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

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NXT: Takeover
Date: May 29, 2014
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, William Regal, Byron Saxton

It’s the second two hour live NXT special tonight and the card looks solid. The main event is Adrian Neville defending the NXT Title against Tyson Kidd after Kidd won a triple threat a few weeks ago. Other than that we’ve got the other two titles on the line as well, with Ascension defending against Kalisto/El Local and Charlotte vs. Natalya for the vacant Women’s Title. Let’s get to it.

The opening video is about change, with NXT taking over the world. A Takeover you might say.

Adam Rose leads his party from outside, all the way into the arena for his match. Awesome entrance.

Adam Rose vs. Camacho

Rose is feeling rather playful as he jumps into Camacho’s arms, only to be slammed down to the mat in a hard landing. A nice butterfly suplex gets two on Adam and we hit the chinlock. The fans sing the song to get Rose back to his feet because this is the most awesome crowd in wrestling. Rose escapes and starts Hulking Up but a hard boot to the face puts him down for two. Another chinlock slows things down as the fans chant PARTY TIME. Camacho drops a leg for two but Rose fights back with left hands and a big spinebuster. A Bronco Buster sets up the Party Foul to pin Camacho at 5:10.

Rating: C. This wasn’t a great match but it was the perfect way to open up a big show. Rose is very similar to Godfather, as the matches aren’t all that impressive but he’s going to get a crowd over no matter what he’s doing. That’s a very valuable thing to have and something that should keep Rose on the main roster for a long time.

Video on Zayn vs. Camacho from Arrival and what it meant to Zayn. Sami says Tyler Breeze is a bit different kind of opponent.

Tyler Breeze has entered the building. Regal: “My night is made!”

Tag Team Titles: Kalisto/El Local vs. Ascension

Ascension is defending and their challengers have only wrestled together a few times. The champions go after the masked men to start but stereo headscissors put them on the floor. Local and Kalisto load up stereo suicide dives but charge into uppercuts to knock them back into the ring. Viktor starts by throwing Kalisto around before it’s quickly off to Konnor for a big elbow drop. A double chicken wing has Kalisto in even more trouble.

Back to Viktor who rips at Kalisto’s mask before putting him in the Tree of Woe for kicks from Konnor. They head outside to keep up the destruction but Kalisto kicks Konnor in the face and rams Viktor face first into the apron. It’s not enough for a hot tag though as Ascension takes him into the corner. Kalisto FINALLY dives over to make the tag and Local speeds things up. A middle rope moonsault gets two as everything breaks down. Viktor just ENDS Local with a running clothesline though, setting up Fall of Man for the pin at 6:20.

Rating: D+. The hot tag was a bit of an improvement but this was more of the same from Ascension. At the end of the day, they’re desperately in need of competition unless they’re brought up to the main roster to take the belts from the Usos soon. Either that or the new pretty boy team will knock them off, which isn’t the worst idea in the world.

Video on Tyler Breeze.

Sami Zayn vs. Tyler Breeze

#1 contenders match. Breeze has new music, completely with paparazzi sounds. Tyler cranks on the wrist to start but gets taken down by a top wristlock. Zayn snaps off three very fast armdrags to take over and hooks an armbar. Back up and Sami goes to the corner, only for Tyler to grab his leg and whip Zayn all the way down to the floor. Breeze stomps away in the corner before hitting a nice bulldog into the middle buckle. Tyler’s hair is down, I believe for the first time ever in NXT.

We hit a front facelock on Sami but he finally fights up and throws Breeze off. I love the subtle things Sami does like have to try three times before shoving Tyler away. It’s a great way to build up sympathy and get the crowd behind you. Breeze heads outside so Zayn hits a huge slingshot moonsault to take him down. Back in and a high cross body gets two on Tyler followed by a wicked Blue Thunder Bomb for the same.

A frustrated Sami goes up top but has to roll through a cross body, only to charge into a kick to the ribs and a DDT for two. Tyler comes back by pulling Sami from the mat out of the corner into a sitout powerbomb for another near fall. Breeze goes nuts in the corner with right hands but Sami comes back with an exploder suplex to send him into the buckles. They slug it out with some very intense BOO/YAY chants.

Sami stops himself before running into the referee and gets rolled up for two. The Blue Thunder Bomb is countered into a series of standing switches before Tyler superkicks Sami’s head off but Zayn kicks out AGAIN. The fans are literally standing and cheering for this. Both guys are spent but it’s Breeze in control. Sami blocks an Irish whip and tries an arm trap powerbomb but the fall down in a sloppy looking sequence. That’s fine with Zayn though as he loads up a fisherman’s buster but flips Breeze forward into a powerbomb for two.

Breeze bails to the floor, allowing Sami to hit a gorgeous flip dive. The landing looked very rough though as Sami’s leg smacked Breeze in the head and knocked it into the steel ramp. Back in and Sami tries the Helluva Kick but Breeze’s head goes down, causing a low blow to Sami. Zayn falls backwards and the Beauty Shot gives Breeze the pin at 15:55.

Rating: A-. That botched sequence near the end is one of the only things holding this back. Sami is more than ready for WWE by this point but at some point he needs to get a major win in NXT. I’m fine with them not making him champion, but there’s a good chance this gets a rematch due to the ending. Breeze’s best match ever by about 10,000 miles as well.

Here are Lana and Rusev with something to say. Lana says Rusev has spread his power to Raw and Smackdown but now he’s back here receive adulation. This brings out Mojo Rawley with an American flag to stand up to this horrid villain. Rawley says in America, we don’t get hyped. WE STAY HYPED! Mojo hits the ring….and gets his head kicked into the fourth row. Rusev hammers away and Accolades Rawley in about 20 seconds. Rusev still isn’t done though as he puts on the Accolade on the ramp.

Video on Charlotte vs. Natalya, which will see both famous relatives in the corners.

Kris Kristofferson is here.

Before the match, here’s Paige to say how good it is to be home. She thanks the fans for their help in making her Divas Champion because she couldn’t do it without them. Paige is also proud to be the first NXT Women’s Champion but tonight is about a new champion. Whoever that is has to have strength, character and grace because she’s the key to the future. Holding the Women’s Title is the key to the Divas Title, so enjoy the rest of the show.

Women’s Title: Charlotte vs. Natalya

This is a tournament final for the vacant championship. Charlotte has a remixed Ric Flair theme song and it’s really not working. After some big match intros, we’re ready to go. Feeling out process to start as the legends play cheerleaders. Natalya takes her down by the arm but gets caught in a headscissors. Back up and Natalya grabs the headlock as well. That goes nowhere either so they fight over wristlocks until Charlotte grabs an armbar.

