Last week on NXT.... was a clip show. Not much to build on. Derrick Bateman (with the vindictive Maxine), Titus O'Neil (with the jovial Hornswoggle and AJ), and Darren Young (by himself and loving it) continue their journeys towards NXT Season 6. We're at 27 weeks and counting tonight. Read on for my thoughts on the show as it happens.
The little graphic that counts down how long it is until NXT airs still has this season's original 6 contestants. Found that kind of funny.
I'm glad this show got kind of a break for a week.
Nice video package to hype Young.
Haha, another new intro. Why even show the other rookies.
Korpela? Really? He's kind of a dweeb. Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed whatever that means.
I wish Young had a more "intense" entrance theme.
NXT being over? Surely you jest.
But... we just saw Striker last week.
Young's delivery still needs some work (or his inflection or... something I can't quite put my finger on), but I'm liking his promos a little more each week it seems.
I think that's the closest thing to a face promo I've heard from Regal.
Mostly a good segment.
Titus coming out to Hornswoggle's music amuses me for some reason. It fits for AJ, though.
I'm not sure what Maxine's wearing, but it stands out. Wow.
AJ was eliminated, too. Spite and resentment works better for the reason of their combination.
I didn't think they actually had to tag their partner once the other gendered competitor came in, but whatever.
AJ's a firecracker.
Titus and Derrick are still kind of awkward and clunky, but the gist of it setting up Titus' power moves was good.
Titus, AJ, and Hornswoggle actually have a degree of chemistry now.
I remember Regal wearing that umm... top on more than one occasion. Some fans cracked that it was to hide his gut.
Nice NoC promo.
And the (unintentional?) comedy that has become NXT in places continues.
I think Orton has to get those tattoos re-inked every once in a while.
I wonder if that DVD will have some of Orton's early WWE matches. He's come a long way from this.
Not a bad Kidd promo, but nothing amazing either.
Didn't expect that look from Yoshi. Not really sure if I'm ok with it yet.
Great Muta reference!!!
Whether the makeover was WWE's idea or Yoshi's, it gives him a fresh start as a more serious character.
That video makes me think: it IS the WWE Network, not the WCW or WCW or AWA or World Class or Stampede Network. Are those (WWE-owned) libraries not going to be on there?
Fine match-up.
Serious makeover, same goofy "video game" music. It doesn't really fit his character now.
Looks like I need to pick that issue up.
I always loved Regal's theme music.
Regal knows brutality. If Young could emulate Regal and Finlay in the ring, he'd be pretty solid.
I actually don't remember Regal doing that spot before.
Regal's having fun out there it looks like. Awesome.
I was hoping Young was trying to get one over on Regal when he was begging him off.
Young's 26? Wikipedia lies!
REGAL STRETCH!
Striker and JTG- that was interesting.
A bit perplexed about that ending, unless they're going for something where Young still has a lot to learn before beating Regal. And I suppose if Young gets a decisive win over Regal, there's not much else to do with the feud.
They're not really getting much accomplished in the competition of NXT, but the show's been better recently with good storylines that I want to see continue.
And on to the new rankings. Well, I guess they're more like evaluations. 5 is phenomenal or close to perfect, 4 is either really good or would be a 5 without some flaws, 3 is pretty middle of the road with some good and bad or just average, 2 is barely hanging in there and should be eliminated soon, and 1 is pretty much reserved for so bad they should disappear from the show ASAP. I'll list them in order of their redemption points this week since I'm basically starting rankings over:
Titus O'Neil- 3 (Last week: N/A) O'Neil was the toughest to evaluate, since I felt it would be kind of a cop-out if I gave him a 3.5. If he had a strong promo this week, I would have probably tilted towards 4. I think he's got good presence, and when put in the right position his power moves work well for him. Still kind of rough around the edges and has room to grow. There's something there; he just has to work the kinks out in the ring and become better on the mic.
