Now as you may know, Foley is my all time favorite wrestler so this might be a bit biased, which is completely different than all my usual writings. This was one of the most entertaining (notice that I didn’t necessarily say funny) things that has aired on the Network so far. Foley is a guy that clearly loves wrestling and knows how to make a crowd care about him. That’s exactly what he did here as he talked for about an hour with far too topics to list.
This is one of those things where you can’t give it a preview so I’ll just say check it out because it’s really entertaining stuff and a great look at someone who knows how to entertain wrestling fans.
NXT – April 29, 2015: That Old Feeling
NXT Date: April 29, 2015
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Corey Graves, Rich Brennan, Byron Saxton
We’re at the start of the new taping cycle this week, meaning it’s time to get ready for the build to the next Takeover special. Sami Zayn made his big return last week to go after NXT Champion Kevin Owens, which almost has to be the next big main event. Other than that, most of the card is pretty clear at this point. Let’s get to it.
We open with a recap of the end of last week’s show with Kevin Owens beating Alex Riley again, only to have Sami Zayn return and start a pull apart brawl with Owens.
Here’s Kevin Owens for a chat to get things going. He talks about having everything in hand last week and giving Alex Riley what he deserved, but then Sami Zayn had to play hero again. Owens wants Sami out here right now but gets Commissioner William Regal again. The fans start chanting for one more match but Regal says Owens won’t be using this place for his own agendas.
That’s not good enough for Owens who still wants Sami right now. Cue Zayn to fire the fans up even more but Regal stops him on the steps and says this isn’t happening. Regal looks at both of them and says this is the easiest thing he’s had to do in weeks. Obviously these two want to fight each other, so let’s do it on May 20 at Takeover. Owens chuckles but says it’s a non-title match because Zayn hasn’t earned a shot in the last month. Sami thinks Owens needs this match. It has nothing to do with last week, but over the last twelve years, Owens hasn’t done a thing without having Sami’s name right next to it.
Even now as NXT Champion, the fans are only talking about what Owens did to him. You could say that Kevin Owens has been living in Sami Zayn’s shadow. That one gets to Owens and the fans tells him he got told. Sami fights for a prize, and Owens is no prize. That’s enough for Kevin to put the title on the line and the fans strike up their OLEs. Notice how they got to this point in a totally logical way without using the phrase “contractually obligated rematch” and in less than ten minutes on screen. It can be done and all it takes is a single promo.
Enzo, Cass and Carmella are jabbering about the jewelry Blake and Murphy gave her but she says she can handle herself. The guys leave and Blake and Murphy come up and insult Enzo and Cass, which isn’t cool with Carmella. They step back so Alexa Bliss comes up, only to get shoved away. Blake and Murphy come up to Bliss but she doesn’t seem interested in hearing from them. This was kind of an odd segment and I’m not entirely sure what they were shooting for.
Sami signs his contract when Alex Riley comes up and asks for one more match with Owens. Regal snaps about giving Riley so many opportunities but Sami says don’t let Owens get to you. Riley doesn’t want to hear that from Sami so Zayn offers to fight Alex for a warmup.
Enzo Amore/Colin Cassady vs. Blake/Murphy
Non-title. Before the match, Enzo calls the champs Frosted Flake Wesley Blake and the Sugar Cube Dude. You know there’s just one word to describe them. Blake and Enzo get things going but the champs quickly get Amore into the corner for some stomping. A clothesline gets two for Blake as the fans chant LET’S GO ZO.
Enzo breaks free with a jawbreaker and it’s a double tag to bring in Murphy and Cass. The big man cleans house and hits a splash in the corner before Enzo misses a high cross body. That’s so appropriate for him for some reason. Carmella distracts Blake and it’s a big boot to the face, followed by a Rocket Launcher for the pin on Blake at 3:18.
Rating: D+. I’m not wild on having champions lose as you could pretty much do the same match with any combination here. The interesting part here is Carmella, who I’m hoping joins the champs but gets dumped by them too, leaving her all alone since no one likes her in the first place.
Becky Lynch talks about traveling the world to become the best in the world. She’s here to become the best in the NXT women’s division and won’t just be another face in the crowd.
Bayley can’t find her gear and is freaking out. Emma is show with Bayley’s headbands and shirt.