Natalya does the Owen Hart roll out and grabs a leg lock to take over. Back up again and Natalya takes her right back down with another leg tie. Charlotte reaches around to grab a chinlock which goes into a front facelock. They hit the ropes for a bit with Natalya countering a wheelbarrow slam into a cradle for two. Natalya grabs a body scissors but Charlotte rolls to the ropes to avoid a cross armbreaker.

Charlotte gets tired of submission stuff and slaps Natalya in the face. A BIG chop puts Natalya down and Ric loses his mind going WOO. Natalya tries a sleeper but gets caught in an over the shoulder Stunner for two. Charlotte slams the Canadian’s face into the mat over and over before choking in the corner a bit. Off to a figure four headlock complete with Madison Rayne’s face ram into the mat.

Back up and it’s off to an abdominal stretch on Natalya, albeit not a very good one. Natalya reverses into a much better one and even grabs Charlotte’s leg for good measure. Charlotte rolls out and hits a low dropkick for two. Natalya fights back with power and a low dropkick of her own, followed by a whip into the corner for a Flair Flip. They head outside with Charlotte whipping Natalya off the apron by the leg. Back in and Charlotte goes up, only to miss a moonsault.

A discus lariat gets two for Natalya and the Sharpshooter goes on, but Charlotte rolls out and puts on the Figure Four. Natalya somehow reverses the pressure without turning the hold over and Charlotte crawls to the apron. She falls to the floor with the hold still on and both girls are in trouble. Natalya is sent knee first into the steps and it’s back inside for a bad Sharpshooter (complete with a glare at Bret) but Natalya rolls through, only to be kicked away from the Sharpshooter. Charlotte hits Bow Down To The Queen out of nowhere for the pin and the title at 16:55.

Rating: B+. Who would have thought THIS would be awesome? Charlotte has somehow become awesome in like two months and more than held her own out there. It was hard to imagine Natalya winning here but it was still an absolutely awesome match between two wrestlers who happen to be girls.

They shake hands post match, as do Ric and Bret for a nice moment.

Video on Neville’s rise to the top of NXT and his match with Kidd tonight.

Cesaro and Christian are here.

Kidd and Natalya are ready.

NXT Title: Tyson Kidd vs. Adrian Neville

Neville is defending. Big match intros are done and we’re ready to go. They shake hands and talk trash to each other until Tyson takes him down with a headlock. Adrian spins up and Tyson shoves him down to annoy the champion. Back up and this time it’s Adrian taking Kidd down and into the ropes for another staredown. The champion grabs an armbar (Fans: “ARMBAR! ARMBAR!”) but Kidd is quickly up and things get faster. Neville flips over to escape a backdrop but Kidd does the same, leading to another staredown. This time though Kidd blasts him in the face and kicks away, giving us a mid match heel turn.

Kidd puts him into the Tree of Woe before lifting him up for a kick to the back. A running dropkick has Adrian in trouble and we hit the chinlock. Neville fights up but Kidd sends him to the floor and hits a big flip dive for two back inside. Adrian is back up again and they hit cross bodies at the same time to put both guys down. Now they trade kicks to the ribs but Adrian hits a sliding kick to the head to take over. Now it’s Kidd put in the Tree of Woe for the same kind of kicks that he threw earlier.

A running delayed dropkick knocks Kidd senseless but it’s only good for two and the champion is getting frustrated. Kidd comes back with a pair of kicks to the head but Adrian kicks out at two. Tyson goes up but Neville blocks the Blockbuster with a forearm to the jaw. Adrian’s superplex is countered into a powerbomb but Adrian flips out and hits a sitout powerbomb for two.

Adrian loads up what looked to be a Lionsault press but Kidd runs at the ropes for a middle rope Russian legsweep for a close two. Kidd dives into knees but gets rolled up for another near fall. The champion tries a suplex but they both fall over the top rope and crash to the floor. Both guys slide in to beat the count and they’re spent.

Kidd loads up the Sharpshooter but leans forward to put on the Dungeon Lock (instead of turning over he grabs Adrian’s arm and leans back for a choke with a leg lock). Adrian is in the ropes, so Kidd ties him up in those ropes for a top rope flip legdrop and two. Kidd loads up the Blockbuster but Adrian counters into a gorgeous top rope hurricanrana. Kidd is almost out cold and the Red Arrow is enough to keep the title in England at 20:00.

Rating: A-. Take two guys and let them fly around the ring for a long time. Again, Kidd winning wasn’t likely at all but that doesn’t mean he can’t go out there and tear the house down like he just did. Neville is getting a huge star rub, even though he doesn’t seem to be the longest term solution as champion.

Kidd very slowly gets up but won’t shake hands.

Overall Rating: A. This was an AWESOME show with three incredible matches out of five with the other two not being bad at all. NXT continues to be the most outstanding wrestling promotion going right now with nothing but great matches and shows almost every week. It’s amazing how this doesn’t translate all that well up to WWE though, as the scripting of everything stops so much of the momentum that NXT has due to people just going out there and tearing the house down. Excellent show, just like Arrival.

Results
Adam Rose b. Camacho – Party Foul
Ascension b. El Local/Kalisto – Fall of Man to Local
Tyler Breeze b. Sami Zayn – Beauty Shot
Charlotte b. Natalya – Bow Down to the Queen
Adrian Neville b. Tyson Kidd – Red Arrow
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NXT
Date: May 15, 2014
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: William Regal, Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton

We’re two weeks away from Takeover and the main story coming into tonight is finding a challenger for Adrian Neville’s NXT Title. Last week, Tyson Kidd, Tyler Breeze and Sami Zayn tied in a battle royal, setting up a triple threat for the show this week. My guess is the two losers will face off at Takedown as well. Let’s get to it.

We open with a recap of the battle royal and the three winners.

Roar of the Crowd.

Ascension vs. Buddy Murphy/Elias Samson

Non-title. The announcers talk about the tag team initiative, meaning a lot of new teams will be formed. Again, NXT has a problem and they do something to solve it. Murphy gets things going and the beating is on in a hurry. Samson never even makes it into the ring as a series of clotheslines, forearms and stomps set up the Fall of Man to Murphy for the pin at 1:30.

Post match Ascension says bring them someone new to destroy. This brings out El Local and Kalisto to make a challenge for Takeover. A LUCHA chant starts up and Ascension seems to like the idea.

Sami Zayn says this is his chance to redeem himself and get one step closer to the NXT Title. It won’t be easy but he’ll do whatever it takes to reach his goal.

