This week on NXT, the competition hits... week 43 I think? I've kind of lost track. Either way, Titus O'Neil, Derrick Bateman, and Darren Young are all continuing their trials and tribulations on the way to trying to become the next WWE breakout star. Who will get closer to that lofty goal? In today's main event, NXT Season 4 winner Johnny Curtis comes to blows with his former best friend, Derrick Bateman. Can you say grudge match? Read on for my thoughts on the show as it happens.
Ha, I thought he was going to say they were ending the season in 3 weeks. Should have known that wasn't happening!
I like that idea, actually. NXT 100! They did the flashback episode one time. Maybe we can see Naomi and Husky Harris?
Gabriel won 3 tag team titles since NXT. That doesn't count for anything?
Yeah, I don't remember Slater carrying Gabriel in Season 1.
I thought Heath was "a rock band without the instruments", as was said in Season 1.
That wasn't a great promo interaction.
Slater at least has the smarmy attitude going for him.
It wouldn't surprise me if he's right about all the announcer changers. He can't be too far off.
Jamie Keyes actually doesn't use that name anymore. It was owned by WWE, and she was released from the company shortly after her elimination from Season 3.
Gabriel moves pretty well.
Eli Cottonwood's actually still with the company, down in FCW and I think injured.
I'm beginning to think there's some kind of inside joke about Striker and Kaitlyn. He's hit on her every time she's come up in a conversation.
I think we've seen about everything these two can do against each other. I like the dive over the top rope though.
Nice leg sweep move by Gabriel. That could become a signature move a la Matt Hardy's Side Effect.
It feels like we're kind of killing time here with a long match.
Dolph Ziggler vs. C.M. Punk could be pretty epic.
Good pinfall.
Not a bad flurry of offense from Gabriel.
This match is going to go all show, isn't it? It's not bad, but it's getting long in the tooth.
Good moves there.
Time limit draw, anyone?
NICE finisher. Good work, but matches this long shouldn't be the norm unless there's more going on (stipulations, etc.)
Tyson vs. Percy could be pretty good.
Looks like a nice collection of matches.
These two are the couple of the year. Simultaneously cheesy, over the top, and entertaining.
And Curtis makes a good 3rd wheel.
I guess whoever puts those videos out watches NXT, too.
Young sounds more confident on the mic this week.
Wait, is Percy a Rookie like Young, Titus, and Bateman now? He's not on the intro as such.
I was hoping Young would bring up his years of experience on the indie scene.
Ooh... was that a jab at Young's suspension?
This is the most Young's character's advanced in quite a while.
NICE enzuguiri by Percy Watson.
And solid dropkicks as well. He's got potential in the ring.
Nice lines by Darren on commentary.
Tyson Kidd's one of the most under-appreciated guys on the roster. Hard working guy.
This is definitely better than we've seen in the past from Darren. Maybe he's more relaxed or something?
Tyson and Darren would theoretically be a good teaming. They have kind of similar styles as far as intense, high impact moves and being mostly business in the ring.
Next? What about Titus? They're really going to give that long to Slater and Gabriel but not feature him? Though maybe a week off to focus on improving his game would do him some good.
NXT Season 3 reunion.
I get the feeling Johnny Curtis took a page out of Kevin Nash's book and is behind the text shenanigans.
If that's some kind of inside jab at something that happened to Striker, clever.
ONE of the most interesting things on the show?
It definitely should be a fight. It was a little too match-like last time.
That was actually JTG who came out and made the accusation about Maxine.
I like Bateman's dropkick from the apron. Hopefully he keeps it.
Curtis has a great in-ring presence. His whole aura oozes creepiness.
I also really like Maxine waving off the announcers.
I think Derrick overdoes the yelling in the ring.
Good running neckbreaker!
And a solid discus clothesline by Curtis.
Good little ending sequence.
And the story continues. If it wasn't for this, there wouldn't be much of anything going on on this show.
All three of these people play off of each other really well. It's one of, if not the single weirdest love triangle in company (wrestling?) history.
Good facial expressions by Bateman to close the show.
On to rankings. But a note before I begin: WWE as a whole (NXT included) is in a pretty weird place right now. Superstars can pretty much appear on any show they want, with Raw and Smackdown being less rigidly defined brands compared to even a couple of months ago. NXT has become kind of a catch-all for anyone they're not really using elsewhere, as opposed to a place for people to earn a spot on the "main roster". Since NXT rookies can and have competed on the other shows, to me they're already part of the main roster. SO, rankings will be altered. Instead of being rated on how ready they are for Raw or Smackdown (since things are pretty crowded there, and they appear on those shows on occasion), I'll just generally evaluate them on a scale of 1-5. This isn't a huge difference from what I've been doing, but I do think it's a difference. 5 is doing great work almost entirely across the board, 4 is strong in most areas or really good in some places but lacking in some others, 3 is either really good in some places and really lacking in others, or about even throughout, 2 is generally pretty bad (but has something redeeming), and 1 is so terrible they should be cut ASAP.
