WWE NXT Report
January 18, 2011
Season 4, Week 7
Taped in Tulsa, Okla.
Report by James Caldwell, PWTorch assistant editor

NXT opened with a video package recapping the feud between Conor O'Brian and Ricardo Rodriguez, the personal ring announcer for Alberto Del Rio. Also, a recap of last week's failed double date involving Daniel Bryan & Derrick Bateman and the Bellas, followed by the Bellas revealing on Raw last night their plot to be Bryan's "first." Since it's elimination week, they recapped Jacob Novak being cut two weeks ago.

In-ring: Matt Striker introduced the Rookies and their Pros for the opening segment. The first contest tonight is How Well Do You Know Your Pro? In the first round, Bateman and Bryan were the only ones to score a match with a cheap pop reference to Tulsa, Okla.

For the second round, Bateman and Bryan again connected with a Steve Blackman match. DiBiase and Brodus Clay also connected to make 2 for Blackman...er...Bateman and 1 for Clay.

Third round was biggest area of improvement. Cue up the game show music for the Pros while Maryse checked her phone for messages. DiBiase and Clay again matched up. O'Brian copied Clay's guess, but it wasn't good for a match. Bateman and Brian not-so-shockingly matched up again. At the end of this, Striker had no idea who won. Striker finally got it together and announced Bateman as the winner to get more immunity points and earn immunity.

[Break]

In-ring: Byron Saxton was already in the ring with Dolph Ziggler for the first match of the show. Chris Masters came out to face Saxton and they cut to a video from "earlier today" when Masters warned Saxton in the locker room that he'll have something "special" for him tonight.

1 -- CHRIS MASTERS vs. BYRON SAXTON (w/Dolph Ziggler)

Masters scored with an early shoulder tackle before landing a series of hip tosses. Saxton developed an attitude and slapped Masters, who slapped him right back. Saxton rolled to the floor and used Ziggler as a distraction to deck Masters on the floor with a clothesline. Back in the ring, Saxton dropped Masters with an inverted jawbreaker to begin working over Masters. Masters made a standard comeback at 3:30 and landed a sit-out slam for a two count. Saxton then cut off Masters and became frustrated with his inability to put Masters away. Masters then used Saxton's over-aggression to slap on the Masterlock and score the submission victory.

WINNER: Masters via submission at 4:50. Basic match setting up Masters to serve Saxton with something "special" for the finish.

Backstage: Ted DiBiase and Maryse were mid-conversation and Brodus Clay walked in. DiBiase and Clay traded passive-aggressive sarcasm before DiBiase told Clay to talk when spoken to. He told Clay to listen to him. "Go," he said. DiBiase returned to Maryse, who addressed him in French. DiBiase stormed off, leaving Maryse to admire the text she was sending or receiving on her phone.

[Break]

In-ring: Back from break, Ted DiBiase and Brodus Clay were in the ring. Daniel Bryan's music hit to bring out Bryan and Bateman as Mathews laughed at the idea of DiBiase having any chance of winning the Royal Rumble.

2 -- TED DIBIASE & BRODUS CLAY (w/Maryse) vs. U.S. champion DANIEL BRYAN & DERRICK BATEMAN

DiBiase tried to take off Bryan's head with an aggressive clothesline early in the match. Clay then tagged in and picked up where DiBiase left off working on Bryan. Ziggler suddenly interrupted from the stage telling Bryan to go ahead and give up the match. The crowd responded with boos for Ziggler, then rallying cheers for Bryan, but Clay ran over DiBiase with more power offense. Clay wanted the Claw-like finisher, but DiBiase blind-tagged into the match. Clay didn't appreciate that, but bowed to his Pro. DiBiase wanted Dream Street, but Bryan countered with a hip toss. Bateman then tagged in and landed consecutive clotheslines on DiBiase for a nearfall. DiBiase cut off Bateman with a clothesline, then slapped Clay and accused him of blowing the match. Clay argued back that he had him beat and DiBiase lost it. Clay dropped off the apron, frustrated, and Bateman rolled up DiBiase from behind for the win. Maryse just laughed. It was a "I can't believe this is happening again" laugh. DiBiase sold frustration ringside while Maryse just walked away on the other side of the ring. Maryse flashed her phone to DiBiase across the ring and walked off.

