The NXT Episode – 2nd March 2010
02/03/2010
Hello and welcome the NXT Episode!
Although NXT is supposedly ‘reality TV meets wrestling’, it’s actually pretty similar to all the other shows so it won’t be much different to any of the other parts that make up the Weekly Rundown!
If you’d like to read about the Rookies that made their début last week check out my Suite101 aritcle Here.
Let us know what you think of the NXT Episode, or NXT in general by using our Contact Us page or by dropping a few words to any of the usual e-mail addresses.
On with the show!
Quick Links
Segment 1: Striker Talks Rules
Match 1: David Otunga Vs. Darren Young
Segment 2: Daniel Bryan Background Video
Segment 3: The Miz and his Rookie
Segment 4: David Otunga Interviewed
Segment 5: Jericho Hypes Barrett
Match 2: Wade Barrett Vs. Daniel Bryan
Segment 6: Heath Slater Self Promotes
Segment 7: Hardy & Gabriel Interviewed
Main Event: Hardy & Gabriel Vs. Regal & Sheffield
Segment 1
Striker Talks Rules
Before the show got under-way properly NXT’s host Matt Striker explained a little bit more about the ‘Reality TV’ aspect of the show.
Apparently each ‘Pro’ will get to vote for the ‘Rookie’ they feel most impressed by, but the twist is that they aren’t allowed to vote for or against their own charge.
Match 1
Singles Match
David Otunga (w/R-Truth)
Vs.
Darren Young (w/The Straight Edge Society)
Rather than showing off the three remaining rookies, we kick off the show with a re-match.
That said, this should be kind of fresh as Young got completely squashed last week.
The commentary team spent the majority of this match talking about Otunga’s celebrity connections, with name-drops including Cedric the Entertainer and his fiancée Jennifer Hudson.
However, they did spend a little time discussing the relationship between Darren Young and his estranged mentor C.M Punk, who apparently said he wants nothing to do with his Rookie.
Young has apparently said he’d be open to learning more about the Straight Edge lifestyle, hoping that he could adapt to ‘partying in modification’.
Despite claiming that he wanted nothing to do with his Rookie, C.M Punk gave a huge assist to Darren Young at the climax of this match.
While R-Truth and Luke Gallows drew the attention of the referee, C.M Punk tripped Otunga, allowing Young to hit his finisher and pick up his first victory.
After the match the SES left the ringside area without Young and Otunga pushed his Rookie R-Truth and left on his own, seemingly more out of frustration than anything else.
Christian & Heath Slater win by Pinfall.
Segment 2
Daniel Bryan Background Video
A ‘background video’ for Daniel Bryan played, where he talked about his career to date and his future dreams.
He talked about how he was trained by Shawn Michaels, how he wants to win NXT and of course how he wants to one day headline WrestleMania.
Afterwards Michael Cole continued his semi-heelish profile building, claiming Josh Mathews and his ‘Twitter Geeks’ haven’t changed his opinion that Bryan still isn’t ready for the ‘WWE Level’ of performance.
Segment 3
The Miz and his Rookie
Boy are they pushing Bryan over the other guys.
Bryan is sitting backstage having his injuries from last week assessed when The Miz enters.
He insincerely congratulated him on his debit match, saying that he learned a valuable lesson last week; that he’s nothing, dirt, worthless etc.
He then said the second lesson he will learn is that you have to wrestle with injuries, so tonight he’ll take on Jericho’s Rookie Wade Barrett.
Before leaving The Miz gave his Rookie a slap of encouragement… right on his injured ribs.
Segment 4
David Otunga Interviewed
During the break Matt Striker caught up with Otunga after his first loss and asked him what happened.
Otunga says he got jumped just as he was about to pick up a second victory.
Just as Striker began to ask another question R-Truth burst in and hurled abuse at his youngster, telling him that he wouldn’t make a name off his back.
The two eventually started brawling and had to be separated by referees.
Segment 5
Jericho Hypes Barrett
World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho emerged alongside his Rookie Wade Barrett (who I still thing would have been far more suited to being mentored by William Regal, as he is pretty much a younger carbon copy.)
Jericho introduced all the ‘failures’ in the crowd to the next WWE success story and a background video played for him.
After seeing Barrett for a few minutes I can kind of see why they didn’t put him with Regal, as it would have emphasised the similarities between them even more than they already are.
Match 2
Singles Match
Wade Barrett (w/Chris Jericho)
Vs.
Daniel Bryan
Jericho joined the commentary team to sing his Rookie’s praises for this match, although he spent most of the time crowing about how he had softened Bryan up last week.
Bryan never really got going in this match, which was mostly put down to his ‘severely’ injured ribs, but the fact that his mentor The Miz watched the whole thing from backstage can’t have helped either.
Barrett picked up the victory before Jericho hit the ring and inflicted even more punishment on Bryan with a Walls of Jericho.
Barrett looks very good and can speak well too, I expect fairly big things from him as long as his nationality doesn’t work against him.
Wade Barrett wins by Pinfall.
Segment 6
Heath Slater Self Promotes
A clip is played from earlier in the day showing Heath Slater ‘blowing his own trumpet’ as his mentor Christian tries to work out.
Christian tells him that there’s a big difference between being confident and over-confident. He tells him that he hasn’t earned the big cheers from last week yet, as they were Christian’s ‘Peeps’ that were cheering when they won.
He finishes by saying that he sees big things in Slater’s future and that he likes him, but only a little.
Segment 7
Hardy & Gabriel Interviewed
Backstage Matt Striker spoke to South African performer Justin Gabriel and his Pro Matt Hardy.
Gabriel says that he’s happy with his selection of mentor and Hardy says that he thinks his Rookie performs like a young Matt Hardy.
Wow, we actually have a team who get along properly?
Main Event Match
Tag Team Match
William Regal & Skip Sheffield
Vs.
Matt Hardy & Justin Gabriel
Skip Sheffield’s Background Video played at the start of this match and it seems he’s been geared up with a dumb but ridiculously strong Texan gimmick.
As you’d expect, Sheffield and Regal are yet another pairing that don’t exactly seem eye to eye, with Regal describing his Rookie’s personality as being similar to that of an open grave.
Sheffield and Regal used this match to air their grievances as much as beat on Hardy and Gabriel, and in the end this was the thing that cost them the match, with Sheffield failing to make the save after Regal got hit with the Twist of Fate and a 450 Splash.
Matt Hardy & Justin Gabriel win by Pinfall.
Closing Segment
That’s Cool
Backstage Matt Striker gathered with the other 6 NXT Rookies when Carlito entered with an apple in hand.
After taking a huge bite and walking up and down the row of hopefuls he finally settled on Heath Slater, spitting chunks of apple into his face.
Carlito declared his actions ‘cool’ and left, leaving Slater fuming but unable to respond.
If you want to read more about tonight’s NXT débutantes Click Here.
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