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Showing posts with label Adrian Neville. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Adrian Neville. Show all posts

NXT Takeover: Rival -- Results & Afterthoughts


NXT TakeOver: Rival took place on February 11, 2015 and served as NXT's premiere event to kick off the 2015 season of NXT programming and storylines in the wake of the critically acclaimed and praised NXT TakeOver: [R]Evolution. Did this event live up to the hype and high-standard that it's predecessor set the bar for? Let's find out shall we?

Hideo Itami defeated Tyler Breeze. Itami pinned Breeze after a running kick.

Not bad for an opening match. I still feel like Tyler Breeze has been reduced to an afterthought or rather, enhancement talent, after the monumental signings of Prince Devitt (Finn Balor), KENTA (Hideo Itami), and Kevin Steen (Kevin Owens), but at least he put on a stellar showing in this match with Itami. I wonder where they will go from here as NXT has to be VERY careful how they push Itami and Balor from here on out. I personally would have kept them both as a tag team a bit longer before dissolving their partnership, but apparently NXT wanted to split that up and push them to the moon as singles competitors.

I'm not taking anything away from Itami in the least but I can't help but feel sorry for Tyler Breeze who constantly seems to be getting the short end of the deal.

I'm guessing that NXT are going to keep teasing the Go To Sleep by Itami until his first big title win as a singles competitor. I'm already shocked that they are still letting him use the Busaiku Knee Kick while Daniel Bryan already had first dibs on that as a finisher. CM Punk isn't coming back anytime soon so WWE should go ahead and give Itami one of his iconic moves to his NXT arsenal.

No Disqualification Match: Baron Corbin defeated Bull Dempsey. Corbin countered a chairshot attempt into the End Of Days for the win.

To be quite honest, NXT lost my interest in this feud the second these two fought each other for the first time after all of the hype and anticipation, only for Bull Dempsey to lose CLEAN. No bullshit, no count out, nada - just a CLEAN loss. Apparently, Bull Dempsey is the 2015 edition Mojo Rawley after losing not once but TWICE to Corbin prior to this match. Corbin's match against Adrian Neville two weeks ago on NXT's weekly broadcast, but I'm skeptical how they are going to continue to build this guy off squash matches.

I honestly don't see how this guy is being garnered as "the next big thing" (no pun intended), when we haven't see him do much in an extended bout that's not a squash match. Neville can work a stellar match with a paper bag so you can't garner judgment on Corbin's single match against him.

As for this match itself, it was better than what I was expecting going into this. If this event had any piss break match, it was this one for sure. This match was littered with "been there, done that" spots and a more than obvious finish.

NXT Tag Team Championship Match: Blake & Murphy (c) defeated the Lucha Dragons. Blake & Murphy retained after a frog splash. After the match, we got more teases for Solomon Crowe’s debut.

I have been saying it since they debuted but Blake and Murphy are NXT's poor man's version of the American Wolves sprinkled with a little of the Motor City Machine Guns, but without their flair and charisma. It disappointed me to see this match filled with botches to start off, but they were fortunate to shake off those shortcomings and turn this match around for the better during it's latter half.


I feel like the Lucha Dragons are trying to overcompensate and compete with what the guys down in Lucha Underground are doing every time they perform on NXT over the last few months. If I were Kalisto, Hunico/Sin Cara, Primo, Epico, and El Torito, I would be racing to Lucha Underground without hesitation once my contract expires. They are talented without a doubt, but their talents pale in comparison to the folks in Lucha Underground as a whole.

I have been believers of Blake & Murphy's abilities for a while now, but I wish they had a better storyline that secured them tag team gold instead of a fluke win after they were one of (MANY) teams fed to the Ascension religiously over the past year in squash matches. In the words of Jim Cornette, it's going to take a while to wash that smell of funk off of them.


#1 Contender Tournament Final: Finn Bálor defeated Adrian Neville. Bálor pinned Neville after a top rope double-stomp.


I'll give you guys a second to recover from your orgasms from Devitt's entrance again...


Great match from start to finish. This match marked the point of this event where business really picked up big time. I'm glad that WWE are allowing Devitt to keep using the Bloody Sunday (and it's variations) as signatures/finishers, but I rather he end a match with that than the double foot stomp.

On a side note, wasn't it ironic that New Japan Pro Wrestling's weekly show made sure to highlight Devitt's match against Okada this past week? I thought that was perfect timing given that this was one of the three high profile matches on this event's card.

Fatal 4-Way for the NXT Women’s Championship: Sasha Banks defeated Charlotte, Becky Lynch and Bayley. Bayley hit a second-rope Bayley-to-Belly on Charlotte and went for the pin, but Sasha pulled her off. Sasha locked in the Banks Statement on Charlotte, who refused to tap. Ultimately Sasha turned the crossface into a crucifix pin to win and become the new NXT Women’s Champion.


