411’s WWE NXT Report 11.07.12

From Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida

Commentators: Tony Luftman, William Regal & Byron Saxton

Championship’s roll call: WWE Champion: CM Punk… World Champion: Big Show… Intercontinental Champion: Kofi Kingston… United States Champion: Antonio Cesaro… Tag Team Champions: Team Hell No… NXT Champion: Seth Rollins… Diva’s Champion: Eve Torres

After a major Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy and following Nor’easter Athena passed; having no electricity for ten days, spending said ten days travelling like a nomad with a five-month-old, searching for power, losing part of my roof and fence, we are finally home now. I have not seen a single match since before Hell in a Cell, so forgive me for being a little out of it, onto the review…

The opening video package is very helpful getting me up to speed. Apparently, Jinder Mahal (sans 3MB) is back in NXT and angry he did not win the title. Justin Gabriel apparently interrupted along with WWE running mate (not NXT running mate) Drew McIntyre as well as Bo Dallas feel they also deserve title shots as well. I’m guessing GM Dusty Rhodes books a Fatal Fourway. Yup, he did.

Trent Barreta vs. Kassius Ohno:   Well, I saw this match before the Hurricane; I hope it doesn’t mean we’re getting another one. Trent uses his speed to annoy Ohno and chops him in the corner. Kassius slips to the apron and tries a shoulderblock but Barreta uses avoidance and hits a kneelift in the ropes. Barreta tries a sunset bomb TO THE FLOOR but Ohno places the apron over his face and stomps on it to break. Clever. This three man booth is getting a bit annoying; I can’t tell the difference between Luftman and Saxton’s voices. Back in the ring, Ohno gets two. He staggers Trent back into the corner and chops him. Ohno with a standing Dragon Sleeper and segues into a front chancery. Barreta fires up so Ohno tries to backdrop him but winds up in a sunset flip (for two). He comes right back with a lightening quick clothesline. He fires off some chops and tries the enziguri but Ohno blocks it and gets a rolling waistlock cradle for two. Kassius charges in the corner but meets an elbow; the Dudebuster DDT gets a two. He hits the running springboard elbow in the corner but Ohno quickly follows up with an elbow to the face and tries a suplex but Barreta almost gets the upset cradle. Trent tries another enziguri but Ohno catches it and hits a big boot, for two as well. Kassius props Barreta on the top rope and… gets knocked off and promptly missile dropkicked. Trent fires up the Gobstopper Knee but Ohno escapes to the floor. Barreta gives chase, which proves fatal, as Ohno WAFFLES him with the roaring elbow upon reentry and gets the three count. Post-match, Ohno drags Trent up and tries to nail him with another elbow but he avoids it and makes his own save. 5.5/10 Well, Ohno gets his win back; if NXT had PPVs the rubber matchup would occur there with some kind of stipulation. Ohno still bores me with this “poor man’s Wade Barrett” act and it will do him no favors if he gets promoted to the WWE because Barrett is already there. Barreta saves a little face saving himself from a post-match beatdown.

Here is your winner… Kassius Ohno @ about 9:45 via roaring elbow pinfall.

We get a unique promo from Corey Graves where he explains each tattoo has a story; the tattoos glow as he explains them.

Big E Langston vs. Memo Montenegro:   Langston’s ring gear makes it look like he belongs in the Nation of Domination. Memo offers no resistance as Langston begins a “five” chant. Langston pounds the crap out of Montenegro and then FLATTENS him with a running Vader Splash. The straps come down and Langston pulverizes him quickly with the Big Ending and demands the five count. Post-match, fans chant “one more time” so Langston obliges with another Big Ending and counts his own five count. He’s about to do it again but Vickie Guerrero interrupts and puts an old school $5,000 bounty on him. Sounds like Dusty Rhodes may have some say in the booking here. Langston goes to attack poor Memo again but gets blindsided by Chad Baxter looking to collect (I don’t know who he is either). Baxter gets nothing as Langston clobbers him too and finishes him with a Big Ending as well. Baxter gets a five count as well. 6/10 This was total destruction for Langston; it worked as well. I like the old school bounty from Vickie. This guy is going to get over very soon, it worked for Ryback and the five count thing gives the fans something to chant as well.

Here is your winner… Big E Langston @ about 1:00 via Big Ending pinfall.

