NXT
Date: November 13, 2014
Location: Full Sail
University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Jason
Albert, Alex Riley, Rich Brennan
Reviewed by Tommy Hall
Tonight is a big show
for NXT as we have the showdown between Sami Zayn and Adrian Neville
for the NXT Title. I don't quite believe we're getting the full
match tonight though, or at least we're not getting a clean ending.
Other than that we have the fallout from the debut of Finn Balor, who
will be helping Itami in his war against the Ascension. Let's get to
it.
We open with a recap of
Itami vs. Ascension and Balor debuting last week.
Opening sequence.
Here's Balor to open
the show with a rather epic entrance. He says he's here in NXT
because he's the future....and here are Natalya and Tyson Kidd arm in
arm. Tyson is sure that Balor has a fascinating story but no one
cares. Fact. Kidd was brought into this business as a Hart, so the
first thing he was ever taught was respect. Cue Justin Gabriel who
says a new international superstar is here every week to be a top
guy. Finn has to get through them first though, but let's pause for
a WHO ARE YOU chant at Gabriel. Kidd and Gabriel get in the ring but
here's Itami, walking very slowly out to save his buddy.
Finn
Balor/Hideo Itami vs. Tyson Kidd/Justin Gabriel
This should be good.
Gabriel and Itami get things going but it's quickly off to Kidd for a
wristlock. Balor comes in for the first time and Tyson is already
out for Gabriel. A dropkick puts Gabriel down but he bails to the
floor, setting up a big flip dive from Balor as we take a break.
Back with Itami putting Justin in a chinlock and getting two off a
kick to the chest. Off to Balor vs. Kidd with Tyson taking him
outside for a neckbreaker on the floor. Gabriel hits a LOUD chop on
the floor before kicking Finn in the back.
Tyson does the same for
two as the heels take over on Finn in the corner. We hit the
chinlock on Balor before Justin cranks on both arms at the same time.
Kidd and Gabriel keep making the fast tags until Balor nails Tyson
with a Pele Kick. The hot tag brings in Itami to clean house and a
big kick gets two on Kidd. Justin dives into a knee to the ribs for
two as everything breaks down. The newcomers hit stereo corner
dropkicks, setting up a top rope double stomp to end Gabriel at
10:34.
Rating:
C+. This was a much more
promising match from Itami than the previous weeks singles efforts.
Balor continues to look like the star of the team though and the more
complete wrestler. Itami is coming around though and just needs some
more time to get used to the WWE style.
We
look back at Zayn vs. Neville from about a year ago in a great #1
contenders match.
Zayn
says tonight feels different than all of the previous times. The
road to redemption is more than just a nice tagline because destiny
never makes mistakes. Tonight is going to unfold just like it's
supposed to.
Sasha
Banks vs. Alexa Bliss
Banks
sends her into the corner to start and nails a low clothesline for an
early two. The fans argue
over whether Sasha is ratched as she puts Bliss in a modified
surfboard. Bliss nails a dropkick but gets caught in the Backstabber
into the Bank Statement for the tap out at 2:18.
Banks
wants to make her title match against Charlotte official. She
doesn't do anything to accomplish that but she does indeed want it.
Neville
says Sami is his friend but he's going to be disappointed again
tonight.
Lucha
Dragons vs. Wesley Blake/Buddy Murphy
We
need new jobbers around here. Non-title
again. Kalisto throws Blake
around to start but Murphy sneaks in to catch Kalisto in mid air for
a suplex. Murphy gets two off a clothesline before it's back to
Blake for a top rope stomp to the back for two of his own. Buddy
comes back in to hammer away but Kalisto slips through his legs to
tag Sin. Cara speeds things
way up but gets thrown into Blake to knock him off the apron.
Kalisto hits a HUGE corkscrew plancha to drop Blake again, setting up
the Swanton from Cara to Murphy for the pin at 5:07.
Rating:
B-. Those dives from the
Dragons are just nuts and made the match that much better. This was
in the classic power vs. speed mold and worked as well as you would
have expected it to. Murphy and Blake have a future if they're
allowed to get some more ring time. They've got a look and aren't
bad in the ring which puts them ahead of a lot of teams.
The
Vaudevillains applaud the Dragons but tell them to keep the titles
polished.
