WWE NXT Results
January 1, 2014
Taped at Full Sail University
Report by Justin James, PWTorch contributor

[Q1] No pre-credits video to kick off the new year. I half expected a package on the Regal-Cesaro match from last week.

Byron Saxton informs us that Tyler Breeze has entered the building, to delight the crowd. Lana comes out, chiding the crowd in Russian, and introduces Alexander Rusev to "What?" chants. In this case, they are appropriate. I think Rusev may have dropped a bit of weight, which works to his favor.

1 - ALEXANDER RUSEV (w/Lana) vs. KOFI KINGSTON

Rusev with knee-lifts to immediately control. Regal and Riley are immediately at each other's throats, ugh. Rusev takes Kingston from holding him in the front to a Samoan Drop. Kingston fires up but gets flattened by a chest bump. Kingston rolls away from a diving headbutt, giving him some momentum.

Rusev is down on a Superman punch and obligingly sits still for a Boom Drop. Rusev gets in the corner to avoid Trouble in Paradise. Cross-body puts Rusev down again. Lana distracts Kingston on the top, letting Rusev dump him, and lock in The Accollade. Kingston eventually taps out.

WINNER: Alexander Rusev in 4:30. This should have been a ten-minute match like most other pro-vs.-rookie matches are. WWE is clearly quite high on Rusev to have him beat Kingston this quickly (then again, who hasn't beaten Kofi Kingston in a four-minute match as of late?).

Backstage, Devin Taylor interviews Sylvester Lefort. He's got an open audition for new talent, and flirts a bit with Devin. The first comes out, Paul something-or-other, Lefort says he is too fat and dismisses him. He wants a "bigger than life Superstar." Mason Ryan comes out, and doesn't know about the audition. Lefort holds out a single dollar bill and says that Ryan can make a lot of money with him. Ryan stuffs the dollar in his mouth and calls him an idiot.

[ J.J.'s Reax: Lefort is really enjoyable in the manager role. Mason Ryan has been using his second (third, really) chance very effectively. While his speaking role here was limited to one word, his mannerisms are much more believable than in the past, and his match quality and presentation is improved. ]

Natalya gets a big reception in her way out for a #1 contender slot with Emma. Emma has turned out some good work with Paige, a match with Natalya will help her build a quality body of work. Emma with a nice pop and it looks like this will be face vs. face.

2 - EMMA vs. NATALYA - #1 Contender's Match for the NXT Women's Championship

Back-and-forth chain wrestling to start. Dueling "Let's go Natty! Let's go Emma!" chants, and it sounds like the crowd is backing both of them at the same time. Emma with a roll-up for two, and dances in Natalya's face. Natalya with fire, and knees Emma hard int he corner. Emma slips between Natalya's legs for another two count. Dil-Emma in the ropes. Emma wants the low cross-body in the corner (the "Emma Sandwich"), but Natalya dodges and hits a discuss clothesline. Natalya tries to rip Emma in half with a hold. Natalya whiffs a leg drop to reset the match.

[Q2] Natalya looks for a Sharpshooter, but Emma reverses it and gets a two count. Emma Lock mid-ring, and Natalya taps out. Post-match, there is a show of respect and sportsmanship between Emma and Natalya.

WINNER: Emma in 4:30. Decent match. They were booked into a corner here; Emma as #1 contender makes too much such, but they don't want to undermine her with a fluke or tainted win, so Natalya has to tap out for what may be the first time ever on NXT. This should have been a longer match, but Leo Kruger and Sami Zayn are booked for a two-out-of-three falls match.

Renee Young is in the ring to introduce the sing-off between Aiden English and Colin Cassady. English doesn't sing his way to the ring, opting to save himself for the "main ring." Cassady comes out in a suit, fist bumping the audience on his way out. English is dismissive.

3 - COLIN CASSADY vs. AIDEN ENGLISH - Sing off

English requests his spotlight and promises Italian opera. And he delivers. Cassady responds with some nervousness. Young re-assures him. So he comes back with a song mocking English to the tune of Danny Boy and his singing. He manages to work in the S-A-W-F-T catchphrase into his song. English actually gets a bit of boos, and Cassady gets a big pop to win it. English says that the crowd is making a mistake, and demands a re-match. Cassady agrees.

English's song insults Cassady and the audience for cheering for Cassady. He finishes with a talk show style finger snap. Cassady does a "My Girl" version, talking himself up and knocking English. The crowd is clapping along. he replaces "My Girl" with "You suck." English jumps him from behind and storms out.