Jason Jordan vs. Aiden English:   Bray Wyatt comes out and interrupts the match before English makes his way out. He tells the fans to give him their hands and he will give them breath and fly away. I like this gimmick for Wyatt, very Max Cady-like; WWE tries this once before with Danny Spivey as Waylon Mercy. Jordan interrupts him and challenges him to a match. Wyatt tells him that he does not want to fight him and he’s a monster and is never alone… Another freakier bearded guy charges into the ring and attacks Jordan for Wyatt so we have hits match instead…

 Jason Jordan vs. Luke Harper (w/Bray Wyatt):   Harper is Indy wrestler Brody Lee dressed like the Necro Butcher. Harper attacks him and mauls Jordan in the corner as the bell rings. Jordan gets a punch and tries a drop-toehold but it’s blocked and he gets leveled with an uppercut. Chops in the corner follow and he clubbers poor Jordan down; Harper chokes him in the ropes as Wyatt watches from the stage. He shoulder tackles Jordan in the corner; the commentators do not know what to make of Harper, even do not know his name. Harper nails a standing clothesline; Harper misses a big boot in the corner and Jordan tries to take over, working the leg. Harper kicks him off and nails the Truck Stop (spinning Bossman Slam) for three. Post-match, Wyatt officially introduces “the first son of the Wyatt Family,” Luke Harper. 7/10 This whole segment was awesome; the Wyatt character is FAR superior to what they had Rotunda doing before as Husky Harris. I also like the Wyatt Family stable (if it grows).

Here is your winner… Luke Harper @ about 3:00 via Truck Stop pinfall.

Last week Roman Reigns made his debut. This week Byron Saxton interviews him. Reigns comes out in a nice suit and tells Saxton is not needed for this promo. Roman says he is the man and all he has to do is wake up; nothing he hasn’t seen or done. He says if you are with or against him, that it is irrelevant, because everyone wants to be Roman Reigns. 2/10 I got the point but Reigns has a LONG way to go in his promo work.

Justin Gabriel vs. Jinder Mahal vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Bo Dallas Fatal Fourway, number one contender’s match:   Not sure if this was taped before or after the formation of the 3MB, or if NXT just operates in a parallel universe, but Mahal and McIntyre are making no mention of it. Jim Ross replaces both Byron Saxton and Tony Luftman on commentary. I SWEAR Matt Striker is the ring announcer but they never zoom in on him for me to see. I wonder if Dallas will become a part of the Wyatt Family considering he already is a member. Everyone pairs off and battles; Mahal and Dallas and McIntyre versus Gabriel. Mahal gets backdropped to the floor and the babyfaces wipe McIntyre out with a double dropkick. Dallas baseball slides McIntyre but gets caught by Mahal. Gabriel leaps over the top with a somersault plancha to wipe out the three of them. We return from break with Mahal snap-suplexing Dallas for two. Mahal stares at McIntyre and… break out into air guitars! No, just kidding, they Horseman Stomp Dallas. Not sure where Gabriel is as Mahal hits a Russian leg sweep and Drew drops knees. The 3MB members look for a double clothesline but Dallas hangs onto the top rope so Mahal clotheslines McIntyre. Every man for himself, bitch. Mahal takes out Bo but gets caught with a big boot from Drew. There’s Gabriel, as he springboards into McIntyre with a crossbody. Justin hits kicks and nails Dallas with an STO. He tries the top-rope Lionsault but Dallas moves; Gabriel lands on his feet and clotheslines Bo to the floor. He nails McIntyre with a complicated tornado DDT and then plants Mahal with a sit-out powerbomb. Gabriel hits the 450 Splash on Mahal but Drew tosses him to the floor as he is selling the impact before he could pin him. That was kind of a stupid move, let Gabriel pin him (thus eliminating one less opponent) then nail Gabriel as he is getting up from the lateral press. Dallas surprises Drew with a spear and ELIMINATES him. Gabriel tries to springboard off the top but Dallas spears him in midair to ELIMINATE Gabriel as well. Who does he think he is, Goldberg? So we’re down to Mahal versus Dallas as Seth Rollins appears on the stage to scout his opponent. Back from commercial with Dallas nailing Mahal with a clothesline; Jinder heads to the floor but Mahal shoves him backwards into the steel steps in a painful looking spot. Back in the ring, Mahal gets a nearfall. Jinder is frustrated and makes scary Mahal faces as he drops some rope-assisted knees. Mahal gets two more. Dallas fights the good fight back but charges right into a leaping knee. Jinder dusts off his old finisher, the full nelson slam, but it only gets him two. Mahal looks for a uranage slam but Bo elbows free and hits a running forearm in the back. He nails a powerslam and looks for another spear; Mahal sidesteps and Bo crashes into the bottom rope. Mahal locks in the Camel Clutch for the submission. Post-match, Mahal puts on the Clutch again to draw Rollins into the ring for a brawl. Next week, Mahal gets his title shot. 6.5/10 Good main event as Mahal gets another shot at Rollins. I assume he loses and heads up to the WWE (with McIntyre) to form an air guitar band.

Here is your winner… Jinder Mahal @ about 11:15 (broadcast) via Camel Clutch submission.

OVERALL 6/10 Pretty fun forty-three minutes of wrestling show this week; a few squashes and a good opening match, plus the debut of the Wyatt Family. We get a title match next week. Hurricane is over. All is good in NXT land.

Please follow Marc Elusive on Twitter or like Marc Elusive on Facebook or check out www.marcelusive.net for reviews and recaps (of current WWE and old WWF PPVs, DVDs and VHS tapes) and a little analysis; more of a play-by-play style, like my reviews here. Thank you for all of your support.