Ladies and Gentlemen, Greetings and Salutations and Happy New Year! Yesterday I made my cheap-heat debut, and today I make my show recapping debut. Tomorrow? Who knows. Maybe I tap dance. Like so much of the internet I adore NXT. So its my pleasure to bring a recap. If you're like me? You looked at Twitter you found out that NXT actually aired at 4 pm today! It'll also air at 8pm, as normal, but the powers that be might be thrilled that this recap is gonna find it to the inbox BEFORE 8pm. AND it frees me up to fully pay attention to the College Football Semifinals tonight! Lets kick thing off.
NXT New Year's Day Edition!
Match Time!
We open with LU! CHA! LU! CHA! As the Lucha Dragons head to the ring. Jason Jordan and Tye Dillenger are out as we're set for non title tag team action. Your referee is Charles Robinson (don't get used to that as I don't know most of the refs in NXT, or even in WWE anymore.)
Kalisto immediately getting worked by Tye and Jason. Dillenger does a stereotypical bow… and I feel he's confused by where "Lucha" originates. NXT crowd is getting behind Tye during this match. Kalisto kicks his way out of the corner and flips through to make a hot tag. Sin Cara hits a nice middle rope moonsault onto a standing Dillenger, and caps it off with what the announcer called "Sunset Bomb" off the top rope… It was? Kind of. Lucha Dragons win, but the Vaudevillains are out! A beat down ensues. They leave the Dragons laying.
Backstage! … in a Locker Room!
Backstage CJ and Bull are chatting. CJ has a match with Corbin. Bull doesn't want CJ to get humiliated again, and after an exchange Bull leaves it that this match with Baron has to be about the "Greater Good".
Commercial! (Normally won't mention these)
NXT is moving to Wednesdays. Of course. Cuz they aren't gonna put NXT up against Smackdown. We wouldn't watch Smackdown!
Match Time!
Enzo, Cass out to introduce Carmella who is up. I enjoy Enzo's schtick, and the crowd is already chanting "Blue Pants". Carmella is not fond of this. Enzo and Cass team up to give "Blue Pants" a wonderful ring announcement. Blue Pants has ring gear that reminds me of early X-Men uniforms. Apparently Blue Plants met up with Steve and got a "Blue's Clue". Huge "LETS GO BLUE PANTS" from Full Sail. Enzo jumps on the apron to "coach". Carmella pie faces him off the ring, turns, small package and Blue Pants with the ONE… TWO… THREE! Carmella goes Jerry Springer on Enzo. With a wild swinging/slapping/clubbing attack, before Cass can get in there and break them up. So they're continuing this story. Enzo has now cost the group 2 straight matches. Dissension continues to grow… I HOPE its not leading to a break up. It'd be incredibly early to do that.
Match Time!
CJ Parker is up, and you can "Break his sign, but can't break his spirit" (that's the "A-Side" of his sign this week). Take THAT, Kevin Owens! Motorcycles rev and out comes Baron Corbin. I've enjoyed the hell out of what they're doing between Bull and Baron and the "Squash Olympics". Makes squashes fun as you build these two monsters up, and I'm looking forward to this feud building to a one on one… I'm guessing at the next Takeover. Bell Rings. Crowd Counts. Bull Sits (ringside). Snake eyes. Big Boot. End of Days. Bell Rings. Stares Dempsey Down. Crowd was up in the 20s of their count. Baron has a mic. Hmmm… He challenges Bull, though he needs to work on his mic work. No… literally… Either the mic was too far away from his mouth, or Production was so stunned by his wanting to talk they forgot to make his mic hot. First line was kinda garbled and inaudible. But he ends up dragging Bull over the barricade and they slug it out. The First Platoon of Referees pours from the back to break up the brawl. Crowd is unhappy. Baron is unhappy. Bull is unhappy.
WHY SO SERIOUS?!
Backstage!