Video on Baron Corbin, talking about wanting to crush the dreams of everyone in NXT. Rules don’t apply to him and that’s not his problem. This is yet another example of character development and telling us more about a character in twenty seconds than we’ve known about him in four months.
Bayley vs. Dana Brooke
Bayley looks a bit off without her stuff but of course she has a huge smile on her face. Bayley grabs a headlock to start but Dana throws her down and flexes. The fans want Blue Pants but get Bayley taking Dana to the mat and rolling around on her back. Dana goes nuts and slams Bayley’s head into the mat a few times before doing her headstand foot choke. Wasteland gets two for Dana and we hit a half crab with a knee in Bayley’s back. Bayley gets up and gets all aggressive with elbows in the corner but cue Emma in a Bayley shirt to Bayley’s music and full entrance, allowing Dana to hit a Whiplash for the pin at 4:16.
Rating: D+. So yeah, Dana isn’t quite there yet but this was a match designed to advance Emma vs. Bayley instead of Dana’s push. Right now Dana just needs ring time and she’s got the core base figured out. Emma stealing Bayley’s stuff, which is almost Bayley’s identity, is an interesting idea and could work out well for a short feud. If nothing else it means I get to hear more of Bayley’s infectious theme song.
Regal announces a triple threat for Takeover for the #1 contendership between Finn Balor, Tyler Breeze and Hideo Itami.
Hideo Itami vs. Adam Rose
Itami looks so insulted by the Rosebuds and Adam’s entrance. This is billed as fallout from the Andre battle royal. Rose rolls around to start and eats a chop, followed by a running kick to the face for two. A quick trip lets Rose have a breather and he drops a fist for two. Rose’s chinlock doesn’t go anywhere so Hideo hits his array of kicks, capped off by the Shotgun Kick for the pin at 2:52. Just a step above a squash.
Becky Lynch vs. Sarah Dawson
Dawson is a pretty generic looking girl but she gets half of a dueling chant. A quick rollup gets two for Sarah but Becky takes her into the corner for a good stomping. Lynch drives her down into a Fujiwara armbar before sitting up to crank even harder, drawing the submission at 2:12.
Rhyno has heard what Baron Corbin is all about but Rhyno isn’t the past. Methinks we have our power match for Takeover.
Alex Riley vs. Sami Zayn
Owens is in on commentary. Feeling out process to start as Owens asks if Riley being let out of a cage means he can’t take a shower. Riley cranks on an armbar and gets two off a dropkick. We’re in a chinlock less than three minutes in until Sami fights up, only to get caught in a TKO for two. Riley misses a charge and falls to the floor, setting up the big flip dive. That’s enough for Owens as he gets up and decks Sami for the DQ at 4:40.
Rating: C-. This didn’t have time to go anywhere but they were trying to set up a match instead of doing anything interesting here. Owens going nuts and attacking everyone in sight is a good idea as it’s in his nature to be insane. Riley still looks decent in the ring but it might have gotten ugly had he tried to hang in there with Sami.
Kevin powerbombs Riley on the apron and smiles to end the show.
Overall Rating: C+. Yes, I’m aware that’s higher than all of the matches and you should be aware by now that there’s a lot more to a wrestling show than just the wrestling. Owens vs. Sami is going to blow the roof off the place and the triple threat and Women’s Title matches should both be great. It’s not a great show, but the energy is back after going missing for the last month or so. That’s what NXT thrives on and it’s still working here.
Results
Enzo Amore/Colin Cassady vs. Blake/Murphy – Rocket Launcher to Blake
Dana Brooke b. Bayley – Whiplash
Hideo Itami b. Adam Rose – Shotgun Kick
Becky Lynch b. Sarah Dawson – Armbar
Sami Zayn b. Alex Riley via DQ when Kevin Owens interfered
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of 1998 Pay Per View reviews at Amazon for just $3.99 at:
King of the Ring Network Special: Blink And You’ll Miss It
King of the Ring Network Special Date: April 28, 2015
Location: iWireless Center, Moline, Illinois
Commentators: Michael Cole, John Bradshaw Layfield, Jerry Lawler
This is a one off special with the returning King of the Ring semi-finals and finals taking place tonight. It’s just an hour long so the matches should have some time to build up instead of having to run through everything in just a few minutes. There’s potential for some good matches tonight so let’s get to it.
We open with a recap of the history of the tournament and some of the stars who have won before.
