SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
The following report was originally on PWTorch.com published five years ago this week…
WWE NXT Results
May 22, 2014
Taped at Full Sail University
Report by Justin James, PWTorch contributor
[Q1] Pre-credits video package on Bo Dallas’s upcoming match with Big E. with a title shot if he wins and he is gone from NXT if he loses. Also advertised is Paige vs. Tamina and Adrian Neville “in action.”
Rich Brennan, Alex Riley, and Renee Young are in the booth comparing Bo Dallas to Tim Tebow. Dallas cuts a pre-match promo talking up his match, the Bo-lievers, and Bo-lieving. He humbly accepts the title “Mr. NXT.” When he looks in the audience, he doesn’t see “fans” he sees “family.” Young calls him out for appointing himself “Mr. NXT.” Big E. gets a good reaction, despite not being on NXT in a long time, the fans easily start the “Five!” chants.
1 – BIG E. vs. BO DALLAS – #1 Contender/Banished from NXT match
Big E. easily controls Dallas early. Big E. wants five punches to the gut but Dallas escapes at four. Big E. then tries Five Punches in the corner, but Dallas gets away at four again. Big E. beats Dallas around the ringside, until Dallas hits a desperation kick to Big E.’s knee. Brennan tries to frame this as strength versus wits, but Young says that Big E. is experienced and smart as well as strong.
[ Break ]
Big E. runs into a cross-body as the audience starts singing “he’s got the whole world in his hands.” Dallas insists that he isn’t losing the match, just as Big E. plants his feet to counter a whip. Big E. fires up and starts the barrage. Big belly-to-belly from Big E. The straps are down, but Dallas slips out of the Big Ending and counters with a reverse DDT for two.
Dallas with a flurry of offense but a surprise overhead throw gets two for Big E. Dallas gets knees up on a Warrior Splash and hits an underhook DDT for a nearfall. No one knows what Dallas’ finisher actually is, so they don’t know how to feel about that. Dallas puts his wrist tape on the ground to distract the ref, then takes off a turnbuckle cover, a reminder of how he beat Big E. for the NXT title. Big E. tosses him into the exposed turnbuckle then hits the Big Ending for the win.
WINNER: Big E. at 8:57. “Plodding” is the best word for that match. It was tough to watch. Big E. can deliver fun, hard-hitting offense, but Dallas moves slower than he does with a limited skill set.
[Q2] Post-match, Dallas has a meltdown. He is literally foaming at the match. He looks like a spoiled celebrity having a drug-fueled implosion. It’s cut short to go to a break.
Back from break, they show Dallas’s tantrum during the break, including him hurting himself kicking the steps. After he calms down, he has a promo saying that he “strongly dislikes every one of you” and that “you people stink” (he apologized for his strong language before that). He demands the crowd leave, then says he will be the bigger man and leave, and so he does.
[ J.J.’s Reax: Bo Dallas is incredible in his mastery of his character and his ability to draw legitimate heat. ]
Backstage video after Tyson Kidd’s victory last week. Red meat babyface promo here.
Devin Taylor interviews Sami Zayn, who vows to regain his momentum. Breeze interrupts, and Zayn gets a bit sarcastic. Zayn wonders why he isn’t upset about losing, but Breeze says he wasn’t pinned by Zayn. Zayn challenges him, Breeze accepts it but not for tonight. Breeze sets it up for Takeover.
2 – PAIGE vs. TAMINA – Non-title match
Snuka muscles Paige into the corner on three lockups, so Paige goes to a striking game. A headbutt from Paige infuriates Snuka. Paige wants knee lifts through the ropes but Snuka catches the leg. A trio of bodyslams gets two for Snuka, who is still wearing an A.J. Lee shirt. Snuka with a torture rack for a good while. Paige drives Snuka into the corner and lands back elbows. High knee from Paige. Snuka sets Paige on the top rope then pushes her off to the ringside hitting the apron along the way. Snuka rolls her in and heads to the top rope, but Paige gets boots up on the splash, and rolls up Snuka for the win.
WINNER: Paige in 6:02. I think that was a touch better than their Extreme Rules match, though I really disagree with the booking of Paige to be barely winning matches. She works best as a dominant force.
[Q3] Adam Rose comes out with The Exotic Express.
