THE NXT REPORT - EPISODE 268

Episode 268 – March 11th

NXT Tag Team Championship No. 1 Contenders Match

Enzo Amore and Colin Cassidy vs The Lucha Dragons

As Episode 268 of NXT kicked off, many were refreshed to see that instead of several segments which talked instead of provided the action we’ve come to expect of NXT which will surely come with Episode 269 as the format of NXT seems to be all action one week and an abundance of verbal abuse the next, we were given action from the offset as Enzo Amore and Colin Cassidy, minus Carmella on this occasion, battled Sin Cara and Kalisto in tag team action with the winner earning an NXT Tag Team Championship Match against Buddy Murphy and Wesley Blake at NXT’s next pay-per view event on March 25th. Four days before WrestleMania.

In all honesty, this match was redundant in its presence. For those of you who have kept up with goings on over the past three weeks, you’ll know that Enzo Amore and Colin Cassidy have been on a collision course with Murphy and Blake for quite a while now and forcing them to compete in a match of this sort only served to enhance the predictability factor. Even the most inexperienced wrestling fan could tell you that WWE would be stupid to waste weeks of television time by having Amore and Cassidy lose to Sin Cara and Kalisto. Thus, this match was just crossing the T’s and dotting the I’s. It was a formality in case any of the NXT audience began to turn against the regularly baffling babyfaces for not earning their shot.

Before we get into the bout, I would like to mention how NXT could have gone about this better. In the weeks since ‘NXT Takeover: Rival’, the grungy looking Enzo Amore and the giant Colin Cassidy have been on a two man crusade against the current NXT Tag Team Champions and a Championship Match between the two teams has always been on the cards. Will the faces prevail? On this occasion I don’t believe they will because I think it’s quite obvious that Carmella will turn on her men and join Blake and Murphy. However, that isn’t the point of this section. NXT could have really extended this feud beyond March 25th and taken away that rushed feeling which the feud currently has. It all seems a little convenient. As if NXT had nothing in the pipeline for Blake and Murphy and so they rushed through a tag team feud against popular rivals.

We may be entering fantasy booking here but surely the following would have been a much more organic and enjoyable way of getting Enzo Amore and Colin Cassidy to the doubles straps. In recent weeks, the two have defeated The Lucha Dragons, spoiler alert, and The Vaudevillains; the latter in a short and disappointing effort two weeks ago. Instead of booking these teams as what appeared to be a second thought, surely it would have been a much better idea to allow a feud between the three teams to grow organically over the NXT Tag Team Championships instead of having Amore and Cassidy plough through the competition and devaluate them along the way. The three teams could have done battle in what would have been a thrilling No. 1 Contenders Match on March 25th with the winner challenging Blake and Murphy on April’s NXT pay-per view.

That way, it would have been much easier to instigate a feud over the actual titles for Enzo Amore and Colin Cassidy, instead of drawing on the age old feud of another team targeting their valet. It’s been done to death and though I’m sure the feud between the teams won’t end on March 25th, it still would have been a much better way to organise the feud and execute it so as it was both believable and anticipated. I don’t believe the match between Blake and Murphy vs Amore and Cassidy in two weeks will be that imaginative, even if it can steal the show. On this occasion, I believe NXT has gotten it wrong.

Still, that’s still to be proved and we really should be concentrating on this week’s action and happenings. After all, that is what we’re here for apart from my wonderful company. Beginning as usual with Enzo Amore and Colin Cassidy’s annoying ‘You Can’t Teach That’ speech, the duo decided that they would treat the viewers to a pre-match promo before they locked horns with The Lucha Dragons and had this to say. Note, I translated what I could, but both men seemed to speak in riddles and muffled their words. It wasn’t a great promo by either:

EA: “…and as for The Lucha Dragons…”

CC: “…dragons? You call yourself dragons?”

The above sentence was delivered in a childish and somewhat embarrassing voice and followed up by an offensive comment by Enzo Amore, but unfortunately I cannot bring you that line because I neither know what it was or what it referred to. I have rewound that moment seven times and still can’t understand what Enzo Amore is muffling or talking about, but then that’s nothing new these days.

CC: “Save us fifteen percent or more on our auto insurance or get the heck out of our way!”

EA: “There’s going to be an accident.”

CC: “Because we’re on the road to the NXT Tag Team titles and anybody that stands in our way, there’s only one word to describe them and I’m going to spell it out for you! S.A.W.F.T.”

Just for future reference if anyone from NXT is reading this report, stop these two talking. Hide the microphone when you book them to wrestle because the only thing that comes out of their mouths is bullshit of the highest calibre. I’ve sat through many promos by the pair and understood very few of them and what’s worse, WWE used to shoot down The Ultimate Warrior for gabbling his words and speaking gibberish. Now, I’m all for wrestlers going off script and having a mind of their own but some should just stick to what they’re given. And if this garbage is being written for them that person needs his or her hands removed and firing instantly. Worse, the NXT audience seem to lap this rot up. I just can’t see the appeal of Enzo Amore and Colin Cassidy, though the latter’s height at nearly seven foot tall has obviously sparked some type of excitement within Titan Towers.

On with the match and it was a relief when the duo were cut short for the introduction of Sin Cara and Kalisto who I still don’t believe will make it big on WWE’s main roster, largely thanks to Sin Cara’s previous treatment, but as stated can do exceedingly well in NXT. Sin Cara has the skill to become the brands Ultimo Dragon. As the bout kicked off and NXT officials cut off Enzo Amore’s microphone, it was Kalisto and Amore to begin the action on this week’s NXT amongst chants of ‘How You Do-in?’ My worst fears have come true. These grease balls have become popular with the NXT audience.