Jerry Lawler is brought out to introduce a package on how the final four advanced. It’s a bad sign that they seem to be stalling for time four minutes in.
Here are the final four:
Neville
Sheamus
Bad News Barrett
R-Truth
Sheamus says he’ll become the two time King and get rid of that little English guy to do so.
Neville was in NXT just a few months ago but now he could be King of the Ring. No one expects him to win tonight, but he’s defied expectations all his life. He was fine on the mic here so I wouldn’t mind hearing more from him.
King of the Ring Semi-Finals: Sheamus vs. Neville
Cole mentions Sheamus potentially becoming a two time King, just like Bret Hart. That’s a rare reference to the tournaments held when it was still just a house show feature. Sheamus makes fun of Neville’s height to start and takes him into the corner with ease. Neville comes back with some right hands and does his front flips followed by a spin kick to the ribs. A quick Irish Curse stops Neville cold though and the big man takes over. It works so well that Sheamus hits a second Irish Curse as the fans are entirely behind Neville.
Sheamus gets a bit too cocky though, allowing Neville to come back with forearms tot he face. He fights out of the ten forearms as well but gets sent face first HARD into the announcers’ table. Neville barely makes it back in time though, earning him another beating in the corner. Sheamus is starting to get cocky but here’s Ziggler to remind him what happened at Extreme Rules. The distraction lets Neville duck a Brogue Kick and kick Sheamus in the head. The Red Arrow gives Neville the pin and the BIG upset at 5:47.
Rating: C+. I believe in Neville. This is one of the first pushes in a LONG time where they’re strapping a rocket to a newcomer’s back and letting him ride it all the way, though there’s a good chance Barrett winds up winning the crown tonight so they can have him lose his next ten matches. Still though, I’m digging the heck out of Neville right now as they’re totally nailing his push.
Post match Ziggler wants to get what he earned at Extreme Rules and the brawl is on. Security breaks it up, but not before Sheamus’ eye is busted open badly.
Barrett says R-Truth shouldn’t be worried about his arachnophobia because it’s time for Bull Hammer-phobia. After he gets done with the has been Truth, he’ll move on to the never was Neville.
Truth has a plan tonight: win the King of the Ring and then declare a ban on spiders. That includes all the spiders, even the kinfolks. They’ll build a castle with a drawbridges and a moat. He isn’t sure about water in the moat because that might bring water spiders. Saxton: “What about your opponent, Bad News Barrett?” Truth: “Does he has experience killing spiders?”
King of the Ring Semi-Finals: R-Truth vs. Bad News Barrett
Truth grabs a quick rollup to start but takes a right hand to the ribs. Barrett puts him in the ropes for the big boot to the face and it’s off to the chinlock as the announcers discuss Nero. Back up and Truth hits some clotheslines and the front suplex for two. The ax kick misses but the side kick is good for another near fall. Truth’s Lie Detector gets two but the Winds of Change gets the same. Back up and the Bull Hammer sends Barrett to the finals at 4:40.
Rating: D+. What do you want me to say here? Truth had as much of a chance as I have of being Miss Nevada 1974 and everyone knew it. Barrett is a good option for the crown and there’s a good dynamic considering what happened on Sunday. Dull match here but at least they kept it short.
Video on Verne Gagne who passed away yesterday.
Dolph Ziggler says he couldn’t take Sheamus’ bullying last night or tonight so he had to do something.
We look at Neville beating Barrett on Sunday.
Barrett says it’s not fair that he has to fight so soon after beating Truth, but it’s also unfair that Neville has to fight him period.
King of the Ring: Bad News Barrett vs. Neville
Barrett goes after the ribs to start but Neville flips forward and snaps off a headscissors, followed by a kick to the jaw. That’s fine with Barrett as he clotheslines Neville to the floor to take the first real advantage. Barrett puts on something like an abdominal stretch on the mat but Neville fights up with more kicks to the ribs and legs.
A running kick to the side of the head and a German suplex get two on Barrett. Winds of Change gets the same and Wasteland is eventually good for another near fall. The Bull Hammer is countered into a rollup for two and Neville kicks him in the head. Neville has to bail out of the Red Arrow and charges into the Bull Hammer for the pin and the crown at 6:10.
Rating: B-. Eh yeah that’s probably the right move but man alive they could have pulled the trigger on something big here with Neville. At least there’s a story ready for a third match between the two of them, which might work better if they can manage to give then more than six minutes next time.