NXT Womens Title Tournament Semifinals: Alexa Bliss vs. Charlotte

Charlotte gets caught in a quick rollup for two but comes back with a clothesline for a pair of two counts. We hit a modified abdominal stretch from Charlotte but Bliss counters into another rollup for two. Charlotte slams her face first into the mat and it’s back to the stretch, only to have Bliss reverse into a sunset flip for another near fall. Bliss is bent over Charlotte’s knee for a few moments before Bow Down To The Queen (the flipping facebuster) is good for the pin at 5:00.

Result: Charlotte b. Alexa Bliss – Bow Down To The Queen (5:00)

Tyler Breeze is ready to win because he’s fighting two ugly Canadians.

Mojo Rawley vs. Aiden English

English sings about how proper he is before Rawley throws him around after the bell. He hits a few football tackles to put the proper one down and English looks shaken up. Rawley chases him into the ropes but gets caught coming in, allowing English to take over. Ascension vs. Kalisto/El Local is official for Takedown. A DDT gets two on Mojo and we hit a quickly broken chinlock. Mojo fights up and hits some splashes in the corner, setting up Hyperdrive for the pin at 3:32.

Result: Mojo Rawley b. Aiden English – Hyperdrive (3:32)

Tyson Kidd wants to win here to make himself a bigger deal in NXT.  He’s the leader of the pack in NXT and will be its champion.

Big Cass vs. Angelo Dawkins

It’s a new name for Cassidy this week. Cass hammers Dawkins into the corner as CJ Parker comes out to ringside with a recycling sign. It doesn’t matter much as Cass stays on offense as we’re firmly in squash territory here. A big slam gets two but Dawkins gets an elbow up in the corner. Dawkins hits a nice dropkick but gets caught by a knee to the jaw. The S-A-W-F-T Forearm sets up a spinning Rock Bottom (East River Crossing) for the pin on Angelo at 3:26.

Rating: D+. Total squash here but man alive I hope Parker doesn’t get another feud anytime soon. Cass is a guy with some talent but he needs a wingman like Enzo to keep things interesting. The name change helps as Colin isn’t exactly the most intimidating name in the world.

Bo Dallas shows JBL a stack of letters from fans who say he should get another title shot. The fans on his hotline think he should get another as well. JBL thinks it should be a gamble though. How about this: if Dallas wins his next match, he gets a title shot. If he loses, he’s gone from NXT forever. JBL gives him FIVE guesses who the opponent is.

Tyler Breeze vs. Sami Zayn vs. Tyson Kidd

Winner gets the shot at Neville in two weeks. The fans chant for Yoshi Tatsu of all people but settle down for the bell. Kidd takes over to start and hits a running kick to both heads. Sami and Breeze send Tyson to the floor before brawling in the corner. Tyson is back in now but has to break up a cover on Sami after the Beauty Shot as we take a break.

Back with Sami on the floor and Kidd charging into Breeze’s boot in the corner. Kidd is quickly back up but Breeze is in the ropes to avoid the Sharpshooter. The fans want Yoshi but get Tyler stopping a dive with a forearm to the head. Sami dives on Breeze instead and gets two off a high cross body to Kidd. Breeze escapes the Blue Thunder Bomb but the second attempt works a bit better for two.

Sami takes a lot of time in the middle of the ring for some reason before grabbing Breeze for an exploder suplex. Kidd grabs Sami for a German suplex at the same time and all three are down. Breeze falls to the floor so the good guys can slug it out. Kidd slaps on the Sharpshooter in the middle of the ring but Breeze makes the save. Breeze gets suplexed into the corner for two for Kidd. Sami can’t hit the tornado DDT on Tyler but Kidd’s Blockbuster attempt is broken up. The Helluva Kick takes Breeze down but Kidd throws Sami outside, setting up a top rope elbow to Breeze to send Tyson to Takeover at 11:33.

Rating: C+. There was a bit too much laying around but this was one of the matches that didn’t have a bad option. Kidd is a good choice for a title shot as he could take the title but will get at least a solid match no matter what. Breeze was in a bit over his head but he certainly wasn’t bad out there.

Sami is stunned as Kidd celebrates.

Overall Rating: C+. As usual, NXT is capable of pulling a rabbit out of its hat without hurting the ears at all. This took care of a lot of the issues the show has been having lately, including giving us a tag team to fight Ascension. No they’re not all that established, but at least there’s someone instead of two jobbers. That and Bo Dallas should be written off TV to go to WWE full time. What more can you ask for?

Results
Ascension b. Buddy Murphy/Elias Samson – Fall of Man to Murphy
Charlotte b. Alexa Bliss – Bow Down To The Queen
Mojo Rawley b. Aiden English – Hyperdrive
Big Cass b. Angelo Dawkins – East River Crossing
Tyson Kidd b. Sami Zayn and Tyler Breeze – Top rope elbow to Breeze

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NXT
Date: April 24, 2014
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Jason Albert, Alex Riley, Rich Brennan

We’re getting closer to the next live special which has been announced for the end of May. That makes me think we’re going to get done with Brodus challenging Adrian for the title soon as he feels like little more than a placeholder challenger. Other than that it’s hard to see what’s coming as NXT jumps around a lot. We should be getting Sami vs. Graves soon though. Let’s get to it.

We open with Paige in the back with both titles. She runs into NXT GM JBL though and he has to strip her of the NXT Women’s Title because of the schedule that comes with being Divas Champion. Paige protests but JBL has already set up a tournament for the title. He says hopefully someone will be able to step up and reach her level and that’s enough for her to hand the title over.

Opening sequence.

Alexander Rusev vs. Travis Tyler

Tyler hits a quick dropkick and is promptly run over with a clothesline. The knees to the back set up a fall away slam (looked more like a Samoan drop) and some hard elbows to the chest are good for two. Rusev hits his slam and wins with the Accolade in 1:35.

We go backstage as Adam Rose’s party brings him in for an interview. Rose thinks Camacho is boring and would love to fight him anytime. The party dances and shouts that they’re Rosebuds.

BFFs vs. Emma/Paige

Paige is a mystery partner and her entrance is cut for some reason. Emma runs over Sasha to start before it’s off to Charlotte who takes a monkey flip for two. A double suplex gets two more on Charlotte but she cranks on the ankle to take over. Paige throws Charlotte down by the hair and brings Emma in again but Charlotte flips out of another monkey flip. Sasha comes in off a blind tag and runs Emma down to take over.

Back to Charlotte for a figure four neck lock, complete with a forward roll to slam Emma down onto the mat. Emma avoids an elbow drop and it’s a double tag to Paige and Banks. The champ cleans house and hits a running dropkick until Charlotte takes out the knee. Everything breaks down and Charlotte hits her flipping faceplant for the pin at 5:54.

