Jonathan Dehn
WWE NXT
05/22/2014
Full Sail University
Bo Dallas vs. Big E
This is a win or go home match for Bo, so I’m not entirely expecting victory for him against Big E. We find out that Renee despises Tim Tebow after Bo is compared to him. Bo grabs the stick and has to inspire others. He humbly accepts the title of Mr. NXT. The fans are actually family to him. What a model citizen this guy is. Big E revisits his old NXT fans that chant five to him. He looks so happy to be home.
Big E begins with a heavy shoulderblock to send Bo scurrying outside. Bo stalls. Big E follows with another shoulderblock and slugs away. In the corner, Big E once again goes for five punches in a row. Bo runs away to some heat, not letting the fans finish it up. Bo keeps on running away around the ringside area before clipping Big E’s knee. Langston has his head slammed into the steps. Back inside, Bo gets just one. Some punches then net him a two count and he goes to a neck vise. We hit a short break.
We return with Big E plowing into Bo in the corner, but Dallas gets two from a tackle much like his brother’s. The crowd responds with song. Cute. Bo hits a few elbows and nails Big E with a short armed clothesline for two. Big E fights back with a hard whip into the corner. Big E hits a couple of clotheslines and follows with a belly to belly suplex. Langston follows with a rush and THE STRAPS ARE DOWN.
Bo fights out and hits a reverse DDT for two. Dallas, desperate, throws some clotheslines in the corner. Big E gets out of the bulldog and hits an overhead belly to belly suplex for two. Bo gets the knees up on the big splash and hits a double arm DDT for almost three. Dallas removes the turnbuckle pad, but gets sent into it this time by Big E and The Big Ending finishes Bo in NXT. After the match, Dallas has a childish meltdown as he is kicked out of his home. “Don’t leave me!” Bo pleads with the fans.
Final Thoughts: **1/2. This was solid and had a nice callback to Bo’s title win with the turnbuckle spot. Also, it was nice to see Big E being able to play to the crowd with his old gimmick. Bo’s post-match theatrics were hilarious to me. During the break in the action, Bo had a great back and forth with the crowd, arguing with them and telling them to leave…before being the bigger man and leaving, himself.
-Tyson Kidd is pumped to have his title shot.
-Sami is backstage and is still looking forward to his future opportunities. Tyler Breeze pops in and after some talking; they will have a match at NXT Takeover. I’m having déjà vu, or they ran an angle just like that one not too long ago, word for word.
Paige vs. Tamina
Let’s see if Paige gets to work a match where she doesn’t get her ass kicked for 90 percent of it. Paige is also happy to be there. Tamina asserts her power on some lockups before Paige answers back with forearms and a hard kick to the cut. She releases a roar and then discovers that you don’t headbutt Samoans. On the apron, Paige delivers a knee, but then eats a clothesline. Tamina follows with a scoop slam, and hits a second. A third hits and Tamina gets two. Tamina drives a forearm into the back and moves to a bearhug.
Paige breaks free, but has her head taken off with a clothesline for two. There are a few more forearms to the back for Tamina, and she puts on a torture rack. I miss that move. Paige fights out with some elbows to the boobs. Paige runs her into the corner and hits a series of back elbows. A couple of clotheslines set her up to hit a running knee into the ropes that sounds just terrific. Paige gets a short armed clothesline. Tamina fights back and puts Paige on the top rope before dumping her all the way to the floor.
Back inside, Tamina goes to the top, but eats boots on the splash. Paige follows that with a small package from that position for the win.
Final Thoughts: **1/2. This was another solid encounter, and I’m beginning to think that Tamina is a lot better when not with the Total Divas. Well, that’s not saying anything, but she still looked good out there.
Camacho vs. Adam Rose
They’re continuing this feud, it seems. Camacho pounds away in the corner on Rose and beats him down before Rose gets an elbow and teases him in the ropes. Rose tackles and slugs away before getting the crowd on his side with some punches in the corner. Camacho has none of this and hits a running Samoan drop from the corner and then stomps away. The crowd calls him a party pooper. They slug it out, but Camacho hits a double underhook suplex and a legdrop for two. Rose absorbs some runs into the turnbuckle and comes back with some jabs and gets MEAN.
Rose hits a spinebuster and it’s choo-choo time. Rose calls for the finish, but Camacho shoves him off and…walks out on the match. He just stands there before the ring. Anyways, it’s party time and we’ll put this away for later.
Final Thoughts: I can give this a stupid snowflake if it had a finish, but…yeah. It’s kind of an annoying finish, since Rose is becoming a pretty big star, but I understand them letting him stay at a certain level at NXT to get the gimmick down for when he wrestles for a wider audience.
NXT Women’s Championship Tournament Semi-Final Match – Sasha Banks vs. Natalya
They lockup to start, and Sasha retreats after enraging Natalya. Nattie grabs a side headlock and hits a shoulderblock. Sash goes for a victory roll, but Nattie reverses for two. Nattie runs over the back and hits a front dropkick for two. Into the corner, Sasha slugs away and takes Nattie down with knees to the gut. That flurry gets two. Sasha moves to a straitjacket. Natalya picks her up and runs her into the corner before hitting a sweet double underhook suplex. Banks comes back with a bulldog and Sasha rolls out of the ring in obvious pain, clutching her hamstring. Charlotte rolls her back in prematurely, much to Sasha’s chagrin. Nattie trips her up and locks on the Sharpshooter for the win, putting her into the finals.
Final Thoughts: I like this Nattie/Charlotte match at Takeover for the belt is really about Ric Flair and Bret Hart. Although, we seem to forget that Bret is her uncle, but whatever. It should be a good match is Nattie can lead Charlotte through it like she should be able to, as Charlotte is improving almost hourly and will be great.
Curt Hawkins vs. Adrian Neville
Curt Hawkins is rocking shades that remind me of The Nasty Boys for some odd reason. I want to go on the record and say that WWE sticking with Neville’s old tag of being “The Man That Gravity Forgot” is not only a great thing but also shows that they aren’t entirely insane, since it’s such a great line. They exchange some reversals to start, but Hawkins gets cocky and Neville throws on a headlock. Hawkins hits a clothesline to the back of the head and stomps away. Curt hits a suplex for just one and goes to the chinlock.
Neville fights back and gets a boot up in the corner. He follows with a flying forearm and kicks Hawkins’ head off. Going up, Neville hits a dropkick and charges into the corner for an uppercut. He goes up once more and it’s Red Arrow for the easy win. After the match, Tyson Kidd comes on down and they suddenly both have microphones. Kidd lets his intentions known and lists off his accomplishments, yelling “FACT!” after each one. The crowd yells “FACT!” for Neville when he lists off his rebuttal. Neville takes a shot at Kidd’s manhood by saying that, as per usual, it’s his wife that will be winning gold.
Final Thoughts: This was just a nice squash for Neville to have going into what could be a terrific match with Tyson Kidd at Takeover. Their exchange after the fact wasn’t bad at all and stirs up a bit of excitement for the match on Thursday to be more intense than originally first thought.
–Thank you for reading my first attempt at an NX T review. This was a good show to set up Takeover. There was nothing mind altering, but that’s just fine. However, I’m beginning to notice a few changes that are creeping in. They’re telling me that the office is suddenly more concerned about this show and adding little tweaks. Let’s hope that this is full extent of their influence. And, I sure hope that Kidd and Neville get fifteen minutes and a hot crowd to work with.