Barrett crowns himself and promises to rule with an iron Bull Hammer.
Overall Rating: C. Well they made good time. WWE does realize that they have all the time they need on their own network and don’t have to have this wrapped up with seven minutes to go in the hour right? They were flying through this match and the entire tournament when you think about it. It’s like they needed to get this whole thing wrapped up as fast as they could to get to the end result. It wasn’t bad but my goodness, slow down a bit.
Results
Neville b. Sheamus – Red Arrow
Bad News Barrett b. R-Truth – Bull Hammer
Bad News Barrett b. Neville – Bull Hammer
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of 1998 Pay Per View reviews at Amazon for just $3.99 at:
It’s Hail To The Attitude Era time!This is a big waste of time with yet another montage of clips from the Attitude Era, which is basically all the Network exists for during the day. Basically it’s a few long packages on Sable/Marc Mero, Chyna/Mark Henry/Mae Young/Sammi and OF COURSE a history of Stephanie’s love issues. That would be fine for like ten minutes, but this goes on for over half an hour with a few montages of clips thrown in to fill in the time.
Jerry Springer could be any person in the world on this show and sounds like he’s reading off a teleprompter (which he probably was). It’s designed to be like a highlight reel of something he’d host, which is fine in theory but the run time just cripples this thing. Cut this up into thirds and it’s tolerable, but at half an hour I was skipping through it every few seconds. This doesn’t need to exist and I’d be stunned if it survives, at least in this form, until July.
Watched Unfiltered With Renee Young
And it’s about what you would expect.It runs less than seven minutes and shows Young eating breakfast with Seth Rollins. There’s nothing interesting here other than it being out of character. Rollins talks about a band he likes, his dog, what he wants to do when he retires and that’s about it. It’s quick, it’s unoffensive and you’re not likely to think about it ever again.
The only note here: there’s a shot where Renee turns her head and her hair falls over her face with her eyes looking at Seth and good night is that woman beautiful. Not hot like Trish or Lita but just stunningly pretty. Dean Ambrose is a lucky man.
NXT – April 22, 2015: The New Plan
NXT Date: April 22, 2015
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Corey Graves, Rich Brennan
We haven’t heard from NXT Champion Kevin Owens in a good while so it’s probably time to get him out here for more greatness. Alex Riley has called Owens out to meet him in the ring tonight because, due to quitting his commentary job, Riley has nowhere else to go but the ring. Let’s get to it.
Opening sequence.
Finn Balor vs. Tye Dillinger
Balor starts with some dropkicks as the fans want him to KILL THE JOBBER. The Pele sets up the Sling Blade and the Coup de Grace ends Dillinger at 2:28. This was an old school squashing and Balor looked great.
Tyler Breeze pops up on screen to call Finn Balor the flavor of the month. See you around Finn.
Dana Brooke says last week was the rebirth of the women’s division in NXT because it was the debut of the strongest Diva ever. It’s play time.
Kevin Owens is asked his thoughts on the match with Riley tonight but first, he thinks it’s cold. Riley gave him a good fight a few weeks back but he’s never going to be NXT Champion. After the loss tonight, he can go find a chair, table and headset to use because his future isn’t in the ring. If you’ll excuse him, he’d like to go find a coat.
Charlotte vs. Bayley vs. Becky Lynch
#1 contenders match. Becky gets double teamed to start and Bayley throws her to the floor, setting up another showdown between herself and Charlotte. A chop out goes to Charlotte (of course) and we hit the figure four headlock with the flips to knock Bayley senseless. Becky sneaks back in with a nice German suplex to take Charlotte down and we take a break. Back with Becky dropping some running legs on Bayley for two.
Off to a knee hold as we get what might be the first ever crawler advertising NXT live shows. A limping Bayley fights out of the corner but charges into a knee. Becky outs on a complicated leg lock but Charlotte breaks it up with Natural Selection and no cover. The fans think that this is wrestling and better than the Divas.
Becky pulls Charlotte off the middle rope to break up a superplex attempt but Charlotte pulls her away from the corner into a powerbomb with Bayley adding a middle rope elbow to the jaw to drive Lynch down. Charlotte pulls Becky off the cover and puts her bad leg in the Figure Eight (the official name for the bridging version). Charlotte can’t see though and Becky drapes her arm over Bayley for the pin at 11:32 with the hold still on.