Rating: C-. Not a bad match here but I don’t get why you need Paige to get pinned when she’s already been stripped of the title. This would seem to point to Charlotte as the next champion. That’s fine in theory, but wouldn’t it make more sense to have her beat Paige with Sasha’s help if they’re ok with Paige getting pinned?

Tyson Kidd vs. Mason Ryan

The Better Than Batista chants begin as Mason shoves Kidd away with ease. Mason doesn’t seem to be a heel here. Kidd kicks away at the legs to little effect as Ryan slams him down. A legdrop gets two on Kidd but he takes out the knees again to take over. Off to a front facelock until Mason powers up and hits a Warrior press slam drop for two. Mason charges into a boot in the corner though and the Blockbuster gives Tyson the pin at 3:19.

Rating: C-. It’s just a power vs. speed match but Kidd is fun to watch and Mason did a decent enough job as a guy for Kidd to bounce off of. I’ve always liked the Blockbuster as a finisher and it’s a good move for a guy that can pull off a good flip like Kidd. This was more entertaining than I was expecting.

Tyson says this is his rebirth and says he’ll brawl when people want to fight and soar when people want to fly. NXT is the opportunity people have been wanting and he’s taking his shot.

Tyler Breeze vs. Angelo Dawkins

Dawkins looks like JTG but also has headphones and a backpack. He also dances a lot because that’s what wrestlers do anymore. Dawkins is a former amateur wrestling champion and takes Breeze down with a quick rollup for two but Breeze slaps on a chinlock to take over. Some right hands set up the Beauty Shot and Tyler gets the pin at 2:00.

We look at Brodus Clay jumping Adrian Neville in the back after their match last week and knocking out some of his teeth.

Corey Graves/Ascension vs. Usos/Sami Zayn

Jimmy uppercuts Viktor down to start before it’s off to Zayn vs. Graves. Corey circles around but tags off to Konnor instead of getting involved. It’s back to Graves almost immediately and the brawl is on again. Viktor sneaks back in off a blind tag and kicks Sami’s knee to take over. Sami drags him back into the corner though and Jey comes in with some chops.

A pair of elbows get two on Viktor and he makes the mistake of ramming their heads together. It sends the Usos into a dance sequence and a double right hand drops Viktor again. Sami comes back in with a top rope shot to the shoulder and it’s OLE time. Jey drops an elbow to the arm but allows the tag to Konnor who nails the flapjack as we take a break.

Back with Konnor running Jey over again and getting two off a hard elbow to the face. We hit the chinlock until Graves comes in with a gordbuster for two. Off to another chinlock into a front facelock with Graves driving Jey into the corner for a tag off to Viktor. Jey and Viktor trade chops with the power guy getting the better of it for two. Back to the chinlock for a bit until Jey slams him down but Konnor breaks up the tag attempt. Jey finally escapes and brings in Jimmy to clean house as everything breaks down.

Jimmy kicks Graves in the face and Sami gets two off a top rope cross body. The running boot in the corner is countered but the Blue Thunder Bomb is good for two. A double clothesline puts the Ascension on the floor and there’s the boot in the corner to Graves. Sami and Jimmy dive on Ascension as Jey hits the Superfly Splash for the pin on Graves at 12:30 shown of 16:00.

Rating: B-. I liked this one quite a bit with Sami FINALLY getting a win that means something, even though he didn’t get the pin. I also like that they didn’t have the Ascension take the fall which leaves a door open for Ascension vs. Usos down the line. Good stuff here and hopefully this ends Sami vs. Corey.

Overall Rating: C+. This felt like a bigger show than it was with the main event being a highlight. We’re setting up Neville vs. Clay II, a tournament, a new guy looking good in Tyson Kidd and wrapping up Sami vs. Graves. That’s quite a good piece of work for under fifty three minutes, which is where NXT gets to shine. Fun and solid show this week that felt like the NXT of old.

Results
Alexander Rusev b. Travis Tyler – Accolade
BFFs b. Paige/Emma – Flipping faceplant to Paige
Tyson Kidd b. Mason Ryan – Blockbuster
Tyler Breeze b. Angelo Dawkins – Beauty Shot
Usos/Sami Zayn b. Corey Graves/Ascension – Superfly Splash to Graves

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NXT
Date: March 27, 2014
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Jason Albert, Tom Phillips, Alex Riley

Tonight is another of those big shows for NXT called Vengeance. The idea here is a bunch of long standing feuds or rematches, such as Neville vs. Dallas II in the main event. Other than that we have Parker vs. Rawley, Natayla vs. Charlotte and Breeze vs. Woods. NXT knows how to put on the big shows like this so hopefully they continue the trend here. Let’s get to it.

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 is angry at Rawley for polluting the planet, even though there’s no evidence of him doing so. A kick to the head puts Mojo down and Parker hammers away in the corner before shouting a lot. Rawley comes back with right hands but misses a splash, giving CJ a two count. More left hands in the corner have Rawley in trouble but Parker stops to show a peace sign. Mojo chases him across the ring and nails a splash in the other corner and Hyperdrive is good for the pin at 3:22.

Rating: D+. Not much to this one but at least Rawley made a quick comeback and destroyed Parker in relatively short order. Parker isn’t the kind of guy who can be a physical threat to Rawley and thankfully he was treated like nothing in the match here. The heel character is a good idea but Parker just isn’t that good.

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.

Rating: D+. This didn’t work for me either as Breeze isn’t much to see in the ring. Woods isn’t much better though as he just doesn’t work all that well in the ring. Yeah he’s a smart guy but that doesn’t make him anything special in the ring. I don’t see much of a future on the main roster for either of these guys but Breeze is entertaining.

Bo Dallas says he’ll get the title back tonight because it’s a wrestling match instead of climbing monkey bars.

Yoshi Tatsu vs. Corey Graves

This is a rematch from a few weeks ago when Graves attacked Tatsu before the bell and got an easy pin. Yoshi hammers away in the corner to start and nails a LOUD chop. A quick cross body gets two on Corey but he goes after Tatsu’s knee to take over. He cranks on a hold before kicking the knee out one more time. Lucky 13 makes Yoshi tap at 3:10.

Rating: D+. This was barely long enough to rate as it was nothing more than a squash. I’m not sure what happened to Tatsu as he wasn’t great but he’s better than being a barely seen jobber on NXT. Graves still doesn’t blow my skirt up. I know he’s very popular but I just don’t get the huge appeal.

Corey tells Sami to stay down.

Natalya vs. Charlotte

Charlotte has Sasha Banks with her but Natalya one ups her with Bret Hart. They hit the mat to start but neither girl can gain control. Natalya grabs an armbar but gets countered into a headscissors. Rene Young isn’t sure how to describe her meeting Bret Hart but Natalya destroys Charlotte with a dropkick to bail her out.

