The SmarK Rant for WWE NXT – 09.11.13
Taped from Orlando, FL
Your hosts are William Regal and Tony Dawson.
Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady v. Scott Dawson & Alexander Rusev
Amore gets a couple of cheapshots on Dawson, and it’s over to Cassady for more of a beating. Dawson catches Enzo with a clothesline for the 180 sell (Regal: “That’s what you call the technical term ‘being creamed'”) and Rusev takes over with a series of headbutts. Rusev tosses him around in impressive fashion and Dawson comes in for a double-team, but the ref makes it to five and the heels get DQ’d at 3:35. That is some weak, weak sauce, like when someone adds a cup of water to your marinara. *
Bo Dallas is out for another insincere rap session with the crowd. He’s totally into the idea of giving Sami Zayn a match, but not for the title, and not until all his injuries are healed.
Meanwhile, CJ Parker gets his rambling interview cut off by Tyler Breeze. Breeze seems like he should have a finisher called the PHOTOBOMB. Someone make that happen for me.
Paige v. Sasha Banks
This is apparently non-title, although I thought the buildup was for a title match. Sasha works the arm, but gets run into the ropes to put Paige in control. Sasha gets a nice reversal for two, but Paige throws elbows in the corner until Sasha leverages her into the corner and we take a break. Back with Sasha holding a chinlock and we get a weird blunder as the announcers start talking too soon and then restart the conversation again a few seconds later. So Banks holds a chinlock for quite a long time, but Paige suplexes out and throws knees from the ring apron, until Sasha rolls her up for two. Paige misses a dropkick, but rolls through a crossbody to finish at 12:25. Pretty solid, with the nice touch of Sasha trying to outsmart the champion, only to get outsmarted herself. ** Paige offers a show of sportsmanship afterwards, but gets clocked by Sasha, who is apparently trying to show her killer instinct. Winning the match would have been more effective, but that’s a start.
Meanwhile, Sasha gives thanks to Summer Rae for awakening her rage. Maybe it’s just PMS?
Leo Kruger v. Xavier Woods
Kruger attacked Woods in a backstage segment last week, so this week they have a match. Huh, where’s the McMahons and shoot comments and stories? How can this wacky “booking” thing ever work? Kruger, who appears to have switched from South African Jimmy Snuka to Colonel DeBeers Jr, controls the arm. Why would they change names from “Consequences Creed”, which sounds like one of the most awesome boxer names ever, to something generic like “Xavier Woods”? Woods escapes the grueling armbar and puts Kruger on the floor with a headscissors, but SPLATS on a dive attempt and we take a break. Back with Kruger in control via a suplex and then an ENDLESS hammerlock as even Regal gets bored and veers wildly off-topic. Woods comes back with some pretty stiff-looking leg kicks, but Kruger puts him down with a backbreaker for two. Jackhammer gets two. Kruger misses a second-rope elbow, and Woods makes the comeback. Woods then rolls right into a spinebuster like an idiot, but hits a seated clothesline for two. Woods hits his rolling clothesline this time, and finishes with an armbar drop of some kind at 16:32. That was a bit of a slog, to say the least. *1/2
The Pulse
Weakest of the shows I’ve seen thus far. I assume next week is a main event of CJ Parker v. Tyler Breeze, which doesn’t sound particularly exciting either.