Dodging a Lock Up, it was Kalisto who took the early advantage with a Forward Roll across the ring before being forced to lock up with Enzo Amore, who to his credit did look as if he’d at least been introduced to a bar of soap this week. Breaking the Lock Up, both men became entangled in a second with Kalisto once again outsmarting his foe and grabbing a quick Waistlock to throw the eventual No. 1 Contender off of his game. Clinging onto the waist Enzo Amore for dear life, Kalisto could clasp no longer for whatever reason, maybe it was for fear of catching fleas, and the masked Lucha Libre master caught Amore with a decent looking Roll Up for a count of one.

Angered that someone smaller could get the better of him, Enzo decided to dole out a taste of Kalisto’s own medicine and locked in a Waistlock on Sin Cara’s tag team partner. Wasting no time in finding an escape route, Kalisto rolled from the move and countered into a second Roll Up before a second count of just one. Seemingly in a zone which Amore and Cassidy couldn’t find thank to their minds being on the NXT Tag Team Championships, Kalisto displayed further knowledge of the business and ducked what would have been a hefty punch to ground Amore with a lovely looking Armdrag and Armbar as the beginning of the bout slowed to a crawl. This is usual for Kalisto. He has a set routine. Every bout he’s worked over the last two months has had this sequence of events in it. It’s about time he added something new to his arsenal.

Fighting back to a vertical base, Enzo Amore attempted to fight out of the move by blasting Kalisto with elbows to the gut. His endeavour was a short one as Kalisto tagged in Sin Cara and the playing field became even. Initiating a double team manoeuvre, Kalisto dropped Amore with a Snapmare and a kick to the chest before Sin Cara hoisted his partner and dropped him across Enzo with a Springboard Splash. It was very well worked by the masked duo. Attaining only a count of two for his efforts, Sin Cara backed Enzo Amore into the corner where he proceeded to wail away on the chest with slaps and chops.  Believing he was firmly in command, Sin Cara allowed his guard to drop and opened the avenue for Amore to strike back when he countered a Slam attempt, grabbed a hand full of mask and dragging his opponent into the corner where Colin Cassidy was introduced into the affray.

An impressive specimen no doubt, its Colin Cassidy’s height that has made Vince McMahon and others sit up and take notice. It’s certainly not his wrestling ability which is severely lacking. In fact, Cassidy is employed more as a problem solver than a wrester. His contributions to matches are usually short and effective. WWE cannot rely on him to carry a match or be involved in a marathon bout by himself. He wouldn’t last ten minutes. Storming into this tag team offering, Colin Cassidy used his sheer power to trap Sin Cara in the corner whilst Enzo took flight with a Clothesline. Swinging his tag team partner over the top rope where he connected with the masked marvel on the way, Cassidy made the move look very crisp indeed, before scooping up a staggered Sin Cara and planting him hard with a Sidewalk Slam.

Getting only a count of one for his efforts, Colin Cassidy tagged out of the match and brought Enzo Amore back into the action. Putting his body into his partner’s hand, Amore allowed Colin Cassidy to lift him into the air and Slam him onto Sin Cara for a count of one. This far into the bout, the flow was shaky and the pacing off. Something better had to happen to make this a success. Sticking his boot into Sin Cara’s face, Amore raked the eyes with his soul before applying a Rear Chinlock which completely killed the pacing of the bout and brought it to a near halt when it needed to begin picking up in action. Not a good call.

Battling out, Sin Cara attempted a Back Drop but found his exertions all for naught when Enzo Amore landed on his feet and caught Sin Cara’s boot when the artist formerly known as Hunico attempted a kick. Cleverer than Amore gave him credit for, the stalwart in a bright mask outsmarted his rookie colleague and blasted him with a cracking Inzaguri allowing Cara to make the tag to Kalisto. Using the momentum of the top rope, Kalisto flew into the ring with a Springboard Crossbody and rolled through a Roll Up to belt his challenger with a kick to the chest. As Amore made it to his knees, the smallest competitor in the fight struck with a divine Hurricanrana Face Slam. Crawling over his foe, Kalisto gained a decent near fall. Stoked that his stab nearly earned The Lucha Dragons another shot at the NXT Tag Team Championships just weeks after losing them, Kalisto maddeningly applied an Armbar instead of keeping the action flowing.

Bringing Sin Cara back into the bout, Kalisto held Amore for a Sin Cara kick before the luchadore backed Enzo Amore into the corner and reigned down punches and kicks on the man who looked to stand in the position Sin Cara was in four weeks ago. Delivering a Snapmare out of the corner, Sin Cara applied yet another Rear Chinlock which seems to be the most popular move in WWE developmental, which Amore managed to release with several hard elbows to the gut.  Riding his own momentum, Sin Cara took flight off of the ring ropes with a Springboard Headbutt which failed to put Enzo down. Stalking his foe, Sin Cara planted his boots into Amore’s face with a Dropkick and forced the man who hoped to gain a No. 1 Contenders spot to take refuge at ringside.

Rolling under the bottom rope, Enzo received support from Colin Cassidy who actually decided to do something other than stand there and look useless. Coming to see if his partner was okay to continue, Cassidy was bombarded with a Double Suicide Dive by The Lucha Dragons putting him somewhere he wasn’t used to being, namely on a horizontal footing. Rolling Amore back into the ring, Sin Cara turned a Roll Up into an impressive Powerbomb before tagging Kalisto back in to initiate the match ending sequence. Scaling the turnbuckle, Kalisto was wrong footed by a returning Colin Cassidy who clocked Sin Cara with a Big Boot which sent one of WWE’s biggest main roster flops flying into the ropes thus pulling them out from under his partner.

