WWE NXT Report
December 21, 2011
Taped 12/20 in Richmond, Va.
Report by Justin James, PWTorch contributor

Can Derrick Bateman re-win Maxine's heart? Should he? What will Johnny Curtis do? What combination of Hawkins/Reks/Tatsu/Kidd/JTG/The Usos/Gabriel/Barreta will produce the weekly match of non-Rookie action? And, how about removing Josh Mathews from the booth and getting back William Regal? These are the questions on my mind, since I've given up on the prospect of the "season" ever ending. Oh, and the NXT: Redemption Curse has struck yet again, this time taking Eden Stiles out of the equation with her requesting and being granted a release.

Rookies:

Derrick Bateman
Darren Young
Titus O'Neil

Regulars:

William Regal
Matt Striker
Josh Matthews
JTG
Tyson Kidd
Yoshi Tatsu
Percy Watson
Johnny Curtis
Trent Barreta
Justin Gabriel
The Usos
Tyler Reks & Curt Hawkins
Tamina
A.J.
Kaitlyn
Maxine

[Q1] NXT starts with Derrick Bateman hitting the ring. As he gets a mic, they replay Percy Watson's talking segment from last week. Bateman introduces himself and says his goals were to win NXT, and he's had some success, but along the way he found true love. He admits that the relationship is rocky, but he will "win back the Bonnie to my Clyde, the Courtney to my Kurt, the Max to my Beta." I think Courtney Love may actually be an apt comparison, except Maxine knows how to apply make-up properly.

On cue, Johnny Curtis comes out. Curtis says that Matt Striker has a sick mind like him, because Striker booked them to be tag partners tonight. Striker on the house mic denies they have something in common and says that they need to learn to work together. Curtis says that Bateman is a little peeved because he made out with Maxine, and to "prove" it, he shows a single frame from a few weeks ago when he tried kissing Maxine. Bateman gets hot as Curtis rubs it in his face, and then Curtis says they should put it behind them and let bygones be bygones. He asks for a handshake. Bateman stares him down, and then the Usos come out.

Reax: Johnny Curtis is absolutely brilliant in this role; he carries himself to perfection. The problem is, when this story arc is done with, does he have anything else to bring to the table? Can he transition this successful combination of story and character into something more on the main roster? I hope so. He could fill a role like David Otunga is right now very well.

1 - THE USOS vs. JOHNNY CURTIS & DERRICK BATEMAN - Tag Team Match

On commentary, Striker explains that neither Curtis nor Bateman is going to impress Teddy Long or John Laurinaitis with a personal feud. Isn't that why Wade Barrett is picking in Randy Orton, to get a shot at the top? Jimmy starts the match with a shoulder block and brings in Jey. Striker explains to the audience that the picture Curtis showed was out of context and that Maxine wasn't willing. Jey with a cover for one and brings Jimmy back in. Bateman comes back with a dropkick, but Curtis blind tags in and Bateman looks upset. Jimmy slaps him hard and tags in Jey. Jey with a spinning back elbow, and tries to follow with a side kick, but Curtis catches it and runs him down with a clothesline which gets two.

Curtis with some basic offense. He looks to tag Bateman in, but Bateman drops to ringside and they have an argument. Jey is slowly recovering as Bateman slowly walks away. Curtis turns around into a side kick, and a drop down slap, then Jimmy tags in and they do a double team stinkface. Jimmy drags curtis mid ring, tags Jey, and he hits a huge Superfly Splash across the ring.

WINNERS: The Usos in 4:00. Not a "match," and more of an "angle," but it did what it needed to do.

[ c - WWE 12 ad ]

The commercial break picks up when Bateman still leaving the ring. Odd cut there.

Backstage, Yoshi Tatsu is looking at his mask. Trent Barreta comes out and asks him to watch his back, then leaves. Curt Hawkins and Tyler Reks appear, and Reks brings up Tatsu's comment last week about needing a hair wash. Then shove him into a closet and jam the door with a screwdriver.