Derrick Bateman- 5 (Last rank:5). Bateman showed that he still has some "seasoning" and fine-tuning to go with his ring work, as he can get repetitive in longer matches, but on the whole he looks like he's got what it takes to make it in WWE. He's a great character, and if he can add to his repertoire I think he'll have a chance to really "be somebody" in the company. As opportunities open up on Raw and Smackdown, I think Bateman should get one of them. Grade: Close to the mid-A range.
(Titus O'Neil wasn't on the show this week for whatever reason, so I'm skipping an evaluation on him this week).
Darren Young - 4 (Last rank:4). Young was better this week than he has been recently. He's more focused on his goals to make an impact on NXT. He's not "trying too hard" and talking a mile a minute, but instead making his words and actions mean more. If he can consistently perform like this (and improve along these paths), I think he'll have a better chance of not slipping through the cracks on the show. All that being said, the more screen time he gets, the more he's going to need to show. Attacks and promos are good for now, but to break out he'll have to earn more screen time and make the most of it (instead of just a few minutes). Grade: B.
That's all for this week's NXT. I'll be back for Superstars and Impact Wrestling tomorrow, and a news post will be up later tonight (after midnight). Thanks for reading!
Good insights this week. I certainly wouldn’t say Darren Young has been under-shadowed anymore to the point where it’s threatening him. Not only has he gotten support from four different pros (Hawkins, Reks, Jtg and now Kidd), he has gotten commentary opportunities as well as getting the last laugh over the last few weeks over “face” characters. Not to mention, he’s not only on Superstars this week, but he actually got a victory on the show. I think he’s the first “rookie” to do that. I think the suspension and confusion towards his character were the reasons he was held back, but now you could make the argument that he’s back and better than ever, and that Management has figured some things out with him. I wouldn’t be surprised if Young won this thing in week 2,000 lol.
ReplyDeleteAs for the Bateman, aside from me not being a big fan of the wedding angle, I have to mark him down in terms of characterization. It’s just hard to understand him and what he’s going for: Is he a good or bad guy? I’m kind of surprised, with you being a big character guy, that you still have him in the “5” area with that. He’ll need to create more identification with fans, and soon, because you can make the argument that a fan just watching NXT now would be confused about his character. I like him, but that and his in-ring skills aren’t quite there; you’re right.
Have you ever noticed a show or stretch of time where something was just so confusing and puzzling like NXT? For example, Young has been in an alliance with JTG, Reks and Hawkins (temporarily) and now seemingly Tyson Kidd just a week later. Even if nothing amounts from the Kidd help this week, it’s ALWAYS a good thing to gain the respect and show what you have to the pros; being they are 50 percent of the vote. I would really like a Kidd/Young alliance, because they have so much in common. It’s a step ahead compared to a Reks/Hawkins alliance, because it’s more efficient. What do you think?
I was mainly looking at things in terms of screen time minutes. Bateman's backstage in multiple segments seemingly every week, so he's constantly there for us to notice. Young has gotten more attention these past few weeks than in the past, but I don't know if I'd say he's one of the top 3 people they focus on (as the 3 rookies would theoretically be). Derrick and Johnny are almost certainly the two men they focus the most on, and I think I'd have to say Titus is 3rd. Young gets the last laugh, but that's after other people have been on-screen for however long in a match or segment.
ReplyDeleteI don't look at spoilers, so I didn't know Young was on Superstars this week. That's a good sign. It feels like they're looking at just about everyone in the company (and FCW to some degree as well) to see who they can use. Primo, Rosa Mendes, Reks, and Hawkins finally have roles now for instance. I look forward to seeing it. I actually had forgotten that Titus/Percy lost their match.
You're correct that Bateman isn't strictly a good guy or bad guy. He won his match by pulling Curtis' tights, for instance. I suppose he could be considered something of an antihero? I can definitely understand what he's going for, though: trying to get back with Maxine, foiling Johnny Curtis, and making it to Smackdown. The reason I have him ranked so highly is because he plays his character well. What I'm looking for isn't so much how good or bad the character is, but are they entertaining and do I want to see where their stories go. I imagine that if he does make it to Smackdown regularly, his character will be more consistent.
You could also make the argument, and I'm not saying this to be rude, that there aren't many people just now watching NXT 40-something weeks in. I haven't seen anything about viewer numbers for the show. I get your point, but they probably think they have free reign to change things up since not many people are watching. That's kind of what they do for FCW.