Regal says Zayn will return next week. He's interrupted by Curtis Axel. Axel wants to recharge his career. He's a former IC Champion with wins over Cena and Triple H! So? Regal is like, sure, dude. You can fight Hideo Itami next week. "Happy New Year Sunshine" – and I mark out just a little. As Regal calling people Sunshine is a favorite of mine.
In Ring!
Please welcome NXT Women's Champion, Charlotte. Charlotte is an incredible athlete and in ring performer. Her match with Nattie and her series of matches with Sasha Banks have been excellent. But this is an area that needs work. She is asked what's next after beating almost everyone and the crowd chants "BLUE PANTS". Charlotte says no one chants at her because she's genetically superior… or something. Charlotte definitely came off more heelish here. Sasha cuts her off with Becky Lynch in tow. They threaten to give her the beat down of a lifetime, and just as its about to pop off, the Screech of Guitars that means a Hart is near. Out is Nattie to cut off this beatdown before it even begins. Somewhere Teddy Long is screaming "TAG TEAM PLAYA!!!" – but alas that's going to grace our screens at a later date.
Match Graphic!
NXT Week (see what I did there?) – The Vaudevillains will get their rematch with the Lucha Dragons. That is quite manly!
iPhone Video!
Sami Zayn is shooting a promo on his iPhone to check in with us. Wherever Sami is? Its snowy. Not the picture… There is snow on the ground.
Three Weeks Ago!
Renee Young sits down with Kevin Owens. Renee asks Kevin about stealing Sami's moment. Calls him a life long friend. Kevin disagrees with both of those points, and storms off. He's known Sami 12 years, according to Kevin.
In Ring!
Main Event Time. The Ascension is out. Hitami is out next. Balor out last. Crowd stomping/hitting the barricade with the heartbeat opening. No makeup for Finn, and I'm good with that. I wondered if we'd hear boos for that. Finn's music is fantastic, and the lighting choreography is so on point. Crowd chanting "Finn". Bell rings and they brawl. Ascension bailed. Finn starts off dominating. Viktor taking a beating so far. Lots of tags and good team work between Finn and Hideo. Makes me feel like they're going to keep them a team for a bit. Tide changes with a nasty European Uppercut that Balor ate attempting to slingshot from the apron onto the top rope, and sent Finn crashing to the floor.
Which sends us to?
Commercial!!
… because.. well… it is STILL a WWE show. We come back from ads for Smackdown's move and Bray+Dean+Ambulance = Rawesomeness, and Finn has had a less good time while we were away. Good thing with Balor/Itami is they can structure every match differently. Both guys have a future as singles stars so they can mix up who gets beat down, hot tags, and who picks up the tab at IHOP. Itami gets the hot tag. Goes off. Hits a nice Tornado Hot Shot. Think tornado DDT only keeps rotating through and drops Viktor throat first across the top rope. They really pick up the pace, Itami again lifts Viktor up into GTS position, the crowd roars their approval, but Viktor gets out. Crowd chants "GTS", but we're destined to be teased… Vegas will set the over/under for him hitting the GTS at the NXT Takeover. Favorite for who he hits it on? Finn Balor. Thoughts on my humble prognostication, Finn?
STOP.
Back to the action. Itami hits what appeared to be similar to the Trouble in Paradise, with Viktor kneeling. Balor hits a Double Stomp onto Connor on the outside. Itami makes the cover. One… Two… Three! Balor and Itami continue to roll. Probably a step below their R Evolution match. Enjoying the evolution of Itami and Balor as a tag team.
FINAL THOUGHTS!
Good episode. You're almost always guaranteed one good to great match that gets a bunch of time. That was our main event. Every other match, while on the brief side, had a story aspect, and entertained. Segments were solid. I was pleasantly surprised with Bull and CJ backstage. Worried about where they're going with the Five Burroughs crew. I hope if its a �break up', its simply cutting Carmella loose. Because Enzo can't function with her around. Time will tell.
That brings a close to this the first recap of mine, here. First of 2015. Hopefully you enjoyed. If you have anything. Drop me a line here or tweet me @sirmhayesxiv. See you soon.
