.

It’s time for a sing off between Aiden English and Colin Cassidy. Apparently Regal and English had a cup of tea together with a dwarf named Peter who loves baking flatbread, and it’s so adorable listening to the pitter patter of tiny Pete. Thankfully Big Cass comes out before anything else can be said. Aiden starts by singing some Italian opera and is good as always. Colin sings about Aiden’s voice: “You sound like you coughed, but you’re just S-A-W-F-T”. Audience: “SAWFT!”

Colin has a surprisingly nice voice and wins in a landslide but Aiden wants another round. Aiden sings about how he can’t stand Cassidy and Colin sings about how much English sucks to the tune of My Girl, complete with the BEST AUDIENCE EVER doing the backing vocals. English of course snaps and takes out Colin’s knee. This was very entertaining and didn’t beat you over the head with the joke like they do on Raw. That’s such a huge difference and it makes these segments so much easier to sit through.

Tyler Breeze vs. Mason Ryan

The fans go nuts for Breeze’s entrance. Tyler is now the Prince of Pretty because he’s just that awesome. LeFort comes to ringside to distract Ryan, allowing Tyler to get an early advantage. Mason slides to the floor and blasts LeFort, only to go back in for the Beauty Shot and the pin at 1:18.

Hunico/Camacho vs. Ascension in a tornado match next week.

Tyler Breeze has left the building.

Sami Zayn vs. Leo Kruger

2/3 falls. Sami signs an autograph on the way to the ring which is a really easy way to get over with a crowd but no one does it. Kruger throws him to the floor to start and pounds on Zayn’s back before throwing him back inside. A European uppercut sends Zayn right back to the floor and Kruger rams him back first into the apron. Back in and some more European uppercuts have Sami on shaky knees. That’s fine with Zayn though as he hits a quick exploder suplex into the corner before connecting with the running boot in the corner for the pin at 2:53.

We take a break and come back with Leo breaking up a superplex attempt and shoving Sami out to the floor for a nine count. Zayn is just so good at building sympathy by holding his ribs and looking like he’s fighting for every step. Back in and Kruger snaps off a DDT for a close two. Leo fires off right hands but Sami gets all fired up, only to be uppercutted right back down. Sami comes back with a clothesline and leg lariat to set up the Blue Thunder Bomb for two. Zayn goes to the apron but gets draped over the top ropes to injure the ribs again. Somehow that’s only good for two so Kruger loads up a superplex.

Sami shoves him off and tries a cross body but lands on the ribs again. With Zayn in agony and holding his ribs, Kruger grabs his arm for the GC3. Since his arm is fine, Sami fights to the ropes and doesn’t tap out. Sami tries to beat some psychology into him but walks into a big spinebuster for no cover. Instead he tries the Slice but gets caught in a downward spiral followed by a Koji Clutch of all things to give Sami the second fall and the win at 10:28 shown of 13:58.

Rating: C+. If you want an example of something that ticks me off in wrestling, this is it. Kruger’s finishing moves may be the clothesline and the arm lock but they make no sense here. Sami spent over twelve minutes setting up that rib injury and Leo just ignores it because that’s not what his offense focuses on. Leo looked fine other than that and the moves he used were all done well, but that lack of common sense hurt him. This was also a pretty resounding defeat and makes it clear why he was repackaged. It’s also nice to see Sami get a big win and look dominant in the process.

Overall Rating: B. This was the fun show that I’ve grown accustomed to. The matches were all at least good, the singing bit was funny and we have a big match next week. This show is a very tightly run ship and you never have to ask what they’re thinking with their booking. I’m so used to being surprised when WWE or TNA gets something right and it’s the complete opposite here. Another fun show with a great crowd.

Results

Alexander Rusev b. Kofi Kingston – Accolade

Emma b. Natalya – Emma Lock

Tyler Breeze b. Mason Ryan – Beauty Shot

Sami Zayn b. Leo Kruger – Koji Clutch

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NXT
Date: December 4, 2013
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Byron Saxton, Renee Young, Alex Riley

Tonight is one of their bigger shows as we have Dallas vs. Neville for the title, Natalya challenging Paige for the Women’s Title and possible Rega vs. Cesaro or at least some development for the feud. NXT has been able to pull off the big shows quite well in the past so hopefully they keep that streak going tonight. Let’s get to it.

Welcome Home.

Women’s Title: Natalya vs. Paige

Paige is defending. This is a result of Natalya being all whiny on Total Divas and Paige accusing her of going Hollywood. We get a rough handshake before Paige takes her down with a headlock. Natalya grabs the leg to counter but Paige reverses into a wristlock. Natalya rolls through into one of her own but Paige breaks it up with a headbutt. They trade rollups for two each before Paige catches Natalya’s kick to the ribs.

Natalya rolls through into a leg lock on the mat as the chain wrestling continues. Off to a headlock on the mat by Natalya but Paige gets to the ropes before the Sharpshooter goes on. Back from a break with Paige stomping away in the corner. Apparently Natalya tried to get in a cheap shot during another handshake during the break which set Paige off.