[ c - WWE Network ad ]

So, the announcers know that Yoshi Tatsu has been locked in a closet, but they don't send someone to get him out?

2 - TRENT BARRETA vs. CURT HAWKINS (w/Tyler Reks)

A bit of a feeling out process until Hawkins takes down Barreta with a shoulder tackle, but Barreta responds with an elbow.

[Q2] Hawkins clotheslines Barreta out of the ring. Hawkins rolls Barreta back into the ring and puts boots to him and then goes into a side chinlock. Barreta escapes the hold but runs into Hawkin's goofy powerslam which gets a two count. hawkins with another chinlock and Barreta fights out again, but Hawkins trips him and showboats to Striker. Barreta surprises Hawkins as he reenters the ring with a kick then a dropkick. They trade blows until Barreta hits and enziguri then a flying elbow in the corner. Barreta with a running high knee for two.

Barreta cuts off a comeback and sets up for the corkscrew moonsault leg drop, but Reks comes to interfere. Barreta kicks him away but it gives Hawkins the tick to knock Barreta off the rope and smack his chin on the turnbuckle. Hawkins with some nondescript neckbreaker/DDT move for the win. Meanwhile, a sign in the audience says "Tyler Reks Fears Soap." Striker says that Hawkins is probably going to come up with a lame name for his finisher.

WINNER: Curt Hawkins in 5:00. Not a great match, rather bland and boring. These guys need more time to tell a story.

[ c - Raw hype, WWEShop.com ]

With the way that Kaitlyn comes out to the ring, it looks like she is back to being a babyface, which suits her better.

3 - KAITLYN vs. MAXINE

Maxine tries her usual power offense in a lock-up, but Kaitlyn pushes her down. Maxine charges and Kaitlyn responds with an arm drag. Kaitlyn with a kick, powerslam, and a leg drop for two. Maxine comes out of the cover swinging and jumps on Kaitlyns back with a sleeper attempt. Kaitlyn swings her off and catches her at her side and hits a backbreaker for two. Maxine hides in the corner, but when Kaitlyn pursues, Maxine trips her and Kaitlyn faceplants into the turnbuckle.

Maxine is quick to capitalize and smashes her face then chokes her in the ropes. Maxine covers for two and gets frustrated, so she moves to a side chinlock. She does her Sheamus-like punches to the chest. Kaitlyn fights out of the hold, but Maxine hits the ropes, jumps, and lands on Kaitlyn, putting her in a cravat-like hold while wrapping around her like a boa constrictor. Kaitlyn rams her into the corner to escape. Maxine charges, but eats an elbow. Kaitlyn with a dropkick. Maxine shoves Kaitlyn to the mat by the hair, and Bateman appears on the stage calling Maxine's name. Maxine stops for a moment, and Kaitlyn surprises her with a schoolgirl for the win.

WINNER: Kaitlyn in 4:00. These two were a bit off tonight (common theme for the episode it feels like), but the match had potential. They were telling a story of Kaitlyn's power versus Maxine's submission holds, and it was interesting to see Maxine change her typical power offense because she was facing a larger, stronger opponent. Kaitlyn needs to work with Natalya and Beth Phoenix to tighten up her moves a bit.

Post-match: Bateman looks awful for costing Maxine the match, and she looks furious. Maxine storms out to yell at him and he apologizes and he begs her not to lose that loving feeling, then drops to his knees while reciting the song. Then, he starts to sing, but Johnny Curtis ambushes him to shut him up, then yells at him for walking out on him. He screams "no one walks out on me" while looking at Maxine, and she says, "I'm walking out on you right now."

[ c - WrestleMania 28 ad ]

[Q3] Well, this has potential, Percy Watson against Tyson Kidd. Kidd is now ricking a super-short fauxhawk.

