WWE NXY Results
March 21, 2012
Taped 3/20 in Newark, N.J.
Report by Justin James, PWTorch contributor

Opening Thoughts: This week has been pretty quiet in terms of NXT news, for better or for worse. There's a Curt Hawkins-themed shirt at Barber Shop Window, based on his "Change" campaign. This week's episode may continue the love story angle, though the end of last week's show very much so felt like a feud blow-off to me. Curt Hawkins and Tyler Reks are still railing against the authority figures of Matt Striker and William Regal, Tyson Kidd should be getting his re-match with Michael McGillicutty, and the feud between the teams of Alex Riley & Percy Watson and Titus O'Neil & Darren Young is likely to continue in one form or another this week... Loading up the NXT site gives me a gloriously horrid picture of Maxine rubbing William Regal's feet. Yuck.

[Q1] Matt Striker kicks off the show in the middle of the ring and says William Regal has booked four matches tonight, including Tyson Kidd versus Michael McGillicutty. Striker then introduces the first match of the night, Curt Hawkins against Justin Gabriel. Pre-match, Regal says that he made a match with Gabriel because "no one is more exciting that Justin Gabriel." That's a strong endorsement, and I find myself agreeing with it. While there may be others as exciting as Gabriel in the ring in WWE, it is hard to think of anyone more exciting. I would put Tyson Kidd and Trent Barreta on that level as well.

1 - JUSTIN GABRIEL vs. CURT HAWKINS

Gabriel does not like Hawkins taking advantage of him early on. Hawkins rolls under a springboard splash to gain control. Swinging bodyslam gets Hawkins two. Gabriel can't catch a break as Hawkins tells Regal that he runs the show. Regal has nothing but contempt for it. Mathews says that it is almost like the "inmates running the asylum" and Regal fires back with, "This isn't WCW." Regal could do a great improv routine. The crowd chants for Zack Ryder. A single sidekick from Gabriel puts Hawkins on the mat long enough for Gabriel to land the 450 Splash for the win.

WINNER: Justin Gabriel at 2:15. I am not sure why this match was so short.

Backstage, Derrick Bateman and Kaitlyn are walking hand-in-hand swooning over each other, when they run in to Tamina Snuka. Snuka gushes over the new couple. Wasn't she "dating" JTG? After Bateman and Kaitlyn leave, Titus O'Neil and Darren Young come around the corner and O'Neil wants to know why The Usos get angry every time someone tries to chat her up. He tells her than Young wants to date her. Young starts to talk to her, but The Usos come out and tell her that it isn't cool because O'Neil and Young are disrespectful. It seems like one of the Usos has a match against Young. The Usos and Snuka leave, and O'Neil echorts Young to beat Jimmy Uso tonight and hook up with Snuka later.

[ c - Ad for the Cena - Rock special ]

2 - JIMMY USO vs. DARREN YOUNG

Jey Uso is on commentary as Jimmy starts the match off strong against Young. Young dumps Jimmy outside the ring and they cut to break.

[ c - Raw ad, Cena - Rock hype ]

Young is in control of Jimmy out of the break. Regal and Matthews reference the crowd chanting, "No one knows you," to Darren Young during the break as Young slows the pace down. Regal says The Usos would be first in line for time and titles if he were in charge. Jimmy gets a double knock-down out of the corner, and Jey gets out of the booth to involve the crowd.

[Q2] Jimmy fires up and lands solid offense. Stinkface from Jimmy gets a two count. Jimmy hangs Young up on the ropes and goes to the top, but Young meets him there. They battle a bit, but Young is able to gain the advantage. Young sends Jimmy into the ringpost shoulder-first and catches him on the rebound with his finisher.

WINNER: Darren Young at 6:45. Young needs to work on making his sustained offense more interesting. I'd offer him the same advice that I offered to Michael McGillicutty a few months ago: develop a few signature moves, step up the pace, and rely less on kicks, punches, and rest holds.

Backstage, Tamina is watching the match and O'Neil comes up behind her to talk up Young a bit.

Josh Mathews is looking at his phone and says he has to go; there is something wrong with his car in the parking lot. Mathews runs out of the booth.

Backstage, Maxine is telling Johnny Curtis (who is wearing a jacket but no shirt, of course) to pay attention to her. She says that Mathews is busy dealing with his car, so no one else is at the booth. She is going to use the opportunity to get near Regal and have him get her off NXT. They get quiet when they hear Mathews in the hallway. Curtis soaks a rag in chloroform and uses it to knock out Matt Striker, and Maxine panicks and says that she didn't ask him to do that. She very logically demands to know why he has chloroform, but he deflects the answer (the obvious answer fits right in to his increasingly disgusting character...). Maxine tells Curtis to get rid of Striker, so Curtis just dumps him into a box. Maxine tells Curtis to watch Striker. Alicia Fox walks by and Curtis tries talking to her. She goes on by, so Curtis hides his knockout rag and follows her. Could Johnny Curtis get any more foul?

