The SmarK Rant for WWE NXT – 07.10.14

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The SmarK Rant for WWE NXT – 07.10.14

I had to skip the last couple of weeks because of personal issues, but the cast is off my daughter’s leg and funerals are done with, so hopefully life will stop interfering with my wrestling recapping.

Taped from Orlando, FL

Your hosts are Rich Brennan, Jason Alberts & Renee Young

Bayley v. Summer Rae

Winner gets a title shot at Charlotte.  Bayley runs her into the turnbuckles while Brennan does the hard sell of the Network, and Bayley rides her on the mat.  Summer catches her with a cheapshot to take over and pulls the hairtie out of Bayley’s ponytail, and Renee is AGHAST.  Summer rams her head into the mat for two, but Bayley blocks a spinkick and puts her down.  The crowd notes that “Bayley’s gonna hug you”.  Very astute.  Bayley makes the comeback with a suplex for two, but Summer spinkicks her for two.  The Summer Crush finishes at 5:30 to make her the #1 contender.  Pretty sloppy for these two, and I don’t foresee the Summer v. Charlotte blowoff being up to the level of Charlotte v. Natalya, but it’s certainly the logical payoff.  *1/2

Last week:  Everyone turns on Adrian Neville, but thankfully Sami Zayn is there to save.  Justin Gabriel has made the decision not to be a loser anymore.

SNME is on demand now, and ironically they use “Obsession” in the commercial despite cutting it out of the actual shows!

Sin Cara v. Wesley Blake

Blake gets dumped and Sin Cara follows with a dive, but Blake comes back with an armbreaker and stomps away for two.  Sin Cara comes back with a pair of springboard dives and a back elbow for two.  Senton bomb finishes at 3:30.  I don’t really know why they’re even bothering anymore with this gimmick.

Meanwhile, Tyson Kidd doesn’t really want Nattie at ringside tonight if she’s gonna be harshing his buzz.

CJ Parker is out to mend fences with Xavier Woods, but Xavier is looking too good in his suit to accept any apologies.  So CJ attacks him from behind anyway.  This is at least a better character for him, but he’s still terrible in all facets.  He should watch High Fidelity and steal Tim Robbins’ character, the condescending pot-smoking dick.

Meanwhile, The Vaudevillains vow to be champions someday.

Bull Dempsey v. Angelo Dawkins

That’s another thing to love about NXT – they just randomly decide to push someone new and boom, there you go.  Bull throws Dawkins around a bit and sits on him to block a sunset flip, and then pounds away in the corner.  Avalanche and a Snow Plow (called a Bulldozer here, fittingly) finish at 2:55.  He needs more suplexes and better gear to properly rip off Tazz, but it’s a good start.

Sami Zayn & Adrian Neville v. Justin Gabriel & Tyson Kidd

The babyfaces double-team Gabriel with a cool Neville moonsault off a kneeling Zayn, and Neville gets a bodypress on Kidd for two.  Zayn and Gabriel tumble to the floor and we take a break.  Back with Zayn getting the heat, but Neville quickly gets a hot tag and blocks a diving Kidd with a superkick for two.  Neville to the top, but he gets distracted by Gabriel and Kidd brings him down for two.  Neville hits Gabriel with a dive and Zayn bodypresses Kidd for two and dumps him onto the other two.  He follows with a dive to take everyone out, and back in Kidd is claiming knee injury.  He is of course lying, but it results in Nattie accidentally getting laid out.  Zayn is concerned, but Kidd rolls him up for the pin at 15:37.  Hey, she’s a wrestler, she knows what she’s getting into.  Kidd as the slimy heel is shockingly effective thus far.  ***1/4

The Pulse

Another fun show that’s easy to get back into.