This week on NXT, Titus O'Neil, Derrick Bateman, and Darren Young continue on their paths to becoming WWE's next breakout star. Who will get closer to that goal as the competition reaches week 42? Of course, the show will also feature cameos by other WWE Superstars and Divas. How will that affect things? Read on for my thoughts on the show as it happens.
Heck yeah, Derrick Bateman. Best way to start NXT in my opinion.
Smooth delivery and a good promo overall.
I like Curtis, too.
If they're going to just use this show for whatever they feel like, Striker as "GM"'s fine by me.
Wow. These guys can play off of each other pretty well.
I like the Usos. Hope they've got a good future in WWE.
Speaking of the change in NXT's focus, they should change the opening to exclude the eliminated rookies, and add some of the other people who appear on the show. Lucky Cannon and Jacob Novak aren't even in the company anymore.
Good stuff here so far. WWE needs to push this show instead of posting it haphazardly on WWE.com like it's just another video.
I'm fine with this. Bateman is still a bad guy, after all, so leaving his partner high and dry works for him.
Good match. I'd much rather see this in 2012 than the wrestlers still around from the Attitude Era. No disrespect to them.
Nice. Straight-up jerk actions from Hawkins and Reks.
Trent Barreta's another guy who works way too hard to be stuck on a show WWE doesn't care about.
I think Hawkins used to be with Trent as a team in FCW.
Those names Striker dropped work backstage in WWE as Producers/agents who give advice to performers and put matches together and the like.
I wonder how much of what Striker's saying is legitimate feeling.
Good point about Reks' voice, but why undersell a performer as not being tough?
I know Trent's entrance is part of what he used to do with Caylen Croft.
Cool stuff from Trent. Maybe he has a good deal more potential than I used to think.
Interesting finisher. Good match as is becoming the norm on NXT.
Heck yeah, Kaitlyn vs. Maxine. I want to see more of these two and less of Alicia Fox.
They still haven't changed Kaitlyn's music I see.
WOW. Maxine should get to Raw or Smackdown on her choices of attire alone.
Kaitlyn's not bad. Maxine's impressive as well.
Great spot by Maxine with the rope. Why isn't this woman on Raw or Smackdown!!!??
Very screechy.
Seriously? I don't think I've ever seen a Diva this well versed in submissions.
Good little match-up. I'd like to see more from Kaitlyn. She looks like she has a good deal of potential, but isn't the powerhouse I think she can be yet.
Yeah, that might have been the wrong time for Bateman to come out.
Good stuff. The soap opera continues.
Percy vs. Tyson. I'm ok with this.
Percy's another guy I think should get a shot at Raw or Smackdown. Got a nice upside.
Tyson's got potential to be a real in-ring general. I'm seeing parallels to Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho.
Damn good stuff.
They used to call that finisher the Dungeon Drop, referring to Kidd's training by the Harts. I like it a lot.
Titus vs. JTG. Hmmm... that could do good things for Titus if he has a good showing.
Good video package. WWE really knows what they're doing with that kind of thing.
Looking forward to that one. Maxine should be at ringside or something. They've done a good job building this one up.
I thought we were going to go an entire show without seeing Young until they mentioned that he'll be on commentary.
I thought Henry was hurt?
Good set up for Darren as a bad guy.
I'm not feeling Young on commentary right now. His voice still sounds weird. Good confidence, though.
This is the Titus I want to see more of. Big, powerful guy.
Nice use of the ring by JTG.
He does sound kind of flustered...
Good focus on Darren this week.
Titus has gotten more smooth. Nothing amazing, but he's not the guy he was earlier in his career.
Kind of whiny by Darren. I guess we're back to him teaming with JTG?
Hahaha. Nice (unintentional?) reference to Young's suspension, which wasn't acknowledged on air.
I'm kind of worn out with Young's character at this point. How many times has he attacked Titus and said this is his show now?
Looks like that's it for this week. On to rankings. 5 is ready for Raw or Smackdown, 4 is on the way there, 3 is on the tightrope between the two extremes, 2 is really lacking, and 1 is absolutely terrible.
Derrick Bateman- 5 (Last week: 5). Put this guy on Raw or Smackdown already. I'm sure some of it's the fact that he's working with someone he has a lot of history with in Johnny Curtis, and we haven't seen him get much ring time in the last number of weeks, but I really can't think of anything bad to say about him at this point (that would keep him from moving up to one of the other brands). He's definitely my pick to be a breakout star. (Grade: closing in on an A+, pending a good performance in the ring next week.)
