Today, Derrick Bateman, Darren Young, and Titus O'Neil continue to compete to join NXT alumni AJ, Alex Riley, Brodus Clay, Daniel Bryan, David Otunga, Heath Slater, Johnny Curtis, Justin Gabriel, Kaitlyn, Michael McGillicutty, Skip Sheffield, and Wade Barrett on the main roster. It's a new day and time for the show and anything can happen. Read on for my thoughts on the show as it happens.
I hope the commentary doesn't say "last night" when referring to Raw.
This could be fun.
That's not what I expected Reks to sound like at all.
Haha, yeah, obviously they didn't know this was airing on Wednesday.
I like these two!
Which Uso is which?
Good stuff. Basic segment to get a story over.
That's the most normal thing Maxine's worn this season.
I'd be stuttering, too, if Maxine was out there.
Has Regal been drinking again? Crazy commentary today.
Not a bad match. It had its awkward spots, but it was better than some of their clashes.
Not crazy about that segment.
Fine match.
Bryan vs. Slater? Yep, this is basically Superstars or Smackdown plus at this point at times.
That Mark Henry promo was god-tier. Why did it take us 15 years to get it?
Something tells me there's a good amount of truth in Regal's promo.
I enjoy Daniel Bryan, just not as a future World Champion yet.
I used to be kind of perplexed by the Usos' entrance, but I like it now.
I like them putting over this match and what it means for the wrestlers' futures. It's a shame WWE doesn't promote this show enough for people to watch to hear and see it.
Is the Great Edge like The Great Khali?
Fine enough to make me want to see more of Reks and Hawkins. They've got potential.
Fun show, all in all. It didn't do too much for the rookies, but that's not really a surprise at this point.
On to my rankings. 1 means so terrible they shouldn't even be on NXT, 2 means that a lot is missing from them and they need a serious retooling to move up, 3 means somewhat middle of the road or good in some areas but not good in others, 4 means flawed in some ways but overall pretty solid, and 5 means that they're pretty much 100% ready for the main roster.
Titus O'Neil - 4. Still not a strong 4 for Titus. There are times when he's "on" and deserving of this rank, and there are times when I think he's slipping back towards a 3. He's getting more smooth in the ring, but there's still a ways to go for him overall.
Darren Young - 4. Young didn't really get to do much this week. His current teaming with JTG feels off for someone who likes to do things on his own and such. I much prefer intense Young. No match and very little screen time means he doesn't really move up. The show's barely about the rookies now, so every little second's going to count it looks like. I'm willing to give the current turn in his character time, but on the surface I'm not crazy about it.
Derrick Bateman - 3. Bateman gets closer and closer to a 4. If he continues to be strong in the weeks to come, he'll almost certainly get there. He's coming more into his own as a heel, and I think he could very well be on his way to the main roster in time. Then again, I could say that about any of the contestants. I'm liking where he's going for now.
If I had to eliminate someone this week, it would be: Derrick Bateman. It was a very close call. Overall right now I think he's an interesting developing character, and the association with Maxine is paying off nicely. He just hasn't been around enough and in the ring enough this season to stick as well as the other two. I think in time he could pass ahead of his opponents, but in the end I had to go with the two people I'm more familiar with from this season.
Chuck, for some reason it hasn't allowed me to comment in two weeks until now.
ReplyDeleteI agree with many points these last couple of weeks. I think the JTG collaboration for Young could be a good thing; looking at it from a different angle. The way I see it, Young has exemplified many tools of a WWE superstar, but one thing he has lacked to a certain extent is charisma. I think working with JTG can show some of that charisma (and it sort of has with the Lucy Lou comment, for example) that is his missing element. I think it's a good idea, because he has proven he has the intensity, in-ring talent and drive to make it in this company, and teaming with JTG could be the missing charismatic element for him. However, I agree that he is better solo.
I also agree about JTG. He is VERY underutilized. I think he was something like 5-30 on the year record-wise. He comes out there and puts in 100 percent every time he is on the mic and in that ring, and I hope he gets awarded for it.
