From The Network: WWE NXT Arrival

WWE NXT Arrival
2-27-2014
Orlando, FL

This is the first time I’ve watched NXT in any capacity, so I’m excited to see the WWE development system in action.

Your hosts are William Regal, Byron Saxton, and Tom Phillips

Triple H is out first to hype up the show and declares the future of the WWE has arrived.

Sami Zayn vs. Cesaro
Crowd is hot for this at the start. Both men battle for control to start and Cesaro hits a dropkick. Zayn goes for a hurricanrana but Cesaro blocks. Zayn catches Cesaro with an arm drag and Cesaro bails. Baseball slide by Zayn and he hits a summersault plancha to the floor!!! Back in, Zayn goes up for the crossbody off the top but Cesaro catches him and hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for 2!!! Zayn goes to the floor to recover but Cesaro follows out and works over Zayn on the floor. Cesaro keeps rolling Zayn into the ring only to dump him back to the floor to tire him out. Back in, Cesaro covers for 2 and he drops Zayn onto the railings on the floor. Cesaro rams Zayn against the apron and he goes to slam Zayn’s leg of the post but Zayn pulls Cesaro into the post block. Zayn goes to dive through the turnbuckle but CESARO UPPERCUTS THE FUCK OUT OF HIM TO BLOCK!!!! Cesaro finally slams Zayn’s bad left leg off the post and back in, Cesaro stomps away on the leg of Zayn. Cesaro works over the bad leg and he hits a double stomp onto the bad leg for 2. Cesaro throws some knees at Zayn and he continues to work on the knee. Leg lariat by Zayn and Cesaro stomps on the bad knee of Zayn. Dragon screw leg sweeps by Cesaro but Zayn fights back with forearms. He misses the enzuigiri and Cesaro grabs the half crab. Zayn makes the ropes to break. Cesaro charges but Zayn backdrops him to the floor. Zayn goes for the slingshot moonsault press but CESARO CATCHES HIM AND HITS A TILT-A-WHIRL SLAM ON THE RAMP!!!! Cesaro’s power is mind blowing. Back in, Cesaro charges in the corner but Zayn catches him and hits the exploder suplex into the corner!!! Zayn covers for 2. Blue Thunder Bomb by Zayn gets 2. Flatliner by Zayn and he grabs the Koji Clutch. Cesaro counters that hold into the Stretch Muffler!!! Zayn makes the ropes to break again!!! Zayn counters the Giant Swing into the wheelbarrow roll-up for 2. Cesaro finally gets the Giant Swing and Cesaro hits a running uppercut in the corner for 2. Crucifix by Zayn gets 2 and Cesaro DOUBLE STOMPS HIS FACE for 2!!! Cesaro goes up but Zayn boots him in the head and follows up. Zayn goes for the Frankensteiner but Cesaro blocks and goes for the Ricola Bomb off the top but Zayn counters into the Frankensteiner. Yakuza kick in the corner by Zayn gets 2!!! Uppercuts by Cesaro and he tells Zayn to stay down. Zayn fights to his feet and they begin to slug it out. Release German suplex by Zayn and he charges but Cesaro hits a big boot. Cesaro goes for the Neutralizer but Zayn counters into a hurricanrana for 2. Sunset flip bomb by Zayn gets 2!!! Cesaro presses Zayn into the uppercut for 1!!!!!! Roaring uppercut by Cesaro and he hits the Neutralizer for 3!!! Cesaro leaves the ring but comes back and hugs Zayn in an awesome moment.
Winner- Cesaro ****3/4 ( This was unreal. Cesaro brutalized Zayn, between relentless targeting of the leg and using brutal strength he absolutely beat the ever loving crap out of him. Zayn was resilient; trying to catch Cesaro at every opening he had and get that victory. They wrestled the match as if they wanted and needed the victory over the other and it brought the intensity level to heights you rarely see in WWE matches. This will end up being one of the best matches of the entire year in any promotion. )

Video package for Mojo Rawley airs.

CJ Parker vs. Mojo Rawley
Backdrop by Mojo gets 2. Arm bar by Mojo but Parker backs Mojo in the corner to break. Mojo charges in the corner but eats boot and Parker comes out of the corner with a clothesline for 2. Lefts by Parker and he stomps away in the corner. Parker works Mojo over in the corner and he fires away. Mojo comes back with some avalanches in the corner and he hits the Hip Check. Hyperdrive by Mojo gets 3.
Winner- Mojo Rawley * ( They were in a bad position after having to follow Cesaro and Zayn but neither guy does anything for me. Mojo has some charisma but his in ring stuff still needs a good amount of work. )

Video package for Emma airs.

Video package for The Ascension airs.

NXT Tag Team Championship- The Ascension (Konnor and Viktor) © vs. Too Cool (Scotty 2 Hotty and Grandmaster Sexay)
Too Cool accepted the open challenge of the Ascension. Viktor and Sexay start. Chops by Viktor and he tags Konnor. Leg drop by Konnor gets 2. Konnor overpowers Sexay and he stomps away in the corner. Tag to Victor and he covers for 2. Viktor stomps away and hits a suplex on Sexay for 2. Chinlock by Viktor and he holds it for a while. Viktor releases in order to pound away on Sexay and he goes right back to the chinlock. Sexay breaks with a jawbreaker and he tags Scotty. Rights by Scotty and he hits a clothesline. Viktor charges in the corner but eats boot. Rights by Scotty and Viktor charges in the corner but misses. Bulldog by Scotty and he goes for the Worm but Viktor trips him up, causing Scotty to land in the ropes. Lariat by Viktor and he tags Konnor. Fall of Man by The Ascension gets 3.
Winners and Still NXT Tag Team Champions- The Ascension * ( This wasn’t good at all. Too Cool looked old and the Ascension used lethargic, big man tag team style offense that didn’t blow me away. )

Video package for Paige airs.