(Stands up and applauds)

The ladies had the infamous "death spot" before the main event and managed to COMPLETELY blow Balor and Neville's match out of the water from start to finish.











If you're a fan of women's wrestling, you MUST see this match. If you don't believe women are just as talented as men in this sport, watch this match. If you're just a fan of professional wrestling in general, PLEASE do yourself a favor and watch this match. It's that damn good.

With Sasha Banks being crowned as the new NXT Women's Champion, it looks like Charlotte could be bringing a little Flair to the main roster sooner more than later. I'm all for her on the main roster as long as she doesn't steamroll over the already battered Divas division. This is the time to rejuvenate the division not dig it into the dirt even further. Both AJ Lee and Paige's title reigns over the past year have done enough damage to the perception of the division.


As for the NXT Women's division, Sasha's title reign was LONG overdue in my humble opinion. She should have gotten it over Charlotte in Paige's absence if she wasn't riding her Daddy's coat tails to stardom. Sasha has more than capable opponents to keep her busy for the duration of 2015 and beyond -  Bayley, Becky Lynch, Alexa Bliss (why hasn't she been on any of these events??), and Carmella to name a few.

The sky is the limit for these girls down here on NXT. I can see why even the main roster Divas are saying the NXT girls are better off staying down there after this wrestling showcase that these girls put on this event.

NXT Championship Match: Kevin Owens defeated Sami Zayn (c). Owens repeatedly powerbombed Zayn, causing doctors to check on Zayn. Owens was relentless, repeatedly powerbombing Zayn until the referee stopped the match and awarded him the NXT Championship. Title change by TKO.


I'm going to get heat for saying it but here goes...





This match was a bit of a letdown.


Allow me to elaborate. I have watched this event about three times now and while I cannot fault NXT for their masterful storytelling with this narrative with this match, I cannot get behind putting the strap on Kevin Owens immediately like this. Sami Zayn losing in his first second defense is a bit jarring, but I suppose it added more shock and awe to the Streak being ended-style reaction from the live audience. A part of me felt like Sami Zayn got the rug pulled out from underneath him prematurely, but at the same time, the guy has based his ENTIRE NXT career on bouncing back from screw jobs and shortcomings. He's better at being Daniel Bryan (i.e. the underdog babyface) than Daniel Bryan himself.

I had to ask a friend to clarify, but the title change via KO hasn't been used in decades as a finish. That alone is a milestone for NXT's storytelling here. Plus that is a rather ironic way to win your first title when your moniker/gimmick is "KO", Mr. Owens.

At the same time, I was expecting something a bit more graphic (i.e. some blood in there...), especially given Owens/Zayn's history on the independent scene that NXT are playing off of here. I had my fingers crossed for a Package Piledriver spot, but I guess we're all going to have to get used to Owens' finisher being the Snap Powerbomb in WWE's playground.

Closing Thoughts 

This event was great, but at the same time, it was NOWHERE as good as NXT Takeover: [R]Evolution back in December. If you ask the WWE marks who eat and worship all of the shit that comes out of WWE's ass with a shovel, they will tell you that this show or ANY NXT event was the hottest thing since sliced bread.




There's one huge glaring weakness to NXT and I have to admit that they are doing a fine job at covering it up, but it's their tag team division. I'm not really surprised as WWE as a whole doesn't know what to do with tag teams anymore. As soon as something gets hot, they want to split a team up and push them as singles stars. The Dubstep Twins (the smarks' name for Blake & Murphy) aren't doing much to change that mindset while the Lucha Dragons failed to provide something new and fresh in a division that seems completely lost after the Ascension got called up to the main roster. Enzo Amore and Big Cass are excellent on the microphone but as exciting as watching wet paint dry in the ring, while Jason Jordan and Tye Dillinger showed some promise, but they were currently split up and reduced to squash/jobber matches as of late. The Vaudevillains haven't been seen for weeks, despite their strong outings throughout 2014 and their recent failure to capture the gold from the Lucha Dragons. Like I mentioned earlier, NXT would have benefited from keeping Itami and Balor as a tag team after they disposed of the Ascension. It was rather strange that they didn't challenge for tag titles at least once. Instead they quickly split up and went their own separate ways.

