411’s WWE NXT Report 6.27.12

Week two is in the books, and you’re reading this far AFTER the actual air time. For whatever reason, it’s continuously harder to find these episodes before a) WWE takes them down or b) some idiot posts the wrong video with the right title. Nonetheless, I was able to procure one for my viewing and your reading pleasure. Let’s get to the show!

I just want to keep this here forever and always…

Match 1: Seth Rollins vs. Jiro
Lockup into a go behind, but Jiro has a hold of the arm. He twists it, so Seth flips out of it, then hits a flipping arm drag. He hops over Jiro, catches a kick, ducks a few rights, then trips up Jiro. Jiro up with a chop, and Rollins takes it like a champ. It motivates him, apparently, he coems back with a few chops of his own. Jiro hits a kick to the gut, then runs to the ropes, and right into a hard right hand. Rollins with another. A dropkick. He ducks a right and hits an enziguri. Jiro is in the corner, and Seth headbashes before running with a hard press. Roundhouse into a stomp onto the back of Jiro, which is called Blackout, apparently. He pins for the 1…2….3!!
Winner: Seth Rollins
Seth has character, but that was about as cookie cutter as a rookie match can get.

Rollins at the top of the ramp with Dolph’s brother (thanks, commenter’s!) Rollins came to NXT to do what he did best, to turn the place upside down and change the world. He needs to have a different match, then. Out of nowhere, Jinder Mahal’s music hits, cutting Rollins off. He is up next, it appears.

We’re back to Jinder cutting a promo in another language. He says nothing of importance, and is cut off by the music of Jason Jordan.

Match 2: Jinder Mahal vs. Jason Jordan
Lockup, but Jinder forces Jason to the ropes. Hard knees, followed by a back elbow. He smashes Jordan in the corner, then stomps him down. Jinder with a righht hand to the back of Jordan, then hits a neckbreaker. Pin for 1…2..NO! Jinder chokes up Jason on the ropes, gets the four count, and backs up again. STO to Jordan then he uses the ropes to drop some high knees. Pin from Mahal for 2. Jinder with a crossface/chin lock combo in the middle of the mat. Jordan fights out with a right, but it’s short lived because Jinder knees him then tosses him down too the mat. Jinder with a double underhook suplex and a pin for 1..2..NO! Jinder tries to drop a knee, but Jordan moves out of the way. He fights back with a right, another, and goes for a dropkick, but Mahal steps away. He hits the ropes and comes back with a running high knee. He’s calling for the Camel Clutch. Immediate tap out from Jordan.
Winner: Jinder Mahal

Mahal looked beastly in there, as it appears his moveset is a bit more crisp than I’m used to seeing. I still think his character sucks assfarts, but he’s getting better in the ring.

Mahal cuts the same damned promo he cut before the match. I should note that Regal isn’t on commentary, someone else is. Don’t know who. Readers?

We get a preview of a new superstar from South Africa, Leo Kruger. He claims he has been gifted with all the attributes necessary to be on top of this business. He’s got the South African accent that’s minute, but effective. We’ll see him next.

Match 3: Leo Kruger vs. Aiden English
Kruger starts with a kick, then a blow to the back. Whip to the ropes, misses a clothesline, so English hits a dropkick. he goes for another, but Kruger dissmisses it and mounts English with some rights. He lifts up English, whips him into the corner and hits a hard clothesline. He uses the ropes to step atop of English’s shoulders, then pushes down. He pulls English in the center and hits a hard suplex. Kruger hits the ropes and drops an elbow. From behind with a sleeper hold and body scissors. A quick tap out from English ends this match.
Winner: Leo Kruger

NXT needs to be careful, squash matches do not make superstars. I’ll assume this is an attempt to introduce new stars.

We get a video package of Rickie Steamboat and his son Richie Steamboat who claims he’s not tryin to fill his father’s shoes, he’s going to fill his own. They show some clips of him and his father doing the same moves, then have him say how he wants to differentiate himself. That makes sense. Strong promo from Richie, though.

Jim Ross and Chris Russo are joined by William Regal. Well ok then.