Landing hard on the top turnbuckle crotch first, Kalisto was powerless to stop Colin Cassidy dragging Enzo Amore into their corner and forcing the tag. Striding across the ring, Cassidy scraped a hurting Kalisto from the mat and destroyed him with a Sidewalk Bomb before ending his participation in the bout with yet another tag to Amore. Standing guard in the corner, Cassidy allowed Amore to climb to the summit before aiding him by launching his partner from the apex. Crashing down on a defenceless Kalisto with a huge Splash, all that was left was for Enzo Amore to hook the leg and claim a future NXT Tag Team Championship Match for him and Cassidy.

It wasn’t a classic tag team match by any means and the four men could have inserted more technical and high flying action into the mix to replace the long rest holds which slowed down the action when it needed something to liven it up. However, this was a much better showing from the new No. 1 Contenders to prove they can hang in a longer match. It’s Colin Cassidy that worries me. He barely did anything in this bout. WWE will be looking at Cassidy as a potential singles star on their main roster thanks to his height and his looks, but at this present time he’s in no position to take up that mantle. In fact, if Colin Cassidy doesn’t do more in these tag team matches then he may never be in a position to rise to the challenge.

Alex Riley Returns

Turning attentions away from the opening bout of the show, the time had come for NXT to hype the in-ring return of Alex Riley. Reminded of the attack which spurred Alex Riley to quit his job as a commentator and lace up those boots once again, we were shown a match plate to hype his comeback and informed that Alex Riley vs C.J Parker would take place later in the show. Maddeningly however, after all of the hype and storyline it wouldn’t be the main event.

Following the announcement of the bout for later in the show, we were then given a video package on next week’s NXT special which will come from the Arnold Sports Festival. In order to make the special sound just that, it was announced that Alexa Bliss would battle NXT Women’s Champion Sasha Banks and Alex Riley would finally get his hands on NXT Champion Kevin Owens. Now, like me, you may be reading this and wondering what all the fuss was for surrounding Alex Riley’s in ring return. You see, the whole point of this was to get Alex Riley back into the ring to face Kevin Owens at the culmination of a long feud. Not after just one week of action.

If NXT were going to do that then there was no point of bringing Riley back as a long term competitor. If they were going to give Alex Riley a bout against Kevin Owens this fast then they may as well have brought him out of inactivity for a limited time only and then returned him to the announce table where he can do the most good, judging on what he displayed later in the show. Last week, William Regal told Alex Riley that he would get Kevin Owens but not until the NXT General Manager believed Riley was ready for the task ahead of him. How can Alex Riley possible be ready after two years of inactivity and one week back between the ropes? It defies belief and these type of lies only serve to undermine what the brand tells us.

On the subject of Alex Riley’s return, NXT went all out for the occasion by compiling a video package on his former career on WWE’s main roster. We were shown fleeting highlights of Alex Riley’s career with The Miz and his short, unmemorable solo run before he decided that he was going nowhere and that he could do better behind an announce desk. Which he didn’t. Throughout the video package, Alex Riley could be heard hyping himself with some crazy comments including comments such as if you want to know why he’s so good then just ask and that he’s here to be WWE Champion. And if you listen to this whilst looking out of your window, then you’ll see a pig travelling through the air at a hundred miles per hour.

Carmella vs Alexa Bliss

In an attempt to hype the returning Alexa Bliss for her singles run with Sasha Banks for the NXT Women’s Championship in the very near future, the beautiful Bliss was given Carmella in her return bout which may have looked like a good idea on paper but would actually turn out to be a mistake in practice. Alexa Bliss should have been eased back into action instead of being thrown into long marathon match like this one and been given the courtesy of a better opponent than Carmella.

Don’t get me wrong, Carmella looks the part and she’s not completely horrible in the ring but she could benefit from another six months of training. She’s beautiful and she’s sexy and any male would be mad to kick her perfectly formed bum out of bed, but as we’ve discovered looks don’t always carry over to talent. Carmella has skills, that is obvious but WWE must nurture them and not just throw her out and hope for the best. Carmella can learn whilst she appears on camera. There’s no need to take her off of NXT altogether. With this extra training, Carmella could be an excellent female wrestler who would be better than Paige and A.J Lee in a few years time.

Strutting down the aisle to begin the bout set out in front of her, Carmella sent mixed messages to the NXT Universe. She acts like a heel but is part of a face group. NXT haven’t quite got this facet of her correct. She can’t be a bad girl in a good faction, it doesn’t work. Carmella can have attitude but she can’t come across as a heel that’s just madness. This part of her character makes me believe that she destined to betray Enzo Amore and Colin Cassidy on March 25th and side with Wesley Blake and Buddy Murphy. It would make for a better storyline and bigger meaning to the victory when Amore and Cassidy defeat Blake and Murphy for the titles later in the year.

Back to the action on display and Carmella swaggered to the ring with a microphone in her hand ready to deliver her opening address. Pursing the microphone to her delectable lips, Carmella had this to say:

“My name is Carmella and I am a princess of Staten Island. And the mist fabulous diva in NXT! Badda bing, hottest chick in the ring!”

Profound stuff I think you’ll agree, though I doubt Shakespeare will be worrying in his grave just yet. Before we get into the action I would just like to mention the usage of words once again. Instead of drumming it into their female talent that they’re part of a women’s division, NXT seems to be concentrated on only grooming them for a future as a WWE diva. I think we’ve all come to the conclusion by now that being a main roster diva isn’t beneficial for anyone’s career so why would you be in a rush to attain that status when you have a respectable one already? That would be like Wayne Rooney mentioning in a press conference that he cannot wait to leave Manchester United and join Burton Albion. I realise that comparison won’t be clear to our foreign audience and only British readers will most likely get that analogy, but it’s the best I could think of at the time.

