WWE NXT TV Results
July 24, 2013
Taped at Full Sail University
Report by Justin James, PWTorch contributor

Editor's Note: WWE acknowledged the first NXT Women's champion as part of WWE's expanded recognition of the Developmental program on their website.

This week's episode should be interesting, with the Women's Championship Finals between Emma and Paige, and follow up on The Wyatt Family losing the Tag Team Titles to Corey Graves and Adrian Neville.

[Q1] The pre-match makes the Women's Championship Tournament seem very important. Another good job from the production department to put over a championship match. They have soundbytes from both Paige and Emma playing up a face-vs-face match to see who the better wrestler is.

Emma with a very nice reaction as she dances out to bubbles, and the crowd is on their feet doing the Emma Dance. Paige's entrance is a complete contrast, despite some of Emma's bubbles still being in the air. She seems to have softened her demeanor a bit. No boos for either Diva, and they both get the same level of reaction during the ring intros.

1 - PAIGE vs. EMMA - NXT Women's Championship Final

The quickly struggle for control as the crowd can't figure out who to support. Maddox says this is one of the three most important nights in NXT history, putting the women's title at the same level as the Tag Team and Heavyweight championships. Emma grounds Paige, finally. Paige with a headbutt to get some space. They struggle to try backslides, but Emma gets to the ropes then transitions into the Dil-Emma in the ropes. Kick to Emma's stomach sends her to the floor.

[ Commercial Break ]

Paige is controlling Emma with a headlock on the mat. Emma is trying to figure out what to do to escape. Paige with a fisherman's suplex into a cover for two. Paige throws Emma into the corner by the hair, then kicks the stuffing out of her. A pair of covers for two. Paige tries slipping through the ropes to avoid a charge, but Emma catches her to turn it around. Emma telegraphs a back body drop, so Paige hits a sunset flip. Emma sits on it, but Paige rolls her up for two. Emma gets up first and gets aggressive. Meanwhile, the crowd still can't figure out who they want to win.

Paige is nearly in tears to get out of a headlock, but Emma drags her to the mat and continues to grind the hold. Paige can't get traction and Emma gets increasingly frustrated. Emma with a waistlock to put Paige down. Paige with wild elbows in the corner to escape, then a charge. Emma gets a boot up, but Paige catches it and transitions into a dragon screw leg whip and transitions into a modified Cloverleaf with Emma facing away from the ropes. Emma is screaming in paid as Paige torques, but Emma twists out, kicks Paige into the ropes, then catches Paige on the rebound with a cover for a very believable nearfall.

Emma with a double leg takedown, and she wants the Emma Lock, but Paige rolls under the ropes, then manages to headbutt Emma while lying down on the apron. Rapid knee lifts to Emma dangling through the ropes. Paige goes to the top, but Emma slaps her, then meets her there. Emma with a superplex, but is too hurt to follow up. "This is awesome" chant breaks out.

[Q2] Emma crawls into a cover, but Paige gets a foot on the rope just as the ref hits three on the count - another very believable nearfall. Paige drags herself up, then delivers kicks to the midsection, followed by the Paige Turner to finish the deal.

WINNER: Paige in 11:00 to capture the Women's Championship. Very good example of how the women can add value to a wrestling program. I doubt that even the normally hot FSU crowd has ever been this vocal during match, as they were not silent once. There was no "feeling out" process; they were both hot to get that title and let it show. The story was Emma slowly dropping her smiling, bubbly attitude and getting increasingly frustrated as she failed to put away Paige, culminating in a superplex. Paige managed to turn up her aggression even further. Booking 101 says that you can't put two strong faces against each other, but this match is the clear exception. The tournament format allowed both wrestlers to build up credibility and popularity, and the strong performance from both led to a great sense of tension throughout the match. Is a heel turn from Emma to follow?

Post-match, Paige absolutely breaks down as she celebrates. The Divas roster, with the exception of Summer Rae, comes out to congratulate Paige. Triple H's music hits and Hunter comes out clapping to the ring. He raises Paige's hand and shows her off to all four sides of the ring. He leaves to let her have her spotlight.