Darren Young- 4 (Last week: N/A) If I got really down to the nitty-gritty, I might go with around a 3.75 or so. Young seems like he's getting more comfortable in the ring and on the mic, and I think in time he'll get enough in-ring experience to excel there. It could just be a case of me seeing him more each week and liking what I'm seeing. If he can learn some more tricks in the vein of Regal or Finlay and grow on the mic, I think he'll earn a place on the main roster at some point.
Derrick Bateman - 3 (Last week: N/A) Bateman was closest to 3 level after this week, either rounding down from slightly above it or up from slightly below it (2.75-3.25 range). His segment backstage didn't seem as natural as it could have. He's in kind of an odd place and it's going to take him time to be really good in his current role it seems. I hope he keeps trying to improve here, because I've seen good things from him in the past. Maybe he should bring the energy he had as a face into the role, and throw some more energetic tantrums after losses or things not going his way. Being with Maxine could drive him that crazy I think. Either way, he's got a way to go to catch Young and O'Neil (who have a good deal more experience in their roles).
If I had to cut someone this week, it would be: Derrick Bateman. He's kind of the third wheel in the competition still.
Phew. I had forgotten how long that took. That's all for NXT. I'll be back for Superstars and Impact Wrestling on Thursday, and a news post will be up later. Thanks for reading!
Good points this week. I would also eliminate Bateman if the elimination was today for basically the same reasons you have by a slim margin over Titus.
ReplyDeleteAs for O'Neil, it's kind of the same things I have been saying. He just lacks that fire and effort. It just seems like the only time he gets on the mic to entertain the crowd is when he's either interviewed or when it's a challenge. That is where I think he lacks the effort, because Bateman (in some part) and Young have displayed that effort, because they cut promos and have displayed that passion in them that Titus hasn't.
I just feel like Titus, though coming a long way, has a long way to go in terms of being the "complete" package it takes to win this competition. I say that because he lacks the passion, drive and intensity that Darren has. Do you agree?
As for Young, like you, I thought he was mostly on this week. He makes the most out of a bad situation with the NXT Management picking the outcomes of the match and it shows his passion. I think with most, they would feel a little demoralized and would lack the effort if they knew they wouldn't win the match. However, Young goes out there and busts his butt every time, regardless, and gives 100 percent. That is something that I haven't seen with Derrick or Titus. The only thing I disliked was when he begged down Regal.
As for your ranking system, it is very clear. I think it gets your thoughts across more effectively. It also is helpful that you also mention who you would eliminate. By the way, your rankings are OVERALL how they've evolved 1-5 and not just based on this week, right?
I think I'm seeing your viewpoint better now: If it wasn't for Darren's promo there'd barely be any indication that the show was a competition for a spot on the next season of the show. So, he's definitely keeping the end goal of the show in people's heads and trying to get attention on himself.
ReplyDeleteO'Neal's character doesn't have the same motivations, which I can certainly see as a flaw as well. I'd like if he added that he was protecting Hornswoggle and AJ, not just because it's "the right thing to do", but because he respects their experience or something. Actually, I don't know off the top of my head if he's commented on why he's defending them.
It's kind of a catch-22; his lacking promo skills work against him sometimes when he speaks (or at least don't help him), but he's not good enough as a big power wrestler to work well without it. With Ezekiel Jackson and Mark Henry speaking more, it doesn't look like "strong and silent"'s all that workable anymore.
O'Neil's definitely not a complete package, and it's looking less and less like someone who isn't can work well in wrestling these days.
I'd add experience to that list, too. Titus is a football player-turned-wrestler, and it shows compared to Young and Bateman.
It's definitely important to do your part well, even in a loss. I think Bateman did that well as a face, but probably not as much as Young does now.
And I'm totally in agreement about the begging off thing. I was hoping it was supposed to be a set up for a thumb to the eye or something, but it doesn't look like that's what they were going for. That was definitely a flaw in the match.
