Hello everyone and welcome to the new and improved NXT TV Report. We are trying something new this week and keeping things a lot shorter in the hope of taking up far less of your time. Something which will be more important when the WWE Network launches and takes over our lives! Incidentally, in case you missed it, the WWE Network is to become the new home of NXT. That has to be worth subscribing on its own, even without the PPVs!
Back to the new format then. I figure that those of you that take the time read this report each week actually have an interest in NXT and therefore watch the show. Thus, you do not need me to tell you what happened move by move. Instead, the report is to become more of an opinion piece on what happened, rather than a play-by-play analysis. Now that we have no more formalities to address, let’s go to the show!
Summer Rae w/ Sasha Banks vs. Bayley w/ Natalya – Winner: Bayley
Bayley and Natalya teamed up about, at a guess, 5 weeks ago and the Canadian has been more concerned with the Paige, Emma and the NXT Women’s Championship in recent weeks. Her suddenly joining with Bayley again feels a little disjointed, to me at least.
I know the NXT lot are usually a good crowd, especially considering their size but the start of this match proved something to me about women’s wrestling. Give the women on your roster something that remotely resembles a storyline or reason to be fighting and the crowd get behind it. This is something so simple yet is done so badly in promotions of all sizes.
I really like Summer Rae, she’s come on leaps and bounds in my mind. I always thought she was a good heel but I thought the plié on the ropes demonstrated that she really gets her character.
I get the belly-to-Bayley reference but that finisher just looks weak.
The women on the outside did virtually nothing and there was little point in either of them being there, especially Natalya. The match was OK and Bayley got a win against the odds. The story between Bayley and the BFFs continues without really advancing much here.
Big Cass vs. “The Artiste” Aiden English – Winner: “The Artiste Aiden English
I liked the intensity that Cass started the match, after English jumped him after the sing-off last week.
I liked that English used the ropes continually to draw Cass in and frustrated him. This allowed a shot to the knee and ultimately, the Director’s Cut. More and more of the heelish side of English are creeping out and there are some boos starting to be heard. That’s character development that I can get behind.
Even though he lost, in what was another average match, I thought Cass looked strong and he has reason to go after English once again. It was a short, simple match that was done well.
Backstage Segment: Adrian Neville & Tyler Breeze
I liked this interaction and I’m glad it happened, after Breeze cost Neville the NXT title.
I particularly liked Breeze’s narcissistic reasoning for getting involved, it was all about him.
Xavier Woods vs. Alexander Rusev – Winner: Alexander Rusev
The set-up, punishment for the Big Show petition, was a stretch, at best. At least there was some reasoning behind it though!
I enjoyed that Samoan Drop.
Woods had pretty much the same match as Kofi did against Rusev last week. Whilst they didn’t get squashed, they were never really in the match either. To have Rusev win so clinically over these two guys demonstrates how highly the ‘powers that be’ must think of the Bulgarian.
Baron Corbin vs. Tyson Kidd – Winner: Tyson Kidd
Wow, that was quite dull. I can think of no reason to have this match, especially so late in the show.
‘Tyson’s Twisting Neck-destroyer Device’ is such a bad move for such an average move.
I know he has to come back slowly after such a long time out but Tyson Kidd is so much better than a throwaway match on NXT.
Hunico & Camacho vs. The Ascension (c) – Tornado Tag Match for NXT Tag-Team Championships – Winners: The Ascension (c)
Other than a belly to back from O’Brian, we saw nothing but strikes and chops in the corner for three minutes. Three minutes is a hell of a long time for virtually nothing to happen. It looked like the start of a battle royal where most of the entrants didn’t turn up.
I think they were going for the world record for the amount of punches thrown in one match.
The Fall of Man hit by The Ascension ended the match and put me out of my misery. It is the first match I can ever remember hating in NXT. 10 minutes and nothing happened.
I get that The Ascension need to look dominant but for what? Who is going to rise to the challenge and finally dethrone them? The tag-team division beyond these teams involved are non-existent.
Overall, it was an average show that deteriorated as it progressed. It did make me look forward to Neville and Breeze’s story progressing though and I’m looking forward to next week’s show.
Be sure to join us again for the all new NXT Review, here at The Wrestling Mania.
– By Richard Thompson