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The following report originally published 10 years ago this week here at PWTorch.com…
KELLER’S NXT TV REPORT
JANUARY 21, 2015
TAPED AT FULL SAIL UNIVERSITY
AIRED ON WWE NETWORK
Commentators: Rich Brennan, Jason Albert, Corey Graves.
-A video package aired recapping the Sami Zayn-Kevin Owens angles in recent weeks.
-William Regal sat at his desk and announced that the next NXT live special will air on Feb. 11. He also announced they’d hold a tournament starting tonight to determine the new no. 1 contender to the NXT Title. He said because of last week’s match result, Sasha Banks gets a title shot against Charlotte.
(WK Reax: Considering Banks cheated with a yank of the tights to win, and the whole sequence was flukey as part of a tag team match, I’m not crazy about Regal granting her a title shot as a result. A fair-minded G.M. would say due to the controversial nature of last week’s victory by Banks, despite her demands for a title shot, he’s making her win a contender’s match tonight cleanly in order to get the shot she thinks she already deserves. Again, if heels get rewarded for cheating, it makes the babyfaces look like fools for not cheating also, and who likes to root for fools who are sad saps getting punished for actually following the rules?)
(1) SAMI ZAYN vs. TY DILLINGER
Zayn charged to the ring as his music played and went right after Dillinger aggressively. He beat him down in the corner. Albert said he liked his aggression. Zayn threw him out of the ring and then grabbed the mic and demanded Kevin Owens come out right now.
WINNER: No contest?
-Regal walked out instead. He said this isn’t the Sami Zayn he knows. He said he cannot act like he just acted. He got in Regal’s face. Zayn said he’s not wrestling another match unless it’s against Owens. Regal absorbed his demands, then said as G.M. he will not allow anyone to jump people and go above the chain of command to get title matches. Regal said Owens may get a title match some day, but he hasn’t earned it. Sami aid it doesn’t have to be a title match, but he needs a match. Sami said he is asking Regal, whom he respects, to please give it to him. Sami said he’ll do whatever he asks, but he needs to get his hands on Owens first. Regal said he can see it means a lot to him and he’s not going to let it go, so on NXT Takeover on Feb. 11, he will face Kevin Owens. Rich Brennan said Sami is getting his chance to take out his frustration on Owens.
(WK Reax: That was a perfect segment. Regal acted like a fair-minded G.M. would, expressly not wanting to reward the actions of Owens. I wish he also hadn’t rewarded Banks using a yank of the tights to give her a title shot this week. But Zayn and Regal were tremendous here. Regal is exactly what a G.M. on a pro wrestling show should be.)
-The announcers hyped the NXT Women’s Title match and also Tyler Breeze vs. Hideo Itami and Finn Balor vs. Curtis Axel in tournament matches to become no. 1 contender. [c]
-Brennan talked about the Zayn vs. Owens match on Feb. 11. They they aired a clip from during the break of Regal announcing that next week on NXT, Owens and Zayn will have an in-ring contract signing.
(1) CURTIS AXEL vs. FINN BALOR – NXT No. 1 Contender’s Tournament Round One Match.
Albert talked about Finn’s ring entrance being something that can throw people off their game. He said he has a desire to be the best “like the Jordans and the Jeters and the Cenas.” Balor landed a dropkick, knocking Axel t ringside. Balor then dove over the top rope onto him. An “NXT” chant broke out. Back in the ring Axel took over and he worked him over in the corner. The crowd chanted “You suck!” at Axel. Axel settled into a chinlock on the mat and grinder it on like he meant it. Balor avoided a diving elbow drop off the second rope and then hit Axel with a forearm and a Pele kick. Then he delivered the Slingblade – Brennan called it by name this week. He charged at Axel with a body dropkick in the corner and then a top rope double stomp for the win.
WINNER: Balor in about 5:00 to move to the NXT No. 1 Contender’s Tournament semi-finals.
-They went to the three announcers on camera at ringside for the first time in the show. They showed tournament brackes: Axel vs. Balor and Adrian Neville vs. Tyson Kidd in the top bracket and Itami vs. Breeze and Baron Corbin vs. Bull Dempsey in the bottom bracket. Then they played a clip of Banks winning. Brennan noted that she grabbed a fistful of trunks to get the win.
(WK Reax: Glad he didn’t ignore Banks’s cheating, but how about decrying it a bit?)
-Devin Taylor interviewed Banks backstage. Banks put her hand in Taylor’s face and bragged about beating Charlotte last week and vowed to do the same thing tonight, except she’ll have no one to save her. She asked if Taylor had more questions, but then tossed her hair in her face and said, “Don’t care.”
(WK Reax: Raw, Smackdown, and Impact need more short and simple heel interviews like that. In 30 seconds, it establishes her personality and hypes her match. It’s not difficult and doesn’t have to be as complicated as the major nation groups seem to have made it to establish characters and motivations.) [c]
-A promo aired with Bull Dempsey who said last week he had his ticket to the top in his hands, but let it slip through his fingers when he lost to Corbin. He said next week there will be an arena full of people chanting his name.
Check out the latest episode of “PWT Talks NXT” with Kelly Wells and Nate Lindberg, part of the PWTorch Dailycast line-up: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “pwtorch” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
(2) CHARLOTTE vs. SASHA BANKS (w/Becky Lynch)
Albert said Banks cheated to get the job done. Corey Graves said it doesn’t matter how you get there as long as you get there. Albert said, “Aw, come on.” Corey said if the ref doesn’t notice, it doesn’t count. Good for Albert. Brennan asked Albert if she deserves the chance. Albert said she has pushed Charlotte to the limits and this will test Charlotte. So he sort of said she deserves it on general principles and performance even if she cheated to “secure” the title shot this week.