As far as Titus goes, it's the same story. He has improved in the ring, but you made a good point in that he needs to break out of the mold and not become another disposable star. People who come in and wrestle without cutting promos or making much effort fit that “disposable” definition, and that is Titus to a tee right now.
One point to consider is that Young still took fifth in Season 1, even though he lacked a lot of the tools he has now. For him to constantly show effort by cutting pretty good promos, killing it in the ring like he did versus the Usos and to continue to standout, I think it can only help him even more.
I agree about Bateman. He is getting better. You make a good point in that he hasn't proven as much as the other two with time being his prime competitor. I think the longer the competition goes, he could catch Titus. I don't see him catching Young overall, though. Part of that is me being a little biased, but I think Young is too polished in that ring and is getting VERY COMFORTABLE in his role.
I think it might have something to do with the re-design or whatever Blogger went under. I've had a hard time posting sometimes, too. I generally just copied and pasted into new windows until one of them went through, then deleted the others.
ReplyDeleteTo me, it seems like it'd be kind of a weird mix for Young to be a "less serious" character like JTG, given how intense he is in the ring. I guess it could work, though. I should remind myself that despite AJ's natural bubbly personality, she made a pretty convincing stuck-up jerk in FCW. Not to mention how different Luke Gallows was from Festus, both gimmicks that I enjoyed. I'm sure there are other examples, too. Santino Marella started off as a more serious performer, and Chris Jericho successfully changed completely over the years. So, I'll try to give the gimmick change some more time before completely writing it off as a bad idea.
I used to keep track of wins and losses, but they don't tell the whole story. That's the difference sometimes between sports and sports entertainment I guess.
Titus' next couple performances will be pretty important. With no Young around for a couple of weeks, more attention will be on him. He'll at least (presumably) get more of a chance to show what he can do. The lack of Hornswoggle will be an interesting game-changer.
Season 1 and Season 5 are pretty different given who's voting and how many people are(n't) watching. And Young's gimmick is pretty much a polar opposite from then. Good point about his improvement, though.
Given that NXT floats between being a rookie showcase and another hour of Superstars, I think it's still open to some degree since there's no telling who will get chances to compete and speak each week!
The next month or so will mean a lot, depending on how they handle Young's suspension. At the least, Bateman and Titus have a number of "bye weeks" where they're not competing with him. On the plus side, Young could come back fresh and rejuvenated and solidify his place as a top guy. There's no telling.
Wow! I had no idea he was even suspended. That is a complete shame, but I guess it's his fault. My guess is that he's willing to win at any cost because he's a diligent competitor. I've never understood the logic of taking illegal PED's, especially if you're in good mental and physical shape.
ReplyDeleteIt's safe to say that the longevity of this competition is the only silver lining for him. If this was a regular NXT season, he'd be looking at an uphill battle. That is a complete shame, though. It will take a while for everything to sink in as a fan.
What are your thoughts on it? Given that Bateman basically entered the contest like 15 weeks into it and that he's still in it is an argument for Young. However, it may convey to the pros and fans that Young will cheat to win and it may be a tough way to earn back fans. Unfortunate to say the least.
I probably shouldn't speculate on why he did what he did. I don't know 100% what specifically caused him to fail the test since it isn't publicly released and some credible sites won't comment on that kind of personal matter. Either way, I'm more disappointed than upset about it.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure that nothing like this has ever happened with NXT, so there's no telling what they'll do about it. If it was a regular NXT season, they'd probably just cut him. But since the odds are kind of iffy as far as whether they would have planned an elimination anytime soon, they could just say he was injured or something and bring him back when it's over.
I COULD look at the spoilers and find out, but I'll wait to see what they do when it airs so my reaction will be legitimate.
A lot of how they view it will depend on what it was he was suspended for, and his attitude from this point forward. The fans are an X-factor. Some will know why he's actually gone and some will go with whatever reason they come up with to say he's gone for a few weeks. I did like the Tweets he made about it. They were good first steps in getting back into good graces.