As the opening bell of the contest rang, neither Alexa Bliss nor Carmella seemed too bothered about actual wrestling and spent an ample amount of time posing to outdo each other. Thankfully, this ended when the duo began the bout with a Lock Up as seems to be the standard action to begin a match in NXT. Maybe they could think about mixing up the beginnings of bouts from time to time so they don’t become samey. Taking the initiative, the returning Alexa Bliss came out on top when she snatched a Headlock from the Lock Up only for Carmella to attempt a break with a Back Suplex. Hoisted into the air, Bliss used her quick thinking to move her weight in the air and counter the Back Suplex attempt with a rolling Headlock. This is turn was countered by Carmella with a Headscissors attempt which Alexa found her way out of.

Setting themselves again, both women were hooked into a second Lock Up. This time Carmella wasted no time in evening the playing field, synching Alexa Bliss in her own Headlock. Squeezing Bliss tight, Carmella may have believed that her efforts were enough to hand control of the match to the Staten Island native but she was horribly wrong. Finding an escape route, Alexa Bliss countered the move with a Headlock of her own. The beginning of the match had been all Alexa Bliss, but her momentum wouldn’t last. It never does you know. Struggling to find her way from under Bliss’ arm, Carmella used all her power to shoot Bliss into the ropes only for Alexa to leap her foe and counter a Hip Toss. Jostling for advantage, both women attempted to execute the move until Bliss once again outsmarted her female counterpart with a second Headlock Takedown and Armbar.

With the match slowed to a near crawl, it was paramount that Alexa Bliss and Carmella kept the audience engaged and didn’t lose them as their main roster colleagues had done so many times before. That meant no stalling or rest moves and a full on pace which was both engaging and worth our time. It shouldn’t have been a stretch of the imagination to expect this; after all, it is what they’re trained to do. That’s one of the best things about WWE’s development in 2015. Wrestlers aren’t trained the WWE way, they’re given free reign to develop their own style and skill which means not every wrestler looks and wrestlers like they’ve come off of the same production line. With Carmella sealed tight in a Headlock and flailing like a dying puppy on the canvas, Alexa Bliss mixed up her offense by breaking the hold and executing a flawless Victory Roll for a count of one.

Losing the lead, Alexa Bliss was stunned when Carmella buried several knees into the gut and pushed her oppressor into the turnbuckle in order to relieve her punishment. Hitting the turnbuckle hard, Alexa Bliss left herself open for attack but possessed enough wherewithal to counter a Carmella charge with an elbow to the face. Nursing her looks after having Bliss’ elbow driven into her mug, Carmella was helpless to stop Alexa ascending the turnbuckles and perching herself on the second rung. Attempting to bring her foe crashing to earth with a Hip Toss, Carmella watched helplessly as Alexa landed on her feet and countered the transfer into an Armdrag and pinfall.

Angry and rapidly losing her cool, Carmella began to fight with anything she could pull out of the bag and once back on her feet swung wildly with a Clothesline. Telegraphing the move, Alexa dodged the move and caught her blonde challenger with a lovely Spinning Headscissors. Confident in her approach and feeling a victory creeping up on her, Alexa Bliss went to the well once too often and instead of planning her next move carefully just went in like a bull in a china shop. Intending to drag Carmella back to the middle of the ring, Bliss instead ate turnbuckle when Carmella grabbed a handful of tights and pulled the returning Bliss into the corner.

Spotting her opportunity, Carmella went to work and opened a window of opportunity which was previously closing. Driving in merciless knees and kicks to the back, Carmella allowed Alexa Bliss to crawl her way to the middle rope for support and sat on her opponent which drove the throat across the middle chord. It wasn’t pretty, but it was effective. As the referee attempted to remove Carmella from Bliss’ back, the princess of Staten Island showed spunk and kicked the bottom rope hard, driving it back into her throat. As Alexa Bliss struggled for air, Carmella snatched a handful of hair and pulled her backwards for a pinfall and count of just one. Punishing her foe further, Carmella pulled Bliss to a vertical base only to send her crashing back down with hard forearms to the back.

Taking great pleasure in her dominance over Alexa Bliss, Carmella seemed in no great rush to get on with the action and displayed an awful lot of posing. When she did resume the action, the siren of Staten Island mounted Bliss and drove closed fists into her face. I have to say, that as slow as the action was at this point Carmella looked smoking. I love a woman who can take charge. In full control of her enemy, Carmella impressed Enzo Amore and Colin Cassidy who were watching backstage with a Dropkick which only got her a count of two. But that wasn’t good enough for a princess and Carmella proceeded to cover Bliss three times, each with the same result.

As Carmella fastened Alexa Bliss into a Rear Body Scissors, the focus of the bout changed slightly to what was to come. Instead of concentrating on the bout in hand, those serving on commentary this took a page of out Michael Cole’s book and hyped Alex Riley’s return to the ring. Now that was fine, at least the camera stayed on the action or lack of it. But what was more than puzzling and made the backstage crew look completely inept was the announcement which came next. Looking ahead to Alex Riley vs C.J Parker which was coming up next, the commentators bizarrely stated that if Alex Riley wanted a match with Kevin Owens then he would have to impress William Regal later in the broadcast. What did they mean ‘if he wanted a match’? It wasn’t ten minutes earlier that we were being told that Alex Riley vs Kevin Owens would happen next week from the Arnold Sports Festival. Now the commentators were contradicting what had already been announced and would be announced several more times during the broadcast. Don’t these people listen or even take note of what’s going on around them?

Back to the match and with Alexa Bliss still bolted in the Rear Body Scissors, it became evident that the hold had lasted way too long. Fans were beginning to lose interest and even though Bliss sold the move to perfection it was holding the bout up and had brought the action to a halt. Digging into her repertoire, Alexa Bliss harnessed the pain and forced herself backwards in order to force a pinfall which Carmella could only kick out of by breaking the move. Worn and tired, Alexa Bliss rolled onto her front believing it would immobilize any further damage but didn’t count on Carmella’s resilience. Climbing onto all fours and crawling across the ring in a way which would have pleased many a teenage boy, Carmella proceeded to driver her knees into Bliss’ head over and over again.

