-- 3/2 WWE NXT Reax

Justin James of Columbia, S.C., IT professional/author (7.0): Best Match: Hardy/Gabriel vs. Regal/Sheffield. Worst Match: Young vs. Otunga. I really enjoyed this episode of NXT for the development of the characters. I like what they are doing with Heath Slater (albeit in an admittedly poor segment that felt far too scripted with Christian in the gym). I love the interaction between Darren Young and the SES, and how they begrudgingly came to his defense, but I thought the match against David Otunga was dull. It was a series of simple moves strung together with little progression. They could have trimmed a few minutes without harm. I also liked how Otunga turned on R-Truth, which was nice because Otunga was getting a face pop due to being with Truth, even though his whole demeanor was clearly heel. The brawl was well done. Also, Wade Barrett is a beast with a good voice and charisma. I'd like to see him become successful. The Daniel Bryan segments were good as well. The main event was well done, even if it was the typical "Matt Hardy gets beat down but hits the Twist of Fate from nowhere" match. Skip Sheffield was amazingly entertaining both in the ring and out; I like his style in the ring, and the interaction with Regal was perfect. If I had to pick, I'd like to see Daniel Brian, Skip Sheffield, Wade Barrett, and Justin Gabriel walk out of this with contracts, and a "maybe" on Heath Slater. Otunga right now just reminds me of a flashy Ezekiel Jackson (great look, not sure about the rest of it), Darren Young has a good look but nothing else, and we don't know much about Michael Tarver at all.

A.A. Norman of Tulsa, Okla. (8.0): Best: Continued Miz/Bryan feud. Worst: Having the word "Cornfed" across your butt. Even though they explained how someone "wins" NXT, I would like further explanation on how one "loses" NXT. Is it possible to have eight winners, or zero? Does everybody win and lose after a certain time period at the same time, or will they eliminate rookies once a month, every few weeks, or when necessary? There are still so many questions to be answered about this show, but frankly, we wouldn't be asking them if we didn't care. Who or what determined which guest would be on Abraham Washington next? Nobody cares. Who will Hornswoggle team with next? Nobody cares. Which NXT rookie will win/lose and when? There is plenty of reason to care. The way they are pushing these new guys with intro videos, teaming with a WWE veteran, and giving them all ample time in the ring and behind the scenes is a great way to get fans to care about certain wrestlers. I already have favorites and least favorites - and I must say, having the word "CORNFED" across your butt isn't very flattering, nor is whatever Hardy's rookie Justin Gabriel wore to the ring. In any event, the show is much better than WWE's ECW and I look forward to next week.

Richard H. of Wilmington, Ohio: Okay, so they have rules for how this show's winner is going to be determined. Do they make sense? Sort of. How are the "rookies" judged by the pros - how they react to the crowd and their respective mentors, how their mentors and the fans react to them, won/loss records, impressive showings, major screw-ups, personal likes and dislikes, Vinny Mac's favoritism of big monsters? As for the show itself, it was ok. Regal being the first pro to job to a rookie is not surprising as he is the consummate company man. He has never, and probably will never, get the respect he deserves from the casual fans. "What it do" and "yep-yep-yep" are in the top three of insipid catchphrases, so I guarantee that the kids will jump all over it just to annoy anyone over 12-years-old. Where was Miz when Jericho was putting the beat down on Daniel(son)? I know he is not supposed to like his rookie, but isn't there a code that says the only guy who can beat down my rookie is him? Carlito with the apple to Slater's face was the proper way to set up a match with another mentor's rookie. Personally, I hope Carlito routs Slater in the battle of ugly haircuts. Sorry, Young doesn't qualify for this fight as his haircut is silly, not ugly. The only reason I see for early burial of Daniel(son) is to make the pay off bigger when he eventually wins his WWE "contract." That is, unless the real decider of the contest (hint: he has a wife running for Senate office) holds a grudge against smaller wrestlers and Internet darlings, in which case look for Otunga to get the push due to his mass media connections.

We welcome your 0-10 score and comments on this show for an "NXT TV Reax" feature in the Torch Feedback section of PWTorch.com. Just to add a twist to this feature, include not just your hometown, but also your occupation (mechanic, lawyer, stay-at-home-dad, college student, etc.) so readers get a flavor for what everyone does as "day jobs." To contribute your thoughts on NXT, click here.

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