Fair points. It is very easy to pass judgment, but you're right in that we will need to wait to see what NXT and also Young do towards the adjudication of the suspension. I think the moral of the story is that in a regular season, he'd be in more hot water, but since this is a season where ANYTHING is possible, he still has just as good of odds of winning it if he can still keep his composure and same pace when he returns.
ReplyDeleteIt is still a complete shock to me, though. Young has always been a fierce and forthright competitor, so for this to happen, it is surprising. My guess is because he wants to do anything to get to the top, but you're right that running to assumption is less advocacious. If anyone can come back from this and just dust it off, it would be Young, though. I mean, remember when he was ranked dead last in Season 1 and knew it was time to get his game face on and bust his butt?
Mr. No Days Off, D Young will be back though, and will hopefully prove that he will do it all by his damn self. Check out this promo at 6:10 to refresh your memory and prove my point. Remember this?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N66o_NY4KcU
Given the unpredictability of NXT/WWE, he could just easily be replaced and/or cut. Four weeks is a lot of time given how many surprise appearances and changes we've gotten on this show. I hope he's just kind of put to the side for the time off and comes back motivated, etc.. I have to admit that I'm pretty curious as to what they'll come up with (if anything, given how little they focus on the competition).
ReplyDeleteThat was what I assumed, but it's not made public, so there's no way of knowing. I don't think that part's as important as it not happening again.
I think he can pull it off. It'll take effort, but with the right combination of motivation, hard work and tenacity, it's doable.
That's the Young I like best promo-wise. No silly gimmicks or joking around, just a competitor trying to win. There's certainly room for that, even in an "action soap opera" "sports entertainment" world. Sometimes I think it's harder for that kind of thing to get over, though, with all the leprechauns and Celtic Warriors and Vipers and such to compete with.
I do like that he has a nickname, catch phrases, and signature moves. That can help him stick around and stay in people's minds.
You bring up a good argument about Young's ruthlessness being where he's strongest, but I think the point I made about him switching it up also makes sense. He's proven that he has the intensity and determination for 30 weeks, so why not switch it up?
ReplyDeleteI think the one element he's missed is charisma to an extent, so that's where teaming with JTG can bring out that missing element. I think with the WWE being all about being the "complete package", I think he'd not only prove more naysayers wrong, but would also prove that he is one step closer to the complete package. That is also where I think Titus could get better is teaming with Watson to show more personality (if he has it).
I think you could still combine intensity with charisma and still prove a lot. That is where I think he should go towards when he returns.
By the way, would you draw the slightly more than educated guess that if the WWE didn't see anything in Young, they would just release him, or do you think that it would still allow him to continue until his (possible) elimination?
Hmm, it could work. Finlay and Regal have done the "intense but less serious" role well, but that generally after they had proven themselves for quite some time as strong competitors. I'm not as sure that Young's quite at the level (or length of time in the company) where he can pull it off. It seems to kind of lessen the impact of how intense he is in the ring for me. I'd much prefer him focused on hurting people and winning than cracking jokes. We'll see how well he does it when he comes back (if he continues that direction).
ReplyDeleteI think Titus showed more personality and energy this week than he has in quite some time.
I also think Young can still be charismatic without becoming similar to JTG. It's just kind of a different type of charisma.
They certainly have an out to release him if they want to. If they didn't see anything in him, they could easily just come out next week and say that he ticked off management or something (maybe since he fought Striker and Regal) and pull him from the show. Given how they treated his absence this week, it's possible that they're still wondering what to do with him. Even if they "eliminate" him from the show, they could still keep him under contract until they figure out what to do with him next.
No word on his future yet, outside of how they handled it on this week's episode.
Maybe I've got more expectations than you about what is "good" or "bad" in being the "complete package", but I'm not seeing anything special about Titus. I'm trying to think objectively, but it's just hard for me to see much good in him; even when I'm trying. I'm just seeing the same things every week in terms of the same moves, same boringness, nomenclature and monotone voice. That panderous dog bark and "make it a win" just get old after a while.
