WWE NXT alt. perspective review
July 26, 2011
Taped in Philadelphia, Pa.
Report by Justin James, PWTorch contributor

Week 21 of NXT: Redemption is here, and what is there to show for it? Endless repetition with no end in sight, and only three Rookies. When you think about it, Titus O'Neil, Derrick Bateman, and Darren Young get more consistent air time than any Superstar on the roster with the exception of John Cena. What's the chance of seeing another Yoshi Tatsu-Tyson Kidd match? I'll say its real close to 100 percent. It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken, and it takes one heck of a dedicated WWE follower to stick with NXT: Redemption this long. Derrick Bateman's return is trashed by his new heel character, and it will be interesting to see how much time Mr. Money In The Bank, Mr. Main Event of WrestleMania 28, Daniel Bryan spends on NXT now.

Rookies (Pros):
Titus O'Neil (Hornswoggle)
Darren Young (Chavo Guerrero)
Derrick Bateman (Daniel Bryan)
Conor O'Brian (Vladimir Kozlov)
Lucky Cannon (Tyson Kidd)
Byron Saxton (Yoshi Tatsu)
Jacob Novak (JTG)

[Q1] Pre-credits is a background video focused on Yoshi Tatsu's shrine to his action figure and the feud with Tyson Kidd. Never before have two grown men arguing over a toy looked so serious. The video package did a great job showing off the best of their matches over the last few weeks. It was very tongue-in-cheek in a very subtle way, considering the ridiculous foundation for the feud. Too bad there is zero focus on the Rookies on NXT at this point.

Oh geez. Advertised for tonight is a "Leg on a Pole" match between Tatsu and Kidd. It's like someone is using NXT to mock TNA booking.

Coming to the ring is Titus O'Neil for a match against Derrick Bateman. Bateman is wearing Apollo Creed's U.S. flag shorts since they are taping in Philadelphia. Underneath the shorts he has his actual trunks. Bateman has some odd-looking headband on.

1 - TITUS O'NEIL vs. DERRICK BATEMAN

O'Neil gets the early advantage, throwing Bateman into the turnbuckle and knocking him down to the mat. Regal says that this is O'Neil's competition to lose, and I'm in agreement. O'Neil with some basic offense and armbars. Grisham and Regal continue to talk up O'Neil's build and background as making him the ideal Superstar if he can get the needed experience. Bateman can't get a break as he gets tossed outside. He heads up the ramp but "No Days Off D-Young" tells Bateman to get back in the ring to do the job.

[ c - "The Very Best of WCW Nitro" DVD ad ]

O'Neil is still in charge, with Young on the apron coaching Bateman. Bateman hot-shots on the ropes and gains control of the match. Nice intensity in the facial expressions from Bateman. Too bad he's slowing the pace down. This match is so dead, even the announcers are running out of things to discuss. The crowd is on their hands here. Bateman charges O'Neil and gets an elbow to the face for his efforts. Yet O'Neil can't capitalize. Bateman to the top rope with a huge leaping axe handle that O'Neil dodges. O'Neil with the clotheslines and a backbreaker. Young trips O'Neil behind the ref's back, and Bateman dropkicks O'Neil's back, then hits his bulldog finisher for the win.

Post-match, Young and Bateman celebrate.

WINNER: Derrick Bateman in about 12 minutes. What an awful, boring, lame match. The entire chatroom, including Howard Finkel, is tired of this season of NXT, and for good reason.

[c - Superstars and Divas wear bathing suits, and "Summer Fest" is around the corner ]

[Q2] Backstage, Hornswoggle finds a trail of green candies and finds a note telling him to close his eyes and pucker up for a surprise. It's A.J. and she kisses him! I was almost right when I thought it was Maxine. Maryse comes to to make fun of A.J. for liking Hornswoggle. A.J. gets tired of it and smacks Maryse with the flowers in her hands.

Elsewhere, Kozlov is on top of vending machine, lying flat. He says he's a "flying gangster," which is lame. JTG says he's got one more week. This makes no sense.

Out comes Tyson Kidd for a "necklace on a pole match" (as announced by Tony Chimmel). Regal still calls it a "leg on a pole match" and acknowledges the lameness of the feud.

[c - WWESHop.com ]

Yoshi Tatsu comes out looking very serious, holding his doll. It's been taped back together against and looks like its in a cast. Regal knocks the figure, too.

2 - YOSHI TATSU vs. TYSON KIDD

Kidd on early offense, climbs the pole, but Tatsu gets him down at the last moment. Tatsu knocks him down, tries to climb, but Kidd gets him down. Spinning heel kick but Kidd blocks the climb. Kidd back on offense. When he tries to climb, Tatsu gets into into the electric chair position and they both go tumbling over the top rope. Tatsu with his hard kicks, then running double knees to Kidd against the stairs. Tatsu tries a huge running jump-kick but Kidd dodges, and Tatsu's leg goes halfway over the barricade and Tatsu is down. Kidd throws Tatsu into the ring and stomps a mudhole in him. Kidd is getting good heat here for the in ring story. Double clothesline and they are both down. Kidd gos tot he pole and Tatsu meets him there. They both go flying off the turnbuckle and Kidd hits the announce desk on the way down.

[ c - "WWE All Stars" ]

Kidd is looking weary but still is in charge. Interesting spot where Kidd dropkicks Tatsu's head outside the ring, but lands on the apron and rolls into the ring. Kidd tries for the pole but Tatsu stops him. Slingshot leg drop on Tatsu hanging through the ropes, then an absolutely brutal Boston Crab tied up in the ropes. Kidd releases and climbs, but again, Tatsu stops him. Kidd kicks Kidd in the head but he's too weary to capitalize. He eventually starts to go up the pole and Kidd crotches him. Tatsu's in the Tree of Woe and Kidd capitalize.

[Q3] They are fighting hard on the pole, just at Tatsu gets the figure off the pole, Kidd nails a massive belly-to-back suplex from the top turnbuckle. Tatsu grabbed the figure, though, and he gets the win. Post-match, Kidd attacks Tatsu and slams his leg in the ring post, then picks him up and drops him knee first onto the announce desk, then does more knee work. Great intensity from Kidd. Figure-four around the pole has Tatsu howling in pain. An extra ref comes out to break it up.

WINNER: Yoshi Tatsu in 13:00. This was an excellent match, even thought it was an "on a pole" match. I truly hope that no one takes the success of this match to think that "on a pole" matches should be more common.

[c - "The Greatest Superstars of the 21st Century," Smackdown ad announcing Triple H on Smackdown ]

Replay of the second WWE Title match from last night's Raw, John Cena against Rey Mysterio.

Final Reax: No Maryse (other than a backstage segment), no Matt Striker, no Pros working with their Rookies - this felt like a skeleton crew episode. The highlight was, of course, the obligatory Yoshi Tatsu-Tyson Kidd match, and the post-match attack indicates that it will drag on some more. I'd laugh if this NXT feud manages to become a PPV match at Summerslam.

These Rookies are impressing me less and less each week, like they, too, have given up hope of the season ever ending. It's like they're waiting for enough people at FCW to eventually be good enough to put on NXT 6 or something. No eliminations announced makes me sad.

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