NXT in a Nutshell 22/07/12

Commentary maketh the match

As i have stated in the past, a good commentary team is a duo or a trio that can verbally explain the historical backgrounds, motivations and purposes for the pro-wrestlers we watch week in and week out. They should be funny, but not overbearing. They should be always present, but never drawing attention to their own character. If all these elements are acknowledged, commentary teams have the ability to enhance any match they call.

This week on NXT, the commentary team of William Regal and Byron Saxton ( and later, Jim Ross ) successfully achieved all of these goals. While Byron Saxton is growing into his play-by-play nicely and not coming off as completely fake, Regal was the star of the show this week. My GOD was he good. Whether it was making Kaytlin's offense seem calculating (via a discussion on how she benches 300lbs and how she has been perfecting leg submission holds because of this ability) or humorously informing us of Leo Kruger's "monarch-like" background (by pointing out that he received his sash from "Nelson Mandela himself"), Regal did so much. What he did here was continuously take these character arcs/performers that we aren't familiar with at all and gave each one of them credible substance that bolstered their overall presentation.

Jim Ross then joined us for the main event this week and echoed Regal's work like only the voice of the WWE can. I appreciated his persistent and passionate argument over the fact that wins and losses matter and how being in the main event of NXT is best opportunity to get noticed and get ahead. Jim Ross and ONLY Jim Ross can vocalize the purpose of a whole pro-wrestling brand so perfectly. While this "art form" is lost on the major broadcasts to some degree, its nice to know that the future of WWE is being supported by such an effective commentary team.

Match Results:

Match No.1:

Tamina Snuka 
def 
Kaitlyn

Rating: * 1/4

Comments:

NXT this week had a Diva feel to it as we opened with an ok contest between Snuka and Kaitlyn. The first thing i noticed was that Kaitlyn was playing heel in this match. Considering i just watched Money in the Bank last Sunday and saw Kaitlyn team with the babyface group, i was more than confused. I don't appreciate WWE throwing matches together where the heel/babyface dynamics are altered without explaining why. 

Even though Kaitlyn was put over strong by Regal's exceptional commentary, her wrestling ability didn't match what Regal was attempting to sell. She tried hard, but there is just something i don't like about her. She's massive, yet she tries to move around the ring sometimes like a cruiserweight. That, and her offense at times is just plain sloppy. For example, she should NEVER attempt an abdominal stretch again until she gets taught by someone properly. Hell, Dusty Rhodes is the GM of NXT! He can teach her.

Not much to say of Tamina. She was good as usual and she kept the match together. Her reversal of Kaitlyn's Grounded Octopus Hold into a Samoan Drop was a good spot that lead to the quick finish. An average opener to NXT this week.

Match No. 2: 

Jinder Mahal 
def 
Percy Watson

Rating: * 3/4

Comments: 

Well, the positive to take out of this bout was that Mahal wins again and gains momentum. I'm all for building up a NXT main event heel and i think i can bare having Mahal take up that role. He is nowhere near as bad as he was when he was on Smackdown. His strikes are aggressive in nature and i like the way he beats down his opponents with great energy. Plus, his finisher is a submission hold and nothing screams drama than a submission hold in a wrestling match. If feel as though he just needs to work on interacting with the live crowd more mid-match. I'm pretty sure shouting in Punjab would get any audience going.

Now, onto the big negative. Percy Watson has NO IDEA what he is doing in a pro-wrestling ring. Don't believe me? Listen to that live crowd at Full Sale this week. DEAD. No one got into anything Watson did. Maybe it was because what he executed was either poorly timed or just plain sloppy. Case in point: I don't care that a 6-Foot man can do a standing 450 Splash. It's all about WHEN you do that move that is the most crucial and Watson didn't know when. It's funny that a guy who has a ton of natural charisma and is meant to be "Personally mentored by John Cena" just couldn't gel with Mahal. How long as Percy Watson been with WWE now? Going on 2-3 years? A really disappointing outing for someone who should be better than this.

 

Match No. 3: 

Leo Kruger

def

Richie Steamboat

* Match of the Night *

Rating: ** 3/4

Comments:

While the main event was better in terms of sustainable in-ring work, this match still gets the "Match of the Night" honnours. Why? Because Leo Kruger stole the show for me.

Now i will still say that he still needs a bit of work with regards to his mixture of taunts mid-match. He constantly goes from a serious Rick-Rude pose over Steamboat's body to a humorous Chicken Walk around the ring. The first time i saw Kruger on NXT i said he needs to refine his character and channel it towards a singular concept (ie he's a chicken shit/arrogant heel, he's the humorous heel etc). I still stand by that statement today.

