WWE NXT TV Results
July 5, 2011 - Season 5, Week 18
Taped in Tucson, Ariz.
Aired on WWE's website
By James Caldwell, PWTorch assistant editor

The cast of Season Five of WWE NXT (Pros):

-- Darren Young (Chavo Guerrero)
-- Titus O'Neil (Hornswoggle)
-- Derrick Bateman (Daniel Bryan)
-- Jacob Novak (JTG) - eliminated Week 11
-- Byron Saxton (Yoshi Tatsu) - eliminated Week 13
-- Lucky Cannon (Tyson Kidd) - eliminated Week 15
-- Conor O'Brian (Kozlov) - eliminated Week 17

This week's WWE NXT episode opened with the usual NXT intro video before Matt Striker and Maryse introduced the remaining Rookies. This week's challenge was the standard trash-talking contest. Bateman's "edgier" character didn't get over with the live audience and he was booed in the live audience poll to determine who should win. As expected, Titus scored the fan poll vote and picked up another three points to keep dominating the Redemption Standings.

Announcers: Grisham reset the show and discussed Tyson Kidd and Yoshi Tatsu's match last week. Grisham's key talking points to describe the match were "exciting" and "entertaining." How about who won the match? That's the whole point of having a match. WWE is so lost creatively.

[Break]

In-ring: Yoshi Tatsu came out to the ring and Grisham said Yoshi is upset because of what happened last week. (He won the match last week and proved Tyson Kidd wrong, but when the match outcomes don't matter, then the story is completely disjointed.) After a video recap of Kidd destroying Yoshi's action figure (prior to Yoshi getting the last word via match victory last week), Kidd came out to face Yoshi again. Kidd was sporting the remnants of Yoshi's action figure. Grisham, reflecting WWE wanting to do what we do, said the match last week was "bordering on five stars." Cue up the opening bell.

1 -- YOSHI TATSU vs. TYSON KIDD

Aggressive start to the match, then Kidd rammed Yoshi into the ringpost and they cut to break three minutes in.

[Break]

Back from break, Grisham brought up Punk's mission against WWE and attempting to take the WWE Title out of WWE. Regal said they're similar in that they're villains, but Punk could pull it off because...pause for Grisham to add a plug...Punk doesn't have the vices and demons that held him back during his career. The answer in a creatively-sound company would have been "because Punk is capable of winning a big match on a big stage that I couldn't accomplish." Following up, Grisham referenced WWE's version of Montreal Screwjob that Bret Hart wanted to take the WWE Title out of WWE, but "that didn't work out." Meanwhile, Yoshi made a spirited comeback eight minutes in, but Kidd came back with a snap neckbreaker/suplex. It was good for the win, making Kidd and Yoshi even at one a piece in their two-week series. Regal said this action is what they need more of in WWE.

WINNER: Kidd at 9:09. Fine follow-up to last week's contest.

Tag Action tonight: Bateman and Bryan vs. Titus & Young in the main event still to come.

[Break]

NXT video: Derrick Bateman profile. Bateman said that since he left NXT on Season 4, he's returning to seek his redemption. He said some people might think it's not fair he's joining this season this far, but it wasn't fair he was eliminated on NXT Season 4 before the finale in his hometown of Cleveland. He said when he was introduced on Season 5, he could see fear on Titus and Young's faces with added competition. Bateman vowed to hold the WWE Title in two-to-three years.

Backstage: Hornswoggle was holding a bouquet of dead flowers, Twizzlers, and banana peels. Titus told Hornswoggle to get over Maryse and let it go. Maryse then walked into the shot and Swoggle handed it over to her. After Maryse patronized Hornswoggle for a bit, she slammed the bouquet over Hornswoggle's head and bashed it into pieces. Titus came over to console Hornswoggle and claim there are plenty of other women out there. Swoggle dejectedly walked off.

In-ring: Darren Young came out first for the default main event of the show. Next out was Titus, sans Swoggle. Daniel Bryan's music then brought out Daniel and Bateman, who Grisham noted suffered through an injury that prevented him from being part of the show to begin with.

[Break]

2 -- DANIEL BRYAN & DERRICK BATEMAN vs. TITUS O'NEIL & DARREN YOUNG

Early in the match, Regal described Bryan's pedigree starting with Shawn Michaels and including himself helping guide Bryan's career. Titus and Bateman locked up before Titus landed a knock-down clothesline after a taunt of "Welcome back, Bateman." Grisham swung the talk back to winning & losing matches, noting Bateman can silence questions about whether he belongs on this season by winning matches. Titus continued to show a bit of a heel personality taunting Bateman with elbow strikes and slapping Bateman around with clubbing offense.

Young then lost control of the match and Bateman hot-tagged Bryan, who back-flipped over Young and landed a running clothesline to fire up the crowd. Bryan then climbed up top and landed a flying dive for a two count. Regal offered a solid defense of Bryan's skill level carrying him even if he's undersized. Bateman then blind-tagged himself into the match, Bryan cleared Titus off the ring apron, and Bateman dropped Young with sort of a sweeping bulldog for the pin and the win. Afterward, Titus was indignant after his team took a loss.

WINNERS: Bryan & Bateman at 6:20. They picked up the NXT4 storyline of Bateman trying to do things on his own rather than follow the lead of his Pro, Bryan, but it worked out this week. Also, a nice look at Titus as a potential heel. His in-ring work has improved and he carried himself well in a heel-for-a-week role teaming with Young.

Up next: McMahon-Cena confrontation from Raw.

[Break]

Raw Replay: A complete look back to McMahon's speech at the end of the Raw followed by Cena confronting him setting up the Money in the Bank PPV main event. After a 12-minute replay of the entire segment, NXT ended on that note.

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. To contribute your thoughts on NXT, email to pwtorch@gmail.com using our Feedback form.

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