(WK Reax: I really like this discussion with the announcers addressing the cheating rather than just acting like it doesn’t matter at all or isn’t worth mentioning.)
After formal ring introductions, they got in each other’s faces and exchanged words. Then they locked up. Charlotte shoved them apart. Albert said these two “girls” do not get along when they’re both at the Performance Center. Brennan and Albert had a nice exchange about how everything is about moving up the ranks and winning a title. Albert said some people are just about beating people up. Graves added that if you’re not about a championship, you might as well go work at a coffee shop. At 2:00 Banks mounted Charlotte and punched her. Charlotte fired right back with a Thesz Press. Lynch attacked Charlotte, prompting the DQ.
WINNER: Charlotte via DQ in 3:00
-After the match, Bailey made the save when Charlotte was taking a two-on-one beatdown. Bailey picked up the NXT Women’s Title belt and admired it. Charlotte stood up and asked for her to give it back. She yanked it away. Then she turned her back. Bailey grabbed her and gave her a belly-to-belly. She seemed conflicted. Graves asked why Bailey would do that when Charlotte has protected her time after time. Albert said it’s time for Bailey to get tough. Out walked Regal. He said at NXT Takeover, Charlotte will defend the NXT Title against Bailey, Lynch, and Banks. Banks freaked out because Regal said the other two names first. She shrieked that she better be added. Funny. The announcers said Feb. 11 is getting huge. [c]
-Backstage an interviewer asked Owens for a moment of his time. Owens asked if he worked there. He said yes. Owens stood up and said whatever he has to say to Zayn, he’ll say at the contract signing next week. Brennan said that’s one way to welcome the new guy. How about giving him a name?
(3) THE VAUDEVILLIANS (Simon Gotch & Aiden English) vs. BUDDY MURPHY & WESLEY BLAKE
Graves said Gotch told him earlier they are doing a new training approach called Dinosaur Training with clubs like Iron Shiek used back in the day. Albert said he sees Murphy and Blake at the Performance Center week after week and they work so hard in and out of the ring. He said they are students of the game. Blake hot-tagged in at 3:30 against English and scored a near fall after a powerslam. Gotch broke up the pin. Murphy kicked English in the head from ringside, and then Blake rolled him up for the upset win.
WINNERS: Murphy & Blake at 3:30.
-A promo aired with Tyler Breeze saying when he wins the NXT Title, he will begin to implement his plan to separate the world into two groups of people – “super good looking people and ugh-o people.”
(WK Reax: Good short promo. Funny, but heelish at the same time.) [c]
-A post-match celebrating interview took place with Blake & Murphy backstage with the new interview guy. They denied it was an upset win. Blake didn’t seem to understand what the term “upset” meant since he said it wasn’t an upset because they beat them fair and square. I assume that was unintentionally funny. Murphy suggested they face the Lucha Dragons next week for the tag team titles.
-They went to the announcers at ringside. Graves said he liked the swagger of Murphy & Blake. They plugged the contract signing next week. Brennan plugged Itami vs. Breeze was up next. [c]
(4) TYLER BREEZE vs. HIDEO ITAMI – NXT No. 1 Contender’s Tournament Round One Match.
Brennan said they haven’t seen much of Breeze lately. Albert said whatever he’s been up to in his world travels, he ought to focus on NXT if he wants to be champion. The crowd engaged in a battle chant of “Let’s Go Tyler / Let’s Go Hideo.” Breeze settled into a chinlock. Brennan asked about style differences between Japan and U.S. Albert said the size of the ring is different and the ropes have a different tension, but NXT “has the best of the best.” They cut to a break with Breeze still in control. [c]
They were in the obligatory post-commercial-break chinlock. Brennan said it’s now official that the Lucha Dragons have accepted the challenge for a tag title defense from Blake & Murphy, and it takes place next week on NXT. Itami fought back with two clotheslines and a leg sweep, then a running knee into the corner. He spun and snapped Breeze’s neck over the top rope, then landed a flying clothesline for a near fall. Breeze surprised Hideo with a Supermodel Kick for a near fall. Albert complimented both men for their fighting spirit. Breeze followed up with another near fall after a crucifix slam into a leveraged pin attempt. After Breeze trash-talked a bit, Itami went into rapid-fire strikes and a flying kick to the face for the three count.
WINNER: Itami in 11:00 to advance to semi-finals of tournament.
(WK Reax: Very good match within the 11 minute framework. It’s not a match where you’d say either guy is a mega-star, but everything they did was strong and crisp, and the pace of the match told a nice story. Hideo showed good fire and facial expressions. They seem to be building toward a potential hot tournament finale of Neville vs. Itami or Balor vs. Itami, although other possibilities also exist. Overall, this is an enjoyable weekly series with a relative small roster of featured talent, but everything they do serves a purpose within the context of this being a competitive environment where everyone’s goal is to win a title. The tone and approach of the announcing is so enjoyable that it really stands out how much the way Raw and Smackdown is produced damages the product.)
RECOMMENDED NEXT: 10 YRS AGO – WWE Raw Report (1/12/2015): Cena show-opening promo, Cena vs. Seth, Rusev vs. Amborse headlines, plus Miz, Big Show, New Day, Jey Uso
OR CHECK THIS OUT AT PROWRESTLING.NET: Powell’s NXT Hit List: Roxanne Perez and Bayley, Nathan Frazer and Axiom vs. OTM for the NXT Tag Titles, Stephanie Vaquer vs. Shotzi for a shot at the NXT Women’s North American Title
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