It's NXT Redemption Week 28, and if you're keeping score at home they're all competing to make it on to the next season of the show. When is that? No one knows yet. It's been quite a while since an elimination, and we're not getting one tonight either. But, there's still a lot going on on the show. Read on for my thoughts on it as it happens.
I think "The Goon" was a gimmick back in the WWF days?
I like Young's tights. They stand out.
Regal in a shirt's kind of weird.
I'm liking the association of Young and JTG. A surprisingly fair fit.
I really have to take some points off for Young's promo. I'm guessing he got flustered there or something.
Kind of a crazy opening segment, but that's par for the course on this show.
Bateman and Kidd's an interesting pair. Could work well.
Jackman's a pretty cool guy.
Is that the music Titus and Percy on Superstars? I'm not crazy about it.
Percy was a lot of fun in Season 2. They just need Naomi and I think they'll have everyone I've wanted to see back.
Yikes. That spinebuster was a mess.
Cool dropkick from Bateman.
Hornswoggle's probably playing Scrabble with AJ or something. Chavo's not here to put him in a box.
Solid dropkick from Showtime as well.
Kidd's always good; I feel like I don't need to comment on it anymore.
Titus is still pretty limited it seems. The added gestures and all can only hide his lack of moves so much.
Percy looks almost completely different without the red glasses.
AJ vs. Maxine- what number is this?
I like that they're keeping Rock in the mix on the show. Building a match for a year's tough work.
I miss fun AJ.
I wonder what's really on the phone.
AJ and Maxine look pretty small in their entrances, not going to lie.
AJ wearing NXT yellow again.
I could do without all the yelling, but I guess she's trying to get the fans more into the match.
Sloppy boot. AJ can sell like crazy but this one's not meshing.
Wow. That one definitely left a lot to be desired. It probably shouldn't have been so long given their relative inexperience (especially Maxine).
It's going to be a challenge preventing Darren's gimmick from blending with JTG's if they're teaming.
I get the feeling they were just like "Heck, who else is backstage? Cole, get out there and do commentary."
Actually maybe they're entertaining themselves with Cole's oddball commentary. It's somewhat entertaining in its own way.
They didn't give these guys too much to work with tonight.
They'll let anyone run-in on this show apparently.
And NXT continues through another week. I'm moving back towards wanting them to end it soon.
Rankings are kind of tough this week, since not too much has changed. And honestly, my general disinterest in the show is coloring how I'm seeing people. That being said, I'll give it a go. 5 is close to perfect, 4 is pretty good or mostly good but missing something pivotal, 3's pretty middle of the road, 2 means they need a lot of work, and 1 is god-awful.
Darren Young: 4. Darren slipped a bit this week, but past weeks were enough to keep him rounded to a 4. He had trouble with his promo, and when it's 4 people talking in one segment it's even easier to get lost in the shuffle. Still nothing wrong with his ringwork; it's just harder and harder to bring something new to the table working so long each week. He didn't get to showcase things as much since it was a tag match. I still like his future, but he's still got kind of a ways to go in some places.
Titus O'Neil: 3. O'Neil was also buoyed by past weeks' rankings. He had a number of flubs and spots that were pretty standard, so he didn't stand out as well as I'd have liked. He continues to miss flash and personality; his in-ring gestures outside of the bark felt somewhat forced. There's definitely still work to be done with him. I think it also looks somewhat bad when he's paired with Percy Watson, who has a more natural flow and charisma. And he's "fresher" since he hasn't been seen regularly like Titus. If he brought the personality he had in Season 2, Titus would almost certainly be in his shadow since that's been a problem for him.
Derrick Bateman: 3. I think Bateman was better this week than he has been. I guess sometimes less is more with him. He's back on the road of showing potential as a performer. Hopefully he continues in this vein and becomes a heel to watch.
Who I'd Eliminate: Titus O'Neil. I hesitated on this one, but if I could only see two contestants on the next week's show, Bateman and Young would be the two I'd want to see. O'Neil could very well be stuck in a rut to some degree, whereas Bateman at least brings something different to the table and I'm curious to see if that would end up being better in the long run. O'Neil might still be slightly ahead on non-rounded points, but but looking weeks and months out, I'm more curious about how Bateman will be than O'Neil.