ReplyDeleteObjectively, there just isn't any change in him from now since the first episode except a couple of new moves. Even if he's a "power guy", I think to escape the norm and nomenclature of a disposable star, you need to be more than just that. I just am not seeing "it" from him. I just don't see him being here still if it was't for the fan vote, which would go to anyone who panders to them on a regular basis, as some fans just don't see past it. I think when Lucky, Darren and Bateman have criticised Titus' talent in the past, they may have been a little eccentric, but I can certainly see where they are coming from.
Bateman, on the other hand, I have seen more of a change. He's still got a ways to go, but getting more ruthless. I think the main component he lacked last season was intensity and drive, but he's picked up on that a bit. I think he's gotten more out of this rivalry with Titus than Titus has with him, and it was the same when Young had his feud with Titus. The will and drive are just absent from Titus.
I mean honestly, when was the last time you heard Titus talk about his drive or even do as much as to talk about NXT or anything related on Twitter? That is something Young and Bateman do on a regular basis.
By the way, do you know the REAL reason why J.R. was "fired"? We're both perceptive enough to know it wasn't because of him walking out, because everyone did the same thing. I'm assuming he just wasn't as comfortable in his announcing role? Maybe Cole had something to do with it?
ReplyDeleteI don't think he's "special" necessarily, but that's not what the show's about and it's not really what I'm looking for. A lot of Superstars have signature moves or sequences that they do pretty much every match. That isn't a bad thing to me. The crowd generally responds well to the spots that they know and appreciate. I know a lot of people criticize the whole "5 moves of doom" thing, but it applies to so many wrestlers past and present who got over well.
ReplyDeleteI think he's been better with his admittedly "robotic" voice lately, especially this week. The crowd reacts to the dog bark and catchphrase, and his job is to get the crowd to react to him. There are a lot of wrestlers with similar things that work. Hustle Loyalty Respect, 619, that kind of thing.
To me, it seems like he's gotten better with linking his moves together as well. They flow better than just "do this thing, then set up this move" that doesn't look polished (like he had in the past). He's still got a way to go with that, too.
I'd somewhat agree on the "it" comment. He's finding himself more with playing to the crowd during matches (using the old "shake the ropes" thing and dog bark) to rile them up for a move. And this week in particular he was more natural on the mic.
I don't think just anyone could pander to the crowd and win. Bateman in Season 4 and if I remember correctly Jamie in Season 3 were hardcore panderers and neither won.
I'm not necessarily looking for someone ruthless in the ring for someone I'd like to see on the main roster. There's room for all kinds of competitors. High flyers, power guys, jacks of all trade, quick wrestlers, "technical" wrestlers, etc.. Whatever works best for the performer in question.
If Titus didn't have any will and drive, he could have just quit the company (or the business) when he was eliminated last time. He wouldn't train in FCW to try to get better. So on and so forth.
Titus doesn't need to talk about his drive or anything like that. It's not his character. If you compare everyone to the mold Young's in, of course they're going to fall short. They're all trying to be different characters and different performers with different motivations.
Promoting NXT on Twitter would be good for Titus to do. I'm glad others do that. Maybe he's busy working out or something instead of being online?
As for JR, the walkout was a planned/written/scripted part of the show so it's not related to that. Management probably just wanted to do something different with the announce team. I know that when JR signed his most recent contract, he didn't want to be on the road every week, so I had a feeling it wouldn't be a regular thing with him being there.
ReplyDeleteI guess you and I are just on different wavelengths when it comes to O'Neil. I don't really see any drive or determination with him compared to Young, nor do I see any sense of tenacity or ruthlessness. Even if you don't think it's in his character, it's still required if he expects to thrive in this business. Exemplified by all that Young has done: Doing the three amigos and frogsplash to spite Chavo, taking down O'Brien during a talk the talk segment, kidnapping Hornswoggle, calling out Regal, cutting all of his heel promos and taking it to Striker numerous times. That seems the norm when it comes to him. If you look on Youtube and on certain sites, most fans are split on him being credible in the WWE. I can certainly see why many people are/would be on the fence. I just can't seem to agree with any of the statements you're making about him, nor can I see any advocaciousness to them.