After receiving a count of 2 for her head strikes and the resultant clubbing blows to the back, Carmella impelled Alexa into the corner with a shoulder in the gut and thrust that same shoulder into her mid-section over and over again as her rival was trapped in the buckles. Carmella may have been confident about her predicament but it would be that same self assurance which would be her undoing. Pelting Bliss with kicks in the corner, Carmella went to the well once too often and found her final attempt caught by an angry Alexa. Smashing Carmella with a Forearm to the face, Alexa Bliss successfully ducked a Clothesline and swept Carmella’s legs out from underneath her.

With the match drawing to a close, the women received the signal from the referee to wrap up their brawl and Alexa Bliss didn’t hesitate, connected with her Glitz Flip which is a basic Standing Moonsault where the knees are driven into the abdomen instead of the body. Driving the wind from Carmella’s lungs, Alexa was shocked when her enemy kicked out at the culmination of a good near fall. Pulling her tired frame from the canvas, Alexa Bliss went all-in and climbed the turnbuckles one last time. Launching with her Sparkle Splash Moonsault, Bliss crashed onto Carmella for the victory.

It wasn’t a particularly great match and certainly not one which would have endeared new fans to NXT’s women’s division thanks to being bitty and disjointed in places, but it wasn’t completely bad. Both women displayed some impressive knowledge in the ring and pulled out a few decent moves. However, I wouldn’t want to sit through it again in a hurry and really, both could have done much better judging on this evidence.

 Last week, I wasn’t very complimentary to Alex Bliss. I stated that she’d never had a good match on NXT and whilst my beliefs were based in reality, watching this I have to say that my mind was slightly altered. She wasn’t brilliant and she wasn’t outstanding, but with Sasha Banks behind her then the pair could contest a memorable series of matches which may culminate with Alexa Bliss walking away with the NXT Women’s Championship.

However, I must first voice caution if this is NXT’s plan. Unlike WWE’s current divas division, the NXT Women’s Championship should only be put around the waist of a female who can wrestle with the best. The Champion has to be able to match Charlotte and Becky Lynch plus many more in skill. They cannot rely on other people to carry them through a great match. They have to be the ones to do the carrying. If Alexa Bliss isn’t ready for this which I believe she isn’t, then NXT should reserve the title for someone who is. Sasha Banks is doing work at the moment and her character necessitates a long and successful reign before she passes the baton onto her successor.

That successor must be ready, because if she’s not then not only will it show between the ropes but it will also drag the women’s division down. Just look at what the divas division has become with a host of female wrestlers who can’t get the job done. NXT’s women’s division is something very special; it must be protected and cannot be allowed to deteriorate just because someone backstage fancies one of the performers.

Alex Riley Interview

Continuing the hype for Alex Riley’s in ring return, we were taken to the NXT locker room where a pumped up Alex Riley was waiting to speak to an interviewer who stood off camera. The nature of his interview would of course be his impending return to the ring which as coming up next. With more passion and fire than I’ve ever seen him display inside the ring, Alex Riley was asked about his thoughts on returning to the ring:

“What are my thoughts? Maybe I can put this into terms that you can understand. What if you were locked in a cage for two years? Starving! Watching every single person around you eat, every single day of your life! Locked in this cage watching, being told there’s no room for Alex Riley. ‘Hey kid, maybe next week’ and the entire time your approach doesn’t change. You’re dedicated to this business. You’re hoping and praying for one chance to fight for your life because honestly you don’t know what’s going to happen. You have no idea where your life is going to go. And you can’t even fight. You’re stuck in a cage. You know, I’ve got to tank Kevin Owens for this. He gave me a reason. He talks about having a wife and kids that he fights for, well I have no family! My family is out there! And it’s time I go join them. It’s time I fight for my life. It’s time to rage.”

I was shocked and surprised in equal measure with this promo. Alex Riley was never known for his promos and certainly this extended to his commentary. It was dire. But here, two years worth of anger and miss opportunities all came flooding out and he sold it beautifully. You didn’t have to try and believe Alex Riley here because you knew every word he was saying was the truth. Finn Balor and some more NXT talent should study this and take notes, because this was the most impressive thing Alex Riley has done in professional wrestling to this day. Excellent job, now I just hope he can keep this momentum rolling.

Tyler Breeze Selfie Interview

Though it had only been sparsely mentioned during the broadcast, the main event of NXT would be Hideao Itami vs Tyler Breeze in another extension of their entertaining feud. This selfie interview by Tyler Breeze was meant to help drive the ill feeling forward. The image obsessed grappler had this to say about his rival:

“Hideao, Hideao, Hideao! It didn’t have to come to this. It didn’t have to get ugly. Well, considering you were in it, it did have to get ugly. But now, the fact that it’s me and you one on one; it’s time for you to find out that the King of Cuteville is not just a pretty face.”

I can’t remember the last time a promo made me physically cringe. You know when all the hairs on your body stand up as one and the goosebumps prickle on your skin? This was simply awful. Its execution was fine, but the words and Tyler Breeze’s expressions were childish. Bringing up someone’s looks is just juvenile. This is a wrestling business, not a playground. It’s the type of thing I’d expect to hear from children in a playground. Surely WWE’s writers can do better than this.

Alex Riley vs C.J Parker

I dislike C.J Parker with a vengeance. He looks like a hippie stoner who doesn’t care about anything or anyone and his cry-baby character isn’t at all original. I understand the need for new stars to stand-out amongst a new and emerging crowd, but if NXT creative couldn’t have come up with something better for Parker then they should have allowed him to stay in development until something came up, because anything is better than this. Every time Parker opens his mouth I want to immediately be sick. His words are pointless and like everyone else who pays to see NXT, I’m tried of hearing him bitch and moan. The character isn’t getting him anywhere.