Charlotte is flipped into the corner but clotheslines Natalya down to take over. She goes after Natalya’s knee by kicking it in the corner and crushing it against the mat. Natayla escapes a leg lock and goes for the Sharpshooter but Charlotte is in the ropes. Another attempt works but Sasha comes in for the DQ at 5:04.

Rating: C-. Charlotte is getting better in the ring but this didn’t have the time to go anywhere. That’s been a running trend tonight and I’m not really caring for it. Charlotte isn’t her dad out there but she’s very athletic and can do her gymnastics stuff well enough. That makes me wonder why she’s going for the mat work instead. Hopefully they’re not just going to try and make her like her dad.

Neville says it’s not a ladder match tonight but he has the momentum and the title, so nothing changes tonight.

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.

We take a break and come back with Dallas nailing another clothesline for two. Frustration sets in off the kickouts but he’s able to sit down to block a sunset flip. The referee catches Bo holding the ropes though and Neville pulls him down for two. Neville escapes an Impaler DDT and hits a HUGE springboard forearm for two. They trade hard shots to the face and the referee is nearly bumped.

Bo gets two off a rollup but an enziguri from the apron sets up the Red Arrow. The splash hits knees though and both guys are down. Dallas is up first and tries his DDT but has to avoid a hard charge into the corner. The champ gets a kick to Dallas’ head though and a reverse 450 (as in his back was to the ring and he threw his feet into the air before flipping over and landing on Dallas) retains at 12:50.

Rating: C+. Good but not great match here with both guys looking more above average than good. Dallas just doesn’t have the spark anymore after losing the title, but that was bound to happen when his magic was broken. It’s a good match and by far the best of the night but that didn’t save the rest of the show.

Overall Rating: C-. The show wasn’t terrible overall but it really didn’t do much for me. This felt like a show without much effort put into the creative process and they even admitted that it was comprised of mostly rematches. Neville vs. Dallas didn’t feel exciting at all here and while it was ok, it really didn’t make me care to see much more of Adrian. This was one of their worst shows in awhile, but hopefully things pick up next week. Unlike other promotions though, I fully believe NXT can do it.

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
Date: 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
Date: November 13, 2013
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Byron Saxton, Tensai, William Regal

I’m pretty sure this is the last of the taping cycle, meaning we’ll get our bigger names back next week. That being said, the last few weeks haven’t been horrible at all and tonight’s main event is a 2/3 falls match between Adrian Neville and Corey Graves which has been a decent little feud. Let’s get to it.

Welcome Home.

Bayley/Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks/Summer Rae

Bayley offers Sasha a headband to start the match but Summer takes it away and throws it down. Charlotte comes in before there’s any contact to shoe Sasha down. Off to a hammerlock on Banks with some knees into the arms getting a two count. Bayley comes back in but gets driven into the corner for a tag off to Summer. A fireman’s carry takes Rae down but she pops back up and takes Bayley’s head off with a clothesline for two.

We take a break and come back with Sasha holding Bayley in a chinlock. Back to Summer for some choking on the ropes before putting on a full nelson with her legs. That’s rather awesome and painful looking at the same time. Bayley rolls away but gets dragged back to the corner for a tag to Banks. Charlotte really doesn’t seem interested in making a tag. Bayley grabs Sasha for a belly to back front slam and crawls over to Charlotte….who slaps her in the face. The flipping cutter allows Sasha to get the pin at 6:24 shown of 9:54.

Rating: C. This was much more about the story than the match and that’s just fine. This looks to be an actual second story in the Divas division which is unheard of in the current WWE version. Also, it says a lot that Charlotte has been wrestling for a few months now and would probably be better than about half the WWF Divas.

Aiden English is warming up his voice.

Camacho vs. Aiden English

Camacho still has a job??? English gets a huge pop and sings about how all of the fans adore him. Regal admits his man crush on English as Aiden takes him into the corner for some stomping. Camacho comes back with a slam for two but runs into an elbow in the corner. English begs off but gets caught in a belly to back suplex and a legdrop crushes the vocal chords. Not that it matters as English comes back with the Director’s Cut for the pin at 2:09.

English gives us an encore to the loudest pop of the night. Regal gives him a standing ovation and starts crying.

The blonde talks to Rusev in I’m assuming Bulgarian.

Danny Burch vs. Mason Ryan

Burch jumps him from behind to start and uppercuts Ryan into the corner. Mason comes back with a running clothesline and some headbutts but Burch punches him down again. Mason will have none of this selling though and the cobra clutch slam ends Burch at 2:35. Ryan just isn’t that good.

Bo Dallas is coming home next week. So the theme song has been about him all these months?

Corey Graves vs. Adrian Neville

2/3 falls here. Neville hits a quick dropkick for two but walks into an elbow to the jaw to put him down. A belly to back suplex gets a near fall on Neville but he comes back with some forearms of his own. Adrian gets two off a side roll before flipping forward twice and jumping to the apron. He kicks Graves in the head to put him down and the Red Arrow gives him the first fall at 2:11.

Graves gets to his feet but rolls to the floor for a breather. Adrian will have none of that and goes outside for some chops and a knee lift. Back inside and Neville loads up another Red Arrow but Corey rolls away before Adrian can jump. Graves shakes the ropes to send Adrian to the floor, possibly reinjuring the bad knee. Corey takes him back inside to pound on the knee and we take a break.

Back with Graves pounding on the chest for two before wrapping the bad leg around the post. Off to a half crab for a very long time until Adrian kicks him off. Graves chop blocks him down and puts on Lucky 13 for the second fall at 8:11 shown of 10:56 shown so far. Neville’s knee is barely functioning as he tries to pull himself up in the corner but he uses the good leg to stop a charging Graves.

Graves fires back with some shoulders in the corner but Neville escapes I think a spinebuster and hits a low kick to the head to send Graves to the floor. Back in and Neville chops away and pounds on Corey in the corner until the knee gives out. Corey loads up another chop block but Neville hits a low dropkick to the head for two in a nice counter. Neville tries the Red Arrow again but the knee gives out and he falls to the mat. Lucky 13 goes on again but he crawls to the ropes on his knuckles for the break. Graves loads up the hold again but gets small packaged for the third fall at 13:01 shown of 15:46.

Rating: B-. I liked the match but it never hit the level it was shooting for. That being said, it’s still a very solid match with a good story of Neville not quitting and winning when Graves went to the knee over and over again. I love how NXT has managed to make the 2/3 falls match a major gimmick match as it’s treated like a joke on Raw anymore.