Rating: B. The girls continue to steal the show and Becky is getting better every week. Lynch vs. Banks could be something interesting given their history and now I have a reason to believe it could be a good match. Charlotte has nothing left to do in NXT and is ready for the main roster and the destruction of her career as a result. Bayley needs to find something to do as she’s been running in still adorable circles for a while now.
CJ Parker vs. Hideo Itami
Dang Parker just won’t leave. Parker stalls to start as the fans want Hideo to kick his head off. A headlock slows Itami down but he drives a knee into Parker’s ribs to set up some kicks for two. CJ punches him in the corner and gets two off a suplex. Another attempt doesn’t work though and it’s time for the strike off. A running delayed corner dropkick sets up the Shotgun Kick to give Hideo the pin at 4:06.
Rating: D+. This has to be Parker’s last match as I can’t find anything else taped for him. Hideo looked better here and it seems that the GTS is going to be his super finisher when he isn’t using the Shotgun Kick. This did its job of getting Hideo back on track after his big moment was treated like nothing special by Big Show at Wrestlemania.
Becky Lynch doesn’t like Sasha Banks taking credit for her career.
Rhyno vs. ???
No name for the jobber. Gore ends this in 27 seconds.
Blake and Murphy sing to Carmella when Enzo and Cass come up to accuse the two Sinatras of having Halitosis. Carmella is wearing the jewelry they gave her and that’s not cool either. Cass brings up getting Carmella a job.
Alex Riley vs. Kevin Owens
Non-title and no sign of the coat. Owens gets in his face in the corner but Riley shoves him into the same corner. A nice dropkick sends Owens outside and the champ needs a breather. The mind games begin as Owens won’t get back inside, which eventually draws Alex outside for a whip into the barricade.
We come back from a break with Owens choking on the middle rope and not seeing Riley as much of a threat. The backsplash gets two and we hit the chinlock. Riley fights up and hits a running elbow in the corner, followed by a flipping neckbreaker. He gets crotched on top though, setting up the Cannonball and Pop Up Powerbomb for the pin at 8:44.
Rating: C-. I wasn’t wild on this one as it was basically a less energized version of their first match. Owens is a killer and looked fine while Alex looked like he could still go in the ring, but we knew those things after their match in Columbus. Not much to see here but Owens is always entertaining with his explosiveness.
Post match Owens loads up the apron powerbomb but Sami Zayn comes out for the big brawl. Security comes out but Sami dives on the pile to send Owens running away to end the show.
Overall Rating: C. This wasn’t the best show but it seems that this was a show taped out of order which took away a lot of the chemistry. Sami coming out to go after Owens was a great sign though as it’s time to pick things up all over again, likely for the next upcoming Takeover. Not a great show but it set up the future and gave us a good triple threat.
Results
Finn Balor b. Tye Dillinger – Coup de Grace
Becky Lynch b. Charlotte and Bayley – Lynch pinned Bayley while Bayley was in the Figure Eight
Hideo Itami b. CJ Parker – Shotgun Kick
Rhyno b. ??? – Gore
Kevin Steen b. Alex Riley – Pop Up Powerbomb
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of 1998 Pay Per View reviews at Amazon for just $3.99 at:
NXT Date: April 15, 2015
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Rich Brennan, Corey Graves
NXT is back home tonight after last week’s show took us to Axxess weekend. Things are starting to get back to normal around here and there are some interesting stories at the moment. Kevin Owens needs a new opponent for the NXT Title, Blake and Murphy are on a collision course with Enzo and Cass, Dana Brooke debuts tonight and we have Sami Zayn vs. Rhyno. Let’s get to it.
Opening sequence.
CJ Parker vs. Solomon Crowe
I’m pretty sure this is Parker’s last appearance. The fans are behind Crowe as Parker hammers on him in the corner. I love that Crowe has said he wants to be NXT Champion. Even if that’s not a realistic option (at least not yet), it’s what a wrestler in NXT should want to be. Crowe takes Parker down in the corner and threatens a charge, sending Parker out to the floor. He settles for a suicide dive and Parker is in pain on the ramp.
Back in and Crowe charges into a pair of boots in the corner to put him down for the first time. A backsplash gets two for CJ and we hit the chinlock, completely with a few LET’S GO CJ chants. Crowe fights up with some right hands but gets turned inside out by a clothesline. A side kick gets a near fall on Solomon but another backsplash hits feet. Crowe goes up for a splash onto the leg, setting up an old Brock Lock (bending Parker’s knee around his neck) for the submission at 5:09.