The camera cuts back to Regal, who seems to not know what is going on. Maxine comes out with a gift basket, and Regal says that he doesn't trust her. She gives him the basket - it has massage oils or lotions in it. Regal isn't quite sure what to make of it, as she explains that she really appreciates him as a boss. She flirts with him as Percy Watson hits the ring. Regal hilariously tells her that she wouldn't get much out of him and she says that it doesn't take much to please her. This entire angle has gone into a whole 'nother level.

3 - PERCY WATSON vs. TYLER REKS

Reks and Watson go back and forth as Maxine offers Regal a foot massage. She compliments his feet (they are in her lap) as she starts to rub them.

[ c - New WWE.com ad ]

Lots of close-ups on the Regal foot rub as the match continues. The match is definitely a backdrop to the foot rub. Maxine humors Regal as Regal rambles and Reks is dominating Watson. Regal says he is glad that it is Maxine rubbing his feet and not Hornswoggle. He says that it is a good thing his wife doesn't watch this show. She is now offering him a scalp massage, and he looks ecstactic as she starts it. Regal recounts his woes as she makes him relax. His hair is a wreck as Watson lands the Highsman for two. Watson with a big crossbody from the top, but Reks rolls through for two. Watson counters the Burning Hammer and turns it into the Percycution for the win.

WINNER: Percy Watson at 5:30. It is a shame that so much of the attention on this match was on the Regal-Maxine softcore action, because the match itself was good. That said, this is a bizarre, disgusting new twist to the current Maxine story.

[ c - "The Epic Journey of Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson" DVD ad ]

[Q3] Josh Mathews is back and Regal seems shellshocked. His hair is a wreck.

Raw Rebound - Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and The Undertaker.

Backstage, Curtis discovers that Striker is missing. Maxine comes in and says they need to release Striker. Curtis deflects by offering to make out with her, but she declines and wants to know what is wrong with him. Maxine jumps to the wrong conclusion and assumes that Curtis killed Striker. She demands to let Striker go, so Curtis gets off the box and opens in. Instead of Striker, there is a ransom note (complete with letters cut out of newspapers) saying that someone else has kidnapped Striker and knows what they did, and that they will come to Maxine and Curtis with demands. Bateman and Kaitlyn interrupt. Maxine and Curtis try to play it cool. Maxine accuses Kaitlyn of being involved in "this," but they have no idea what is going on. Bateman and Kaitlyn leave. Maxine berates Curtis for letting Striker go, then she shoves him into the box. This is now the second or third kidnapping angle on this season of NXT.

As Michael McGillicutty comes to the ring, Mathews throws to a video package summing up the situation with him and Tyson Kidd. The video package is very well done.

4 - TYSON KIDD vs. MICHAEL MCGILLICUTTY

Kidd shows tons of heart to start, but McGillicutty turns it around with the right amout of anger. The match goes to the outside, where Kidd swings from the ringpost to catch McGillicutty with a huracanrana.

[ c - Smackdown ad ]

McGillicutty is manhandling Kidd out of the break. They take it to the outside again where McGillicutty uses the announcing table as a weapon, and rolls Kidd into the ring for a two count. Kidd with a tornado-like takedown for two, but McGillicutty comes right back with more offense. Kidd is looking pretty beat up. McGillicutty insults Kidd while locking on a tight headlock. Mathews asks what happened when he was gone, and Regal says that the "filthy cat" thinks that she is fooling him, but he knows better.

Kidd sends McGillicutty into the turnbuckle with a drop toehold to reset the action. Kidd kicks the legs out from under McGillicutty and gets more offense for a two count. Kidd with a vicious springboard guillotine leg drop and he tries to follow with a springboard elbow drop, but McGillicutty gets his knees up and responds with a Saito suplex for a tight two count. Kidd blocks a belly-to-back suplex, then slips out of another. They trade roll-throughs and schoolboys.

Kidd looks for the Sharpshooter, but McGillicutty kicks him away. Kidd then lands a springboard reverse sunset flip for the surprise win. Kidd holds up a finger on each hand indicating that they both have a win now. Regal asks how it can resist booking the rubber match.

WINNER: Tyson Kidd in 10:00. Very, very sound match.

Post-match, McGillicutty gets a mic and vows revenge.

Final Reax: This was one of the best episodes of NXT I've seen. There was a very good match to end the show, the backstage segments with Maxine and Curtis were delicious, and there was solid, logical progression all around. Even the "throwaway match" to set the scene with Maxine rubbing Regal's feet and scalp was well done. My only disappointment was the lack of a Divas match and no ring time for Derrick Bateman.

[Torch photo (c) PWTorch.com]

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