The SmarK Rant for WWE NXT – 02.19.14
Taped from Orlando, FL
Your hosts are Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton & Tensai
The Ascension v. Casey Marion & Mike Leboska
They really need to figure out something to do with these guys or just move them up to the main roster and be done with it. Usual destruction, ending with the Fall of Man at 1:30.
Emma v. Summer Rae
Emma works an armbar and blocks a sunset flip for two, but Summer puts her on the floor for some CATTY ABUSE from the BFFs. Back in, Summer works on the neck and gets two, and Emma misses a dropkick as this is pretty boring. And we take a break. Back with Summer holding the full nelson for a couple of near-falls and she goes to a chinlock. Emma comes back with the Dilemma , but Summer fights off the EmmaLock and rolls her up for two. The heels collide and Emma finishes with the EmmaLock at 9:00. Really, really dull as this storyline continues on the treadmill. *1/2
Meanwhile, Tyler Breeze is HORRIFIED that an uggo like Adrian Neville might be the Face of NXT. He does raise a valid point about Neville being ugly.
Meanwhile, Renee Young has a sitdown with Cesaro and Sami Zayn about their impending 2/3 falls match. Cesaro keeps cutting him off until Sami finally stands up for himself and chases him off. This week’s episode is like all filler, no killer. We’ve already had two commercials for the Elimination Chamber in addition to the Hulu ones.
Adrian Neville v. Tyler Breeze
Breeze stomps him down in the corner, but evades some GYMKATA and hits a dropkick to take control. And stops for a selfie, because there’s always time for a selfie. Neville comes back with a huge faceplant for two and throws some kicks. Tyler tries a comeback, but splats on the floor and we take a break. Back with Neville hitting a kind of Styles Clash for two, but he walks into a Breeze superkick after a comedy spot. Beauty Shot misses and Neville puts him down with an enzuigiri, and the Red Arrow finishes at 10:15. ** Bo Dallas comes out for a confrontation and they have a showdown laden with non-chemistry until Neville offers a free shot, and Bo walks away. Well that was thrilling.
The Pulse
Probably the worst episode in a long time, filled with talking and commercials for the Elimination Chamber. Clearly this is a show with EVERYTHING on hold until the live special and that makes for some boring TV.
Next week: Nothing announced. Honestly, I don’t even know if it’s still going to be on Hulu or the Network or if I’ll be able to watch the Network or what’s gonna happen. We’ll know for sure Tuesday at 9AM, I guess.
This episode was awful.
ReplyDeleteI want to add another thing, I am not that high on Neville. Unless he is flying around, he doesn't offer you much.
ReplyDeleteI think Neville could be a legit main roster mainstay, but I don't think he has tremendous upside. More of a long term midcard act than a main eventer or even upper midcarder. I could be wrong, we'll see.
ReplyDeleteEven smaller guys like Zayn and Kidd are much smoother wrestlers than Neville, who is also brutal on the mic. I think he will get called up but at best, he has a career at the same level as an Evan Bourne.
ReplyDeleteI'd say pair him with Bourne, then. Between the breakup of the Primetime Players, the imminent split of the Shield, the possibility that they might split up the Rhodes brothers, and the odds that they might follow through on Scott's advice and call up The Ascension, we have basically no strong babyface tag teams. Like, at all. Just the Usos and Los Matadores, seems like.
ReplyDeleteThe Ascension do nothing at all for me and I cant see them getting any sort of serious run in the tag division, which seems to be back to where it was a year ago. With The Shield, Rhodes Bros. and Real Americans looking like they are going to break up and the NAO as the champs, all that is left for decent teams are the Wyatt's and Usos. Los Matadores and 3MB are lower card acts.
ReplyDeleteI was watching this show religiously for a few months and then missed an ep a few weeks ago. Haven't bothered checking in since. I'll watch the Special as that should be really good but I do fear that the WWE have discovered NXT is a thing and are now ruining it like they do whenever Smackdown gets on a roll (through Vince's inattention). Hopefully the show picks up post-special but it remains to be seen.
ReplyDeleteWith its focus on angles and authority figures as of late, I fear it may be too late to put the genie back in the bottle. THIS SHOW DOES NOT NEED TRIPLE H TO APPEAR, EVER.
ReplyDeleteMaybe they could combine those last two tag teams to make a super-stable: The Dancing RyBlaxels? That'd put the butts in seats!
ReplyDeleteyeah, I'm kinda with you based on what I've seen of his nxt matches. I'd probably pair him with a big guy for a tag team, because I always like having one little dude to fly around and get the shit beat out of him and a designated 'wait for the tag' dude.
ReplyDeleteFlair's daughter is a BIG broad. Dolph Ziggler with His Perfect Ten Charlotte?
ReplyDeleteThey need to do more squashes on Raw. Would it hurt for Langston to kill some geeks in the first hour and bring back the five count gimmick?
ReplyDeleteSure, do they have any DB plans for RAW next week?
ReplyDeleteExactly who downvoted this? Is that you, Paul?!
ReplyDeleteWell at the least the divas got 9 minutes
ReplyDelete#yikes