NXT in a Nutshell 25/07/12

Match No. 1: 

 Johnny Curtis & Michael Migillicutty

def

Bo Dallas & Derrick Bateman

Rating: *1/2

• A very lackluster start to NXT this week with both teams producing action that was either sloppy or lacking any real heat. A very basic tag-team contest ripped straight from the WWE training book.

• Bo Dallas was the man most highlighted in this one. As far as I'm concerned, he's done little to grab my attention. His promo skills need a ton of work and most of the time, he looks as though he is concentrating too much on getting things right instead of letting the flow of the match take over. 4th generation star or not, Bo Dallas needs a lot of work in general. Unfortunately, this match did nothing to change my opinion.

• Derrick Bateman is another that I'm not too fond of. Considering that he has been in NXT for over 2 years, one has to wonder what is holding this man back. His babyface on fire spot felt forced and was again, basic. Maybe a more clear portrayal of his character might help Bateman going forward.

• Regal's commentary for this match was surprisingly forced and, at times, completely ridiculous. I am new to NXT and so are most of the current audience. When i am told that a newly formed team of Migillicutty and Curtis are as good as The Andersons, i am immediately taken out of the reality bubble. Keep commentary realistic.

• Michael Migillicutty was the star of this one as he took Curtis by the hand and lead him through a pretty paint-by-numbers contest. Not much else to write here.

Match No. 2: 

Antonio Ceasaro (w/ Aksana)

def

Alex Riley

Rating: **

• The minute Alex Riley comes out to the ring, the guy beems with charisma. Like Bateman, i wonder what exactly is holding Riley back. He has a great look. He can talk well. He also can wrestle alright too. What the hell is holding back Alex Riley?

• Ceasaro showed a bit more varied offense than we have seen before, which is a good thing. I especially liked his Gut-Rench Side Slams, followed by a series of new submission holds. However, i am still not sold on the former-ROH Tag Team Champion. Since arriving, he is missing the flair he used to have in ROH. Furthermore, his promo last week on NXT didn't do much to light his fire. All in all, Ceasaro has a lot to work on and i think that is why he is here on NXT.

• Regal returned to form in this bout. I especially liked how he was linking Ceasaro's rugby background back to his new varied offense. Calls like this help legitimize NXT pro-wrestling and give audiences an insight into the "mind" of characters like Ceasaro. Great Stuff!!

• While the in-ring work was acceptable and good in parts, the flatness of the crowd once again hurt the outcome. I was surprised as the Full Sail Uni crowd were getting two guys they usually see on WWE television. Maybe this lack of enthusiasm shows that Full Sail crowds are here to see new NXT talent?

Match No. 3:

Sofia Cortez

def

Natalya via Countout

Rating: **1/2

• This was probablly the best divas match i have seen on NXT. Both women gave it their all and told a really good story between the ropes.

• I really liked how Natalya went from arrogant heel to aggressive bitch as she was out-wrestled by Cortez in the early going. What made these sequences even better was that Cortez fired back with her own aggression and looked good doing it. Well done Cortez!

• Variations from strikes to submission holds also exclamated the aggression in the match.

• The countout finish was VERY lame but i guess it played into the story (ie on this night, Cortez was better and would of beaten the former-Diva's Champion). The post-match HOPEFULLY indicates that these two will wrestle next week. I hope so because by the end of this one, i was very much looking forward to seeing what these two could do. Great job by all involved.

Match No. 4: 

The Ascension

def

Dante Dash & Garret Dylan

Rating: * 3/4

• A few weeks ago, i stated that Ascention needed to put more charisma into their matches and focus less on their dramatic entrance. I am happy to say that this week they did what i told them to do!

• From their ice cold stares to their wolf-like howls, Ascension turned up the personality meter on their performance. I loved their brute aggression and it really felt that they were working as one of NXT's most unique combinations.

• The emphasis on mystique is a very important one as it relates to Ascension. As it stands, NXT is lacking real characters. Ascension changes this by providing the audience with an original paring that we don't truly understand. Much like Bryat Wyatt, we don't know what these guys are about and we want to know more. At this stage in the game, it fantastic to see some distinguishable NXTers that make us tune in every week to learn more about them.

• Not much to the match on the technical side. Ascension dominate and show NXT why they should stay. Good stuff.

 Match No. 5:

Drew McIntyre

def

Seth Rollins

Rating: ***

* Match of the Night *

•   A very good showing for Rollins this week as he kept up move for move with one of my personal favorites, Drew McIntyre.

• While Rollins look good in the ring, i am still not a fan of his character. If the former-ROH World Champion is to be the next NXT golden boy, i think he should be devoid of a "black and white" gimmick. He should just be himself. The more NXT pushes this guy as a "Heavy Metal enthusiast", the more i disconnect from Rollins' character.

• As far as the match goes, McIntyre/Rollins treated us to yet another well wrestled NXT main event. Opening sequences told a good story and looked slick in execution. Rollins' suicide dive was performed to perfection and woke up the dormant crowd nicely.

• The continual emphasis on Rollins' being McIntyre's equal was a well told narrative. Spots such as Rollins nipping up just after McIntyre performed the same taunt enforced this.

• The finish got the fans into the match, with Rollins and McIntyre performing smooth near falls coupled with some devastating offense (Rollins' Complete Shot into the turnbuckle was definitely one of those moments) . This all lead to a match-making finish that reminded me of Edge v Morrison from Smackdown 2009: Rollins attempted a 450 splash, only to land on his feet and turn into a DEVASTATING Drive-by boot from McIntyre. Great great stuff!

• Surprisingly, McIntyre won with his Future Shock Double Arm DDT. Considering Slater lost last week and he is on RAW every Monday, i didn't expect McIntyre - a guy who is rarely on TV anymore- to pick up the 'W'. Unless McIntyre is staying on NXT, this was a missed opportunity for Rollins who, at this stage of his career, needs all the wins he can get. Regardless, a good match involving two seasoned pros.

Final Comments:

This was a much better episode of NXT than last week with more good matches than bad. Bar the opening match, nearly everyone showed imporovement and growth: The divas produced a great 2 minute bout, The Ascension showed great charisma, even Seth Rollins produced a match that further cemented him in the upper echalon of NXT. It's a shame this is only a 1 hour show as a few of my favorites (Bryat Wyatt, Leo Kruger, Tyson Kidd) were nowhere to be seen. WWE needs to work out a way to keep NXT main stayers on each show while giving new guys the same amount of airtime. Regardless, NXT is doing well with the time that they have. I definitely find myself looking forward to next week, where NXT GM Dusty Rhodes has a "Major Announcement".

Thanks for reading folks! 

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