NXT - Post NXT Takeover discussion in progress

[Ladiesman345]

Agreed. Though Welsh Wrestling has a Dog, a Bison, a Grizzly and a Boar.

 

I've heard Randy Orton being described as a boar as well~

Edited November 12, 2014 by Ladiesman345

[Arch Stanton]

I don't think it's ever been properly explained why Punk got to keep his name, but it always just felt like nobody gave enough of a shit about him to change it. Everyone seemed so utterly convinced that he'd never amount to much, so it never really mattered what he was called.

 

I don't buy into this line of thinking at all. It's the self-perpetuated CM Punk legend, that he was this kid who made it to the top against all odds, in a company where all the management hated him. Whereas in reality, WWE signed him up and pushed him hard. He was their World Heavyweight Champion within three years of signing with them. They knew exactly what they were doing keeping the CM Punk name and letting him be the character that he was.

[Loki]

I do remember a report from OVW saying that HHH and HBK were laughing at him when they were down there looking at talent.  But as you say, that could just be bullshit.

[Shane O' Mac Version 2]

Kind of funny, then, that HHH piggy-backed Punk's pop at Survivor Series 06.

 

DX are doing their schtick, and the crowd erupts in "CM Punk" chants. HHH puts his arm around Punk and says, "Yes, CM Punk!" before involving him in the "Are You Ready?" bit.

[Loki]

This is the story, from the Bleacher Report:
 
"In 2005, not long after he first showed up in OVW, WWE's main developmental territory at the time, CM Punk and his then-fellow developmental wrestler Mickie James were called to a Raw taping.  They did a match for Sunday Night Heat (the Raw B-show) with James as Punk's valet.
As the story goes, Triple H, Shawn Michaels and creative team member/retired wrestler Michael Hayes gathered around the backstage monitor together to make fun of everything Punk did. 
Triple H was notorious for saying that Punk was not actually good at controlling a crowd and doing things logically, only being able to "simulate a match."
The match never aired.  Both went back to OVW, but James was soon called up to Raw permanently for her new gimmick as Trish Stratus' stalker.
Punk wouldn't be called up for the better part of the year and when he was, it was because WWE was bringing back ECW and Paul Heyman wanted him on his crew."

And they dug into that quite a bit during all the pipebomb promos.

[Linus]

Hey, it's that NXT show I like!

Show opens with Finn Balor's name up on the screen, like he never went home from last week. He comes out to a massive pop, which is what NXT are good at doing for their debuting stars.

He cuts a talky saying he's the future blah blah blah and Tyson Kidd does not like this. He comes out with his wife and says that Balor lacks respect. Burn. Justin Gabriel comes out, too, because reasons. Gabriel and Kidd are about to attack Balor, and teach him a lesson I guess, when Itami's music hits and he makes the kind of save.

A ref turns up and the announcers say that Regal has made this a match. Well, if it's good enough for Dario Cueto...

This is a showcase for Balor and Itami without weakening Kidd too much. They let Gabriel get bits in, too, but who gives a fuck? They do the dives, the slaps, the kicks. Finish is the double corner kicks, and Balor pins Gabriel after a fallover double foot stomp. This was a good, if nothing, opener.

Backstage, Adrian Neville is talking to Not Renee. He's Jimmy Nail, he really fucking is. Well done on that. It's the same things we've heard forever. Then Zayn talks to Not Renee and says the same things he's been saying for weeks. Hey, when he wins the belt tonight this will change, right?

Hey, it's Sasha Banks! She's fighting Alexa Bliss tonight, and they have a great little match. Banks is such a great heel, and has some great submissions. I heart her. She wins with the Bank(s) Statement and cuts a promo on Charlotte, calling her "Ashley". Ooooooh! Meanwhile, Becky Lynch stands next to her and looks useless and plain.

We got another match! It's Lucha Dragons, wearing their t-shirts which you can buy at the merch stand thankyou very much, and they're against everyone's favourite half-jobber team of Buddy Murphy & Wesley Blake! Blake & Murphy's NXTtron is embarrassing - like a Windows 95 screensaver. I like their dubstep music, though.