4 - PERCY WATSON vs. TYSON KIDD

Kidd actually wins an early lock-up, but Watson catches his foot, knocks him down, and then sends him into the corner. Watson with lots of speed offense, and knocks down Kidd. Kidd in the corner and Watson goes to work. Spinning side slam from Watson gets two. Kidd pulls Watson's arm over the rope and kicks him in the head, then follows with an enziguri. Kidd covers for two, then stomps on Watson a bit.

Snapmare from Kidd for two, then a Dragon Sleeper, but Watson gets out and hits a massive flapjack. Watson with a pair of dropkicks and a powerslam. Watson with an overhead throw for two. Watson puts Kidd on the turnbuckle, but Kidd fights the superplex and hotshots Watson on the ropes, then hits a springboard elbow drop for the win.

WINNER: Tyson Kidd in 5:00. It looks like Kidd is experimenting with finishers, as this was what he used during his debut on ECW. Good in-ring story here: Percy Watson was as fast as Tyson Kidd, and had power, but Kidd neutralized the power with submission holds and a high-flying, high-impact move. Watson looked like a star here, especially at the beginning of the match, with his cruiserweight-like speed.

[ c - "King of the Ring" DVD ad ]

The Tribute to the Troops package from Raw.

Backstage, in Matt Striker's office, Johnny Curtis and Maxine are arguing and Bateman appears out of nowhere, and Matt Striker breaks it up. He wants to know why they are arguing in his office. Maxine says it isn't his business, but he says that as host of NXT, it is his business. He says that it is "NXT" and not "The Young and the Promiscuous." He books Johnny Curtis vs. Derrick Bateman for next week and Maxine storms out telling Striker to deal with this. In the background is Striker's guitar, Ronald Reagan picture, and a picture of a hockey player (presumably Matt Striker, since it was brought up on commentary earlier).

[ c- Be a S.T.A.R., Smackdown hype ]

Uh oh, Darren Young is on commentary. Young is wearing a sling. They replay last week's closing segment and Darren claims that's how his arm was hurt. Josh Mathews goes over O'Neil's charity work and volunteer work before the main event.

5 - TITUS O'NEIL vs. JTG (w/Tamina)

JTG kicks Titus to start things out, but O'Neil makes a quick comeback. Back and forth in the corner, but O'Neil catches JTG off the ropes, hits a backbreaker and a fallaway slam, then throws JTG through the ropes. JTG suckers O'Neil in on the outside, then hits a series of knees and goes back to the ring. He pulls O'Neil in and continues to beat on JTG. Young starts to bicker with Striker as JTG settles into a side chinlock. Titus runs him into the turnbuckle a few times, then throws him off.

O'Neil runs over JTG with shoulder tackles and clotheslines, then Batista-Up's and hits the powerslam. JTG comes back with a drop down uppercut and a cover for two. Titus follows with the Clash of the Titus for the win.

Post-match: Young channels his inner Booker T with a "you gotta be kidding me," and goes to the steps to distract O'Neil. JTG then grabs O'Neil's leg, and Young throws off the sling to enter the ring and beat up O'Neil. He then hits his finisher on O'Neil

WINNER: Titus O'Neil in 4:00. Another angle instead of a match. This made no sense. Wouldn't Matt Striker, as the "host" with booking ability, want to have word from a doctor about Young's condition?

Darren Young gets a mic, then yells at them for taking too long to give it to him. He tells O'Neil that if he's going to take someone out, he needs to finish the job.

Final Reax: No challenges are the only thing that saved this show from being one star. That, and no fish jokes. The Bateman/Maxine/Curtis stuff is developing nicely, and I was happy to see Kaitlyn and Maxine have a match (even if it was a bit sloppy). But, packing five matches into an hour-long show didn't leave enough time for any of them to go well. Regarding the announcing, Josh Mathews has the time to announce without Cole or Booker T, yet he continues to be unimpressive. I like the little touches on the show, especially things like Matt Striker's office decor, as he has more personality as a host/GM than John Laurinaitis or Teddy Long (where is his Martin Luther King, Jr. picture that used to be in his office, by the way?).

[Torch photo (c) PWTorch.com]

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