The NXT Episode – 29th June 2010
29/06/2010
Season 2
Hello and welcome the NXT Episode!
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New : Much like in the Raw Review we’re launching a new feature as part of the NXT Episode, named ‘The ΠXT Directory’.
Here you’ll find all the important parts of this week’s episode, condensed into a few sentences, so if you’re in a rush you can get the essence of the show without reading through everything!
Check it out at the bottom of the page!
On with the show!
Quick Links
Opening Segment: Ashley’s Introduction
Match 1: M.V.P Vs. Husky Harris
Main Event: Kaval, Cannon & McGillicutty Vs. Cottonwood, Riley & O’Neil
Closing Segment: The Pros Poll & Elimination
Segment 1
Ashley’s Introduction and The Rookie Challenge
Great news everyone! Voting has officially opened on WWE.Com, so I guess it sucks that I’m doing this write-up almost a week late huh?
Ashley brings out the Rookies, the most interesting of their entrances coming from Titus O’Neil, who made a seal noise as he emerged from the back.
Ashley explained the concept of a vote (although I’m not really sure she understood what she was saying herself), then dropped the bombshell that the person coming up short tonight would actually be eliminated.
She then threw the action over to Matt Striker, who kicked off the very first Rookie Challenge of Season 2!
It’s the Keg Carry again and the winner once again receives immunity.
McGillicutty got disqualified almost immediately for dropping the keg, then said he’d finish the show in #1 spot anyway so it didn’t matter.
Lucky Cannon went second and posted a rather impressive time of 12.7 seconds.
Percy Watson strutted his way down to the keg next but couldn’t quite beat the time, crossing the line on 13 seconds flat (although it looked like he got over the line a bit quicker to me.)
Eli Cottonwood didn’t threaten, taking 13.3 seconds to complete a circuit, and Kaval simply refused to participate, explaining that the keg weighed as much as he did so he wouldn’t risk injury unless it was in the ring entertaining the WWE Universe.
Titus O’Neil barked like a seal once more, then went tumbling over the keg, becoming the second disqualification of the night.
He told the audience this is why you shouldn’t drink and drive, but it didn’t really make any sense and Matt Striker had to pull the crowds attention back by showing a super slo-mo replay of his fall.
I highly doubt Husky Harris could have run around the ring without the keg in under 12.7 seconds, so it came as no surprise when he dropped the keg half way round and bowed out.
Striker asked him if it hurt, but Harris snatched the microphone away and told him that he should back off and let him worry about his own safety.
Finally Alex Riley aka The Varsity Villain failed to beat Cannon’s time, and even took a O’Neil style tumble over the finish line.
Cannon rather nonsensically said that he might not be the strongest or the quickest, despite posting the quickest time, then said that he makes up for what he lacks in heart.
Match 1
Singles Match
M.V.P (w/Percy Watson)
Vs.
Husky Harris (w/Cody Rhodes)
A Percy Watson promo played before this match and actually made me like the guy even more.
I still can’t work out quite what I like about him, but he’s got something. Probably the same thing that led me to like Too Cool back in the ‘good old days’.
Harris on the other hand, I really don’t like.
They’re building him up to be this cocky ‘wrestling’s in the family’ character, much like his pro Cody Rhodes.
The problem is he doesn’t really have much to be cocky about, and nowhere near the level of charisma that Rhodes, DiBiase or Orton had when they pulled it off in Legacy.
Not to mention the fact that Cody seems less interested in helping his Rookie and more intent on putting over his god awful new nickname; ‘Dashing’ Cody Rhodes.
For what it’s worth, Harris doesn’t look too bad in the ring, but his chances of winning the show have to be slim, which is kinda ironic given Husky’s physique.
M.V.P picked up the win here with a pretty lame PayDirt, then offered a hand of consolation to Harris, who rejected and indicated that he was only a second away from winning himself.
M.V.P wins by Pinfall.
Main Event Match
Six Man Tag Team Match
Kaval, Lucky Cannon & Michael McGillicutty
Vs.
Eli Cottonwood, Alex Riley & Titus O’Neil
I paid very little attention to this match, but I did see Kaval pretty much botch the ending when he went for the Warrior’s Way (2 foot stomp to the chest from the top rope) on Riley.
As he came to make impact his feet seemed to move apart, and he seemed to land on Riley’s arms rather than chest, which Miz’s Rookie immediately grabbed until Kaval made the cover for the 3.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Riley had picked up an injury here, but I guess we’ll see.
Kaval, Lucky Cannon & Michael McGillicutty win by Pinfall.
Closing Segment
The Pros Poll & Elimination
With voting now closed we get to find out where the rookies have placed, and more importantly who will face the NXT axe.
Here are the final standings:
- Kaval
- Percy Watson
- Michael McGillicutty
- Alex Riley
- Lucky Cannon
- Eli Cottonwood
- Husky Harris
- Titus O’Neil
Kaval topping the list gave Michael Cole more ammunition to moan about the ‘internet fans’, and Alex Riley’s low position surprised a lot of people.
I’m not surprised Titus O’Neil ended up bottom, he’s not really developed any sort of character or status. Pretty much everyone else has a heel/face status by now, but he seemed to be the good guy siding with the heels in tonight’s main event.
He gave a very impassioned leaving speech about facing life’s challenges, and I found myself a little annoyed that he had gone, mainly as it limits Zack Ryder’s involvement in NXT from here on out.
The
ΠXT
Directory
Π
Ashley announced that the person in last place on tonight’s pros poll would be eliminated.
Π
Lucky Cannon gained immunity from tonight’s elimination by winning The Keg Carry.
Π
Kaval picked up his first NXT victory in a Six Man Tag Main Event.
Π
Kaval topped the first Pros Poll.
Π
Titus O’Neil became the first person eliminated, losing out narrowly to Husky Harris.
Π
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