Peter Kostka
Tracking the Call-Ups
Let’s try a new feature. In this space I will look at the NXT stars that have made their way to becoming a regular part of the main roster (i.e. regularly featured on RAW and/or Smackdown. Main Event doesn’t count.)
Adrian Neville: I actually don’t really mind the cape as “high flying superhero” Neville does fit his character and wrestling style pretty well. After a showcase squash on the RAW after Mania, he had a really good match with Seth Rollins on this past RAW. Obviously I wasn’t expecting Neville to win but he held his own out there and it took J&J Security interference for Seth to get the upper hand to win. Pretty much a perfectly booked match that got Neville over with a new crowd while still keeping Seth strong. Throw him into the IC title picture right now.
The Lucha Dragons: I know I’ve said in the past that it is Kalisto’s time to shine, but the main roster desperately needed a new tag team in the mix (so Los putos Matadores aren’t filling WrestleMania match spots) so keeping them together for a little while longer is a good idea. Kalisto is still the showcase piece of the team and the fans are gravitating to them immediately.
This week’s episode features NXT events at WrestleMania Fan Axxess in San Jose, California. Your commentators are Rich Brennan and Corey Graves, so I guess the two man booth is permanent and I am now 100% OK with it because they are growing a great chemistry together.
We begin with a video package of the hype of WrestleMania which focuses on the NXT stars meeting fans. Kevin Owens is mad that Sami Zayn is in the Ultimate Superstar Guide and he isn’t, so he signs the book with a drawing of himself (“I’m an artist!”). He also greets Sami at his signing in a funny bit. It’s obvious all of these guys really enjoy doing this stuff for the fans.
The main draw of NXT at Axxess is an eight man tournament where the winner earns a slot in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at (the pre-show of) WrestleMania. We get highlights of the first round which include:
– Finn Balor pinning Baron Corbin via a crucifix.
– Tyler Breeze beating Bull Dempsey with the Beauty Shot.
– Hideo Itami beating Jason Jordan with the Shotgun Kick.
– Adrian Neville beating Kalisto with the Red Arrow. I so want to see that match on SmackDown or something now.
We will see the semifinals (featuring two matchups that, to my knowledge, haven’t been on TV before) and finals in full tonight.
Semifinal #1: Hideo Itami vs. Adrian Neville
Neville plays the heel in this match and he is GREAT at it. I kind of wish that he would have done a little heel run before he was called up; he definitely had the motivation after two high profile losses to Zayn and Balor. Even though it is in a ring tucked in the corner of a conference center in front of like 200 (very vocal and appreciative) people, these two go BALLS OUT. This isn’t some “this is just an exhibition for fans walking by so let’s just go easy out there” match. Itami takes control after a brief feeling out process and Neville is sent to the outside. He milks the ref’s 10 count saying “I got time.” He headbutts Itami low to take back control and methodically beats Itami down to get the fans to clap for Hideo. Graves is liking Neville’s mean streak and wished he had it when they were tag partners. Itami makes his comeback with a running knee into the corner and a BEAUTIFUL flying clothesline and a fisherman’s suplex for 2. GTS is teased, but Neville squirms away, so Itami kicks him into the corner and goes for the dropkick, but Neville DRILLS him with a superkick. I mean HBK probably heard it from his signing table and nodded in approval. He goes for the Red Arrow, but Itami moves and gets the corner dropkick before the Shotgun Kick ends it. Fucking GREAT match. Go watch it.
Semifinal #2: Finn Balor vs. Tyler Breeze
The commentators wonder if Breeze will make the Andre trophy #Gorgeous. “It could look better with some fur.” OK, never break these two up. Tyler gets an armdrag and does his “cockily laying on the top rope” taunt, so when Balor gets a dropkick, HE does the taunt right back. Breeze misses a corner splash and Balor kicks him, sending Breeze into the air. Is Breeze’s Performance Center class just them showing old Shawn Michaels spots and saying “do these”? I’m not complaining because he is basically the same character HBK was post-Rockers split and he’s awesome at it. The camera shows that a HUGE crowd has gathered for this one as Breeze has a chinlock and tells the ref to “ASK HIM PLEASE!” Balor makes the comeback and hits the Slingblade before the running corner dropkick and Coup de Grace gets the pin. Another fun match that focused more on character than technical skill. Tyler Breeze is ready for the main roster. Finn Balor has been ready the second he stepped into the company.
Dana Brooke promo. So she’s blonde, has muscles and woodenly cuts generic “I’m arrogant” promos. I guess that’s SOME character depth.
We take a look at the NXT live event from San Jose State University that drew 5000+ people aka the one show I would have given my left nut to be at. They use the “Adrenaline Rush” music that Impact used to use which is really, really funny to me. At least it is being used on a GOOD wrestling show. It really makes NXT look like the greatest thing ever. We get soundbytes from Scott Hall, Stephanie McMahon and Shawn Michaels putting NXT over and Bayley gets special attention since San Jose is her hometown (and got one of the pops of the night). They kind of gloss over a Sasha Banks/Charlotte match that people were calling the best women’s match ever. I’ve watched it on a fan cam (the whole show is on YouTube if you look around) and it is really damn good. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if at the next set of taping they announce the next live show and are looking to put it in a similar building. If it is headlined by Zayn/Owens I know it will sell out just as fast as this one did.
Next Week: Sami Zayn vs. Rhyno
Finals: Hideo Itami vs. Finn Balor
I have to say, the commentators trying to put over the significance of winning this tournament after knowing how the winner actually fared doesn’t really work for me. This match is similar to the Neville/Itami match as both guys show off quickness and crispness in their moves. Balor rolls through a sunset flip and hits a dropkick, turning Itami around on a tornado DDT attempt and hitting a jumping enzuigiri for 2, but Itami comes back with the DDT to the rope and flying clothesline for 2. GTS is teased again and they trade strikes. Finn taking a headkick and hitting a Pele kick as he goes down will never get old to me. They trade forearms, but that just pisses off Itami and launches him into the FIGHTING SPIRIT comeback and a corner dropkick, but Finn counters the Shotgun Kick with the Slingblade. Finn hits the running dropkick and goes up, but Itami crotches him and goes for the GTS again, but Finn squirms away again, so Itami drills him with the Shotgun Kick to win the tournament. Three for three here. Perhaps nothing groundbreaking here, but just some solid wrestling. Itami does the patented WrestleMania Sign Point (TM) and hugs it out with Balor.
The rest of the show is a FANTASTIC mini-documentary about Itami’s WrestleMania weekend. We see footage of his WWE signing in Osaka, Japan (of course Hogan has to call the fans his “Japanese Hulkamaniacs. Fuck off, Hulk) and his debut in NXT. We meet his family and see clips of his match with Breeze at the house show where he FINALLY hits the GTS and blows the roof off of the joint. It really does a great job putting the guy over as only WWE’s crack production staff can do.
It’s just too bad that we see everything he does in the battle royal. Both spots. If you were going to do all this to put the guy over, couldn’t they have at least given him a better showing in the actual match instead of being unceremoniously dumped by Show? Perhaps put him in the final four? It’s like one hand doesn’t know what the other is doing around here. Anyway, overall this was a great way to get fans who, since this is a free month, are maybe watching NXT for the first time familiar with who Itami is.
OVERALL: So…a show that, at first glance, seems to be just a clip show full of WrestleMania weekend footage ends up being one of the best episodes of the year. Who knew?
Until next week….