That aside, Kruger knows his way around that ring. His mannerisms (such as falling down on his ass after a hard knife-edge chop by Steamboat) encapsulated what an arrogant heel is all about: a guy who is tough and aggressive, but the MINUTE a babyface shows some fire, he will attempt to win at any cost. With mannerisms like this, i will pay to see this guy get beaten up. I will also pay to see a wrestler who differentiates himself from the pack. I loved seeing Kruger continuously use the ring as a weapon and take every short cut imaginable against the fiery Steamboat. Speaking of Steamboat, he did his job well here but it was nothing special. I liked that the fans were immediately behind him chanting "STEAMBOAT! STEAMBOAT!, but there is something missing as it relates to the son of the WWE Hall of Famer. His performances and interaction with the crowd comes off as a bit generic. That is to say, if he wasn't Ricky Steamboat's son, i don't know if i would be accepting him the way i already am. Thus, I don't know if his career has the legs that Kruger does and this match kind of showcased that for me.

Regardless, this contest was a fun, innovative bout that saw new moves (Kruger's Schoolboy into the turnbuckle is a definite first for WWE television) and solid pro-wrestling action. Kruger won as he should with his feet on the ropes as i look forward to what Kruger brings to NXT next week.

Match No.4:

Raquel Diaz

 def

Paige

Rating: * 1/4

Comments:

Another Diva match, another average contest.

Raquel Diaz (Daughter of WWE Hall of Famer Eddie Guerrero) has something going for her. Behind the repetitious mannerisms and facial expressions, there is something there that could be refined and utilized going forward. Her in-ring performance as it relates to her "Exfoliating Tour of Ugliness" character was well timed in certain spots (ie Her "OMG" calls after Paige hit her in the face was funny). However, there is definite room for improvement as it relates to her in-ring performance. Sure, she showed aggression, but there are a ton of new NXTers that are showing the same fire at the moment. I need something more than manic hair-pulling from the next NXT breakout Diva.

 

I actually wouldn't mind seeing Paige get a chance to shine on NXT. This is the second job i've seen her involved in and i have to say, she sells REALLY well. If a wrestler can sell well, they can probably do the rest well. Regardless, on this night Raquel Diaz's debut didn't do much for me. Even if she is a Guerrero.

Match No.5:

Justin Gabriel

def

Heath Slater

Rating: ** 3/4

Comments:

While the Kruger bout highlighted the emergence of a character i am beginning to grow fond of, this match, like every other NXT main event, represented the pro-wrestling portion of the show. While both guys put forward an effort that was really enthralling, I still didn't see it as the match of the night.

Yes, this match had everything you could want from an NXT main event: brutal/risky bumps such as Gabriel getting knocked off the top rope and crashing onto the back of his head to the outside, solid "beat the babyface's injured body part" psychology and an exhilarating finish that said to the fans "we just left it all out in that ring".

The one thing that was bad about this match was that NO ONE CARED about Gabriel. While he wrestled really well, i think his problems centres around his lack of character. When i watched him come down the ring, he was bouncing around like this was his first night on WWE television. IN short, he STILL looked like he did 3 years ago. Sure, his in-ring work spoke differently, but everyone knows you need more than a great in-ring, athletic skill set to connect with an audience. People got into Slater because they see him regularly on RAW and his character is somewhat well defined. Gabriel hasn't been given that chance yet and it hurt the overall effectiveness of both men's efforts. Furthermore, it shocked me that Gabriel actually won. It's not like he is going anywhere anytime soon. Why not give it to the guy who is loosing on RAW every week?

Regardless, a really hard-fought match that tied in nicely with JR's message to the fans: "NXT is the place where you need to make an impact".


Final Thoughts:

Not a whole lot to write home about on NXT this week. The wrestling was ok but angles were missable. However, Kruger was undoubtedly my highlight. I really felt he showed a level of knowledge in the ring that could definitely take him far. The main event was a solid pro-wrestling match, but not in the same caliber of other NXT main events (Kidd vs Migillicutty, im still looking at you!!). Diaz's debut was one of the more average introductions and Watson bombed which surprised me.

Regardless, NXT still brings a wrestling-centric broadcast to the masses and it still a fun hour of WWE television to watch. If you haven't started watching it yet, i highly recommend you do!

Thanks for reading folks! 

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