The SmarK Rant for WWE NXT – 05.15.14
Man, another piece of my childhood is ready for demolition: http://detroit.curbed.com/archives/2014/05/the-silverdome-54-photos-inside-the-ruined-nfl-stadium.php
You’d think for the price they were charging, Vince would have just bought it and put the WWE Hall of Fame there.
Taped from Orlando, FL
Your hosts are Tom Phillips, William Regal & Byron Saxton
The Ascension v. Buddy Murphy & Elias Samson
Where do they come up with these awful names? Buddy gets stomped on by Konnor and they quickly finish him with the Fall of Man at 1:30. They are challenged afterwards by the almighty luchadors Kalisto & El Local, so that appears to be a match for the Takeover special.
NXT Women’s title tournament, semi-finals: Alexa Bliss v. Charlotte
It’s a gymnastics battle, as they trade flips and Alexa gets the small package she won with last week, but this time it doesn’t work. Charlotte chokes her out on the ropes and gets a vicious abdominal stretch, just cranking on Alexa’s neck. She hangs Bliss in the Tree of Woe and stomps her down for two. Back to the abdominal stretch and more abuse on the neck, but Bliss rolls her up to escape and gets a sunset flip for two. Charlotte catches a bodypress attempt and turns it into a backbreaker for two, then holds Bliss over her knee with another submission move. Does Bliss have a spine made out of Slinkys? Another backbreaker sets up the neckbreaker to finish at 5:00. Alexa was spunky but WAY out of her league, which says something about Charlotte given she’s only been working for a few months herself. *1/2
Tyler Breeze lays out his championship credentials, and lets us know that Canadians lack the genetics to be super good looking like him. Hey! Wait, uh, yeah, OK.
Mojo Rawley v. Aiden English
Mojo gets a crossbody for two and Aiden hides in the ropes before recovering with a neckbreaker for two. They slug it out in the corner and Aiden gets a clothesline for two. DDT gets two. Mojo makes the comeback and finishes him with the butt splash at 3:30. Usual from Mojo. *
Angelo Dawkins v. Colin Cassady
Cass beats on Dawkins in the corner while CJ Parker protests stuff at ringside. Regal’s “Go away, hippie” sums up my feelings on him very succinctly. Cass elbows Dawkins down for two. Elbowdrop gets two. Dawkins comes back with a nice dropkick, but runs into a high knee and Cass finishes with the big boot and spinning slam at 3:35. Colin is overplaying the SAWFT card and needs to cut it down to once per match.
Meanwhile, Bo Dallas bumps into JBL and presents him with a petition from all his fans on the Bo Hotline to get another title shot. So JBL gives him a match with Big E for the title shot…but a loss and he’s out of NXT.
#1 Contender’s Match: Tyson Kidd v. Tyler Breeze v. Sami Zayn
Breeze dumps Kidd and chokes Zayn out in the corner, but Sami comes back and walks into a Beauty Shot that gets two for Breeze. And we take a break. Back with Kidd putting Breeze on the floor, but a dive attempt hits forearm, so Zayn hits his own dive and then comes back in with a high cross on Kidd for two. Blue Thunder Bomb on Breeze gets two. They do a crazy triple suplex spot to put everyone down, and Kidd puts Zayn in the Sharpshooter. Breeze breaks it up with a superkick and gets two. He dumps Kidd to the floor, but Zayn suplexes him into the corner for two. He tries the ropewalk and gets crotched for two, as Regal notes that Zayn only has himself to blame. Kick a guy when he’s down, Mr. Regal. Kidd goes up and gets caught by Breeze, but recovers with a flying elbow for the cheap pin at 14:32. This didn’t do much for Kidd, but I assume that he’s just there to put Neville over with a great match anyway. **1/2 I think it’s time for Zayn to move on, though, because they can only tease him getting the title shot and then rip fans’ hearts out so many times.
The Pulse
I like that they’re adding some tag teams to give Ascension SOMETHING to do, and Neville v. Kidd is certainly a fresh program on top. Alexa Bliss definitely has something, too. That’s all I got this week.