Rating: C-. I’m not sold on Crowe yet but I like the idea of him using a submission instead of a pin. He’s built a bit like Taz and it’s kind of hard to buy him throwing punches and coming off the top as a result. This worked well enough though as he wrestled a scrappy style and found an opening to win. I’d like to see more development from him though as there’s something in that hacker character. If this is Parker’s last appearance, I’m going to miss him. You need jobbers like him who are over with the fans no matter how many times he loses.
Post match, Crowe says the show is just beginning.
Baron Corbin vs. Steve Cutler
I had been wondering what happened to Corbin. He was one of the hottest things on the show and then he was jobbing in a highlight package. Cutler eats an early clothesline but gets his days ended at 25 seconds.
Sami Zayn isn’t surprised that he still has a target on his back. Kevin Owens used him to get to the top but Rhyno isn’t going to do the same.
Enzo Amore/Colin Cassady vs. Sawyer Fulton/Angelo Dawkins
Carmella is back and still loathed by the fans. Enzo says he has a spectacular vernacular and the Michael Jordan of Jargon. Cass says they are who they say they are and they aren’t gonna fake it. Blake and Murphy have something they want so they’re just gonna take it. Enzo grabs a headlock on Fulton to start and takes him down for a walk over his back. Fulton gets hold of Enzo’s wrist though and hooks a fireman’s carry takeover. That’s fine with Enzo who brings in Big Cass for a beating.
It’s quickly back to Enzo but Fulton crotches him on top. Cue Blake and Murphy with flowers for Carmella, who seems impressed despite the NO chants from the fans. Back inside, Fulton goes old school with an abdominal stretch to Enzo. He’s too close to the ropes though and Amore escapes, followed by a Downward Spiral Stunner to get a breather. The hot tag brings in Cass to clean house with the East River Crossing, setting up a Rocket Launcher to pin Dawkins at 3:48.
Rating: C. This is one of the things that I love about NXT: they take a really basic idea for a feud like this one but execute it well enough with characters that the crowd cares about that it’s easy to get into. There’s nothing revolutionary here but the fans love Cass and Enzo so they’re easy underdog challengers. Carmella turning heel seems to be the next step, but maybe the champs are just using her and both teams dump her?
Cass and Enzo aren’t happy with Carmella taking the flowers.
Alex Riley says he isn’t going away that easily. Not after all those years of fighting for every inch, because Owens has painted a bullseye on his back for the rest of his career. He has nowhere else to go, so he’ll be waiting for Owens in the ring next week.
Blue Pants vs. Dana Brooke
Blue Pants has a recorded version of Cass’ da-da-duh da-da entrance and is introduced from the clearance aisle. The fans still love her too and it’s one of those things that can only work here in NXT. Brooke is a former bodybuilder with a decent rock song for her entrance. She shoves Blue Pants down and hammers in some slow right hands.
The fans don’t seem to like Dana, but it might have something to do with her being billed as the Total Diva. Graves sounds like he has a big crush on her for a bit of flavor. Brooke sends Blue Pants into the corner and stands on her head to choke Pants with her boot. Blue Pants comes back with some jobber offense but walks into a forearm, setting up a Whiplash for the pin at 2:04. Total squash.
Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch vs. Bayley in a #1 contenders match next week.
Sami Zayn vs. Rhyno
Sami dodges a bit to start but gets caught with a right hand to the face. A headlock works a bit better for Zayn until Rhyno shoves him away and shoulders him out to the floor. The fans are split about 60/40 in Sami’s favor but the Rhyno cheers are certainly there. Back in and Sami grabs a headscissors to send Rhyno outside for a second. It just seems to make Rhyno angrier though so he pounds Sami into the corner and chokes with the boot.
A stiff SHUT UP to the fans get the cheers more in Sami’s favor (at least they’re obedient) and Rhyno chokes on the ropes. Sami comes back with forearms and a dropkick but Rhyno takes his head off with a clothesline. Back from a break with Sami fighting out of a chinlock and bobbing and weaving to stay in a slugout. That’s fine until Rhyno plants him with a spinebuster for two.
