WWE NXT Results
February 27, 2013
Taped at Full Sail University
Report by Justin James, PWTorch Contributor

[Q1] Pre-credits, Bo Dallas is talking to Dusty Rhodes about how exciting something or other must have been, when Corey Graves butts in. Graves wants to know what Dallas is doing in there, and he returns the NXT Title to Rhodes. Graves says it should be his. Rhodes holds up Dallas as an example of someone earning their spot. They bring up his recent brush with the main roster. Rhodes books Graves, Dallas, and Conor O'Brien in a Triple Threat match for the #1 Contender spot for the NXT Championship.

Very well done segment, with far too much logic in it for a WWE show. Graves was screwed out of his last title match by outside interference, Dallas has indeed earned some attention, and O'Brien had a strong match with Big E. Langston last week. Oh, and there was a "person steals the title" story where they actually explain how the title is returned. Graves carried this segment really well with his mannerisms and delivery.

Tonight's booth is William Regal and Tony Dawson.

Justin Gabriel's music hits, but they are playing Tyson Kidd's 'Tron. Kidd is coming to the ring to be in Gabriel's corner. He's facing Leo Kruger. I think this is the third or fourth recent music change for Kruger.

1 - JUSTIN GABRIEL (w/Tyson Kidd) vs. LEO KRUGER

They tie up and Kruger gets Gabriel in the corner, but Gabriel slips out and clocks Kruger. Gabriel controls Kruger by the head for a stretch. Kruger punches Gabriel and locks in a hold of his own. Kruger risks a DQ in the corner, then Gabriel kicks Kruger out of the ring.

[Commercial Break]

Gabriel runs the ropes, but Kruger catches a leapfrog and hits a sweet spinebuster to counter. Nice touch. Kruger firmly in control now. Gabriel fights back from the mat. Dawson finally busts out a "for the win" almost six minutes into the match. Kruger with a cruel looking wristlock. Regal gets on Dawson for talking too much. Gabriel rallies. Springboard crossbody from Gabriel draws a nearfall. Gabriel back to the top but Kruger punches him down. Kruger with big lariat for a nearfall. Dawson's voice is cracking in shock.

[Q2] Battle on the top turnbuckle. Gabriel with a sunset flip to plant Kruger hard. Gabriel back to the top, 450 Splash for the win.

WINNER: Justin Gabriel in 12:00. They told a good story with a large amount of technical wrestling. Kruger has added a few moves and tricks to feel much less like a generic wrestler, and continues to tweak his character. Tony Dawson's commentary would have been unbearable if we hadn't had two weeks of Tom Phillips before him.

Post-match, Kruger takes one of Kidd's crutches and beats Gabriel with it.

Aksana is making her way to the ring, presumably to beat someone with a shovel. She is facing the dancing Emma. Emma's routine is that she is a clumsy dancer. She tries to use the ropes to get into the ring and needs two attempts.

2 - EMMA vs. AKSANA

Crowd is chanting "USA" even though Emma is from Australia. Akasana takes advantage of Emma's clumsiness and sends her to the corner. Emma falls off the apron. Emma starts to control Aksana, but continues to be clumsy. Emma mocks Aksana's cat crawl. Aksana with a pair of bodyslams. Emma with a lengthy cravat. Emma throws a small temper tantrum after Aksana kicks out of a cover. Emma tries to dance while setting up a suplex, which lets Aksana slip out. Aksana with a spinebuster to thankfully end this.

WINNER: Aksana in 4:45. This may have been the worst match in the era of NXT at Full Sail University. Emma's "clumsy" gimmick looked more like "Jeff Hardy at Victory Road." Akasana isn't the right Diva to try to take the lead on this either. The match is worth a watch just for the Sam Raimi level of "so bad it's good" to it.

Backstage, Renee Young has a report: Bo Dallas has been beat up and is knocked out in a hallway. The #1 contender match is next, but Dallas is out it looks like.

[Q3] Corey Graves is out to a mixed reaction. Conor O'Brian is next. O'Brian had a great entrance with The Ascension, but his singles entrance is weak. Bell rings and there is no Bo Dallas. O'Brian is probably the third or fourth largest man on the roster and Graves is the smallest or next to the smallest. This will be a great contrast match.

3 - COREY GRAVES vs. CONOR O'BRIEN - NXT Championship #1 Contender match

O'Brian throws Graves right into the corner. Graves with a waistlock, but O'Brian shrugs him right off. O'Brian with three shoulder blocks so hard he doesn't lose any speed. O'Brian shows some innovation, and manages to make a nerve hold interesting.

[ Commercial Break ]

Graves gets dumped to the outside and O'Brian follows. Graves continues to take a beating, and rolls to the outside. He ducks back in the ring and kicks out O'Brian's ankle. Graves quickly capitalizes and uses the ring to work O'Brian's ankle some more. O'Brian is able to use his legs to grab Graves and escape, but Graves continues to work the leg.

[ Commercial Break ]

Graves has O'Brian reeling outside the ring. Graves with a foot on the ropes for a cover, but the ref sees it. O'Brian fires up and overpowers Graves, but he's barely on one foot. O'Brian looks like he's calling for the end, but the lights go out. When they come back on, The Shield is assaulting Graves and O'Brien.

WINNER: No winner by DQ in 11:00.

Post-match, Graves and O'Brian both get a triple powerbomb. The crowd pops big for The Shield. Ambrose gets a mic and reminds the audience not to forget about them. Rollins says that they are here to right the wrongs of an industry gone awry, and promises improvements, but things will get worse first. Roman Reigns describes The Shield's vigilance to close the show.

Final Reax: Disappointing night if you like fast-paced wrestling, but both men's matches were quite sound technically and had good stories told. Still little follow-up on the Tag Title Championship. This episode is a bridge to somewhere, and I am curious where that is. Will we see a "NXT vs. The Shield" match of O'Brian, Dallas, and Graves teaming up? Who took out Dallas in the first place?

[Torch art credit Travis Beaven (c) PWTorch.com]

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