I personally wouldn't rate this event higher than [R]Evolution, but it ties with the ArRIVAL event from last year in terms of quality. The ladies truly stole the show from the boys on this one and as a fan of women's wrestling, it makes me beam with pride from that fact. This just makes me wish that WWE would have more confidence with their women on the main roster and give them similar opportunities to shine like this. Contrary to popular belief, it's not that the main roster's Divas "suck" in comparison, it's the fact that they have little to nothing to work with. Try getting yourself over, tell a story, work some psychology, AND create a character for yourself within 3-5 minutes (entrances included in that time), if THAT much once every other week on WWE programming? Not every Diva is AJ Lee, who gets a lot more screen time to get herself over on the camera than most of the other girls - in and out of the ring.

The last three matches of the show really saved this show from being a flat out average event. Neville/Balor threw the home run pitch while the Fatal 4 Way for the Women's Championship knocked it out of the park big time. The main event was great, without a shadow of doubt, but it just left me craving more.

I guess I'm a little disappointed to see Sami Zayn go from his show-stealing performance at [R]Evolution only to find himself in the same position as John Cena at Summerslam last year against Brock Lesnar, mounting little offense against Kevin Owens. It seems like every major North American-based promotion is going for their own Brock Lesnar archetype that is systematically destroying everything in their way - Bobby Lashley (Impact Wrestling), Brian Cage (Lucha Underground), Moose or Hanson (Ring of Honor), and now Kevin Owens on NXT.

Then again, babyfaces always need to be chasing something so I'm anxious to see how Sami Zayn bounces back from this defeat as we know that this feud is far from over. As for Finn Balor as the next #1 contender, NXT have to play that match VERY carefully as they don't want to tarnish his credibility prematurely. I'm guessing that Owens will retain against him via DQ or count-out without the title changing hands. Once again, NXT have to be careful how they weave the narrative of Owens vs. Balor as they don't want to damage either rising star's credibility at this point.
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NXT Takeover: [R]Evolution -- Results & Afterthoughts


NXT Takeover: [R]Evolution took place on December 11, 2014. WWE advertised for Kevin Owens' debut during the event. Corey Graves, who announced on the preshow his retirement from the ring due to concussions, made his debut as a commentator for the event.

Kevin Owens def. CJ Parker in his NXT debut

After watching Kevin Steen, now dubbed Kevin Owens (named after his favorite wrestler, Owen Hart, and a tribute to his own son, Owen), for the past few years in Ring of Honor, I had a lot of faith in his WWE debut. My only concerns are his backstage attitude and keeping his weight down for WWE's preferences. Don't forget what happened to Chris Hero/Kassius Ohno (WWE seems to love these "KO" monikers...) - he got fired because he had a beer gut since he couldn't keep his weight down. 

Getting busted open in his debut was that struck of luck that Kevin Owens needed in his debut to get over with the Full Sail University crowd (and everyone else for that matter) to get over as a legitimate roughneck, bad ass. Regardless, the guy manages to finish the match with a busted nose, thanks to a botched Shotei from CJ Parker, causing the blood to pour out like a faucet. I was a little underwhelmed that WWE made one of his old running/diving move counters into his finisher, Pop-Up Powerbomb. I can't be too surprised as I knew going into this that WWE wouldn't allow him to use the Package Piledriver as a finisher here. 

Baron Corbin def. random jobber while Bull Dempsey watches from the crowd

This has been going on for weeks now and I hope they get to the point with these encounters. Are they going to team up or are they going to feud against each other and finally end these squash matches as NXT is running out of jobbers for both of them. 

Over the last few months, people keep telling me that Baron Corbin has the "it factor" to be a big star, but in all honesty, I'm not seeing it. I'll give it more time into the New Year, but this isn't the 90's anymore and these guys with these "streaks" from defeating waves of nameless jobbers and forgettable opponents don't impress me in the least. I will garner fair judgment of this guy once he has a legitimate threat and wrestles a match that's not a squash. 

Lucha Dragons def. The Vaudevillains to retain the NXT Tag Team Championships

As much as I loved the video vignettes to build up to this match, the match itself left me a bit underwhelmed. Maybe I'm spoiled from watching pure lucha libre from Lucha Underground, but I was hoping from a little bit better from this match. All of these guys are talented, don't get me wrong, but this match felt more like a standard bout on a regular episode of NXT than a title match.

I hope The Vaudevillains don't fall to the bottom of the ladder in terms of contenders to the NXT Tag titles as I wouldn't mind them getting a title run in the New Year. That being said, there's a LOT of budding teams in this division, so both the Vaudevillains AND the current reigning champions, the Lucha Dragons, are going to have to stay on their toes or any one of the other teams may take their spots in this division.

Speaking of which, that brings us to the next match on this card...