3 – ADAM ROSE vs. CAMACHO
Camacho comes out of the gate quickly. Rose with his sitting in the ropes and wiggling his legs. Rose wants ten punches in the corner but Camacho comes out and hits a Samoan Drop. Rose takes boots in the corner and Camacho gets a “party pooper” chant. Camacho with a really nice underhook suplex. Rose gets his face put into the turnbuckle a few times which fires up Rose to make a comeback. Bronco Buster from Rose, but Camacho pushes out of Rose’s finisher. Camacho rolls to the outside looking upset or surprised or something. Camacho takes a ten count, and looks disappointed.
WINNER: Adam Rose in 4:07. Camacho looked pretty good until the bizarre finish.
Inset promo from Charlotte. On the one hand, she wants Banks to beat Natalya, but she would hate to have to beat her in the finals for the title. Intriguing. Will Charlotte turn on Banks to keep her out of the title hunt?
4 – NATALYA vs. SASHA BANKS (w/Charlotte) – NXT Women’s Championship Tournament match
Banks pushes Natalya, then hides in the corner. Natalya catches a boot and tries a cover. Natalya wears down Banks. Banks suddenly turns it around we some fairly hard hitting offense. Young says that Banks noted that her winning streak started when Charlotte showed up. Butterfly suplex from Natalya sends Banks flying, but Banks trips her into the corner.
[Q4] Banks wants a headlock bulldog but Banks gets sent flying to the outside. Charlotte picks Banks up and throws her into the ring, but Banks is angry about it. Natalya with a Sharpshooter from nowhere and Banks taps. Charlotte does not look thrilled.
WINNER: Natalya in 4:32. Enjoyable work here, with a storyline that had me hooked throughout the match.
Rich Brennan recaps the line-up for NXT Takeover. JBL has set the Zayn-Breeze match to be a #1 Contender match for the NXT Championship. Rose vs. Camacho has also been booked.
Giving folks a welcome respite from Legends House, Takeover will be at 8:00 p.m. EST.
Kurt Hawkins is out to face Adrin Neville in a pre-Takeover warm-up match for Neville.
5 – NXT champion ADRIAN NEVILLE vs. KURT HAWKINS – non-title match
The announcers play up Kidd’s recent resurrection on NXT and ask if Hawkins could be looking for the same. Hawkins early on the attack. Neville rallies. Missile dropkick from the second rope sends Hawkins across the corner. Elbow from Neville, Red Arrow, and Neville picks up the win.
WINNER: Adrian Neville 2:35. Quick match to let us know that Adrian Neville is the champ for a reason.
Post-match, Tyson Kidd comes out and claps for Neville in an earnest fashion. He says that he isn’t out there to cause trouble, but to lay his claim to the title. Kidd reminds us that he has been on the main roster and a former WWE Tag Team Championship, he has been on WrestleMana, and he wants that feeling back. Neville says that he respects Kidd, but Kidd isn’t going to launch his career off NXT and his back. Because NXT is the future, he is the future, and this is his ring. He says that at Takeover, “the only member of your family who will be taking home gold, as per usual, will be your wife.” Kidd goes nose-to-nose at that, smirks, and walks away.
[ J.J.’s Reax: Do they have Robert DeNiro down there teaching acting classes or something? Neville and Kidd both were really strong on the mic. I didn’t like Kidd’s punctuation of points with the word “Fact!” but they both showed a passion and a fire an conveyed a desire to win that I haven’t seen from either before like this. Something at the Performance Center is working. ]
FINAL THOUGHTS: The biggest problem with NXT Takeover is that the card has no culminations of long-running feuds or stories, especially compared to Arrival’s lineup. Kidd-Neville should be great, and it will be interesting to see how Zayn-Breeze goes. Natalya-Charlotte feels like it could have some really strong work as well, my hopes are on a ten-minute match there. The issue is not that the in-ring match-ups will be poor (though I am not looking forwards to Rose-Camacho, and The Ascension-Kalisto & El Local could be horrible depending on the booking), but that most of these matches have not had more than a few weeks to brew. Zayn-Breeze goes back months, but it has been off and on for those few months. Rose-Camacho has been fairly boring stuff.
Other questions: Where are Enzo Amore and Scott Dawson? What happened with Sylvester Lefort and Marcus Lois? Has Corey Graves evaporated? Can Cesaro get bored of the main roster and show up for a few cups of coffee with NXT again please? Why is the booking of Paige on Raw so different from NXT, which was a proven winner?
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