NXT Women’s Championship- Paige © vs. Emma
Stephanie McMahon comes out to do the pre match speech. They shove each other to start and Emma takes Paige down. They brawl on the mat and Paige backs Emma into the corner, forcing a break up. Back kick to the midsection by Paige and she goes for the Paige Turner but Emma counters into a backslide for 1. Emma goes for the slingshot but Paige blocks for 2. Dropkick by Paige gets 2 and she pulls the hair of Emma. Slam by Paige gets 2 and she grabs a chinlock. Emma fights out so Paige backs her into the corner and throws some elbows. She chokes Emma with her boot but Emma trips her up and she slingshots Paige. She goes for the Emma Lock but Paige is able to block. Paige throws some knees in the midsection of Emma on the apron but Emma trips her up again causing Paige to crash onto the apron. Emma covers for 2 and Paige charges in the corner but misses. Dilemma by Emma and she gives Paige the Emma Sandwich for 2. Surfboard by Emma and she releases a hanging surfboard, driving Paige first into the mat for 2. Emma chokes Paige with her boot in the corner and she stomps away for 2. Paige charges in the corner but misses and she catches Emma with a forearm. Emma goes up but Paige follows up and attempts a superplex. Emma blocks and she hits a sit-out powerbomb out of the corner for 2. “Better Than Batista” chant breaks out. Clever. Sick Kick by Emma gets 2. Paige slaps Emma and hits a clothesline. Back kick to the midsection by Paige and she hits the Paige Turner for 2!!! Scorpion Crosslock by Paige and Emma gives!!!
Winner and Still NXT Women’s Champion- Paige **3/4 ( They gave these girls more time than you’ll ever see a WWE Diva’s match get and they made the most of it. Really solid match and I loved the early stuff where they knew what the other was going to do based on their history. Some clunky moments but these girls can go and you can rebuild the Diva’s division on a rivalry between these two on the main roster. )

Video package on Adrian Neville airs.

Xavier Woods vs. Tyler Breeze
Before the match begins, Alexander Russev comes out with Lana and he destroys both guys.

Video package for Bo Dallas airs.

Video package for Dallas/Neville airs.

Ladder Match for NXT Championship- Bo Dallas © vs. Adrian Neville
Shawn Michaels comes out and does the pre match speech. Dallas tries to go to the floor and grab a ladder but Neville stops him. Dallas charges in the corner but eats boot and Neville hits a second rope dropkick. Neville goes up but Dallas bails to the apron to escape him. Dallas trips up Neville and he hammers Neville on the mat. Back elbows by Dallas and he hangs Neville in the tree of woe in the ropes. Dallas grabs a ladder but Neville baseball slides it into Dallas. Slingshot pescado to the floor by Neville and Dallas shoves Neville back first into the steps. Dallas throws some elbows at the head of Neville and he charges with a ladder but Neville moves just in time. Dallas goes for a double underhook suplex but Neville blocks and backdrops Dallas onto the ramp. Back in, Neville sets up a ladder and he begins to climb. Dallas drives a ladder into Neville to bring him down. Dallas drives the ladder into the midsection of Neville and he sets up the ladder on top of Neville. Dallas climbs but Neville tips the ladder over sending Dallas crashing to the mat. Neville sets up the ladder and climbs but Dallas knocks the ladder over sending Neville into the ropes. A tug of war with the ladder occurs until Dallas rams the ladder into the midsection of Neville in the corner. Dallas places a ladder in the corner and he goes to slingshot Neville into the ladder but he blocks. Tornado DDT by Neville and he climbs the ladder. Dallas goes to knock the ladder over again but Neville avoids it this time and they crack heads in the middle of the ring. Corner clotheslines by Dallas and he goes for the bulldog but Neville blocks and sends Dallas head first into the ladder in the corner. Neville climbs the ladder but Dallas follows and he pulls Neville’s shoulder into the ladder a few times. Neville comes back with a kick to the head and Neville goes up. Dallas shoves him off the top sending Neville crashing to the floor. Bo looks to climb but Neville springboard in and lands on the ladder!!! Dallas follows and he goes for a German suplex off the ladder but Neville blocks. Dallas powerbombs Neville off the ladder into the ladder in the corner!!! Dallas charges with the ladder in the corner but eats boot. Powerslam on the ladder by Neville and he goes up. Red Arrow onto Dallas on the ladder!!!! Neville climbs the ladder and he grabs the belt!!!
Winner and NEW NXT Champion- Adrian Neville ***1/2 ( Really good main event. They weren’t any mind blowing ladder spots but they did some good stuff incorporating the ladder and I liked that both guys tried to take each other out before making an attempt to climb. A nice way to cap off an excellent show. )

The 411: This was a hell of a way to introduce new fans to the NXT product. This show had a big event atmosphere and everyone on the card had an opportunity to shine. They made the most of the opportunity and for the most part a majority of the matches were good. You have to go out of your way to see Cesaro and Zayn, it'll be in the MOTY discussion at the end of the year. Big thumbs up for this show and NXT has themselves a new fan.

Final Score:  8.5   [ Very Good ]