What could WWE do to aid Parker’s career? Well firstly make him get a hair cut. I’m not adverse to long hair on a man, I myself have long hair but I wash mine. C.J Parker looks like he hasn’t touched a bottle of shampoo since 1996. The biggest change WWE have to make though is the character. It’s been done to death and only successfully on very rare occasions. I can tell you now; it will not work for C.J Parker. If by some miracle he does make it onto WWE’s main roster then he’ll be demoted to Superstars within a month. He has no charisma and no spirit on the microphone where his character is meant to thrive the most. C.J Parker reminds me a lot of Bo Dallas. Only Bray Wyatt’s brother had the character to match his skills and look what happened to him.

Even though this wasn’t meant to be about C.J Parker and how life has kicked him firmly in the testicles, it didn’t stop the hippie protestor grabbing a microphone as he stepped through the ropes to inform of just how unfair life had been to him:

“Yeah, yeah let’s talk about the world for a second. Let’s talk about my world. Let’s talk about my world and how it isn’t fair…”

Thankfully at that point, Alex Riley’s music hit and cut off the constant moaning and whining of C.J Parker. The kind of reception that Alex Riley got from the NXT arena is the type of reaction he could only have dreamt of on the main roster. The NXT audience welcomed Alex Riley back to in-ring action like he was a conquering hero. It was impressive and somewhat touching as Riley would show at the conclusion of the bout. I have to say, that for someone who hasn’t competed in two years Alex Riley looks to be in excellent shape. He’s a little ragged around the edges and doesn’t possess the same physique anymore but given a few months to readjust to life between the ropes, he’ll be back in shape in no time.

Walking to the ring, Alex Riley looked like an NXT star. He’ll fit in perfectly amongst the brand’s elite but he has to be booked better than he was in this bout. As the bell sounded to mark Alex Riley’s first proper wrestling match in two years, the chants of ‘Riley’ were overwhelming and it was obvious that he had been missed. By whom I can’t quite tell you, but everyone seemed genuinely pleased to see him. How long it’ll last until the novelty wears off is anyone’s guess. Instigating a Lock Up to begin the bout Alex Riley had the look of Stan Hansen about him as C.J Parker brought him crashing down to earth with Headlock Takeover; giving the bout a distinctively repetitive feel to both bouts which had gone before.

As Alex Riley threw his arms and legs about in an effort to sell difficulty to the watching audience, the commentators once again tried to sell the fact that Alex Riley had to impress William Regal if he wanted a shot at Kevin Owens. This came after several adverts promotion Kevin Owens vs Alex Riley at NXT’s special at the Arnold Sports Festival next week. Morons! As Alex Riley lay on the canvas in what was an overtly long Headlock, resembling an upturned crab many were willing the returning Riley to do something of note before all the beliefs of his previous wrestling career came true. And believe me, a minute and a half into the bout and the warning bells about Alex Riley were already beginning to sound.

For the sake of mercy, the Headlock did eventually end when Alex Riley managed to climb back to his feet and drive C.J Parker into the ropes. If Riley has hoped to gain the advantage on a rebound then his day was about to get worse, when Parker took Riley off of his feet with a Shoulderblock. Cocky and confident, it made a difference to see C.J Parker doing something other than bitching and moaning, though he made the mistake of trying to repeat what worked for him moments earlier. Using the ropes for leverage, C.J Parker hurtled himself at Alex Riley only to receive a stunning looking Dropkick for his troubles. Feeling the fire burning inside, Alex Riley threw caution to the wind and hoisted the infuriating NXT member onto his shoulders only for Parker to escape and boost Riley into the chords surrounding the ring.

Hitting the ring ropes with some force, Alex Riley was nailed from behind and C.J Parker regained his advantage with two big right hands after pulling Riley to his feet. Looking at the lights once more, Alex Riley felt the cold press of Parker’s boot on his skin as the protestor raked the eyes with his rough soul. Clutching his visual receptors, Alex Riley managed to crawl to the rope for assistance in returning to his feet but his own plan worked against him as C.J Parker set about choking his foe over the second rope. Thus far into the match, Alex Riley had looked jaded and full of ring rust. He’d had one decent offensive manoeuvre and that was all. At this point in the bout, Alex Riley certainly wasn’t the conquering hero.

With ‘A-ry’ balanced over the middle chord, C.J Parker took flight and came crashing down on his rival backside first, copying what Carmella and Alexa Bliss had done previously. Pulling Alex Riley back to the canvas, C.J Parker covered his opponent expecting a quick and fairly effortless victory. It wasn’t to be his day. Kicking out at the referee’s two count, Alex Riley allowed C.J Parker to build his momentum to a peak before striking and as the latter signalled to break Riley’s nose, The Miz’s former partner countered the attempt with a Backdrop. Ducking Parker’s Clothesline, Riley smashed the remonstrator with two massive Clotheslines of his own before putting Parker in the corner.

Charging at C.J Parker, Alex Riley managed to hit a very weak Splash which looked terrible. I know Alex Riley isn’t the best wrestler in the world and he’s been away from in-ring activity for a long time, but at least he’s had the experience. However, on this occasion there are people who have never stepped into the ring before who could land that move better than Riley did. It looked pathetic and nearly missed its stationary target. Putting the near miss behind him, Alex Riley dropped C.J Parker with a nice looking Swinging Neckbreaker before climbing to the summit and ending Parker with a shaky Block-Buster where Riley came close to landing on his head.

It was a frail and feeble effort by both men, there’s no two ways about it. The match was short and unimpressive. For the majority of the duration, Alex Riley, the man who was meant to be the returning hero spent his time on the canvas taking abuse. He didn’t look remotely impressive and if this is the very best he can then Kevin Owens will tear him apart both in the storyline and in the ring. NXT should have booked this bout better. C.J Parker means so little to the company and the audience that it wouldn’t have mattered had he been completely destroyed by Alex Riley because he’s going nowhere. In fact we could say that C.J Parker is NXT’s first real jobber. After so much hype last week and throughout this broadcast, it was a bitterly disappointing effort and now I’m glad NXT didn’t put it on as their main event.