ReplyDeleteWhenever I see, hear or talk about Titus, this clip represents the epitome of him, his boring personality and mediocre wrestling ability. His promos are still this bad. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukKME6Z0vAc
On the other hand, when I see Young, this comes to mind to exemplify why he is Mr. No Days Off from 15 seconds until 3:55. This is TRUE drive and determination that you see absent from Titus. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7evyUkgpdkQ
ActualCheck this promo out instead of the other one. I agree with McGillicutty lol. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_vuMKkWNDs&feature=related
ReplyDeleteI think I see some of where we're differing here. Maybe. Any time I talk about Titus' traits, I'm not necessarily comparing them to Young's. I think he's got some determination to be better, but not as much as Young does.
ReplyDeleteAlso of note is that Young has a lot more experience than Titus, so he's got a big leg up there. He knows more specific things to do to succeed.
Perhaps more importantly, my rankings are somewhat vague. Each rank/level covers a broad spectrum. Maybe it'd be easier to think of it like school averages: 1 is an E or F for clearly failing, 2 is a D for close to failing (or not quite in the middle ground), 3 is a C for middle of the road (could go either way with future grades), 4 is a B (doing pretty good, but still has mistakes to address), and 5 is an A (pretty much the top of the class). 1s and 5s are REALLY hard to get on my scale. 5 might as well be a 96 or 97 or above. You'd have to pretty much go out of your way to fail hard enough to get a 1.
Anyway, I have Titus in kind of a low B range. If he does better, he'll be more of a "mid B" if he keeps improving. If he does worse, he might drop to a C. Young's more at the higher end of a B, but remember that it's really hard to crack into an A with me. I try to save 5s for basically so good they shouldn't even be on NXT anymore.
And to some degree they're "taking different tests", or maybe it's more like an essay test. What works for one of them won't necessarily work for the others and so on. Everyone has their own style.
As for those promos, I believe I've said before that I thought Titus was terrible in Season 2. He was certainly in the 1 range for the few weeks he was on there. That probably works in his favor this season because after that, he could pretty much only look better this go-round.
Comparing that promo of his to Wednesday's, I see a big difference. He looked pretty lost on Season 2, but looks like he's more comfortable and natural now. Same with being in the ring. He's got more substance to what he does than a few sentences or a few moves.
Young's promo didn't really touch on the No Days Off persona, but I did like it other than his voice.
I see something a little different pretty much every week from all the competitors and try not to base my opinions mainly on what they did in the past.
Good points. I think your rankings are definitely justifiable. This is just my stance, but the only thing I would suggest would be possibly giving maybe the grade along with the number like you mentioned. The number (4/5) is fairly detailed, but giving a grade by it is even more descriptive. I definitely think you're doing a good thing by providing justification as to why you gave them a certain number, though. Good ideas there. I also think it's good to include who you would eliminate each week.
ReplyDeleteYou're probably right about Titus. Maybe I'm not noticing what you are, because I'm a Young fan or that I'm just a tough critic. I think I am just too picky and just like the "determination" and "ruthlessness" parts of one's persona more than what Titus has been doing. Most of the time I'm critiquing Titus, it's mainly a little exaggerated compared to most. Everyone has different opinions on what makes a good star, so I could potentially see why some people out there would like Titus.
BTW- I didn't ask you this before, but I'm curious to know your thoughts on previous seasons. You told me who you picked to win, but in seasons 1 and 2, who were your top 4 picks? I'm interested to hear if you had Otunga or Gabriel, because that would truly tell someone prefers personality over in-ring talent. Did you also have Kaval over McGilicutty and everyone in season 2?
Let me rephrase that- I know you picked Barrett in season 1, but how did you rank the rest of the pack? I know you had Riley in season 2, but how did you rank the rest of the pack?
ReplyDeleteI didn't watch much of season 1, but I liked Otunga. I watched a lot of season 2 and picked Kaval. Season 3 I liked Kaitlyn and season 4 I liked Brodus Clay.
I'll do a little bit of both. Like "Bateman was a 4, kind of like a 'low-to-mid B grade'" or something. I don't want it to be too specific. The blog's supposed to be kind of casual instead of an in-depth look at everything.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'm just somewhat lenient on my rankings as well. To me, wrestling would be pretty hard to watch if I was really critical of everything. Some years back, I was a harsher critic but it wasn't as enjoyable too watch wrestling and everything felt so negative that I backed off some.