Overall Rating: C+. Decent show here but it’ll be nice to have the big stars back. The problem here is that while the wrestling is good, the stories behind it aren’t all that strong. While wrestling is important, it’s almost always going to pale in comparison to the intrigue and stories being told in the feuds. Still though, good and entertaining show to close out the cycle.

Results

Summer Rae/Sasha Banks b. Charlotte/Bayley – Banks pinned Bayley after a flipping cutter from Charlotte

Aiden English b. Camacho – Director’s Cut

Mason Ryan b. Danny Burch – Cobra clutch slam

Adrian Neville b. Corey Graves – Small package

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NXT
Date: November 6, 2013
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Alex Riley, Renee Young

This is another one of those shows where you can’t really guess what’s coming. We get one of these episodes every taping cycle but they can be very entertaining most of the time. Last week wasn’t the best show for these guys but unlike everywhere else, I have full confidence that NXT can be fine again tonight. Let’s get to it.

Earlier today Sylvester LeFort asks the mysterious blonde what is wrong with Alexander Rusev. The girl speaks Russian and LeFort has no idea what she’s saying.

Welcome Home.

Sylvester LeFort vs. Alexander Rusev

The Russian blonde is now managing Rusev, who now comes out to what sounds like a national anthem. LeFort offers Rusev money to prevent an acute case of death, only to have Rusev clothesline him down and put on the Accolade for the submission at 13 seconds.

They actually clip the match on the replay.

Bayley is with Charlotte in the back and couldn’t be happier to have her headband fixed. Sasha and Summer come in with a brand new headband for her but Charlotte is skeptical. No match is made but I think you can connect the dots for yourself.

El Local vs. Leo Kruger

Local pounds away to start but walks into a quick spinebuster for two. Kruger pulls Local off the middle rope and the Slice sets up three straight snap suplexes. A double arm guillotine choke is enough to make Local tap at 2:10.

We recap the issues between Paige and Emma over the last few weeks. They argued backstage last week with Emma thinking there’s something wrong with Paige.

Troy McClain/Travis Tyler vs. Ascension

“LET’S GO THESE GUYS!” Non-title of course. Rick Victor starts with I believe Tyler and drives him into the Ascension corner for the tag off to O’Brien. Conor grabs a headlock and takes Tyler over six straight times before bringing Victor back in for a hard clothesline. There’s the double flapjack and the Fall of Man is good for the pin at 1:45.

Mojo Rawley vs. Ty Dillinger

Feeling out process to start as the male announcers grill Renee on which guy she’d want to hang out with. As usual though, it feels completely natural and is genuinely amusing. Ty drives Mojo into the corner and scores with a quick Russian legsweep. Rawley no sells a chop but is easily taken down into a chinlock. Ty rips at Mojo’s face for a bit but gets slammed down and rammed into the corner. A very high jumping Earthquake splash is enough to pin Dillinger at 3:20.

Rating: D. Again, Rawley isn’t anything special in the ring but his entrance and energy are more than enough to carry him for a good while. I’m not sure why they have him get beaten down from the start of the match and hit just a few moves, but it was enough to get Randy Savage a few WCW Titles so maybe Rawley will be fine.

Raw ReBound wastes five minutes of our time on the horrible final segment.

Bayley/Charlotte vs. Sasha/Summer and Graves vs. Neville in a 2/3 falls match next week.

Luke Harper vs. Kassius Ohno

The fans are way into Harper here. Ohno is now in basic black trunks instead of the bright colors he wore before he fell into a hole and got lost a few months back. Kassius pounds him into the corner to start but Harper comes back with even harder forearms to the face. They slug it out again with Harper putting Kassius down with a European uppercut of all things. Ohno is driven into the corner as this is one sided so far.

Kassius comes back with some kicks to the ribs but gets caught in a cravate. Another hard chop puts Ohno on the apron but Kassius comes back with a discus forearm to send Harper to the floor. A dive over the top takes Luke down and we take a break. Back with Harper hitting a BIG boot to send Ohno out to the floor. Ohno dives back in at nine so Luke drops a bunch of elbows for two. A quick rollup gets the same for Kassius but Luke nails him with another forearm.

There’s the Gator Roll from Harper who eventually stays in one place with the front facelock before kicking Ohno into the ropes again. Back up and Ohno scores with a running knee to the head to finally get the fans behind him. Ohno slugs away and scores with a running clothesline and a dropkick to the head.

A Buff Blockbuster (someone needs to bring that back as a finisher) gets two on Harper but he catches Kassius in a sitout Boss Man Slam for two. There’s a bit boot for two on Ohno but he comes back with the Roaring Elbow for a VERY close two. Harper ends him with the discus lariat a few seconds later for the pin at 13:00 shown of 16:30.

Rating: C+. They were trying and the striking was good but Ohno has fallen a long way in just a few months. Kassius looked better out there and got the fans into him, but Harper is a main roster star at this point and feuding with two former world champions. That discus lariat is a good example of a simple move getting over because it gets pins. It’s really that simple sometimes.

Overall Rating: C. Not a great show overall but it was a very quick 45 minutes. Rusev and Harper looked great and Ohno was his usual decent self. This was about the squashes which set up future matches so no real complaints there. The show needs the stars back but it’s certainly not falling apart in their absence.

Results

Alexander Rusev b. Sylvester LeFort – Accolade

Leo Kruger b. El Local – Double arm guillotine choke

Ascension b. Travis Tyler/Troy McClain – Fall of Man to Tyler

Mojo Rawley b. Ty Dillinger – Running seated senton

Luke Harper b. Kassius Ohno – Discus lariat

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NXT
Date: October 9, 2013
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Alex Riley, Tom Phillips

This is kind of the show before the big show with next week having the showdown between Sami Zayn and Bo Dallas. As for tonight there isn’t anything big announced. We do however have a major guest star in the form of Rob Van Dam. I love how they bring in big names like that to give the fans a treat almost every week. Let’s get to it.

We open with a Rob Van Dam music video, meaning he’s likely the main event tonight.

Welcome Home.

Leo Kruger vs. Antonio Cesaro

This should be good. It’s a result from the Bo Dallas Invitational where both guys fought over a chance at fighting Dallas. Cesaro charges at the bell and hits a running dropkick to fire up the crowd. Kruger loses his shirt but comes back with some loud chops. A clothesline puts Cesaro on the floor and Kruger rakes his back.

We head back inside with Cesaro driving in knees to the ribs to take over, drawing a “Push Cesaro” chant. Kruger gets choked on the bottom rope but comes back with a quick suplex and some choking of his own. A Russian legsweep gets two for Leo but Antonio hits a quick running European uppercut in the corner for two of his own.