WINNER: Colin Cassady. Usually, these things are cringe-worthy, but this one was actually amusing and entertaining. Once again, the (unexpectedly) fan favorite Colin Cassady has been an effective tool to firmly establish a heel as being a heel and not someone for the fans to cheer as an entertainer.

Tyler Breeze is out to a big reception. He's got a furry phone case to match his furry outfit. The crowd loves Breeze, with a ton of pro-Breeze signs in the audience. He's someone else who could use some treatment to turn his heel gimmick that gets cheers into something that gets booed. He prior feud against C.J. Parker wasn't the right vehicle, seeing as the audience really could not stand Parker. He's facing Mason Ryan.

4 - MASON RYAN vs. TYLER BREEZE

[Q3] Sylvester Lefort distracts Ryan out of the bell, lettings the cowardly Breeze get in some offense. A single shot to the stomach from Ryan has Breeze crying like a toddler. Ryan drops Breeze on the ropes, and slides outside with surprising speed to clobber Lefort, but eats the Beauty Shot upon re-entry for the loss.

WINNER: Tyler Breeze in 1:15. More effective booking. Ryan is now firmly establishing a beef with Lefort (and possibly Scott Dawson in the process), Ryan's weaknesses are being effectively masked, and Breeze gets another cowardly win.

A tornado tag match between The Ascension and Hunico and Camacho is advertised for next week. No mention of if the titles are on the line. Byron Saxton says that Tyler Breeze has left the building.

Leo Kruger is out first, to a bit of a decent reaction. Zayn with the big pop as expected.

5 - SAMI ZAYN vs. LEO KRUGER - Two-out-of-three-falls match

Kruger quickly dumps Zayn through the ropes and follows up on the outside. They brawl in the outside some more. Regal is in the middle of a great explanation of the psychology of the match format when Riley cuts him off. Zayn takes a slam on the ringside which lets Kruger get a two count back in the ring. Uppercuts from Kruger, but Zayn catches a charge in the corner and counters with an exploder suplex sending Kruger head first into the turnbuckle. Zayn follows with the corner boot for a believable first pin.

First Fall: Sami Zayn at 3:30.

[ Commercial Break ]

Zayn and Kruger are tussling on the turnbuckle out of the break. Zayn wants a superplex, but somehow Kruger sends him flying off the ropes and he lands badly on the ramp. That looked like a game changer. The ref is counting and Zayn barely beats the count. Kruger immediately hits a DDT for a nearfall. Kruger starts grinding away on Zayn. Zayn is taking a real beating while holding the ropes to block a whip.

Zayn with sudden momentum. Huge spinning Doctor Bomb for a a very close nearfall for Zayn. Zayn heads to the turnbuckle but Kruger meets him there before he can climb. Zayn wants a springboard move but gets cold-cocked as he flies over the ropes and lands on the apron. Kruger with a unique hangman spinning neckbreaker for a nearfall. Zayn scrambles for the ropes to escape an armbar.

Kruger meets Zayn on the turnbuckle. Zayn blocks the superplex and shoves Kruger down, but Kruger ducks a crossbody and locks in the GC3. Zayn barely gets to the ropes after a lengthy fight. Kruger loses his cool and wails away on Zayn in the ropes.

[Q4] Zayn with fire, but a massive spinebuster takes him down. Kruger looks for The Slice, but Zayn counters with a side Russian legsweep of sorts, and locks in a tight hold, and Kruger taps.

WINNER: Sami Zayn in 11:00 total match time. A recent "Ask PWTorch Staff" article discussed this match format and how it tends to have poor booking. Well this match is the exception to the rule. How often does a 2-out-of-3-falls match end in two falls? Zayn wins with a submission hold that I don't recall him using before. The heel didn't cheat to win, and none of the usual plot devices like the intentional DQ on the second fall were employed. Zayn was great as usual, and Kruger did what he needed to do: hit some big moves to come off as a total beast.

Final Reax: Let's see... really good Sami Zayn match that broke traditional WWE booking formulas? Check. A decent women's match that means something in the great scheme of things? Check. Undercard matches that progressed existing feuds and built new ones? Check. Nothing to dislike tonight, other than the incessant bickering between Regal and Riley. I like them both on their own, but Riley is being produced to be like a semi-heel version of the "And I Quote" Michael Cole presentation with the sarcasm and bashing of talent and co-workers, and it is classing badly with Regal's style. I know Riley is better than this, as he did a great job without Regal next to him and he does a good job on Superstars (though he's produced more as a "storyteller" than anything else). And Regal + Young is just ugly because Regal strays into Jerry Lawler territory. But the current booth combos are messes as-is. They need to go to Regal/Philips and Riley/Saxton/Young.

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