This was the best I've seen the Lucha Dragons work, and half of that has to be down to Blake & Murphy, who worked their cocks off getting into position for dives and such. Dragons win when Sin Cara aborts a roll-up into powerbomb, and then sentons for the pin.

Hey, it's main event time! They do the big title intros, which is cool, and makes the title mean something. I don't need to describe this - you've seen these guys work and they do all of their usual stuff. If you like it - and I mostly do - it's great. Zayn gets a near fall with two Germans and an exploder. Nice.

Finish is when Neville goes up for the Red Arrow and misses, "hurting" his knee. Sami hesitates, and the ref throws up the X. As we know, this means a legit injury, so the match is stopped, right? Only no, because while Sami is concerned for his pal, Neville rolls him up for the win.

Terrible finish. Nonsensical. I know they have to keep the switch for Takeover but this was awful. Ho hum. Sami looked heartbroken as we went off the air.

A Decent Show.

[Fanny Pack]

Balor impressed the shit out of me.

[Supremo]

Finn Balor seems cool. I've never seen him on the indies, but I was impressed with him in the ring and really liked his entrance and mannerisms.

 

Do we think WWE will let him do that body paint stuff? Whenever I saw a photo of him that always looked awesome and I can imagine that's something that could really get over.

[PunkStep]

Balor impressed the shit out of me.

What about Itami? Is he still not looking up to scratch?

[Undefeated Steak]

Blake & Murphy's NXTtron is embarrassing - like a Windows 95 screensaver. I like their dubstep music, though.

 

Haha, exactly what I thought.

 

I liked (as in, thought the heel finish was done well) the ending of the main event and Sami Zayn sold the loss perfectly.

[The Dart]

That was a great show.  NXT is usually great, but this was the best it's been in weeks.

[Fanny Pack]

 

Balor impressed the shit out of me.

 

What about Itami? Is he still not looking up to scratch?

Itami's alright, really small though.

[Slapnuts]

Finn Balor seems cool.

 

Do we think WWE will let him do that body paint stuff?

 

I really hope so, but I'm not banking on it ever happening in WWE

[Retro Red]

I can't see it happening regularly, but if he gets up to a decent upper midcard position I can see it being a big match/mania special thing.

 

However I'm not sure if there would be any sort of trademark issues in him using some of the Marvel designs such as Venom. Then again, nothing stopping them changing it just enough not to trigger any lawsuits.

[Statto]

 

Blake & Murphy's NXTtron is embarrassing - like a Windows 95 screensaver. I like their dubstep music, though.

 

Haha, exactly what I thought.

 

 

I, also, have just come into the thread to post about that. It was brilliant, floating wordart like those things Jeremy Borash knocked up for the main eventers in the early days of TNA.

 

Enjoyed NXT this week. Particularly liked the discussion on commentary as to whether Murphy doing the "rake the face with my bootlaces" thing would hurt so much against an opponent wearing a mask, which is a moot point anyway, as Murphy wears kickpad things that lace up at the back.

 

I've never been a massive fan of the body paint thing Balor did as Prince Devitt (which he did because his other half did it for him, right?) - it was a nice touch that first time he did it on a big Tokyo Dome show, but when it became an everyday occurence I just thought it was a bit weird. However, he seemed to be lacking a little something in his entrance - he was doing all these creepy, deliberate mannerisms, but whilst looking like a normal, handsome Irish fella. So, I'd be up for him doing it, but original designs, not deliberate comic book recreations. Fucking impressive in the ring, mind.

 

Really not getting the Banks/Lynch partnership. It just doesn't mesh, the blingy mean girl princess & the red-headed rock chick. Weird.

 

And yeah, the finish of the main event was a decent idea, poorly executed - trying to be a bit too "smart" for their own good, IMO. Neville missing the Red Arrow, selling the knee more than it was hurt (in a kayfabe sense) to draw a hesitant Zayn in for the roll-up would have been fine. But using the "x-sign" and having Albert outright say "when the referee puts up that x-sign, it's a real, serious situation" (i.e. this guy is not just pretend hurt, folks) was overkill, and made it make much less sense than it should. If the ref is putting up the "x-sign", why isn't he stopping the match? And if Neville is losing by stoppage, surely he's losing the title?

 

But, Alexa Bliss & Devin Taylor were back. So all good.