I think TNA might have been more confusing at times, but in a different way. There are a number of characters there who they've changed their minds on, but that's a whole different story.
Honestly it's not a great sign that they keep changing who he's teamed up with. I don't know what to make of it. It's hard to gain traction when you're used in that many different roles in such a short time. His character's been mostly consistent, but is he a loner or someone who works with others? He disowned Chavo as a Pro, and so on.
That aside, I like him theoretically being in the mold of Tyson Kidd more so than JTG or Reks/Hawkins (who work better as a duo). There have been times when I looked at Darren in a similar vein as Tyson, and another intense character from years past, Fit Finlay. If he could become a good deal more like them, I'd almost certainly have him ranked as a 5. They were/are purely intense wrestlers who were technically gifted and focused on hurting people in the ring.
At the end of the day, doing well with the Pros and even fan voting will only get someone so far since that part of the show's been de-emphasized. It's rare that they bring up voting or Redemption points. If I was Young, I'd be thinking more about showing Management that he belongs in the company and brings something good to the table than winning NXT, since once it's over, they're going to be deciding when, where, and how he's used. BUT getting advice from the more experienced members of the roster is never a bad thing.
Oh, that's definitely my bad for giving away the match and match outcome. My apologies. It is a step in the right direction for Young, though. I would say the suspension was one of the main reasons for the sense of being tenuous by Management.
ReplyDeleteI agree that a decent amount of how a contestant is judged is by air time, but I consider what each contestant does with that air time to be more important. Unless one of them is COMPLETELY being ignored. I think even if Young isn't getting as much exposure as Bateman, he is standing out enough to make an impact to make up for it. In the upcoming weeks, and especially making an appearance and winning on Superstars could even it out a bit.
I would definitely like to see Kidd and Young team for a semi-SUSTAINABLE amount of time. Then again, knowing NXT, they constantly throw curve balls and make ill-conceived decisions, so you never know what will amount.
I am 100 percent with you on the being more ruthless like Finlay. It would really make him stand out. However, the PG rating on top of the fan vote COULD be factors. But you're right: Thinking long-term and knowing that you can still make it on a main roster without winning NXT is partially something to consider, also.
In terms of the Bateman angle, I guess we're just on two different creative sides of the fence. I think we both make logical points, but it is definitely common to have differences in opinions in contests like these. At the end of the day, if we both wouldn't be surprised if either Young or Bateman win this, it proves that point.
Haha, it's understandable. It's kind of taken for granted that people read spoilers beforehand, but I think that it takes away from some of the experience. To each his or her own.
ReplyDeleteIt's an especially good sign since I don't remember him appearing outside of NXT at all this season pre-suspension off the top of my head.
I agree about the use of air time being important. It's just that the Bateman/Curtis/Maxine angle has so many twists and turns and things that another Darren Young attack kind of goes under the radar. At least it's someone other than Titus now. Superstars is a big opportunity for him, since he'll presumably get a lot more time there than he has on NXT lately. I wouldn't say it will be make or break for him, but it can boost him in my eyes and those of Management if he makes a big splash there.
Kidd and Finlay are two of my favorites for their style. They didn't need to be particularly memorable on the mic to make an impact and both have pulled out some things rather uncommon in today's WWE (Finlay using the ring as a weapon, like Young's doing now).
He was still able to do the attacks on Hornswoggle and the announcers with the PG rating. I'm not sure what specifically is off-limits, and I'd guess he wouldn't be able to get away with the same things as a tenured veteran like Mark Henry or Big Show, but I'd like to think that he could be more vicious. It's kind of diluted by him talking at times. Sometimes a menacing, intense stare can say a lot more than a long promo. Everyone has their own opinion on what makes a character work (or what "should" make it work).
I wonder how many people remember that fan votes matter. I honestly can't think of the last time it was brought up.
For Bateman, his angle doesn't make me really want to cheer him or boo him, so in that sense he's not doing his job. His character has kind of floated around from insulting the fans and the cities to... not really behaving as evilly. It's very interesting to me and I like what he brings to the table, but in the greater picture (matches, championships, feuds other than Curtis), it does kind of leave him on an island.
I wouldn't be surprised of much of anything in regards to the show now. The Pros won't necessarily have the same opinions as Management. I've read that if it was just up to them, Daniel Bryan would have likely won Season 1 (Management eliminated him), and the very inexperienced Kaitlyn wouldn't have defeated Naomi (instead, she got to wrestle Vickie Guerrero on Smackdown before the contest was even over, and some would say that's why the fans were a lot more behind her than Naomi).