Titus O'Neil- 4 (Last week: 4). Titus still has some growing to do in the ring, so I don't think I'd move him up just yet, but he does seem like he's bumped up a number of pegs from Season 2. He looks like he's really "getting it" now; he just needs more grooming and fine-tuning. As always, follow-up will be really key. If he can put on consistently good performances inside and outside of the ring, then eventually maybe he'll move up to putting on consistently GREAT performances. Very much a work in progress, but it looks like he's on the upward path rather than dropping towards a 1. (Grade: In the B range. I think it'll take him a while to reach an A at this pace.)
Darren Young - 4 (Last week: 4). On the one hand, we got to see Young get more of a focus this week. He got to be an attacker and got a lot of mic time (compared to how much he usually gets). On the other hand, he seems like he's spinning his tires to a degree. I don't know what he needs to do to get out of the rut that I see him as being in, but it's really clouding my view of him lately. He's got good things working for him, but it feels like he's doing the same things over and over (attacking Titus, cutting a promo about NXT being his show). I think a new opponent and character direction would be helpful. Also, he seemed kind of flustered on the mic this week and stumbled a bit. Being generally good in the past kind of works against him, because any slip-up makes it look like he's regressing or not living up to his potential. Titus has the benefit of being "on a curve" because he's improved so much from a terrible performance on Season 2. (Grade: B. If I hadn't seen pretty much the same thing from him a number of times in the past, it might be higher.)
If I had to eliminate someone, it would be: Darren Young. He's not doing anything bad, but I think taking him off the show to recharge his batteries would be better than removing Bateman, who's doing great stuff, and Titus, who's really catching on and seems to be improving. Perhaps the easiest way to put it is that if it came down to keeping Darren on the show or giving an opportunity to one of the people WWE's looking at from FCW (Rollins, Ambrose, Sandow), or the possibly soon-to-be returning Skip Sheffield, I think I'd make that switch.
That's all for NXT this week. I'll be back for Superstars and Impact Wrestling tomorrow. A news post will be up later in the day. Thanks for reading!
Fair points this week. However, I wouldn't necessarily say Young slipped this week. I think the main goal is that you need to stand out and take each opportunity, and he did that. I think at the end of the day, you want to be the talk of the show, and he did that by outsmarting Titus and taking it to him. I definitely don't think he fumbled as much as Titus did last week and in previous weeks.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that he should switch it up a bit with his comments. He does seem a tad bit tiring talking about how he's the man on NXT. BUT, I don't think it's necessarily his fault, being that he doesn't choose who he feuds with; Management does. I think since he's had like SEVEN matches with Titus and he's feuded with him in the past, it definitely makes it hard to come up with new material! However, I would try to play to Titus' weaknesses (I see fairly many) more. I would consider this week a step up, though.
I really don't think Titus is really improving much besides in the ring. You made a good point in that you judge him from how much he's improved since Season 2, which is a lot. However, his "mic skills" are abysmal at best, and he has been missing a lot of traits it takes to make it in the company.
As far as Bateman goes, I'm not really seeing what you are. He has improved, but it's kind of hard to even identify if he's a bad or good guy with the way he's portrayed himself. I mean, you can make the argument that we wouldn't even know which side he was if he wasn't facing good guys all of the time. That is a big flaw that I am seeing with him. I also don't think he's quite ready in-ring skills wise. He has improved, though.
That being said...Young-4, Bateman-4 and Titus-3.
Firstly, I need to apologize. I wasn't able to get online for a good deal of time yesterday and didn't have this up when I should have. I'm not sure what time the full episode actually made it on to the website, but it wasn't the first video that played like it usually is for some reason. I don't know if I just missed seeing it for a while or they didn't put it up until later.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that Young took the opportunity, but I don't really think he's the talk of the show since his story isn't really moving anywhere (compared to the love triangle - which is where most of the show centers). It's pretty much expected at this point that we're going to be in a cycle of Young attacking Titus, then Titus beating him, then Young cutting promos on him.
I'm kind of incorporating how everyone's being used in how they're ranked. I don't suppose it would be fair to blame Young for who they're putting him with, but it's going to color how I see him. I'm really ready for them to wrap it up between himself and Titus so he can do different things and play off of different people.
