411’s WWE NXT Report 6.20.12

Welcome, everyone, to the NEWWWWW NXT!!! We’ve heard the rumors of the end of Season Five, yet never truly believed it was coming…until last week when they randomly said that Season 5 was ending. This just proves that if you stick with something, and don’t give up, you will be rewarded. Right, Lebron?!

How could you NOT find this adorable?

I want to first say that everything, from the opening sequence, to the arena, to Regal’s voiceovers and even some of the production seems just a tad bit lower quality than the big shows, and that’s PERFECT! It’s not a knock, because it puts EVERYTHING on an even playing field. We start the show withh Good Ol JR and his heel goatee! He welcomes us to the exciting new beginning, and I’m already beamin. He introduces the Interim NXT General Manager, and I’d be lying if I didn’t think for a second that People Power was coming my way. Instead, it’s the American Dream, Dusty Rhodes! JR asks Dusty what he has in store tonight. Dusty stumbles just a little bit, but he still has that unique drawl and over-the-top excitement to sell the show. JR introduces us to one of the new stars debuting tonight, and it’s Bo Dallas.

The video shows that Bo is a force in the ring, but still can use some work on the promo side. We were shown the kid last year, and the clips show someone that doesn’t know when to stop in the ring, and that’s always fun. He’s got a “smile that shines for miles, a fist that breaks bricks, and a chin that won’t give in.” Ok then.

Match 1: Bo Dallas vs. Rick Victor
Lockup to start, into a side headlock by Victor. Dallas reveres it into a hammer lock, then that gets reversed. Regal tells us that Rick Victor was the last man that came through the dungeon, and immediately sells the dude from jobber status to actual contender in ONE freakin sentence. They exchange arm drags, but Bo gets the better of it and drops a knee on the dropped arm. Key lock, but Victor sends Bo to the corner. He hits a right, then a chop to Bo. Another uppercut followed by a chop. Bo turns it around and sends Victor into the corner, then hits a back elbow a couple of times. JR and Regal sell Bo’s potential temper. Bo sends Victor to the corner and hits a clothesline, then gets a hip toss. He sends Victor to the ropes and hits a powerslam. Bo calls for somethin. He hits the ropes, SPEAR. Pin for 1…2…3
Winner: Bo Dallas
It appears that this was put on solely to pimp Bo, and it did that.

At the top of the stage, a dude named Riley Pearce wants to interview Bo. He says he came to NXT with a Game Plan, and right there, we just saw that plan executed. This is just the beginning, and he wants people backstage to remember this smile, because it’s not the last time you see it. He wants us to keep watching, because we will know bo.

Afterwards, we get a preview of Seth Rollins. He makes it a point to say that he’s going to break the mold and is the change that we’ve been waiting for. I’m not the only one who is excited to see this kid in action, but we will have to wait until next week.

Also, next week, we’ll get Antonio Cesaro showin up!

After the Cesaro clip, we get the glorious music of Damien Sandow and it appears he is here to enlighten us! He begs our indulgence as his opponent, Jason Jordan is already in the ring. Damien introduces himself as the small crowd WHAT’s him…man. He said that it is bad form that he is pitted against an unworthy opponent, and it looks like he’s walking away from this one. Yup, he will not demean himself by engaging this ignoramus this evening. As always, he does this for the benefit and welfare of all of us.

Now, we get a special look at the duo known as Ascension. It’s a helicopter view of a city. Think Gotham City. Atop one of the buildings, unbuilt, is a dude owling atop a pillar, named Kenneth Cameron and ol Rat Face himself, Conor O’Brian standing nearby. They are the gateways of the future, it appears. They are the Ascension, and they will rise. This is just a SHADE over the top, but it works.

The entrance is Brood light, with a lot of awkward camera work, splicing some strobe light head flicking with the real entrance. They have freaky contacts and carry lights. Wow. The shit is far more intense then you want it to be, but still…something about it works.

Match 2: The Ascension vs. Mike Dalton and CJ Parker
Cameron and Parker to start. Cameron shooots for the legs and hits some right. Caermon knocks Dalton off the apron then sends Parker into the corner. Tag to Conor and he hits some stomps in the corner. Tag back to Cameron and he does the same. Another tag to O’Brian and he drags CJ into the center of the ring. Anoter tag, and they trade elbow drops. Cameron with the tag, he hits an odd finisher, then Conor hits a flapjack. Jim Ross calls it the Downcast as Conor pins. 1…2….3.
Winner: The Ascension

The characters are strong, and they play them well, but that was pretty boring and far too many tags that made no sense. We’re going to need more from them in the future.

We get a commercial-like break that shows a dude who looks from down south. The way he talks, one would assume he’s nuts as he makes claims that monsters are real, and he’s real. Some spooky Blair Witch type shit for Bray Wyatt.