That's it for NXT this week. I'll be back for Superstars and Impact Wrestling on Thursday, and a news post should be up after midnight. Thanks for reading!
Very good and true insights this week. As far as Young goes, I think he had a great match, which offset his average promo. You are right on the money in that it is harder to stand out with a promo when four people are in it. I thought his promo was okay, but his previous promos were very good, and that kind of offset just one small promo with four people in it. He does continue to show that ruthlessness that the others lack, and a promo, even if average, can still be beneficial. I do think that being alone is more beneficial, though. I don't think teaming with JTG will hurt him, but he is better as a singles competitor with his in-ring talent and "doing it all by his damn self" persona could only help him.
ReplyDeleteAs far as O'Neil goes, I agree 100 percent. I've said all along he has been getting very bland, and this was week 28/28 where he didn't cut a promo at all or to address the Bateman feud. I mentioned before that he won't get anywhere just pandering to the crowd unless the crowd is mentally impaired (I may be a little neurotic here, but it's easy to see through him). Matt Hardy made a good point Season 1 that past champions (Miz and Cena for example) exemplify that you need to cut promos to not only entertain the crowd, but to survive in this industry. He really needs to break out of the mold and do that to get back in this thing. You are right in that pandering to the crowd really does get old if you lack moveset and personality.
I agree that Bateman is getting better. He lacked that aggression factor last season, and even though he's not as ruthless as Young, he's still getting better. I'm still seeing that lack of effort and "complete package" element, though. I haven't seen that from him. He is getting ruthless in his character, but the whole capturing Hornswoggle angle (assuming that is what they are up to) has already been done by Young and can't help him much. I do think that the longer the season goes, the better it will be for him. However, he lacks the effort, in-ring talent and passion that I see from Young.
It is a very close call between Bateman and O'Neil. I agree they are very close right now. It would be very hard for me to pick someone to be eliminated between those two. I would think that the longer the competition goes, the worse it will be for Titus unless he DRASTICALLY changes and stand out. Bateman can stand out with his charisma and Young can do it with his ruthlessness and effort with promos. I haven't really seen O'Neil stand out in any way. Would you agree that if he didn't mask his mediocre mic work and in-ring moves with pandering to the crowd that would lower his rankings?
A wrestler can definitely have an off promo here and there as long as things generally go well for them. His promo just didn't have the same "oomph" as JTG's. He's certainly trying, though.
ReplyDeleteI think promos are pivotal for breaking out of a mold; without a character and persona you run the risk of being just another (expendable) wrestler. Titus is ok for NXT, but without stronger promos I don't see him making it far unless he stays with Hornswoggle a lot (or Percy in a tag team). It's getting harder and harder to just be a power guy.
I don't know precisely what Bateman needs to pull everything together, but he seems to be on the way to getting it.
As for the angle with Hornswoggle, I think the goal is for them to split he and AJ so Titus "gets so wrapped up in that situation" that he can't focus on winning the competition. Maxine has history with both of them from Season 3, so I think it's at least somewhat different from just doing what Chavo and Young did.
Pandering to the crowd certainly helps him from being just a guy who does power moves. He's also helped by setting up those moves in more of a pattern or sequence (a little like Cena's "five moves of doom" on a smaller level). He'd drop a noticeable amount if he just went out there and did moves, since his job is to rally the crowd to a degree.
Fair points. However, I think he will need to do it on his own and not pander to the crowd. That will only take him so far and will get old quickly. It's the same for riding Hornswoggle. It's true that past champions (Miz and Cena for example) exemplify that you need to cut promos to not only entertain the crowd, but to survive in this industry and show effort. He really needs to break out of the mold and do that to get back in this thing.
ReplyDeleteIt is all about standing out like Chavo said, and Bateman is doing that a little bit, Titus isn't and Young definitely is. Michael Cole, though a known jackass, even praised Young for doing so. I thought Young's promo was good looking back on it a couple of times, but I do think he's better as a singles competitor. It's just easier to stand out as a singles competitor for him and in general.
Would you agree that Bateman can and sort of has stood out with his charisma and Young can do it with his ruthlessness and effort with promos and in the ring. I haven't really seen O'Neil stand out in any way.