I try not to base things off of how Titus has improved from Season 2. If I was seeing him for the first time this season, I'd probably have him ranked lower. It's kind of like seeing a teenager you last saw a number of years previous. If you had just seen them for the first time, you'd see them as they are, but instead you see them more as a younger person who's grown up because that's how you remember them.
But I do think he's doing decently on the mic. His voice is monotonous, but he sounds more natural with his delivery than he did in the past. It's less easy to tell that he's not someone who's done a lot of "public speaking". Instead of searching for words and coming up with "make it a win", he's talking about his family and how he's not just an ex-football player and the like. He'll screw up saying some things, but in general he sounds more fluid and that's what I'm looking at. Again, if I was just hearing him for the first time this season, I'd feel differently. But I heard his first promos in Season 2 and know that he's been a LOT worse.
Yeah, I think I might have Bateman a little high. I'm just really entertained by him and his storyline right now. His next couple of in-ring performances will show if that high A is justified (but since we haven't see him compete much lately, I can only go on his work as a character). You're absolutely right about his character. A first-time viewer would be confused about which side he's on. But I think he plays it really well and seems pretty creative with it. Though some of that could be because I'm comparing him to Titus and Darren moreso than judging it on its own.
My rankings continue to be broad. They're not really working out like I'd like them to, since a 4 can cover a lot of ground. If there were more rookies on the show, at a wider range of places, I guess it would work better.
Yeah, I see your point about that feud. It does get a little tiring with the same cycle happening. I definitely agree that it wasn't the best idea having them feud again, when they've already had a long feud previously. It's like if Orton and Christian were to feud again: It would just be redundant and would eventually run out of things to say and ways to make it interesting. I would like to see a pro vs. rookie feud, and think it could be a solution. I think it would really test how the rookies have grown and would see how they would react in a more "legitimatized" rivalry.
ReplyDeleteI don't necessarily think you're that off about Bateman; you bring up decent points. He has improved, and I see how you're a fan of what he brings to the table. Let me put it this way...If someone were to think wrestling ability is secondary to charisma, they would probably have Bateman first. But, if someone were to view in-ring skills as a primary requisite to charisma, they would have Young first and Titus last. It just shows how different others' preferences are and what they value.
I can see how someone would have Bateman or Young first. However, objectively, I don't really see how someone would think Titus is the top rookie right now in weighing all of the factors I mentioned.
As far as your rankings go, I think it's a good idea to give grades as well. I agree that a "4" could be a little vague, but clarifying it with a grade and who you'd eliminate eliminates they grey area a bit.
In regard to Bateman, I think the fan vote is kind of influencing his persona and why/how he's making it hard for us to portray him as a good or bad guy. I THINK, anyway. If not, then he has more issues with being ready for the main roster than we might think. That seems like the most logical reason to me.
ReplyDeleteThen again, if he was on the main roster, he would HAVE to make that clear, or he would have a real problem on his hands. I think that is one of the main reasons I don't view him as roster-ready yet.
That idea would work for me. I was thinking that I'd either like to see Young team with JTG and feud with the Usos or face off with Yoshi Tatsu. Just something different to see how he'd play off of someone other than Titus.
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely looking for more of a character than a wrestler, and someone who stands out. When there are only so many spots in the company, you really have to have something unique to have a shot at doing well. Not that I necessarily think Bateman WILL be a breakout star. Just of the three, I think he'd have the best chance because of that "it" factor.
It depends on how you look at in-ring skills. I think it's safe to say that WWE looks at matches more like a drama than a sport. What would be a good match as far as pulling out all the stops technically and doing moves expertly isn't NECESSARILY what gets fans into a story. I keep thinking of Charlie Haas: he has an impressive amateur background, but because WWE couldn't think of what to do with him beyond making use of that, they released him. That could be why they don't use Young as much as Bateman and Titus.
I'd be hard-pressed to disagree on Titus. He has the power game going for him but not much else (compared to the others).
I'm glad you suggested that idea, because I was kind of stumped at how to fix that issue.
You're probably right. He's probably more concerned about getting noticed by management and getting fans into what he's doing than winning NXT, and I don't really blame him since the competition's secondary (at best) on the show now. I think he could go back to being full-on bad guy if he felt that would work best for him.