Hideo Itami & Finn Balor def. The Ascension


I remember watching this event live and my Twitter feed exploded during Finn Balor's entrance. I personally found it to be hilarious to see the WWE marks' reactions as I can clearly tell who has and has not seen Prince Devitt (Finn Balor) work a match prior to his NXT arrival. That being said, I wouldn't get too excited as reports already confirmed that this won't be a regular thing for Devitt wearing his signature body paint. Much like his run on the indies and more notably for NJPW, it's going to be saved for special occasions, such as these live PPV-style events.

This match wasn't bad at all, but after watching the recap special on NXT that same week earlier that day, it's the EXACT same match they wrestled against the Ascension from their first encounter. Sure, the finish is different, but it's pretty much the same match they wrestled before.

To be honest, I was more entertained at how hard NXT was trolling during this match to cater to the marks than the actual contest itself: KENTA (Hideo Itami) teasing the Go To Sleep (an obvious spot out of spite towards CM Punk, despite KENTA being the innovator of the move) before it was countered and Devitt hitting the Reverse Bloody Sunday (rarely WWE allows popular indy talent to use their same finishers on their programming - i.e. Cesaro, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, etc.) were at the top of this list of spots they were doing to get a reaction out of people.

Charlotte def. Sasha Banks to retain the NXT Women's Championship

Before I even talk about this match, I want to rave for the video package that hyped up this match. I swear if more video packages like this were made for the women's division, I think more people would care about the Divas instead of instantly writing them off as the "bathroom break" on every show and PPV event.

As much as I enjoyed this match and was thoroughly entertained to see women's wrestling matter again in WWE's product, I can't discredit Sasha Banks for carrying Charlotte throughout this match. From start to finish, Sasha lived up to her moniker as "The Boss" - carrying the momentum and controlling the pacing of this match.

If you regularly read my live tweets during NXT and WWE programming, you should know that I'm not particularly fond of Charlotte's ring work. I feel that she's improving but she's not that strong of a competitor unless she has someone (namely a veteran) who can control the match from start to finish and hide her flaws. Sasha Banks performed that task flawlessly. I'm skeptical to believe that Charlotte wouldn't be in this position in the NXT Women's division if her daddy wasn't Hall of Famer, "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair.

Despite what I think about Charlotte, this match did what it set out to do. It added another accomplishment to Charlotte's resume as another bullet point by establishing her as strong champion in a division without the "Anti-Diva" Paige. We all know that Paige left some rather large shoes to fill in for the NXT Divas in her absence. Sasha Banks turned a lot of heads as well, establishing herself as a future star in the making. If she either doesn't win the NXT Women's Championship by the end of 2015 or show up on the main roster, then I'm going to be surprised. Like I was telling another friend about this match, Sasha has a lot more "character" (the main thing that keeps AJ Lee over while diluting her mediocre ring work) than the bulk of girls on both rosters and she's not afraid to show it.

(Whistles) With or without Paige, the Divas of NXT continue to set the standard and raise the bar higher in terms of women's wrestling in WWE. If the Divas on the main roster don't step their game up in 2015, then the NXT Women's title will end up being more prestigious than the Divas Championship, no matter how long  or how many times AJ Lee holds it.

Sami Zayn def. Adrian Neville (c) to become the NEW NXT Champion

This was the moment that we have been waiting for. Every time these two Superstars get into the ring together it has been truly magical. Without a shadow of a doubt, this match is going to be on everyone's Match of the Year lists one way or another. This match had everything - superb storytelling, amazing athleticism, and a powerful payoff that sets the stage for the future of NXT for months to come. This sole match had everything that is missing in a lot of WWE's product on the main roster.

If Sami Zayn didn't win this, I would've cried for him. That shows how much emotion was behind this match. As a wrestling fan, I was proud to see these indy greats make their mark on one of WWE's grand stages. The sky is only the limit here for these guys. If you didn't mark out for Kevin Owens' heel turn post-match then clearly you haven't kept up with their history prior to WWE.

(Whistles) If they can top their crazy on/off wars from Ring of Honor, then NXT fans are truly in for a treat for the years to come.

Final Thoughts:

Without a shadow of a doubt, this was my personal favorite WWE Pay-Per-View of 2014 just from my favorites from the independent scene upstaging the main roster talent. This single event proved that WWE has the tools to be amazing again.

This was the wake-up call that the ENTIRE WWE Universe and all of its employees needed. With all of the alternatives on the horizon for 2015 - Lucha Underground, New Japan, Global Force Wrestling, Impact Wrestling on Destination America, Ring of Honor, etc., WWE can't settle with their mediocre "same ol' shit" regime. If they can continue putting on stellar shows such as this, then there's hope for the future of WWE and Vince McMahon wouldn't have to worry about the subscription numbers for the WWE Network nor fear people walking away from his product to the abundance of alternatives.

NXT, keep up the great work. The future is looking bright.

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