Cesaro puts him down with something like a Rock Bottom for two but gets crotched on the top rope. A superplex puts Cesaro down and we take a break. Back with Cesaro being knocked to the floor for a suicide dive from Kruger. They head inside again with Cesaro running away from the Slice clothesline and heading outside again. Cesaro sends him into the steps and drops him back first onto the apron in a bid for a countout. Kruger gets back up so Cesaro gives him a gutwrench suplex on the ramp.

Kruger still makes it back in at nine so Cesaro goes into boxing mode to punch him down again. A fast series of European uppercuts and a second cousin of the Angle Slam gets two but Kruger backdrops out of the Neutralizer. Kruger gets a boot up in the corner but charges into Swiss Death for another near fall. There’s the standing sleeper but Cesaro pulls him down into a bodyscissors. Kruger fights up again but gets his head taken off by a clothesline. Cesaro goes into beast mode and this the Neutralizer for the pin at 11:57 shown of 14:47.

Rating: B. If you give Kruger a near fall here it’s a great match. As it is, it’s only a great way to make Kruger into a face that won’t quit. The thing to see here though was the energy. Both guys were clearly working hard to tell a story out there and it worked like a charm. This is the kind of stuff WWE desperately needs at the moment to break up the stale feeling.

Post match Cesaro drops a top rope knee on Kruger because that’s the kind of guy he is. Kruger seems to have an injured throat.

Breast cancer sucks.

Charlotte vs. Santana Garrett

Bayley is with Charlotte here and Renee Young is on commentary again. Santana fights out of a wristlock to start but Charlotte uses her gymnastic stuff to take over again. A bad looking kick to the face gets two for Santana as Renee talks about an article on WWE.com with Charlotte complaining about being compared to her dad.

Here are Sasha Banks and Summer Rae for some Laycool style applause. Charlotte fights out of a headscissors into a cradle for two before bridging Santana down for two. Sasha’s distraction gives Santana a rollup of her own for the same result but she walks into a reverse F5, setting up a HORRIBLE looking flip Diamond Cutter for the pin at 3:10.

Rating: D. This was mainly about Sasha and Summer, but Charlotte’s finisher looked terrible. Hopefully it’s because Santana took it from her knees, but she barely went down at all and Charlotte didn’t connect for the most part. Still though, Charlotte has a good ring presence which will serve her well later on. Bad night I’m hoping.

Post match Summer and Sasha declare themselves the B.F.F.’s: the Beautiful Fierce Females. They’ve gotten rid of Paige so there’s no one left to do anything about them. Cue Paige but she gets beaten down as well, leading to a save by Emma.

Mojo Rawley wants to motivate you.

Post break Summer and Emma challenge Paige and Emma to a tag match next week.

Danny Burch vs. Mojo Rawley

Rawley’s entrance music starts with “I don’t get hyped. I STAY HYPED!” He sprints around the ring with so much energy that Ultimate Warrior would tell him to tone it down. Burch pounds away on the well built Rawley before putting on a quick chinlock. Mojo fights up and hits a few quick shoulder blocks before finishing Burch with an Earthquake splash for the pin at 2:27. Not a great debut but the entrance told you everything you need to know about Rawley.

Paige and Emma don’t like each other but they agree to team up next week.

Scott Dawson/Alexander Rusev vs. Colin Cassady/Enzo Amore

Dawson and Rusev might be named the Legionaries. Enzo thinks we’re in Cheers right now because everyone knows their names, causing Cassady to sing part of the cheers song. Rusev and Dawson are definitely S-A-W-F-T and the fans let them know it. Cassady and Amore are just so much fun. Rusev starts with Big Cass and pops him in the jaw with an elbow to slow him down.

Off to Amore who has about as much success as you would expect. A series of knees to the ribs put Amore down and it’s off to Dawson for some elbow drops for two. There’s a hard clothesline for the same and everything breaks down. Rusev crushes Enzo in the corner and finishes him at 2:52 with a camel clutch, which is called the Accolade for some reason.

Dawson and Rusev beat up Cassady post match.

Sami Zayn is ready for his title shot next week against Bo Dallas. Bo comes in and says that Sami hurt his feeling last week and that’s it’s certainly not personal. Sami has no problem with Bo other than he’s the NXT Champion. Bo offers a tag team instead of fighting over the NXT Title, which Sami agrees to, after the title match that is. “Un-Bo-lievable.”

Rob Van Dam vs. Aiden English

English, now an Artiste, sings about kicking someone’s teeth in because he’s a sports entertainer. Ricardo does RVD’s entrance but not in song. Aiden takes Rob down with a top wristlock to start but we hit a quick standoff. A quick rollup gets two on English and sends him back into the corner for some finger pointing. The monkey flip out of the corner has English in trouble and a clothesline puts him on the floor.

Rob moonsaults him off the apron and we head back inside for Rolling Thunder but Aiden bails before Rob can start. English kicks the rope to crotch Rob and shouts that it’s his show. A suplex gets two on Rob and we hit the chinlock. Back up and Rob kicks him down a few times before a superkick sets up Rolling Thunder. The Five Star ends English at 5:32.

Rating: C-. This was just a workout for Van Dam but it didn’t need to be anything more than that. English getting this spot is a good sign for him as he debuted the new gimmick just a few weeks ago and is facing a former world champion already. This was just a thrill for the crowd and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Overall Rating: B. Even their filler shows are good. The best thing about NXT though is it’s not just a few guys they have that make an awesome show. Cesaro and Kruger are the only guys here from last week and they were only in action for about 45 seconds last week. NXT changed the entire roster for this week’s show and it was still very entertaining. That tells me it’s the promotion and not the stars, which is a REALLY good sign going forward.

Results

Antonio Cesaro b. Leo Kruger – Neutralizer

Charlotte b. Santana Garrett – Running flip Diamond Cutter

Mojo Rawley b. Danny Burch – Earthquake Splash

Scott Dawson/Alexander Rusev b. Enzo Amore/Colin Cassady – Accolade to Amore

Rob Van Dam b. Aiden English – Five Star Frog Splash

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NXT
Date: September 4, 2013
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Alex Riley

Things are getting interesting again in NXT as we started a series of new stories last week. On top of the card we have Sami Zayn wanting the NXT Title but having to deal with the other Real American, Jack Swagger. Other than that we have Sylvester LeFort strengthening his stable with the addition of Alexander Rusev. It should be a fun show tonight so let’s get to it.

Welcome Home.

