SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
The following report originally published 10 years ago this week here at PWTorch.com…
KELLER’S NXT TV REPORT
MARCH 11, 2015
TAPED IN ORLANDO, FLA. AT FULL SAIL UNIVERSITY
AIRED ON WWE NETWORK
-The NXT opening aired. Tom Philips introduced the show as they cut to the ring entrance stage with Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady. Enzo did his “…and you can’t teach that” ring entrance routine. They took some digs at the Lucha Dragons. Enzo said they’re not dragons, they’re more like the Geico insurance lizard. Cassady said if they can’t save them 15 percent on insurance, get the heck out of their way.
(1) ENZO AMORE & COLIN CASSADY vs. THE LUCHA DRAGONS (Sin Cara & Kalisto)
Jason Albert on commentary noted that Enzo left Carmella backstage. Philips said Enzo calls his beard “The How I Woke Up.” Corey Graves said he thinks it’s got mange.
(WK Reax: The biggest objection I have to NXT is that we hear the announcers before they identify themselves or before they’re shown on camera. Nobody else does that. You always see the face of the voices and you always get a chance to match a name and voice with the faces of the announce team, be it “American Idol” or “Monday Night Football.” I don’t get why they don’t go on camera to show the announcers briefly before the first match.)
The Dragons had control in the early minutes. Enzo took control on Cara until he hot-tagged Kalisto. At 5:00 Cassady dragged Enzo to the corner and then tagged himself in. He then tagged Enzo in and threw him into Kalisto for the win.
WINNERS: Enzo & Cassady at 5:55.
-An ad aired for NXT at the Arnold Sports Festival available next week on WWE Network featuring Sasha Banks vs. Alexa Bliss and Kevin Owens vs. Alex Riley.
-A video package aired on Alex Riley, who is shifting from announcing back to wrestling. He said at the end: “I’m ready to show the world my talent. I’m out there to entertain. That’s my number one objective.”
(WK Reax: Seriously! Seriously, really?!?! His number one goal is to f’n “entertain.” He’s playing the role on television of a wrestler who enters the ring to try to win matches so he can rise up the ranks and win a title and be a champion and earn the most money. But his character’s number one stated goal is to “entertain”?!?! What the hell does that even mean? Will he move up the card to main events if he has the “most entertaining” matches but never wins? Of course not. Why is something so utterly stupid allowed to be said on the air? It’s really revealing about the completely messed up narrative within WWE and how they approach the product that stuff like that and Dolph Ziggler’s utterly stupid comment last year at the Slammys makes it onto the air. It’s a big deal, not a little deal, because it’s symptomatic of a very big problem with how WWE presents its product and the mindset of the wrestlers who are presenting their characters as “trying to entertain” rather than, you know, “win matches.” It completely undercuts the investment fans have in matches when instead of thinking what matters is who wins, that what matters is how many “This is awesome!” chants wrestlers get or how many crowd pops they get. If his goal is really to entertain, he ought to juggle or do magic rather than go for a pin during his matches, because a pin ends a match, and therefore ends the “entertainment,” whereas if he chooses to juggle or do magic, he will achieve his goal of “entertaining.”)
-Philips plugged Riley vs. C.J. Parker would take place later in the show. He noted that Riley had returned to “in-ring action” because of Kevin Owens. He threw to a video package on Owens.
(WK Reax: When Owens says he told people he would do anything and face anyone to make life better for him and his family, it works for his heel character because it’s his way of saying he will win at any cost and do whatever it takes to get ahead. Yes, he says he’s fighting for his family, but it almost comes across as if he’s using his family to feed his ego and cheat to get ahead. When Roman Reigns talks about providing a great life for his family, it doesn’t work for his babyface character like it does for Owens when he says it.)
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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(2) ALEXA BLISS vs. CARMELLA
Late in the match Bliss executed an awful standing moonsault for a two count. She followed up with a top rope turning splash that she’s named “The Sparkle Splash.”
WINNER: Bliss at 5:20.
(WK Reax: Pretty clunky. One time Bliss profiled for the hard camera while putting on a headlock, which is a no-no.)
-Backstage in the locker room a roving reporter asked Riley about his return to the ring. He yelled that he felt like he was locked in a cage for two years watching everyone else eat while he was left hungry. He said he kept his same approach, but never knew if he’d get another chance. He said he was told over and over there was no room for him. He said he was hoping and praying for one chance to fight for his life, but he was stuck in a cage. He said he heard Owens talk about his wife and kids, but unlike Owens, he doesn’t have a family. He said the ring and the fans are his family and it’s time he joins then. “It’s time to rage!” he said as he stood up.