Backstage, and we’ve got us a familiar face in Derrick Bateman. He’s looking for Johnny Curtis and he meets him in a bathroom. Johnny comes out of a stall, tosses a napkin on the floor, as Bateman tries to make an exit. Bateman asks if Curtis feels al ittle sick. Curtis is sick. Bateman claims that he’s pretending to be sick to leave the main event next week. Curtis is sick of being around Bateman another week, that’s what he’s sick of. When he was in his office, earlier, he got a little sad and nervous. He thought to himself, “what am I going to do to Derrick next week in the main event of NXT.” It’s kind of freaking him out right now. Bateman says he should be scared of what Bateman may do to him next week. Curtis tells Bateman to stay out of the restroom, then tells him to wash his hands. So, Curtis wipes them on Bateman’s shirt.

Match 3 : Tyson Kidd vs. Michael McGillicutty
Lockup! They’ve got a power struggle, until Tyson chops the arm and takes it behind McGillicuttty. McG grabs the ropes to break the hold. Both standing, now, and another lockup is followed up quickly by a side headlock from Kidd. McG uses his height to bring the arm up and over, then locks in a hammer lock, followed by a side headlock. Tyson sends him to the ropes, and McG comes back with a hard shoulder block. Tyson shakes it off a bit as the ref stands him up. Kidd with a go-behind into a side headlock. McG hits the ropes, sends Kidd to em and goes for a clothesline, but Kidd slides under, hops over then goes for a roll up but McG holds the ropes. Kidd flies back, kips up and kicks McG a few times before flipping forward and grabbing onto the leg. He’s locking the shin, but McG grabs the ropes. Wow, that was all one hell of an exchange. McG rolls out of the ring to regroup.

We go for a test of strength with some knuckle locks this time, and McG uses his height and leverage to take Kidd down into a bridge. Kidd is able to push out of it, goes to the ropes and hits a springboard arm drag. One more arm drag and Kidd locks the arm. Regal name drops Owen Hart claiming he taught Kidd how to arm drag. McG with a knee into the corner. McG with a stomp to Kidd. He lifts up Kidd and hits a quick snap suplex into a pin for 1. McG with a forearm to the back. A whip to the ropes and Kidd kicks him in the face, then runs and clotheslines McG over the ropes to the outside!! Kidd is looking to fly! Suicide dive through the center ropes onto McG as we get our first break in the match.

We’re back, and Tyson sends McG into the turnbuckle, then hits some stomps in the corner. Whip to the ropes and Kid follows it up with a heel kick. Pin for 1….2….NO! Kidd with a right, then he whips. McG reverses, sends Kidd to the corner. Kidd raises up, McG holds on and sends him over the apron. Kidd lands on his feet and goes for a shoulderblock, but McG hits him with a knee instead. Neckbreaker through the ropes from McG and a pin for 1…2..NO! He uses the forearm and rubs it against Kidd’s ear and face. McG sends Kidd to the corner, hits a couple of stomps, then hits a back kick while the ref doesn’t see. Hard whip, chest first, from McG. Pin for 1…2…NO! McG with a pin for 1. McG with a reverse chin lock on the mat. He stands for some leverage as Kidd tries to turn into it. Kidd with an elbow, but mcG drops him with a knee. McG sends Kidd to the ropes, and Kidd comes back, crucifix, no, he rolls down and gets a roll upp for a pin. He gets a two. McG goes for a clothesline. Kidd ducks, but McG comes back and hits him hard to the back of the head. Pin for 2 from McG. McG looks for the tree of woe in the corner. He gets it. McG with some rights to the chest, then he goes to the outside and pulls at the head of Tyson. McG back in the ring with a kick to the sternum then pins for 2. McG picks Kidd up and locks in another Tree of Woe. He’s lookin for that dropkick, but misses as Kidd rises up! He lands with the pole between his legs. Kidd fires hard with some kicks, sending McG down hard! A few more, followed by a dropkick to the face. Pin for 1…2…NO!!! Kidd with a whip. Reversed. Kidd holds the ropes. McG runs and Kidd bicycle kicks up him then hits a hard kick. He goes for a move off the tope rope, but McG hits a dropkick out of nowhere! Pin for 1…2..NO! McG sends Tyson atop the corner. He’s looking for a superplex. Tyson won’t allow it. He hits a headbutt! Tyson is up! He flies off with a moonsault into a pin for 1…2…NO!! Tyson looks for the Sharpshooter or Dungeon Lock. McG rolls to the ropes and holds onto the apron. He kicks Tyson off, then hits a nice ass Saito Suplex and a pin for 1…2..NO! McG decides to be a dick and locks in the Sharpshooter onto Tyson Kidd. He gets his Anchorman face while holding the lock in.

Tyson gets to the ropes. McG drops a fist on his back then gets him in the middle of the ring and calls for a Perfectplex. Kid locks the legs, though, and gets an inside cradle for a pin! 1…2…NO! Both guys up. McG runs, Tyson goes under and rollsup. No, he doesn’t! He locks in the Dungeon Lock! McG taps right away. Amazing.

Winner: Tyson Kidd

Kidd does it again! McG deserves all the credit in the world for being a formidable foe as well. If this is what we’re going to get every week, sign me up. Great match

I won’t be blind and ignore the fact that there’s some work that needs to be done. First, they NEED to stop pimping RAW, because it takes away a lot of time that the first two matches so desperately needed. Even with that, the show shows promise, and everyone is taking it seriously.

Tony Acero
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