Bayley/Charlote vs. Alicia Fox/Aksana

Bayley starts with Aksana and the WWE chick wants a hug. The gullible Bayley goes for it and earns the kick to her ribs. Aksana crawls around on the mat before covering and drops an elbow for two. Off to Fox for that gorgeous northern lights suplex for two before it’s back to Aksana for some stomping in the corner. The heels continue to tag in and out quickly to work Bayley over until it’s off to a chinlock from Fox.

Aksana comes back in for more choking but walks into a belly to belly suplex, allowing for the double tag. Charlotte comes in with her gymnastic flipping, including rolling out of a slam from the top in a nice nod to her dad. Fox is put in a fireman’s carry but Bayley tags herself in, much to Charlotte’s annoyance. Alicia accidentally kicks Aksana to the floor, allowing Bayley to roll Fox up for the pin at 4:33.

Rating: C. This wasn’t too bad with Charlotte starting to get her style down. Bayley’s overzealous character could work well as she could drive everyone crazy enough that they’ll want to fight her. The fans like Bayley though so it might be a problem to make the other Divas not like her without turning them all heel.

Charlotte doesn’t seem too mad at Bayley.

Scott Dawson and Sylvester LeFort are in the back when Alexander Rusev’s snarling quiets them down. Tonight is about getting revenge on Mason Ryan so Rusev breaks a board with Mason’s name on it.

Rick Victor vs. Corey Graves

Graves has bad ribs due to the attack by Ascension last week. Victor has stolen Graves’ tag title belt so Graves has even more of a reason for revenge. Corey takes him down to start and sends Victor into the corner to pound away. A headbutt knocks Victor into the corner but he kicks away from Lucky 13. Instead Corey puts on a front facelock but gets rammed into the buckles, jarring those bad ribs.

Corey comes right back with right hands and a snap suplex for two. A cross body puts Rick down but it hurts the ribs again, giving Victor the opening he needed. They slug it out and Graves scores with a mule kick, only to be sent into the ropes hard enough to hurt the ribs again. We take a break and come back with Victor pounding Corey down in the corner. Every time I see Ascension pounding beating like that it puts me in mind of Demolition which is never a bad comparison to make.

A backbreaker gets two on Graves and it’s off to a knee in the back to stretch the ribs even more. O’Brien taunts Graves with the title belt but Victor stomps Corey in the ribs before he can start a comeback. Back to the chinlock with the knee in the back but Corey fights up and makes his comeback with as many right hands as he can throw.

A clothesline puts Victor down and Graves drops a fist to the back of Rick’s head. Conor O’Brien gets on the apron but Adrian Neville dropkicks him down and dives on Conor before he can interfere. Victor loads up Graves for a gutbuster but Graves rolls him into a small package for the pin at 9:51 shown of 13:21.

Rating: B-. The match was good but I’m not liking the booking. The champions have now beaten both challengers clean in back to back weeks, so why should I be interested in seeing them in a tag match? Also it goes against the dominance that Ascension has shown in their earlier matches, which almost defeats their purpose as a team.

Sasha Banks is doing her makeup when Summer Rae comes up to start trouble. Summer talks about Sasha’s match with Paige next week and suggests Paige thinks she’s too good to be a Diva like them. Summer says to use the inner rage and Sasha seems intrigued.

Paige doesn’t care what Summer Rae is doing but knows that Sasha Banks is good. She isn’t here to be a covergirl but rather to cover girls in the ring. Paige promises to give Sasha the fight of her life next week. This wasn’t a very good promo at all with Paige sounding nervous and not being sure what to say next.

Alexander Rusev vs. Mason Ryan

Alexander breaks another Mason board before the match. They lock up a few times to start with Ryan shoving him away both times, so Alexander kicks him in the face. Ryan gets in some right hands, only to have Alexander take him down with an impressive spinwheel kick. Some falling headbutts have Ryan in trouble and more headbutts to the chest get two for Rusev. Mason dodges a charge in the corner and comes back with right hands and a big boot but he has to deal with Scott Dawson and LeFort. The distraction allows Alexander to splash him in the corner and a camel clutch makes Mason tap out at 4:00.

Rating: D+. This was a squash for Rusev and the fact that it’s over Ryan makes it even better. Mason has never shown any potential but has consistently been pushed as a monster. Rusev actually looks good in the ring and would have been a top heel in the mid 80s against Hogan. I like what I’ve seen from him so far and I can dig the foreign monster heel idea.

Leo Kruger laughs a lot and looks down at Xavier Woods who is holding his neck.

Sami Zayn vs. Jack Swagger

They have a ton of time here assuming there’s nothing left on the show. Sami stomps him down into the corner but Jack scores with a clothesline. Zayn will have none of this being on defense stuff though and comes back with chops for two. A dropkick sends Swagger to the floor but he moves before Sami can dive. That’s fine with Zayn who catches himself before the dive and flips back into the ring to fire up the crowd even more.

Zeb Colter grabs Sami’s leg, finally allowing Jack to get in a hard clothesline to take over. We take a break and come back with Sami fighting out of a chinlock, only to walk into a belly to back suplex for two. Another suplex puts Sami down before another clothesline turns him inside out. Swagger puts on a double chicken wing for a bit, only to have Sami fight up and send him to the floor for the big flip dive.

Back in and a high cross body gets two on Swagger, as does a sunset flip. Swagger hits something like a running spinebuster to put Sami down again but Zayn escapes an Oklahoma stampede and gets two more off a blue thunder bomb. Jack goes for the ankle but has to settle for the gutwrench powerbomb for two instead. Now the Patriot Lock goes on for a good while but Sami makes it to the ropes for a YES chant.

Sami fights up AGAIN and sends Swagger into the corner for a jogging big boot. Zayn pounds him down before going up top where Swagger crotches him down, only to be caught in a sunset bomb for a VERY close two. The fans are losing their minds on these kickouts. This draws out Bo Dallas, whose distraction allows Swagger to put on the Patriot Lock for the submission at 13:14 shown of 15:44.

Rating: B+. Sami has yet another great match here by putting the fans on the edge of their seats for those kickouts. Thankfully the loss wasn’t clean as Zayn hasn’t won anything major since his debut if I remember correctly. Still though, very entertaining match here and hopefully it sets up Zayn vs. Dallas down the line.

Overall Rating: B. Can we have a bad episode of this so I don’t have to say the same good things about it every week? This was more good stuff from the Florida people as they continue to roll along. The Sami vs. Swagger match was really exciting stuff and they made sure to build more stories for later. These guys know how to run a weekly wrestling show and it keeps me wanting more.

Results

Bayley/Charlotte b. Alicia Fox/Aksana – Rollup to Fox

Corey Graves b. Rick Victor – Small Package

Alexander Rusev b. Mason Ryan – Camel Clutch

Jack Swagger b. Sami Zayn – Patriot Lock

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