(WK Reax: I’m not fan of wrestlers yelling at level 10 start to finish in interviews. I like the intensity, but it felt a little too “yelly.” At least in this case, he showed a real passion for his career. This was a little too “inside baseball” or “pipe bomb” for me, though. The story here is that he was held back from doing what he wanted, but now he finally has a chance. I’m not sure you want babyface cutting promos that makes the wrestling promotion out to be the bad guy for “locking wrestlers in cages without food,” or denying them a chance to wrestle if that’s what they want to do. I’d rather the focus be on Owens and how Owens drove him from being “content” being an announcer behind a desk and now being driven to be a great wrestler again, not some passive aggressive promo with code language saying he was locked out of doing what he wanted for two years by unnamed promoters. It makes promoters either seem mean and uncaring or it makes him seem like a baby crying about not getting the breaks he wanted.)
-Philips hyped Tyler Breeze vs. Hideo Itami.
-A pre-taped interview aired with Tyler Breeze saying it didn’t have to come to this and it didn’t have to get ugly. He said it’s time for Itami to find out that “the king of Cuteville is not just another pretty face.”
(3) ALEX RILEY vs. C.J. PARKER
Parker came out first. The graphic on the screen said, “Eat local, think global” and “Kill watts, light candles” and “May the Forest be with you.” His sign said, “C.J. Parker is taking over the Takeovers.” In the ring, he said he wanted to talk to the fans about his world and how it isn’t fair. He’s like the new Raven, but instead of being a whiny loser because he’s a drug abusing burnout, he’s a loser because he’s a lefty who preaches about the environment. Riley’s music interrupted. He came out as the big screen said, “Sage.” Philips said Riley has to impress G.M. William Regal to get the match he wants against Owens. Albert said he’s concerned about ring rust, but visually he looks great. He actually looked angry and tired. The announcers talked about how Riley was putting everything at risk by quitting as an announcer to try to restart his career. Although they didn’t explicitly say it, he’s turning 34 next month. Late in the match Riley landed a clothesline, a flip neck breaker, and then a blockbuster off the top rope.
WINNER: Riley at 3:26.
-As Riley celebrated his win, Owens walked onto the stage with a cocky smile on his face. He said it’s a good thing Riley looks as good as he does because he’s the dumbest man in NXT. He said if the horrible tattoo on his back isn’t enough to prove it, challenging him to a fight sure does. He said he’s going to end his in-ring career too. He said then he’ll put an end to the rise of Finn Balor. He said, “Trust me.” Then he dropped the mic and walked away.
(WK Reax: I like “Trust me” as a potential Kevin Owens signature phrase.)
-Philips plugged the Arnold Sports Festival edition of NXT next week.
(4) TYLER BREEZE vs. HIDEO ITAMI
The announcers explained that Breeze wants to be the focus on NXT, not Itami, and he’s become obsessed with him. Breeze bailed out to ringside before locking up to stall. Breeze stalled a second time. Itami had enough and went after Breeze at ringside with a clothesline. He climbed to the top rope, but Breeze knocked him off balance. Breeze settled into a chin lock. Graves talked wisely about how there’s only room for one person at the top and it’s all about winning to get there. They cut to a break. [c]
Itami made a comeback with two clotheslines and then swept Breeze to the mat. Breeze slid to the ring apron and surprised Itami with a kick. Itami X-blocked a swing by Breeze and then landed a discus clothesline for a near fall at 6:00. Breeze surprised Itami with his Supermodel Kick for a near fall. Both were slow to get up. Itami dropped Breeze over the top rope and then climbed to the top rope and gave him a running knee to the back of his head leading to a two count. Itami went after Breeze with rapid-fire blows and a running knee in the corner, but Breeze moved and then nailed his Beauty Shot finisher for the win.
WINNER: Breeze at 8:56.
(WK Reax: There’s still nothing about Itami that is standing out in NXT that is going to make up for his shortcomings on WWE’s usual checklist – size and promos. This was a solid TV match, but nothing all that memorable.)
FINAL THOUGHTS: Just an okay edition of NXT. The women’s match was below par, the main event was just okay, and Riley’s comeback storyline isn’t enough to carry the show.
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