Yeah, I wish a decision would be made regarding NXT and eliminations. On one hand, it does give the three added exposure and more realistic experience to evaluate them, but then again, it has turned more of a showcase for lower-card talent than the competition, like we talked about.
ReplyDeleteThis promo, end of the match and post match could be what you're talking about in regards to Young. He held back before this promo, but he's kind of been on more of a ruthlessness streak since. However, I agree he could take it up a notch. 3:10 to the end. Good promo, match and post-match before O'Brian's elimination.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yi5K7BE2liw
By the way, this match with Young in Superstars really will show his ruthlessness. He really takes that Finlay attitude in that match. You will like it.
ReplyDeleteIf some of those people got more screen time on other shows, theoretically they wouldn't need to be on NXT. They've been better about this lately with younger/fresher stars getting chances to show what they can do on Raw and Smackdown instead of just Superstars and NXT. It's a running theme with me that I'm impatient and want to see more in that vein. It seems like there are so many talented superstars still fairly new in their careers right now, and more potentially in the wings.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how realistic it would be for business, but I wish the less new/fresh characters would be used more sparingly, so it means more when we see them. Brock Lesnar doesn't compete every week for UFC, etc.. It feels unfair that a Kevin Nash, Triple H, or Undertaker can just slip in and take up a lot of TV time despite being in the background for most of the year. They've all had Hall of Fame level careers but they're not the ones working multiple shows a week on the road for the company. And they're pretty much just rehashing what they've done in years past instead of reinventing themselves and/or getting a new direction like Kane or Mark Henry.
I see why they do it, because those stars still have their audiences and people will still pay to see them. It is all about money and not necessarily who's the hardest worker and can bring the most to the table if they get more time to show what they can do.
Not that I'm dissing Taker or HHH. They've earned their spots. Two of my all-time favorites. But guys like them can't be relied on forever, and if they're portrayed as being so far above the other competitors, why should we care about the people on their way up the card?
Anyway... sorry that I went off on a rant. I just saw Young's match. I liked it a good deal. If there weren't so many other people fighting for screen time, maybe we'd see more like that.
You're right. I couldn't agree more. While I respect guys like the Undertaker, it takes opportunities away from a lot of these talented guys on NXT. Being that there are only four TELEVISED hours of programming per week, it's VERY hard to find time for some of these guys. A lot of them (Baretta, Kidd, Young, Hawkins, Reks, etc..) are hard workers that have the skills to earn televised time on one of the main brands, and the random returns of those hall-of-fame older guys do get in the way of it.
ReplyDeleteThat Young/Baretta match is exhibit a to exemplify our point. I think Baretta has some holes like Striker said, but he is one hell of a wrestler. Both showed a lot in that ring, and honestly, that was a better match than 80 percent of the televised matches. That Gutcheck from the top rope was absolutely DISGUSTING and the instensity was on another level. It felt like a pay-per-view.
In terms of that segment I sent you and that Young/Baretta match, is that the intensity you're looking for to bring him to the "5" level?
ReplyDeleteAgain, sorry I went on such a tangent. It's just kind of stuck in my craw that the last WWE PPV of 2011 was partially headlined by Nash, HHH, Big Show, and Mark Henry- guys who have been on TV since the mid-'90s at least. Now, Henry's been the best I can ever remember, and the feud with Big Show makes a lot of sense because of the attack he did on him, etc.. but Triple H is a backstage guy at this point of his career. He hasn't competed regularly in, what, 2 years? And he gets the biggest angle on the show? I might feel differently if the whole angle was a way to make Punk a really big deal, but they turned away from that for someone who hasn't been in the company since 2003. And they feuded over backstage politics from the '90s! A 52-year-old with more knee surgeries than I can remember is portrayed as one of the top guys in the company. It's ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteBut, they are legends, and I guess there's an audience who still wants to see them compete. Though it could be argued that they didn't become legends without the company getting behind them and giving them time to show what they can do...
Not to mention that if WWE was doing their jobs right, NXT and Superstars would still be on the air.
Now that that's off my chest, that was definitely a good step in the right direction from Young. If he can consistently perform like that and improve on the mic, then I imagine he'll be closing in on a 5. Just remember that that's hypothetical, and depends on what comes from him in the future. I liked what we saw from him and hope more in that vein is coming.
As for Barreta (whose name I've probably misspelled countless times), I honestly have to say he's surprising me lately. Given that he was treated as an afterthought for so long, I had either never gotten to see or forgotten how good he could be. Reminds me a bit of the Hardy Boys earlier in their careers.
Oh, of course I have to point out that that's what happens when wrestlers actually get to show what they can do in the ring. I hope some of the people getting evaluated for the main roster get a chance to do the same soon.