411’s Breaking Ground Report 1.04.16

411’s Breaking Ground Report: 01/04/2016

-Tonight is the season finale of Breaking Ground and thus our 10 episode journey concludes. Being they are calling this the season finale, it should mean the series will continue.

-For the final time this season, I’ll once again remind you that William Shatner is your narrator.

-We start off in the Performance Center with Shatner reminding us that the men and women of NXT have been grinding for the past few months. They do a recap of what we have seen in the show to this point including those that were sent packing.

-Tonight is NXT Takeover: Respect and Shatner says that these specials have propelled NXT stars to WWE fame including Neville, Owens, and the Divas Revolution.

-HHH arrives in Orlando with Canyon Ceman and they ride together to Full Sail in a limo. HHH tells Canyon he thinks a lot of the guys/girls try to do what they think the WWE wants them to do. He talks about how Crews was holding back on his entrance and HHH told him to do whatever he wanted, and he would tell him when something was wrong.

-They talk about the fans in NXT and how they are up close and vocal. They aren’t afraid to let the WWE know who they feel should be pushed.

-That brings us back to Crews and you can tell WWE is high on him. Regal and HHH go over finishers with Crews and we get a montage of the top finishing moves in the WWE (Tombstone, Pedigree, and RKO). HHH recommends a finisher for Crews and then lets him know he will be in a match with Breeze. Crews puts over how good Tyler is and how he is a top star in NXT.

-That leads to Tyler himself talking about how long he has been in NXT and that he is still waiting for the call to the main roster. HHH says he is the longest tenured guy in the Performance Center and NXT. Tyler thinks getting called up is too good to be true. HHH says that he believes in Tyler, but the main call as to who gets called up is Vince’s.

-The other big story is Bayley and Sasha being the Main Event in an Iron Man Match. They are both full of nervous energy and Bayley says that she broke down emotionally by the middle of the day. People keep telling her to take deep breaths, and she says she keeps reminding herself that she is there for a reason.

-Dana Brooke has been medically cleared for the show, but the injury has left her confidence shaken. She is relying on her mom and the rest of her family and friends to get her through this. Dana tells us she went in survivor mode and she knew she had to give it her all.

-The special has the tag title of Respect and that is in honor to Dusty Rhodes. His passing was devastating to everyone and it hit the kids in NXT really hard. The NXT show will feature the finals of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. HHH talks about the idea of the tournament and Steph is there with him to take a look at the trophy. Steph is nearly in tears looking at it, and then HHH meets with Dustin and Cody to talk about presenting the trophy.

-HHH then meets up with Sami Zayn to see how he is doing with his injury. He talks to HHH about his road to recovery from his injuries. This is all new to Sami and he is chomping at the bit to get back in the ring.

-Next is Tino and he talks to Baron about their football days. Baron says nobody in NXT can hold a candle to what they did in that respect. Tino picks the brain of Baron to find out what he did in the early days to get down the transition. They agree that if you aren’t there to be the best, then what are you there for?

-It is show time and we catch up with Jordan and Gable as they will take on Baron and Rhyno is a semi-final match in the Dusty Tournament. Dana Brooke gets to face Asuka while Breeze gets his match with Apollo Crews. Then we have the Iron Man Main Event with Baylee and Sasha.

-HHH talks to the producers about the Main Event and he feels the women will deliver like they have in the past and that takes us to the start of the show.

-We pick up with Brooke vs Asuka, and they mention how Brooke was injured while training with Asuka. Both Bloom and HHH are on headset during the show in Gorilla with monitors to keep track of things. Brooke takes the bump that injured her and this time she pulls through. HHH gives both ladies props and Dana is relieved.

-Jordan/Gable vs. Rhyno/Baron next with the winner going to the finals against Joe and Balor. Gable talks about how important the match is because it is a great showcase and it is for Dusty. Baron says he is just grinding and doing all he can to climb the mountain. Baron gets the win for his team, and backstage, Jordan and Gable are thrilled with the match.

-On to the finals and Baron tells us his ceiling is getting to Main Event WrestleMania and nothing is going to stop him. This tournament is a way for him to show he can work with someone else and can hang with guys like Balor and Joe. In the end Joe and Balor get the win and get presented with the Dusty Trophy from Dustin and Cody and the rest of the Rhodes family. Great moment! Baron seems kind of pissed at not getting the win as he talks about how much Dusty meant to him. He just wanted to hoist the trophy because of all Dusty did for him, but now it is back to the drawing board.

-Breeze/Crews next and Crews wins with the new finisher that HHH showed him earlier in the day. Crews talks about all the respect he has for Breeze and that he knows there are expectations for him and he wants to exceed them.

-Now the Main Event where Bayley wants to prove she belongs on the main roster next to Sasha, Charlotte, and Becky Lynch. The girls deliver another fantastic match and they show a great spot where Sasha gets in the face of Izzy. Such a great, heel move! They are tied at two falls as they near the end and Bayley gets a submission just before the bell sounds to end the match. Bayley talks about how she never knew Sasha could be that vicious, and it brought out a new side in her that was needed. HHH and Regal present the girls with flowers after the match, and tears abound. The girls get pictures with HHH after the match.

-HHH and the coaches talk about the show. They were thrilled with what the women did in the Main Event. HHH feels they made four new stars in Crews, Asuka, Jordan, and Gable. Michael Hayes puts over the finish to Crews/Breeze and thinks this is the best show they have ever done. HHH thanks everyone and says Dusty would be proud.

-He then talks to the talent after the show like he does each time there is a Special. He puts over the Finals of the Dusty Tournament, and then gives props to Asuka and Dana. This is just great stuff as it is HHH morphing into the new Paul Heyman which is crazy to think. He says everything tonight boils down to respect, and tells them all that Dream is looking down giving his respect. Just crazy emotional stuff here, and HHH tells them he gives them his respect. He then brings down Tyler and talks about how he has been in NXT a long ass time. He puts over Tyler for being able to work with anyone and he lets everyone know that Tyler is getting called up to the Main Roster. That draws a standing ovation from the rest of the roster. Great moment!

-Regal says he is as happy as anyone to see Tyler get the call. HHH says the Performance Center and NXT are all about creating stars. Tyler then cuts a promo in character as he says the WWE is about to get gorgeous. Awesome! We see Breeze meet up with Nattie, Paige, and Owens backstage at his first main roster show.

-Next we get a run down of everyone we have met along the way. Jordan and Gable are expecting a shot at the NXT Tag Titles. Mojo and Ryder continue to work together and soon RAW and SD may be getting hyped. Corbin is still grinding away and working on his mic skills to get to the main roster. Sami Zayn is just returning from his injury and he is hoping a call to the main roster is soon. Nia Jax got her shot at Bayley and turned in a hell of a performance. Dana Brooke is recovering from surgery while Bayley is still NXT Woman’s Champion. She is striving to join the other horsewomen on RAW and SmackDown. Apollo Crews turned in another strong showing at Takeover: London, and continues to work on his mic skills.

-For the rookie class the grind continues, and for them it remains The Breaking Ground.

-Hell of an episode that showed how much goes on before and after one of the NXT specials. The stuff with HHH and his interactions with everyone was tremendous. The comparison to Heyman may seem weird, but HHH has the smark crowds eating out his palm when he opens up NXT shows and he has his roster ready to walk through a wall for him. As for the entire season this show was a breath of fresh air. This was the show that everyone wanted Tough Enough to be and while you could nit pick about who was featured and who wasn’t, in the end it was a great show and hopefully season two picks up with other members of the NXT roster and rookie class.