-- 7/20 WWE NXT Reax

Bill Sartori of Windsor Locks, Conn. (1.5): The matches presented were decent, but when are we going to get relief from Michael "the tool" Cole? His over-the-top man crush on The Miz is just plain embarrassing since he plays a different person on Raw. I'd like to see Matthews just cold-cock him and walk off the set. And an obstacle course is a requirement on a pro wrestling show for what reason?

John of Cocoa Beach, Fla. (6.0): Best: Rookies vs. obstacle course. Worst: Eli Cottonwood promo. I'm finally getting a sense how the NXT Rookies are evolving and how they may fit in WWE. It was hilarious to see Matt Striker run the obstacle course, but it was horrifying to hear his old entrance music again. What were they thinking when they hired that new ring announcer? The follow up with MVP and Percy Watson was done perfectly, but I was rooting for an MVP heel turn. It's too bad the old territories are gone as Michael McGillicutty and Lucky Cannon would be classic babyface titleholders. I'm not sure yet what to make of Kaval. He's got the moves and experience, but will likely get the Yoshi Tatsu treatment due to his size. Husky Harris has the traits of his grandfather, Blackjack Mulligan, the body of Dusty Rhodes, and the moves of Samoa Joe with a little bit of "take no bull from authority figures" ala "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. ... I'm thinking Alex Riley or Eli Cottonwood are on the bubble, and I'm leaning to Cottonwood getting his lovely parting gifts. Finally, I like the face-heel conflict between Michael Cole and Josh Mathews. Cole, though, doesn't have the same chemistry with Josh that Jesse Ventura and Bobby Heenan had when they worked with Gorilla Monsoon.

Kris Carter of Cleveland, Ohio (1.0): Best: Miz. Worst: Everything else. Throughout this season, I have thought NXT was below-average to average most of the time. I have yet to miss an episode, but after what I saw this week, that will change. It started off with a nice segment between Percy Watson and MVP, and right as Watson was getting some time on the mic to show some charisma, he was cut off by Striker. I cannot stand when he cuts people off. Then came another same old tag match that was okay at best. Then, there was Lucky Cannon against Alex Riley, who has yet to impress me. I think Lucky's skills are terrible and Riley's are average at best. Then, there was The Miz in action for the only reason I'm giving this a 1.0. Of course, there was the obstacle course next. Michael McGillicutty looked like he didn't even do the push-ups. On the balance beam, he almost fell off, so he jumped off to save himself, thus doing only one-third of the balance beam. When I saw that, I thought "no big deal." Then, Riley did the exact same thing as McGillicutty, but he was told to go back. That exposed the whole thing for me and killed my interest to tune in to next week's show. And WWE is wondering why people don't watch this

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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