[ J.J.'s REAX: The post-match was very touching, particularly with Hunter coming out to create a very memorable moment. Something I've seen in NXT, is that every time a title changes hands, there is real emotion there from the new champion, which makes the title mean a lot more than it does when someone like John Cena treats it with a yawn and a shrug. ]

Video package from Zeb Colter and Antonio Cesaro says that Sami Zayn can't be found on a background check, and they are going to get to the truth. They also hear that he used to wear a mask, which is what people "south of the border" do to sneak into the country in the dark. They're going to have him deported if they can.

Angelo Dawkins is already in the ring. He's facing the debuting Tyler Breeze. Breeze looks like the love child of Brad Pitt and Dolph Ziggler, by way of Don Johnson. Breeze takes selfies as he comes out to the ring, as he is supposed to be a "male model." The referee can't start the match because Breeze spends so much time taking pictures. Boos and "boring" from the crowd. Talk about a "comedown segment" after the hot opening that took a total over 20 minutes.

2 - ANGELO DAWKINS vs. TYLER BREEZE

The ref calls for the bell as Breeze is posing, but Breeze insists on taking more pictures. Dawkins gets tired of waiting, but Breeze is able to get the upper hand. Dawkins with a pair of roll-ups for two, then Breeze gets nasty. Breeze gets his phone back to look at himself, then turns around and hits a spinning heel kick for the win.

WINNER: Tyler Breeze in 1:15. Breeze just put a ton of heat on himself, but it was most definitely "go away heat." Who wants to see a gimmick that involves waiting three minutes for a match to start? Who benefits from "boring" chants before the match even starts?

Repeat of the Ascension video package.

[Q3] The Ascension is out to face Axel Keegan and a re-designed Aiden English. English looks like Von Kaiser from "Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!"

3 - AXEL KEEGAN & AIDEN ENGLISH vs. THE ASCENSION

English and O'Brian start. O'Brian with hard, fast offense and Victor is in. Victor with a series of uppercuts in the corner. O'Brian and Victor continue to tag team Victor. The use the old "Fall of Man" team finisher for the win.

WINNERS: The Ascension in 2:15. I think NXT may have moved past The Ascension as a winning concept, but only time will tell.

The advertised match for next week is Bo Dallas and Sami Zayn against Antonio Cesaro and Leo Kruger. That line-up makes little sense.

4 - SHEAMUS vs. LUKE HARPER (w/Bray Wyatt and Erick Rowan)

Rowan is able to match Sheamus in the lock-up. The crowd echoes Harper's "yeah yeah yeah" routine. Harper with the first knockdown via shoulder block. Sheamus knocks Harper down with a shoulder block of his own. Harper leaves the ring to confer with Wyatt, then Sheamus catches a foot and punishes Harper, but Harper makes a comeback. They trade control with big moves. Sheamus clears Harper from the ring, then lands ten forearms in the ropes. Rowan tries getting involved and gets ten forearms, too. Harper capitalizes and sends Sheamus outside the ring.

[ Commercial Break ]

Harper is taking it to Sheamus in the corner. Rowan with a cheap-shot behind the ref's back. Why don't Graves and Neville have his back? Sheamus with a big powerslam to get a break. They trade elbows. Irish Hammers put Harper down, then Sheamus starts his traditional offense.

[Q4] Harper counters White Noise and gets a two count. Harper to the second rope, but Sheamus rolls under him, then lands a rolling senton. Harper ducks the Brogue Kick and hits a big clothesline for a nearfall. Sheamus gets boots up in the corner, uses Harper to clear Rowan off the apron, then hits White Noise to boos. Sheamus preps the Brogue Kick and lands it for the win.

WINNER: Sheamus in 10:15. That match felt slow and formulaic. What a shame that this had to take the spot of what was the real main event, Paige vs. Emma.

Final Reax: Watch the Women's Championship match and the post-match follow-up, the Tyler Breeze debut for the novelty, and skip the rest of this episode. The women's match was quite unique in that they gave roughly 20 minutes of a 45-minute program to a women's match, and the match itself went over 10 minutes. Why Sheamus faced Luke Harper but the new Tag Team champions were missing makes no sense. Finally, I am anticipating next week's advertised tag match solidifying Bo Dallas as a heel.

[Torch art credit Grant Gould (c) PWTorch.com]

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