Match 4 : The Usos vs. The Ascension
We’re starting with Cameron and Kick to Jimmy, then another. He tries to headbutt him, but that doesn’t work out too well. Tag to Jimmy, and they hit a double elbow drop. Jey with a headbutt then a body slam. Headbutt to the ground. Whip to the ropes, but Cameron kicks him midway. He hits Jimmy off the apron, then tosses Jey to the ropes. Conor pulls the ropes, and Jey goes flying over. Tag to Conor. Conor, on the outside, stomps Jey’s head, then sends him in the ring and drops a few elbows. Whip to the corner, a kick to the gut. Blind tag from Cameron, and he continues the stomps. Blind tag from Conor and he stomps down again. Another tag and more stomps. Another tag from Conor and he pins for 1…2…NO! Cono from behind with a key lock. jey with a right, but Conor hits a knee. Spinning headbutt from Jey. We get the hot tag spot, and both Jimmy and cameron are in. Jimmy with a right to cameron, and one to Conor. He raises Cameron up and hits a Samoan Drop. Followed by a butt splash and a pin for 1…Conor breaks it up. Jey runs in, Conor sends him right out. Jey pulls Conor out and Conor smashes his head against the apron. Jimmy whips Cameron to the corner. Blind tag from Conor. Conor is in and they hit their Downcast. Pin from Conor. 1…2…3.
Winner: The Ascension

I find the excessive tagging far too stupid to get behind. Run of the mill tag match, really.

Byron Saxton now joins us on commentary.

Match 4 : Richie Steamboat vs. Rick Victor
We saw Rick last week, the last dude from the dungeon. They trade some go behinds. Wasit lock take down from Richie. Richie reverses a key lock and locks in a side headlock. Victor tries to raise him up, but Richie can’t do it. We learn that Rickie is ringside. Arm drag from Richie. Another. There’s Ricky! haha. Richie slams the arm hard to the mat. Key lock to the arm here, as he gets the support from the crowd. Twerks the arm, reverses an arm drag into his own arm drag, still holding onto the lock. Victor tries to body slam him, but Steamboat just rolls out of it, still holding the arm. He lets go long enough to drop a knee. Locks the hold back in afterwards, then kicks Victor in the back. Once again, to the arm. Slams it to the mat, then hits a right hand in the corner. Chop to the chest of Victor! Another to Victor! A right hand in the corner, but Victor hits a knee. He goes for a head smash into the turnbuckle, but Richie stops it with a boot, hits one of his own and gets a snapmare takedown into a dropkick. Pin for 1. Side keylock onto the arm. Victor backs him into the corner, breaking the hold. A hard uppercut. Another. One more. Whip to the corner, Richie flips over and hits a chop. Arm drag takedown, and Richie holds in the arm bar. Victor stands, hits a knee, and goes for a body slam, but Richie floats over and pushes Victor to the ropes. He comes flying with a crossbody. Clothesline. Another. One more! Richie with a back elbow in the corner. Another. One more. Richie hits the ropes, ducks a clothesline and brings Victor down similar to Ziggler. He calls it the Slingblade, but I think it was a bit messy at the end.
Winner: Richie Steamboat

Strong showing from Richie, who no one doubted winning. He looked good in doing so, though.

Another Antonio Cesaro promo letting us know he’s coming up next.

Match 5: Antonio Cesaro vs. Dante Dash
Dash is a big boy with a little head. Belly to back take down from Cesaro. He smashes Dante’s face in the mat then Gutwrenches Dash, into a toss to the right. Ouch. Kick to the back of Dash. Cesaro squishes the head of Dash between his paws. Dash is able to get some right hands to get out of the hold, but Cesaro is able to negate it with a right of his own and a nice ass European Uppercut. He follows it up by a lifting tackle into the corner. Hard body shots followed by a big boot in the corner. Cesaro goes forward and under then hits a Spinebuster. He follows it up with The Neutralizer. Pin for 1…2…3!!
Winner: Antonio Cesaro

Cesaro showed much more of his uniqueness in the ring that fits both the character he’s trying to build and the wrestler in the ring. Great job, even if it was a bit short.

Another Bray Wyatt country-like preview for us. It’s so awkwardly creepy, I love it. It’s almost cult-like this time around, as he gots a small group of followers that he wants to feel his love.

Match 6: Johnny Curtis vs. Derrick Bateman
Curtis starts the match with a hard slap, then runs out of the ring. Bateman follows into the ring. Curtis tries for a knee, but he misses. Bateman in with a dropkick. Bateman sends Curtis into the corner face first. One more time. Twist of the arm and a slap from Bateman followed by a hard whip into the corner. Bateman with a pin for 1…2.NO! Bateman with a whip. He runs for a high knee, but Curtis moves and is able to grab the leg and twist it with a takedown. He drops a knee to the inside thigh area. A few times more and he locks the leg. Curtis stomps the leg, then locks it up again. Looking for an Indian Deathlock like move. Bateman tries to chop himself out of it from the floor. He hits a hard one, turning the move around, but Curtis won’t let go of the leg. He locks it in again. Bateman is out of it. He hits a clothesline. one more. Bateman, from nowhere, hits his frontal DDT-like maneuver. Curtis on the ground, and kicks Bateman. Bateman, with the DVD and a pin for 1…2…3!!!
Winner: Derrick Bateman

These guys have tangoed more than once, so they are aware of what to do with each other. Strong match, although it was a bit short…and that seems to be the issue with the entire episode.

Tony Acero
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