NXT Weekly Thread

Charlotte vs. Emma
Hideo Itami(KENTA) vs. Justin Gabriel
Baron Corbin vs. CJ Parker
Adrian Neville & Sami Zayn vs. Titus O'Neil & Tyson Kidd
http://www.hulu.com/watch/688376

Itami's debut match was ok but he looked a tad nervous.

Cool episode tonight:

Balor & Itami vs Kidd & Gabriel and Zayn vs Neville

Steen?

The face looks the part, but steen was released and the gimmick (at least what I think it is) seems odd for steen

GolfClubNinja wrote:Steen?

The face looks the part, but steen was released and the gimmick (at least what I think it is) seems odd for steen

You clearly don't follow or know anything about Steen then.

just watched the go home show, tons of fun

the Vaudevillians need to be on Raw now, that gimmick is fucking great and a license to print money and eat up tv time if they do it right

Balor is so fucking badass, if he's not a future WWE Champ someone fucked up big time, because whatever "it" is, he has "it" he is clearly the star of the Balor/Itami team

I'm a bit worried for Itami, I think he's a better dickish heel and right now the face stuff just isn't really connecting for me, also I think I'd like him to switch to long tights, something about the shorts just doesn't work for me

Really cool Owens promo somewhere in the show, talked about his history fighting Rollins, teaming with Bryan(I thought it was very interesting they worded it that way, since they didn't really team together much) fighting Neville and being Zayn's best friend, and how they were all chosen ahead of him

Great go home segment with Zayn/Neville, just the fire in Zayn was great. I think he might be the modern day Ricky Steamboat with how good of a face he is, he sells great, gets great sympathy and has great fire, he's a perfect babyface

fun show, looking forward to next week

I think that the Vaudevillains will run into the same problem that many NXT acts who have gotten promoted have faced in that most audiences won't get it and they'll react with indifference.

Their gimmick is great for NXT though, and I've been enjoying the vignettes that have aired that past couple of weeks.

Why Owens Why?!?!

Tonight. 9pm. Be there!

A short Solomon Crowe vignette on NXT last night hacking into the feed before Neville/Kidd. He's finally coming!

So, the Lucha Dragons dropped the NXT Tag Team Titles in a 4-minute match with no buildup to the wonder-bread duo of Blake & Murphy (they dropped their first names at a house show over the weekend) on last week's episode. I don't have too much of a problem with that since NXT's tag team division sucks right now, even though those two guys are bland and they look like a lame version of the American Wolves.

But now the rumor is that they have Kalisto trying out a singles gimmick as a gay hair-stylist. If that actually happens, then no Mexican (or Hispanic/Latino) wrestler should ever sign with this company because they're going to stuck with crap.

If they don't bring the Lucha Dragons to TV they're really dumb as shit.

Listening to observer radio, Meltzer called kalisto rumor "not true at all"

Alex Riley is the dirt worst as a commentator, just the dirt worst

he claimed both Itami and Balor had grown up together and Neville and Zayn had grown up together during the same show, and then rich brennan or whichever haircut was doing play by play this week had to keep interrupting Riley's inane line of questions to Neville in the main event to actually try and call the match

and when Carmella was introduced Riley said he was all about the bass, no treble which in no way describes Carmella, fuck Riley is the worst

I hope that Riley does end up becoming a full-time wrestler again (he's been on house shows recently and was scheduled for the Royal Rumble match until last minute changes occurred).

At least then he'll likely be limited to wrestling on the Main Event and Superstars circuit rather than ruin the WWE's best show of the week with his obnoxious commentary.

http://vimeo.com/118775824

I get goosebumps every time I watch this

(how do I embed non youtube videos?)

So, what's the deal with Solomon Crowe?

I know about his reputation and some of his history (had a notable run on the indies and teamed with Ambrose early in their careers), but what's his in-ring style like?

I haven't seen this week's NXT, but based on what I've seen of him, admittedly not very much, he seems to have a rather awkward style that doesn't seem like it will work well in WWE. He also looks like a human Troll doll.

Slayer wrote:So, what's the deal with Solomon Crowe?

I know about his reputation and some of his history (had a notable run on the indies and teamed with Ambrose early in their careers), but what's his in-ring style like?

I haven't seen this week's NXT, but based on what I've seen of him, admittedly not very much, he seems to have a rather awkward style that doesn't seem like it will work well in WWE. He also looks like a human Troll doll.

He threatened to stab Icarus once. That alone should make everyone love him.

I don't think I've seen a Crowe match in a couple years due to his inactiveness in NXT until now. But I always enjoyed him. I also never remember him having a really bad fake tan. Think that's just a WWE thing.

PWInsider wrote:>PWInsider.com has confirmed with multiple sources that NXT has a hold with the 2300 (formerly ECW) Arena in Philadelphia, PA for two dates, Friday 5/15 and Saturday 5/16.

>It would only be the second time WWE has run the legendary independent wrestling venue as the inaugural house show from WWE's 2006 revival of ECW was held there, headlined by Rob Van Dam vs. Kurt Angle with Dean Malenko as the guest referee and Tommy Dreamer vs. The Big Show on top.

>Around that same time period, WWE also looking into the idea of purchasing the historic venue with the idea of converting it into a permanent training center and home for the new ECW, although that idea never got past the initial talking stages.

>The timing of the NXT shows would make the Arena the capital for professional wrestling that week as New Japan Pro Wrestling and Ring of Honor are running the venue on Tuesday 5/12 and Wednesday 5/13. The Wednesday event is already sold out and the Tuesday event is well on it's way.

>Triple H announced during a media conference call prior to the WWE NXT Takeover Rival special on the WWE Network that he intended to take NXT and make it a regular touring brand following it's incredible success with live events in Ohio that sold out almost immediately with no promotion beyond social media.

Source: PWInsider

I can't really put my finger on it, but there's something just kind of....strange about WWE running the arena, even if it is NXT. Maybe it's just the timing of it being right after the NJPW/ROH shows but it kind of feels like WWE is targeting in on the indies or something, and I'm not sure how to feel about it.

Swarles wrote:I can't really put my finger on it, but there's something just kind of....strange about WWE running the arena, even if it is NXT. Maybe it's just the timing of it being right after the NJPW/ROH shows but it kind of feels like WWE is targeting in on the indies or something, and I'm not sure how to feel about it.

Triple H and others in WWE are trying to make NXT their 'Indy fed' to get hardcore fans whom watch ROH/PWG/New Japan/etc to buy the WWE network and go to these small arena NXT shows.

That's why they are signing Samoa Joe, The Briscoes, Kendrick, Rhyno, Owens, etc. Triple H even said in some interview that he wants NXT to be an 'Alternative' brand to RAW/SD! in the next few years, catering to hardcore WRESTLING fans and not the casual RAW fans.

It's hilarious how Triple H has worked fans into making NXT to the alternative to the WWE itself.

This is the same fanbase he openly mocks in interviews on the 20-minute opening Raw promos, yet they treat him as a conquering hero in the NXT environment.

Uhaa Nation will be reporting to NXT this week.

The whole Owens/Riley thing was so great IMO

Riley coming out to NO REACTION, even a little kid hesitated to high five that loser
Owens kicking his ass and winning easily
Owens running from Balor and getting one more kick in on Riley made my night

Long Live Kevin Owens, May you reign supreme forever good sir