Paige puts on an abdominal stretch but is reversed into the same hold by Natalya. The blonde enhances it a bit by lifting Paige’s leg up for more pressure. Saxton: “Natalya putting some more twerk on Paige.” Paige fights out but gets leg dragged to the mat. Natalya stomps away but Paige fights up, only to have both girls try cross bodies at the same time to give us a stalemate.

Natalya is all fired up now and gets two off a snap suplex and a hard slam. Now it’s Sharpshooter time but Paige crawls over to the corner and through Natalya’s legs, sending Natalya head first into the buckle. Natalya goes for the legs again but Paige counters into the Paige Turner for the pin at 10:16 shown of 13:46.

Rating: B-. The fact that Paige isn’t on Raw is becoming more and more of a crime every day. The girl is good looking, young and can go in the ring but for some reason (allegedly age, even though JoJo is a year and a half younger than Paige) she’s stuck here while we get True Divas vs. Total Divas. The match was what we’ve come to expect from the Divas and the chain wrestling was a very nice treat.

Cesaro imitates Regal, telling him not to stick his nose into Cesaro’s business. Kruger comes in and says Cesaro took him to a place he hadn’t been in a long time. Cesaro: “A shower?” Kruger thinks he can be a Real American and Cesaro says he’ll talk to Zeb if Kruger does him a favor. It’s something related to Sami Zayn, who faces Kruger tonight.

Aiden English vs. ???

The jobber isn’t named so we get the LET’S GO THIS GUY chant. Renee talks about all the organizations Aiden is a part of, including various mime and opera groups. I love little details like that which enhance a character far better than saying the same stuff over and over again. Imagine that: making stuff up to make a character better. Total squash with English throwing the jobber around and ending him with the Director’s Cut at 1:18.

The fans chant for and receive an encore. The ring is filled with roses after English finishes in a nice touch.

Here’s Cesaro in a suit to apologize to Byron Saxton for what happened last week. We get a clip of Regal saving Saxton last week before Saxton comes up onto the stage to talk to Cesaro. They shake hands and Cesaro invites Byron to do the Real Americans pledge but Saxton isn’t too thrilled. Cesaro grabs him by the neck and slaps Saxton down before fixing his suit. No Regal.

Sami says last week was tough but if anyone is going to take the title from Bo, he’s glad it’s Adrian. Either way, he’ll get it eventually. Leo Kruger jumps him from behind to set up their match.

Tyson Kidd vs. Leo Kruger

Didn’t they say Kruger was facing Zayn tonight? Either way, this was set up when Kruger kicked Kidd’s crutches out back in February. Tyson stomps him down in the corner to start and a belly to back suplex gets two. Renee enjoys looking at Kidd’s toned body as Kruger takes him down into the corner and chokes with his boot before hitting a kind of Stunner onto the recently repaired knee. We take a break and come back with Kruger still on the knee and even putting on the Sharpshooter. Kidd is in trouble but Sami Zayn comes out for a distraction, allowing Kidd to get a rollup for the pin at 4:46 shown of 8:16.

Rating: D+. This needed a break? The match was nothing to see as it was supposed to be about revenge but I need more than a rollup for revenge. To be fair though this was hardly a feud and was really just tying up a loose end from February. It also sets up Zayn vs. Kruger even more so good booking but bad action.

Camacho and Hunico want the tag titles.

NXT Title: Bo Dallas vs. Adrian Neville

Neville quickly takes him down to start for two but Dallas bails to the corner. A cross body out of the corner gets the same and Dallas heads outside for another breather. Back in and Dallas takes off a buckle pad behind the referee’s back before taking Neville’s head off with a forearm for two. We hit the cravate from the champion before a corner clothesline and the bulldog gets two on Adrian.

Dallas drives some knees into the head for two more but misses a middle rope knee drop to give Neville a breather. Some running forearms to Dallas’ head have him in trouble and a big shot sends Dallas out to the floor. A huge Asai Moonsault takes Dallas out but he kicks out at two. Adrian loads up the Red Arrow but Bo bails to the floor before it can launch. Instead it’s a cross body to the outside to crush Dallas again but only Neville beats the count back in for the countout at 7:38.

Rating: C. The match was decent while it lasted but the ending was just a way to extend the feud. To be fair though this match wasn’t built up nearly as well as the Zayn vs. Dallas match so it’s not as much of a drop. This could be leading to Dallas vs. Neville vs. Zayn which could be very entertaining if given a good amount of time. Not a great match here but it did its job.

The announcers talk about Dallas being champion for nearly 200 days to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a middle of the road show for NXT but it was still entertaining. It set up some stuff for the future which continues to be one of NXT’s strong suits, but it didn’t give us anything we really needed to see tonight. The fact that this was a show to get us to the next show and was still entertaining is a really good sign though. The future is bright for these guys.

Results

Paige b. Natalya – Paige Turner

Aiden English b. ??? – Director’s Cut

Tyson Kidd b. Leo Kruger – Rollup

Adrian Neville b. Bo Dallas via countout

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