I have to admit that I took the idea of the ranking system from X-Play. Reading how they did it, I MIGHT tweak it a bit to match theirs more. The gist is the same I think, though.
It represents the overall package of the wrestler, not just this week. I don't know if improvement would be a good idea to measure since I liked Young to some degree in Season 1 and thought O'Neil was TERRIBLE in Season 2, so it would really skew things.
Thank you as always for the feedback; it's been really helpful to look at things differently and evaluate what is and isn't working with the blog.
Those points make sense. By the way, I think it would be an absolute travesty if, assuming JTG and Young face Regal and Striker next week, that Young and JTG lose the match. I say this, because Regal and Striker haven't been in the ring like Young and JTG have, but you never know with NXT MGT. But then again, I think most of the NXT Pros know a little something about being overlooked and that performance in a loss can often outdo a performance in a win.
ReplyDeleteI may not have made this question clear in my first comment, but the new rankings (1-5) are based on how each has evolved so far OVERALL and not based just on this week's performance, right?
What if they lose because of miscommunication or something? I think as long as they look better by the end of the feud and go over the older, less active wrestlers it could be ok. Not to mention that if Young's successful enough, people will gloss over feuds that didn't go as well at some point. But I agree that Striker and Regal should be the "stepping stones" of the feud unless Striker's coming back as a more full-time competitor.
ReplyDeleteAnd the rankings are an evaluation of their total performances overall, not just how much they've evolved since that would mess up the scale some I think.
Let's hope. Though Titus has improved in the ring, I think MOST of this promo at 5:58 into the video sums up my thoughts of him right now. Let me know your thoughts.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjV3RgF0HHM
Well, I don't think he's THAT bad. He's come into his own to a degree lately. The association with Hornswoggle's definitely helped him a lot, and he still lacks a good deal of charisma, but he's improved since that promo was cut. Hornswoggle hasn't been as big of a part of the show lately, since AJ and Maxine are on-board now.
ReplyDeleteO'Neil's fine in a tag team or a match designed to show off his strength, but he doesn't have the same depth in the ring as Young. Also, Young's putting more into his promos as far as emotions go (and moving around the ring more, etc.). So, O'Neil's not improving at the same rate. Perhaps because he can "get away with" just being a guy with power moves like Mason Ryan or Brodus Clay.
Even though I don't Titus is that close to having the skills to be in the WWE, I agree that he has improved a lot in the ring since Season 2. He still sometimes looks a little awkward in the ring, but he has improved leaps and bounds since Season 2, where he had nothing going for him. I'm not sure if he was just nervous back then or if he was just really that bad, but I admit he has improved.
ReplyDeleteMaybe he might make it to the WWE someday, but I just think he had way too much ground to make up inside the ring to outperform Young. I think Titus has only been training to be a wrestler for a matter of a few years, but Young has been training for a decade or so. That seems to go hand-in-hand with the effort and passion point I mentioned. Fair points, though. I just wish this season was ending already!
I agree that he still seems "off" some in the ring, hence why he's best used where he can just do big moves.
ReplyDeleteWe only saw him for a few weeks in Season 2, so that could have had a lot to do with it. If I was doing the scale then, he'd have probably been at a 1. And that's really saying something.
It's tough for me to look at him just as he is now, or any of the competitors for that matter, excluding how they were then. This is why I don't watch FCW; it would eliminate them being "new" when they make it to TV.
You're right about the experience difference. There's definitely a big difference between a football player trying to transition to wrestling (Titus) and an independent wrestler trying to "fit in" in WWE (Young). Sometimes someone does well coming in without a wrestling background, but it can be an uphill battle.
Somewhat surprisingly, I'm ok with the season continuing now. It's not really about the competition anymore, but there are more storylines to care about and more people getting a chance to show what they can do.
Given the use of Johnny Curtis (and to some degree Kaitlyn), perhaps being on NXT is better than barely being on TV?