NXT is widely considered as one of the best overall WWE shows of the week. While there are definitely competitors with gimmicks that I don't like (i.e. Big Cass and Enzo Amore, CJ Parker and The Vaudevillains), they're pretty fairly balanced out by great up-and-comers like Tyler Breeze.
This edition of NXT featured few big names (even the announcers were C-Team at best) with the exception of the recently hot Tyson Kidd and Justin Gabriel in the main event. However, it did kick off the new NXT Tag Team Championship tournament. As a sucker for tournaments, I'm very excited to see yet another come to fruition on WWE's developmental program.
Without any standout matches, this NXT was pretty mediocre on the surface, but there was enough going on to keep me entertained for the full hour.
Opening Bout: NXT Tag Team Championship Tournament Match: Big Cass and Enzo Amore Def. Jason Jordan and Ty Dillinger
Initially appearing as a squash match, Jordan and Dillinger surprised me by putting up a good fight in their ultimate losing effort in the first match of the tag tournament. They showed decent tag team chemistry with one another and managed to keep Cass and Amore off balance for the majority of the match. Extra props go to Dillinger for connecting with a fantastic superkick and for Big Cass following it with a brutal big boot for the victory. While I find Amore's gimmick incredibly annoying, the NXT crowd eats it up, so it was no surprise he and Cass got the nod here, despite the valiant effort from their opponents.
Unfortunately, Alex Riley and Albert's constant banter and "Stay focused" quotes detracted from the experience as a whole. Comically, in the opening stages of the match, Riley kept calling Dillinger a veteran, yet blasted him for making an "inexperienced" move when he failed to go for the cover following his superkick. Ah well, it's still better than Cole and JBL.
* Match of the Night
Following the initial bout, we were taken to a backstage segment with Rene Young interviewing Sami Zayn. There's no doubt that Zayn is great in the ring, but he delivers some of the worst promos I've ever heard. He was in top form here, awkwardly announcing that he didn't have a tag partner for the main event, then proclaiming himself a "Rosebud for the night," as he accepted a lollipop from Adam Rose, who offered to tag with him. Some amusing banter from Tyson Kidd and Young's always perfect delivery kept this segment from being a disaster.
Match 2: CJ Parker Def. Xavier Woods
Other than the atrocious Vaudevillains, CJ Parker has what is easily my least favorite gimmick in the WWE (and that's even including Adam Rose). Having a tree-hugging environmentalist hippie as a bad guy doesn't work for me, though I do absolutely hate everything about Parker from his hideous beard to his just as ugly gear. And don't get me started on his hair.
Conversely, I like what I'm seeing from Xavier Woods now that the company seems to be going with the Nation of Domination-like gimmick with him, Big E and Kofi Kingston. Unfortunately, they were nowhere to be found tonight, and the announcers failed to acknowledge anything about this ongoing angle.
The match itself was slow and dull, with Parker simply applying holds for the majority of the bout. Some fantastic aerial acrobatics from Woods kept the match from being a complete DUD, but just barely. His loss to Parker baffles me, as he's a main roster superstar, and Parker can't even be trusted to place a kick.
1/2*
Following this first of many disappointments of the evening, the announcers said that there was an important announcement. Naturally, it was from Tyler Breeze, who appeared on the Tron and delivered a promo harkening to John Morrison's heel stage as ECW champion. Breeze is easily my favorite guy on NXT, and I'd love to see him win the strap from the admittedly quite impressive Neville.
Match 3: Bayley Def. Eva Marie
It's about time they put Marie on NXT! Her obvious lack of skill in between the ropes needs work, but I couldn't help but be impressed with her tonight. Not by the match itself (it sucked), but because of the way she carried herself. Her entrance showed flashes of heel diva mastery, the likes of which hasn't been seen in quite some time. The crowd was completely against her, mercilessly booing her the entire time she was in sight. If she can work on her in-ring skills, there could be big things in the future for Eva Marie.
- *
Main Event: Sami Zayn and Adam Rose def. Tyson Kidd and Justin Gabriel
You've got to be kidding. In an incredible turn of events, WWE decided to give the nod to first-time partners Sami Zayn and the atrocious Adam Rose in favor of a tandem that actually makes since and have tagged to success in the past, Kidd and Gabriel. While I agree that Zayn needs some momentum after his recent run of losses, this was not the time, especially in this tournament. I could've seen Kidd and Gabriel go all the way to win the tournament as the match opened and the two dominated Rose. After all, their heel gimmick makes since. They're sick of being kept down and they're now driven to take every opportunity and advantage they can. While Gabriel may not quite be over as a heel yet (the crowd cheered him as he made his way to the ring), Kidd's heel work has been phenomenal and has seen him deliver his best mic work, yet. His poor treatment of wife Natalya is just icing on the cake.
The match itself, was.. ok, but far below my expectations. Obviously, Kidd, Gabriel and Zayn would need to carry Rose to make the match a great success, but 75 percent of the match saw Rose getting beaten up by Gabriel and Kidd. Fun for a time, but we're going to need some more variety in the main event, especially considering the past work between Kidd and Zayn. The baffling finish makes this nothing more than a missed opportunity.
*
No comments:
Post a Comment