I don't necessarily think Titus has what it takes to be a star, but that usually takes years for me to see in someone (unless they start off really really good). I think if he improves, he can work well in a tag team with Percy. He'd be kind of lost in the shuffle now as a singles guy.
With the caveat that rankings changed over the course of the season as I saw more of everyone, here's a rough guess of where I had some people:
ReplyDeleteSeason 1:
Barrett was definitely #1 (had pretty much everything going for him), I think Gabriel ended up taking #2 (mostly good in the ring, could use more help on the mic), Otunga was probably #3 (natural on the mic, a little iffy in the ring), and honestly I'm not sure about the rest. Bryan had kind of a disadvantage coming in because I had heard SO much about how good he was over the years that there was no way he was going to live up to the hype. And he worked such a different style that it was hard to compare him to everyone else. It felt like he was being kind of pushed down my throat since so many people online were talking about how he should be used better and such that it took a pretty good while for me to start enjoying his work. I know that I was kind of iffy on Slater, thought Young was kind of in the middle (I wasn't a fan of his original gimmick), Sheffield had a good finisher and not much else, and Tarver was a great talker but I didn't see much of him in the ring.
Season 2:
I had seen Kaval wrestle for a few years in TNA, so that really gave him an advantage. He worked surprisingly well as a more "laid back" character given that he was pretty much a silent, brutal kicker in TNA. (2 or 3) I think McGillicutty had a big upside but I seem to remember that I was expecting more from him that didn't really materialize. (2, 3, or 4) There were times when I was REALLY impressed with Harris (given how quick and innovative he was for his size), and others where I had him ranked lower (somewhere in the middle). I enjoyed Watson's gimmick since he really stood out, and I liked him in the ring a good deal, too. (2, 3, or 4?) I kept hoping to see him show up after the season, but it took a while. Lucky barely had anything going for him in Season 2 (6th), Cottonwood was pretty awkward inside the ring and out of it (7th), and Titus looked completely lost (8th).
The comment was apparently too long, so I'm splitting it:
Season 3:
ReplyDeleteThis season was more of a ridiculous comedy season than serious competition. I think I hated that at the time, but looking back it was incredibly entertaining in a goofy way. Kaitlyn, while she had a natural quirkiness about her that was fun to watch, had pretty much zero experience coming into the show. She picked things up quickly, but it was too much for her to compete with the others. I think she ended up about 3rd. I liked Naomi more than I cared to admit at the time (because I was so entertained with AJ and Kaitlyn's antics). Very athletic, down-to-business wrestler and for most of the season I'm pretty sure I had her in 1st. AJ, as you've probably figured out from my comments on her this season, I was VERY entertained by as someone pretty much completely different from your standard Diva. Great personality and easy to root for. Definitely had "it" and I think I was saddest to see her go out of any elimination in the show's history. Talented in the ring, though it took a while for us to see some of her best moves. I had her behind Naomi until a few weeks left in the competition. If it wasn't for Naomi's athleticism and drive, AJ would have likely led for the majority of the season. Aksana I was kind of iffy on, but she got better as the season went on. She was definitely in the lower half. I couldn't tell if she was a REALLY good actress or legitimately loopy. Maxine I thought had a good gimmick (and gave good promos) but wasn't very good in the ring. She was in 5th or 6th. Jamie wasn't bad, and knew how to work a crowd. I think she was 4th.
Season 4:
Curits had his moments. It took a while for him to grow on me personality-wise and in the ring. I think 2nd or 3rd for him. I liked Brodus most of the time, but he seemed like he got winded or slower in longer matches. Also in the top half, though because there were times when I really was impressed. Bateman also floated around the top half. Very goofy personality that stood out to me and his offense worked for him. I enjoyed Saxton's gimmick (he's great on the mic), but thought he had a ways to go in the ring (4th?). O'Brian I wasn't really impressed with often. He was 5th. His personality got pretty stale. Novak was pretty bad. I know I had him 6th, and he could very well have been the worst out of all of the rookies from all of the seasons. Other than his blazer, he was pretty uninspiring.