Sami can barely get to his feet as Rhyno hits him with a running shoulder in the corner. Fans: “BETTER THAN ROMAN!/NO IT’S NOT!” With the wrestling not working, Sami gets up and starts firing off right hands before the Blue Thunder Bomb gets a close two. Rhyno catches the high cross body and muscles Sami up into a TKO for a near fall of his own.
Barely on his feet, Sami slaps Rhyno in the face, earning him a bunch of right hands to the head. Rhyno goes up for some reason and gets punched in the jaw, knocking him down to the floor. There’s the big flip dive from Sami but Rhyno throws him down with a belly to belly inside. The Gore misses though and the Helluva Kick gives Sami the come from behind win at 15:16.
Rating: B. They had the right idea here by having Sami get a warmup for Owens by facing someone who wrestles a very similar style and with a similar body type. Sami is back to form here and the fans are going to be ready for his rematch. That being said, hats off to Rhyno here, who hasn’t been around the big leagues in a while but he put on a solid performance here. Getting veterans here who can put over people like Zayn while still looking good in the ring is invaluable for a place like NXT, or any wrestling organization actually.
Overall Rating: C+. This was back to form for NXT as they have a solid show with a good main event and story advancement coupled with some quick matches to help fill things out. The key to this show is that it doesn’t do a lot of stupid things that drag the product down. They let the wrestling do the talking and the stories tell themselves naturally. In other words, they don’t shove things down your throat and beat you over the head with them. Those key differences are why NXT work so well and I hope they don’t change anytime soon.
Results
Solomon Crowe b. CJ Parker – Brock Lock
Baron Corbin b. Steve Cutler – End of Days
Enzo Amore/Colin Cassady b. Sawyer Fulton/Angelo Dawkins – Rocket Launcher to Dawkins
Dana Brooke b. Blue Pants – Whiplash
Sami Zayn b. Rhyno – Helluva Kick
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of 1998 Pay Per View reviews at Amazon for just $3.99 at:
All 1998 Monday Night Raws Added To The WWE Network
That’s quite the update and quite a lot of new material at once. As you may have heard of, I’ve released a complete collection of reviews for the entire year of Raw as an e-books. It’s available from Amazon for cheap right here. Check it out if you’d like to have a better idea of what was going on that year or maybe have a better idea of what shows and matches to check out.
Finally Caught The Paul Heyman Documentary
Yeah I’m a bit behind on these things. There’s not much to say here but I have three notes.
1. Yeah it really is as good as people say it is. It’s interesting that two of the best documentaries they’ve ever had have focused on something related to ECW. Heyman may not be the most popular guy in the history of wrestling, but he’s one of the most fascinating stories the business has ever seen.
2. I’ll go conservative and estimate about 75% of what he said was a lie.
3. “He does everything Vince hates. He yells too much, he keeps going forever and he never lets the story breathe.”
– Stephanie McMahon, who may in fact be the most delusional, clueless and least self-aware person to ever appear on a WWE television show.
I Checked Out Signature Sounds
The documentary about WWE music.
This is one of the shows in the series that I had been really looking forward to watching and it was actually far better than I was expecting. It’s another countdown format but with WWE music king Jim Johnston hosting (kind of) and talking about each song. As someone with as much musical talent as a Coke machine, it’s fascinating to see someone who has put together this many different kinds of songs and made a lot of really catchy stuff. I mean, the guy made songs for everyone from Fandango to Undertaker to Orton and a lot of points in between.
If nothing else, it’s awesome to see someone pick up a guitar or sit down at a piano and make WWE songs come out. You can tell this guy is really, really good at what he does and it’s clear that he knows exactly what he’s talking about when he breaks down the process of the songs and what was going through his head when he put them together. The countdown has some rather questionable picks for a top 25 (Prime Time Players? No DiBiase?) and the worst part about this it’s only a little over 50 minutes long. This really could have done better without so many comments from wrestlers and a lot more from Johnston as he literally wrote about 90% of WWE music over the years.
Assuming he didn’t request it, this somehow got him a job writing soundtracks for WWE Films. Anyway, it’s really cool to see something like this instead of the 19th rehashing of the Monday Night Wars or the career of someone we’ve covered to death. I’d love to see more behind the scenes stuff like this as the entrance music is something taken for granted a lot of the time, but it really can push someone over the top. Check this out if it’s something you even only kind of care about as it’s really interesting and less than an hour total.