I give him some points for playing to the crowd during matches like Batista, Cena, Punk, Mysterio, etc..
ReplyDeleteIt used to be that a big guy didn't need promos, so my mind's still thinking in that direction to a degree. But it's definitely changed since then, with formerly silent types like Undertaker and Kane talking pretty regularly.
I think Cole might have just been cheering for the bad guys to a degree. Though I think he liked Naomi on Season 3 as well, generally he sides with the more fiendish characters.
I purposefully don't look back at things I've already seen since I know that most of the audience doesn't. They have to pull them in the first time they cut the promo usually.
And that's pretty much the gist of it. O'Neil "stands out" as far as being different from his competition here, but on a grand scale he's a relatively generic performer. That's about the last thing you want to be other than an outright bad performer.
I think he'd be in trouble if Percy Watson was added into the competition. Watson, like Young and Bateman, is more of a "storyteller" compared to O'Neil to some degree just stringing together moves and such.
Yeah. I just think there is too much going against O'Neil and too many holes in his persona for him to objectively win this thing, though. I couldn't believe it a couple months back when you had him No. 1, because he still lacked what he lacks now. Whether it be Bateman's charisma, Young's intensity, in-ring talent and effort, Titus just has too much of an uphill battle in front of him. I don't thnink he can overcome it. The only way I see him winning this thing is if he gets the fan vote. However, the fans would cheer for anyone who panders to them and should be able to see right through the pandering. I know you don't necessarily agree, but it would be a dusgrace if Titus wins this thing because of that.
ReplyDeleteYoung is a more natural talent who makes much more of an effort out there every week and Bateman basically has made an effort to correct his flaw last season (lack of intensity). In the end, I see Mr. No Days Off, D Young winning this thing "all by his damn self".
I think it's because the show itself has changed a lot between then and now, with less competitions and more stories. And we're seeing more varied wrestlers on the show. It used to be that the show was about showing what the rookies could do in basic promos and matches and now it's more "real" situations where they're having to hang in actual storylines. They're not just giving them microphones now, etc.. That's probably what's making such a big difference.
ReplyDeleteCompeting for time against Regal, Striker, Tyson, AJ, Maxine, and so on instead of "going through the motions" of having a guaranteed promo or challenge and a lot of screen time each week means he has to be more compelling.
I think if the fans do vote for him, it will be because of being paired with Hornswoggle and AJ. If he wins, it's definitely not the end of the world since they don't have to use him much. Actually, it might be better if Titus wins because Darren would be free from NXT and Titus would have to compete with a fresh batch of rookies. Something to think about.
VERY good and advocacious points there. Though my points make sense, I think I may have just been overthinking it. It would be nice to win it, but having a prize of staying on to compete in the next season really isn't much of a prize, because it doesn't guarantee longevity in the company. It just seems like it just really only adds prestige to your name, so you're right on the money there.
ReplyDeleteWhat are your thoughts on the fan vote? I personally don't like it, because the fans don't know exactly what it takes to make it in the company like the pros do. It just seems like an excuse for contestants to suck up to the crowd, even if they lack many tools to make it in the company. I understand it from an economic standpoint, but it just seems like a marketing ploy to me.
Another good point you made about how it's changed. I like that, because it shows how each of them would go about feuds and promos. That is one of the rare things NXT has done right. I think if it was back to the old way where they made promos part of challenges and had less independent-based portions of the show, it wouldn't be as legitimate and as correctly portraaying of each contestant.
Overthinking things is easy to do. I've certainly done it plenty of times.
ReplyDeleteIn theory it's a good idea to gauge crowd reaction, but the way it's set up favors the "good guys". Oddly enough, and I could be wrong here, but I felt that AJ "pandered" a lot in Season 3, but ended up losing to someone who didn't pander as much. Kaitlyn being on Smackdown some and working with Dolph and Vickie helped her out enough to offset that I guess. There's also the theory that AJ played to the crowds too much.
But for a show like this that they were trying to get people to watch, fan participation and voting felt smart. And everyone having Twitter accounts that were pushed was cool, too.
The earlier system certainly felt more like a competition, but this is more interesting in its own way. After a while they run out of challenge ideas.