Following the bout, as Alex Riley caught his breath in the middle of the ring, Kevin Owens’ music hit and the NXT Champion strolled out onto the stage to inform Alex Riley of his mistake:

“Alex Riley, it’s a good thing you look as good as you do because you are the dumbest man in NXT. And if that horrible tattoo on your back is not enough to prove that, the fact that you put an end to your own career as a commentator to fight me sure does. Because now, I’m going to end your in-ring career too! And when I’m done with that, I’m going to out an end to the rise of Finn Balor. Trust me.”

Yet another accomplished promo by the best mic man in NXT was delivered with ease. Kevin Owens needs to wrestle more on NXT, he’s too goo to be a one in a while attraction. And as NXT Champion he should be the focal point of the product, regardless of who else the brand wants to push. If NXT need to push certain wrestlers then they should either extend NXT to ninety minutes or prioritize their roster. It’s getting maddening that the likes of Finn Balor, Adrian Neville and Hideao Itami only compete once every two or three weeks and the Champion less. NXT is so popular that it could survive a time and format change this early on in its existence.

As Kevin Owens made his way back to the locker room, Alex Riley absorbed the adulation of the NXT audience and became overcome with tears. It’s not often you see a grown man cry in a wrestling ring. This was one of those moments.

The Main Event

Hideao Itami vs Tyler Breeze

In the continuation of the feud between the Japanese superstar and NXT’s resident vanity king, NXT’s main event this week staged yet another match between he pair, only four weeks removed from their last meeting at ‘NXT Takeover: Rival’. Personally, I believed this to be too soon for the pair to meet in the middle of the ring yet again and if NXT continue to put both men together in singles competition then it’s going to severely diminish the effect the feud has on NXT programming over the next few months. There is too much of a good thing and Triple H must tread carefully before both of these stars run out things to do between the ropes.

One course of action would be to have them battle in tag team action if the idea of having them attack each other has been vetoed by NXT creative. That way, WWE can continue the feud in front of the audience but not have them clash directly for a prolonged period of time. Another course of action would be for Tyler Breeze to attack Itami one week and then have Hideao leave NXT for a while but keep his profile up weekly by having him play mind games with Breeze by leaving presents for him. Then when he returns in a few weeks time, fans would be hot for yet another collision between the pair.

Like every other feud in WWE history, this will end. It can’t run forever but I would advise NXT to think about a different type of bout for the pair other than singles one on one. Tyler Breeze has been campaigning for an NXT Championship shot for months now, so when WWE do finally get to the feud ending bout why not have it fought as a Ladder Match under No. 1 Contender rules? Both men could do wonders with another element involved. Even a cage match would suffice. Because if NXT keep booking the pair in plain old singles bouts, soon rather than later it’s going to become samey and then the brand will be forced to end the feud prematurely which would be a travesty as its been a highlight of the product so far.

This week, everything about the feud seemed different. Tyler Breeze may have attacked Hideao Itami two weeks ago on NXT with the Japanese star then chasing Breeze away, but this bout came out of the blue. Unlike other NXT main events, this wasn’t announced one week prior and we didn’t find out about the match until half way through this broadcast. It seemed as if the brand were short a main event match and just threw the pair on last so as to keep the feud rolling. It was weird feeling as both men trudged down the aisle; it didn’t feel like a main event match and it didn’t even feel like a proper feud. There had been very little build between the two in the four weeks since ‘NXT Takeover: Rival’ and it just seemed as if this came out of the blue thus making it difficult to really get into the action.

Like every other NXT match on this broadcast, the bout began with the customary Lock Up or would have done had Tyler Breeze been able to stay in the ring long enough to begin what should have been a thrilling main event. As Hideao Itami went to initiate the opening sequence, Breeze rolled under the bottom rope and spent an irritating amount of time on the arena floor. Playing mind games with his foreign foe, Breeze eventually made his way back into the ring ready to begin the match properly but fooled Itami for a second time by ducking back to ringside when Hideao tried a second Lock Up. The avoidance on the part of Tyler Breeze may have been a measure to drag the bout out, but it only made the Scandinavian star look like a coward. He’d lost to Itami twice before and seemed to be scared of falling again.

Eventually returning to the squared circle where the match would begin for real, Tyler Breeze broke the tradition of the night and kicked off the bout by driving his shoulder into the gut of Hideao Itami and forcing him backwards into the corner. With his rival trapped in the corner like a bear in a trap, Breeze levelled Itami with several hard Shoulderblocks in the corner. As Itami held his aching gut as a result of the previous flurry, Breeze took full control by placing Itami in the ropes and nailing him with several right hands. Clutching Hideao by the hand, Breeze fired the artist formerly known as Kenta into the ropes but found his offence wanting when Itami reversed to move.

Flinging Tyler Breeze into ropes, the selfie stick obsessive managed to duck two Big Boots but couldn’t escape the line of fire when Itami drove a knee into the gut. Lining up the man who had smashed him in the jaw with the Super Model Kick a fortnight earlier, Hideao repaid Breeze with a lovely looking Running Kick which once again sent the blonde haired sensation rolling to ringside. This time, things would be different. Instead of allowing Tyler time to recoup and come back stronger, Hideao went out in pursuit and clocked Breeze with a Running Clothesline on the hard and unforgiving arena floor. Rolling on momentum, Itami stuffed Breeze back into the ring and backed him into the corner. Taking a few steps backwards, Hideao charged at Tyler and cracked the vanity lover with a beautiful Running Knee.