WINNERS: Bateman & Bryan at 4:34. Fine tag match. Bryan's role was to lower himself (as has been the trend lately) to advance the DiBiase-Clay-Maryse issues while setting up Bateman for a needed win on NXT.

[Break]

Backstage: Conor O'Brian found - what else? - pieces of cheese on the ground. O'Brian took the pieces of cheese leading to a door where Ricardo Rodriguez was on the other side. Ricardo sprayed O'Brian with bug spray, then O'Brian tried to fight him while fighting his temporary blindness. Alberto Del Rio interrupted and said he will not be embarrassed like this. He told them to fight out their issues like "mens." Back to the announcers, who tried to make sense of what just happened.

Raw Rebound: C.M. Punk vs. John Cena in the TV main event. They included some of those new overhead, distant camera shots of match action to provide a different perspective. The video came to a screeching halt when Mason Ryan debuted and destroyed John Cena after giving Punk his initiation.

Announcers: Josh Mathews reinforced Punk's words of "faith" and "loyalty" referring to the new addition to his group. A graphic showed the five New Nexus members will do something on Raw this Monday.

Backstage: R-Truth tried to talk up Johnny Curtis, who was selling nervousness with it elimination week. Curtis did a faux dance and Truth talked him down from that dancing ledge. Truth told him to relax and get ready for his big night.

[Break]

In-ring: Del Rio's music hit to bring out Conor O'Brian, who was still selling the effects of the bug spray. Mathews mistakenly said Rodriguez was having his first match in WWE. Mathews has already forgotten NXT two weeks ago when Ricardo filled in for Del Rio in a tag match. Del Rio's music continued to play as Ricardo nervously walked out in a bath robe and tennis shoes. Ricardo introduced himself, then removed his bath robe to reveal 1950s wrestling trunks and soccer kneepads.

3 -- RICARDO RODRIGUEZ vs. CONOR O'BRIAN

O'Brian quickly knocked Ricardo to the outside and Ricardo tried to beg off. They cut to a shot of Del Rio nervously watching on a backstage monitor. Ricardo suddenly tried a flurry of strikes, but O'Brian cut him off. O'Brian then removed the top turnbuckle pad, drawing the ref's ire. O'Brian proceeded to miss with a corner splash and eat the exposed steel. Ricardo stumbled to his feet. "Not like this!" Ziggler sarcastically shouted. Ricardo, with the crowd actually behind him for a surprise win, stumbled to his feet, then tripped over himself to splash O'Brian for the three count. Backstage, Del Rio sold that he was impressed. Ricardo tried celebrating, but tripped over himself again.

WINNER: Ricardo at 1:49. What do you say? What can you say?

On-stage: Matt Striker huddled up the Pros with an elimination coming up next. Masters was dressed like he missed the Saved By The Bell Reunion special.

Raw video: The Miz has been criticized for being "all talk," but now Miz is showing the time for talk is over. Miz vs. Orton at the Royal Rumble for the WWE Title.

Smackdown video: How will World Hvt. champion Edge respond to Dolph Ziggler's attack last week on Smackdown on this week's show?

[Break]

Ringside: Striker was with the five remaining Rookies. Striker noted Bateman is immune from elimination. Bateman stepped forward and said he thinks Saxton should be eliminated.

Cue up the drumroll. And the eliminated Rookie is...Conor O'Brian. O'Brian sold disappointment, then took the mic to say it's been real and it's been fun. Suddenly, Ricardo walked out on-stage and declared O'Brian the loser. O'Brian told Ricardo to kiss his rat...tail. Ricardo cut a promo in Spanish to no reaction, then O'Brian chased Ricardo up the stage to the back.

Suddenly, O'Brian re-emerged and took the mic from Striker. "You all absolutely suck," he declared to no one in particular. O'Brian then announced the rat has left the building. He proceeded to roll under the ring where Hornswoggle used to reside. Grisham said he must be looking for some cheese. The other Rookies just watched, stunned. WWE cut to a reaction shot replay from O'Brian after he was eliminated, then a final replay shot of Ricardo gloating to close the show.

REMAINING ROOKIES: Derrick Bateman, Byron Saxton, Brodus Clay, and Johnny Curtis.

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