For example, even if Young were to win NXT, Creative/management would have to have faith in him or he'd end up like Kaval. That's one reason I want to see him face someone other than Titus. Titus is kind of an easy target for insults and the like.
At this point, I'm pretty much considering NXT part of the main roster, since people from it can (and do) appear on the other shows and they're facing off to become a breakout star rather than for a contract.
All valid points. By the way, I looked at some of your previous posts, but am still puzzled on the decision to make Daniel Bryan champion. Just 48 hours before he lost to an Intercontinental guy, who he has lost to like four times, he wins the highest honor in the company?
ReplyDeleteOn my account, he has lost considerably more than he has won this year, and a lot of those guys are basically "mid-level" wrestlers. It's just puzzling to me. I like Bryan, but they way he has been booked this whole year since he won the U.S. title, he has been made a fool pretty much. He's basically the Chris Jericho of this year: Somehow gets booked to win a title match after either going on a losing streak, or losing to mid-level guys.
I agree that it's an upset. I would have preferred Barrett to win his briefcase and cash in, but that would have really screwed up the TLC card.
ReplyDeleteI really can't defend it on storyline grounds. I had a similar issue with Edge when he cashed in for the first time. He was having trouble beating Ric Flair for the IC Title, then the same night he was WWE Champion. It was crazy.
But, Bryan did have a pretty good showing against Henry in the cage and has looked good in some of those losses, so it's not 100% out of nowhere.
It seems like they're looking at it more from a "this guy's worked really hard, and people are looking for new blood in the main event scene" perspective. Their goal is to build up the Bryans, Codys, Wades, etc. instead of relying on the older names.
Wins and losses aren't the whole story. It's all about the follow-up. Jericho in particular was good at building back up his credibility after losses with strong promos and such. It'll definitely take time, but I think Bryan can become a credible champion. I'm pretty sure I was iffy on Miz, Punk, and Swagger when they cashed in as well, but those early title reigns have made them more credible performers in the long run.
That makes sense. It isn't all about wins/losses, you're right, but then again, I fail to see any credibility or justification how he can't even beat an Intercontinental level guy, but still ends up winning the World Title two days later. I wouldn't really fault the decision to make him champion if he had previously lost to more "upper card" guys. I'm not saying Rhodes isn't capable of that bill, but right now, he's a "mid-level" guy. I just second-guess so many decisions the company makes as to why and how they're valid. You get my point there?
ReplyDeleteOne of the other reservations I had against Bryan being champion was that I haven't seen much from him on the microphone. The whole time he was U.S. champion, he would rarely, if ever, cut a promo to discuss an attack or anything of the matter. I think that is a big challenge for him to entertain the crowd that route instead of just in the ring. I've seen decent promos from him in the past, so he may be able to pull it off. However, that is the main challenge for him that I see is that from a credibility issue.
I personally would view someone like Cena as a more credible world champion than Bryan, even though he's not as good of a wrestler as Bryan is. I like Bryan, but you made a good point that it's more about being an "entertainer" than wrestler, and Bryan needs to realize that quickly to fend off the critics and naysayers.
I absolutely see what you're getting at, and it's completely valid. They're really in a pickle because Henry and Big Show have been booked to be pretty much unstoppable, whereas Bryan's still kind of making his way up the ranks. It does make a potential Bryan/Rhodes feud interesting: Bryan's the World Champ, but Rhodes has had his number sometimes. Both of them are hopefully being groomed as future stars (though both still have a way to go to reach top star level).
ReplyDeleteBack on NXT Season 1, I had a pretty strong dislike for Bryan because he was doing something so different from what everyone else was doing and his promos just didn't click with me for whatever reason. I definitely didn't see him as worthy to beat Miz or Jericho or anyone like that. I think he's improved in working the "WWE style" and on the mic, but I don't think he's putting on top-of-the-card performances yet. I'm cautiously optimistic that he'll show that he belongs there in the coming weeks/months.
As for Cena being Champion, he'd certainly be a lot more credible. The argument is that he doesn't "need" the title. He's already the face of the company. He's already selling a lot of merchandise and so on. They're trying to build other people up to being credible and able to do the same things. Otherwise, we're theoretically stuck with the same couple of people at the top of the card over and over, and there aren't opponents with enough credibility to be believable challengers to them.