I guess I could do the whole "1-5" thing for all of them, too. My memory's just kind of fuzzy on some of the specifics from them.
Good deductions. Those were basically my perceptions as well for the most part. When it comes to the divas, I prefer more personality and marketability than in-ring talent. It seems they have moved in that direction since forever. With the divas, I like personality and marketability for them more than I do for the males. That's why I liked Kaitlyn. In some ways, she was more "fit" for being a diva than AJ or Naomi.
ReplyDeleteI liked Otunga the most in season 1, but wasn't surprised Barrett won. Otunga needed more in-ring work, but I hope he can get better, because he would be entertaining to watch. He always cut good promos as a rookie that are better than most pros do now. I had him over Gabriel, because it seemed Gabriel was kind of a "one-trick poney" with his finisher and to say he was mediocre on the mic would be an understatement. I had Gabriel jumbled third or fourth, because I was looking at the "complete package" of a star. Gabriel would have been second or third if he was even "decent" on the mic. He's popular with the fans, though.
I liked Brodus, because it seemed Bateman lacked aggression and Curtis was too off and on like you said. Even winning the competition, they still hype Brodus more than him. It seemed like people like Brodus don't come along very often. He's actually a good athlete and wrestler (unlike Khali and a lot of these big guys) and was entertaining to watch for the most part. I think he has a big upside.
One good thing I will say about NXT is that most of the time, the fans and pros get the eliminations right. The bottom three of every season were probably the consensus for both of us. Purely on that basis, I'm thinking that more fans don't just vote for the "good guy" and vote more of who is legitimately the best man for the job. Would you agree? I mean, Riley was absolutely booed out of his mind in season 2 and still made it to the finals, because fans knew he had a lot going for him.
Kaitlyn definitely has personality. I'd like to see more of that from her when she's on TV. Pretty funny chick. Then again, I'd like to see more personality from a lot of people. I can see why she'd be the best fit from a personality perspective, though I think AJ and Naomi both had/have the tools to be Divas as well. All three of them have what it takes to stand out from the standard Diva if they're allowed to be themselves in and out of the ring. That whole season was a lot of fun.
ReplyDeleteOtunga was pretty natural on the mic, and that's hard to come by. I think he's getting better, though there are some people who think he's one of the worst wrestlers currently wrestling. Another reason I try to stay away from many opinions.
Gabriel definitely had the one-trick pony vibe with me for a while, but he got better in the ring. He was weird on the mic, and still is on some level. I think he's pretty marketable look-wise. He's improving.
Obviously Bateman's comedy didn't work for everyone. Sometimes I'm just in the mood for something more off-the-wall than serious wrestling so I liked that he brought something different. Glad he changed it up this season.
If Brodus was quicker and pulled out more technical moves, he'd be amazing. There are times when I'd see him and think he had it in him, and times where he seemed sluggish. I like him most of the time, but generally lately he's just been in quick matches that hide his shortcomings. Definitely not bad; he's just kind of an odd combination. A big guy who uses suplexes and a crossbody is pretty rare. I thought his promos and look were/are good, too.
I was kind of perplexed by Curtis. Still am actually.
I think I might have had Cannon ahead of O'Brian this season, but other than that I've agreed with the bottom 3 being the bottom 3 (just maybe in a different order).
Hmmm... it could be that fans were lukewarm on some of the talents and didn't vote for them so they were eliminated early (because they could only vote for one person they want to win). The Pros might have helped Riley get to the top even without fan votes because he was getting good reactions. It's tough to say how many fans vote which way, since there's no telling what kind of fans vote. How many are diehard fans who read wrestling news sites and how many are "Little Jimmys" who still believe it's real and vote for the good guy each time? There's seriously no telling.
Just like it's hard to tell why someone will vote a certain way in an election. There are people who know a lot about the issues who vote, and there are people who only know a few soundbytes or something. So, I don't really have a solid theory on the voters. For that matter, the Pros might look for different things than I'd expect them to.