Pulling Breeze from the corner, Hideao hopped to the second turnbuckle in the hope of delivering a Spinning DDT. However, his attempts were thwarted by Tyler Breeze and when the Japanese sensation took flight; Breeze used his own momentum to cast him over the top rope where Itami landed on the apron. Climbing to the top rope behind his opponents back, Hideao was surprised by when Breeze backed into the ropes and brought his foreign oppressor crashing onto the top turnbuckle crotch first. Dragging Hideao down from the summit, Tyler Breeze bowled him into the opposite corner and peppered him with kicks. With Itami seated in the corner, Tyler stuck his boot into the throat and proceeded to chock his main rival.

Feeling firmly in control of the situation, Tyler Breeze pulled Hideao to his feet only to put him back on the canvas with a Snapmare. Successfully executing a Leg Drop for a count of two, Breeze slowed down the pace of the match with a Rear Chinlock which wasn’t a welcome sight for the audience as they’d already seen their fair share of rest holds throughout the broadcast. After a commercial break which once again hyped next week’s NXT special, the video feed resumed with Tyler Breeze still in control of proceedings. Having broken the Rear Chinlock, Breeze scooped Itami onto his shoulders and placed him onto the top turnbuckle. Joining Hideao on the top rope, ‘The King of Cuteville’ meant to attempt a Superplex but instead was felled with fists from a battling Hideao who then launched with a great Flying Clothesline.

With both men on the canvas and attempting to recover from what they believed to be an exhausting confrontation, it wasn’t but they had to sell something, Hideao Itami was the first of the two to make his way back to a vertical base and clobbered Breeze with a Clothesline to gain control of the bout. Shaken and unstable on his feet, Tyler Breeze attempted a kick but found his leg caught by Itami and before he knew it, Breeze was looking at the lights after having his legs swept out from underneath him. Unable to stand and rapidly losing control of the contest, Tyler Breeze rolled to the ring apron but couldn’t fool Hideao Itami into walking blindly into a Shoulderblock.

Dodging a Shoulderblock from the apron, Hideao Itami attempted a kick which countered by Breeze into Neck Snap over the top rope in a very fluent sequence of reversals. Finally given a few moments to gather himself after an onslaught of seemingly never ending offence, Tyler Breeze climbed back between the ropes but found Itami recovered ahead of time. Blocking a punch, Hideao connected with yet another Clothesline for a good near fall. With the bout coming to a close, Itami’s intention was to execute an Irish Whip but his endeavour only found resistance when Tyler Breeze held onto the top rope for dear life. A few stiff knees to the gut weakened that resistance though Breeze once again outsmarted his foe and snatched a handful of chord to stop himself rebounding as he was shot across the ring.

Daring Hideao to bring the fight to him, Tyler Breeze stuck a boot into Itami’s face off of a charge but failed to connect with a Clothesline. Ducking the incoming missile, Hideao Itami applied a Waistlock with Breeze countered into one of his own. However, Tyler wouldn’t have time to turn the advantage into anything meaningful as the Japanese marvel was already charging into the ropes before shrugging Breeze off. Rolling backwards across the ring, Breeze was ready and Itami charged him the Japanese marvel almost knocked teeth out when he connected with the Super Model Kick for an excellent near fall. The bout may not have been gripping and tense throughout its run time, but the final sequences were a marked improvement.

Seizing the legs of his rival, Tyler Breeze slipped under the bottom rope and pulled Hideao around the ring post crotch first. Intending to give him painful misgivings, Breeze was stunned when Itami pulled backwards and drove Tyler’s face into the cold steel. After nursing his looks, Breeze found his way back into the squared circle but couldn’t counter a Hangman Suplex across the top rope which set him up for a Diving Knee from the top rope. As Hideao Itami scaled the summit, Tyler Breeze found himself entangled in the chords surrounding the ring and could only watch in terror as Itami plunged knees first, driving them into the back of his head for yet another near fall.

Propping Tyler Breeze up in the corner, Hideao Itami was the architect of his own downfall. Lining up a Running Dropkick, Itami missed the move and found nothing but turnbuckle. Staggering from the corner, Tyler Breeze managed to clout the man he’d so far failed to defeat with The Beauty Shot for the victory. It was the correct result. Tyler Breeze had already lost to Hideao Itami twice in the last six weeks; it would have ended the feud completely had he gone down yet again. A Tyler Breeze victory had to be on the cards and here we were given the next stage in a gripping war.

Sadly, the match wasn’t all that even though both men received the customary ovation from the crowd that NXT stars are used to. Unlike their other bouts, this lacked any real flow and that big fight feel. Rather than another must see chapter in their feud, this felt like a convenience and that stopped us really getting into the action. It wasn’t a truly bad main event but it could and should have been twice as good. This was the worst main event in six weeks on par with Finn Balor vs The Brian Kendrick. It’s simply not good enough for the reward that people sit through a broadcast to get. We expect better than this and I hope normal service is restored next week.

The Summary

With four matches on show and none of them particularly brilliant, Episode 268 of NXT wasn’t the most impressive of shows to behold but one gets the feeling that the company are saving all the special in their locker room for Episode 269 at the Arnold Sports Festival. Regardless, that is no reason to book a less entertaining piece of work as we expect something brilliant every week and NXT has the talent to produce it regardless of Triple H or NXT’s booking committee believe.

If NXT was short on wrestlers to fill spots then I’d understand why NXT are holding back on the quality. There’d be no sense in pushing the few good stars you possess to do the same things every week. People would get bored. But NXT have a wealth of talent as proved by the fact their best names only complete fortnightly or less. There’s no sensible reason for NXT not to go full pelt each week to keep us entertained. As it stands, Episode 268 stood somewhere in the middle of those that have appeared in The NXT Report so far though it could have gone close to the top had we not been given a underdeveloped main event which was the weakest in five weeks.

Onwards and upwards.