NXT
Title: Adrian Neville vs. Sami Zayn
Zayn is challenging and
quickly flips Adrian down to send the champion into the corner. He
does it again before avoiding some dropkicks and dropkicking Adrian
out to the floor. Sami loads up a dive but backflips back in when
Neville moves. The OLE chants start up as Sami holds the ropes open
but Neville flips back in. Now it's the champ's turn for some rapid
fire kicks and Sami is in trouble.
Back from a break with
Neville holding a chinlock to slow things down. Sami fights up but
is pulled right back down into the same hold. Back up again with
Sami nailing three clotheslines because that's the standard comeback
anymore. The third puts Neville on the floor and now the flip dive
connects. Back in and Sami hits the cross body but hurts himself on
the impact. Adrian hits a quick standing shooting star for two but
can't hook a powerbomb.
Sami gets back up and
catches Neville on his shoulders for a BIG spinning powerbomb and
two. Fans: “THAT WAS THREE!” Neville nails another kick but
Sami ducks the second and rolls some Germans, capped off by a release
half nelson suplex for two. The Helluva Kick is blocked by a kick to
the face and the exploder is countered with a rollup for two more.
Neville goes up for the Red Arrow but only hits mat to put both guys
down. Adrian comes up holding his knee and Sami won't go for the
Helluva Kick. The referee throws up the X so Sami goes to check on
Adrian....and gets rolled up for the pin at 15:33.
Rating:
B. They were starting to feel
it here but it's clear that they're setting up another match down the
line. I'm glad that this didn't come off like a full heel turn but
rather Adrian continuing to do whatever it takes to retain the title
while staying within the bounds of the rules. Sami is getting the
title though and the match at Takeover (you know it's coming) is
going to blow the roof off the place.
Sami
is stunned as trainers check on Neville to end the show.
Overall
Rating: B+. Two good matches
and a nice debut from Balor are about as good as you can get out of
an hour of wrestling. Sami's road getting stopped for a bit is a
nice twist but you know Zayn vs. Neville is headlining the next
special. This was an awesome show though and felt like a big one
even though it only had one major match. Really good stuff.
Results
Hideo Itami/Finn Balor
b. Tyson Kidd/Justin Gabriel – Top rope double stomp to Gabriel
Sasha Banks b. Alexa
Bliss – Bank Statement
Lucha Dragons b. Wesley
Blake/Buddy Murphy – Swanton bomb to Murphy
Adrian Neville b. Sami
Zayn – Small package
Remember to check out my website at kbwrestlingreviews.com and head over to my Amazon author page with wrestling books for under $4 at:
http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6
It's amazing that the same company that produces Raw is doing NXT, who books the NXT shows, send them to the main roster.
ReplyDeleteSo much of what they do is just basic rasslin' booking, which apparently won't play to the bigger audience or so WWE logic goes.
ReplyDeleteThat Nattie really warms the cock
ReplyDelete...les of my heart. Yes, that's it.
Maybe Vince thinks the NWA-ish booking won't work, but NXT is so much more enjoyable than the rest of the product. Episodic television? Building up interesting characters? That's crazy talk!
ReplyDeleteI should be used to it by now but it blows my mind that you can see Prince Devitt, KENTA, Samuray del Sol, PAC, and El Generico all on one hour of WWE tv. Plus the likes of Sami Calihan and Kevin Steen waiting to debut. That lineup could be the cornerstone of a whole indie fed.
ReplyDeleteYou're going down, Luchazzzz sorry fell asleep talking about them they're so boring. The Vaudevillains are coming!
ReplyDeleteMaybe the subcockle area
ReplyDeleteYou're clearly still woozy from the assault of that greasy thug Archie Stackhouse.
ReplyDeleteOoh, fans turning on Neville here. Or Sami is really popular.
ReplyDeleteWhat I don't understand is how well the NXT women are booked with fleshed out characters, easy to follow feuds and people with a clear goal to the women's title... and then there's WWE with all the girls being crazy, who knows what the hell is going on, and random ditzes given title shots in horribly acted Jerry Springer feuds.
ReplyDeleteBecause Kevin Dunn.
ReplyDeleteYup. NXT is a professional wrestling promotion featuring female wrestlers. WWE is a TV show with 'Divas'.
ReplyDeleteFans know he's slowly going heel already with his antics at the last special and now the finish here, coupled with his tweener promos.
ReplyDeleteI've heard Byron Saxon is the main booker.
ReplyDeleteI really wouldn't get your hopes up on Zayn winning that title. Him getting screwed out of it and then leaving for the main roster seems much more likely, plus there's zero reason to keep him down there anymore.
ReplyDelete