Commentators: Byron Saxon & William Regal
Championship’s roll call: WWE Champion: CM Punk… World Champion: Sheamus… Intercontinental Champion: The Miz… United States Champion: Antonio Cesaro… Tag Team Champions: Kofi Kingston & R-Truth… NXT Champion: Vacant… Diva’s Champion: Layla
Derrick Bateman vs. Antonio Cesaro (w/Aksana): Cesaro does not have the US title yet because this was taped prior to Summerslam. They lock up and Cesaro tosses Bateman around and hits a head-butt. Derrick reverses and chops and pounds him in the corner. Nice high angle dropkick from Bateman; he follows up with a snap-suplex. Cesaro comes back with a Stungun and some armtrap head-butts. He follows that with a butterfly snap-suplex, gets a few nearfalls, drops a knee, and then applies a chinlock. Bateman struggles to his feet and creates separation with a back suplex. Derrick begins a comeback with clotheslines and a running one in the corner. He hits the DBD but Cesaro rolls to the ropes; Bateman hiptosses him back inside. Bateman misses another charge in the corner and Cesaro quickly finishes with a power gutwrench suplex and the Gotch-Style Neutralizer. 4/10 Sound win over a game Derrick Bateman; I like him [Bateman] and think he has potential. Cesaro is good too and has already found singles gold in the WWE, let’s see where they go with him now.
Here is your winner… Antonio Cesaro @ about 8:00 via Gotch-Style Neutralizer pinfall.
We get many various WWE Superstars (John Cena, Daniel Bryan, Kofi Kingston and The Miz to name a few) discuss the prestige of becoming the first NXT Champion. We see highlights of Jinder Mahal and Seth Rollins winning their matches.
Tamina Snuka vs. Sofia Cortez: This must be Cortez’s last match in the WWE as she was released a few weeks ago and was NOT happy about it. Sofia mocks Tamina’s father and gets her ass kicked for it. Cortez comes back and kicks her in the corner; Tamina comes back but Sofia twists her into a body scissors. Cortez is playing subtle heel here. Tamina powers her into the corner and breaks the hold; she makes a comeback with double chops, a flying Snuka head-butt and a superkick. Tamina, surprisingly, only gets two. She sets Cortez up with a bodyslam and nails her with the Superfly splash. Post-match, Raquel Diaz attacks Snuka while her back is turned because she feels Tamina is ugly. 2/10 Squash for Snuka, nothing special, except it (may have been) Cortez’s last WWE match; I do appreciate the effort to build storylines with the NXT divas.
Here is your winner… Tamina Snuka @ about 5:55 via Superfly splash.
Jake Carter vs. Kassius Ohno: They lock up and Ohno applies a headlock; William Regal wastes no time mentioning who Carter’s daddy is (Vader). Carter flips Ohno off and hits a few shoulderblocks. They trade chops in the corner and Carter hits a hiplock. Kassius heads to the ropes to break momentum and nails Carter with a foot when he is lulled back by the referee. Ohno takes over with a wide variety of kicks, punches and stomps. He entraps Carter in the corner and chops him; a big boot knocks Carter for a daze. Ohno applies a cravat. I like the Batman (1966) style “KO!” logo on Ohno’s trunks. Kassius hits a stomp but misses a running boot and Carter capitalizes with a suplex and a side slam. Ohno reverse a whip but telegraphs a backdrop; Carter runs the ropes but gets hit quickly with the roaring elbow for the knockout pinfall. Post-match, Ohno attacks Carter and hits another roaring elbow. Richie Steamboat comes to his fellow second-generation brethren’s aid. 3.5/10 Squash match for Ohno, which have been boring of late but Carter kept it interesting. I like the development of storylines (Ohno/Steamboat) on this show.
Here is your winner… Kassius Ohno @ about 6:10 via roaring elbow pinfall.
More talking about the importance about becoming the first NXT Champion are shown; I like it because it shows importance for the title.
Tyson Kidd & Justin Gabriel vs. Michael McGillicutty & Johnny Curtis: Jim Ross joins the broadcast team. JR calls the Gabriel/Kidd team “Air Force”; I like that team name. McGillicutty starts with Kidd and knees him in the corner. He settles into a hammerlock; Kidd retreats to the ropes, reverses, and nails an armdrag. Gabriel tags and also works armdrags. They quick tag in and hit a slingshot into a slingshot rollup for two. Kidd returns to the armbar; another double team follows with a double whip into a series of kicks. Gabriel applies a front chancery. Curtis provides a distraction and enables McGillicutty to Jannetty Gabriel with a clothesline, for two. McGillicutty applies a chinlock which is a good point to take a break; when we return Curtis is beating on Gabriel in the corner. The oddball team cut the ring in half and quick tag on him. Curtis hits a hammer toss and a suplex for two. Curtis with a chinlock. Johnny hits a single-arm suplex and brings McGillicutty back in. Curtis comes back rather quickly and applies a double armbar; Gabriel fights free but eats a knee to the gut. Curtis quickly heads to the top but misses a corkscrew senton. Kidd receives the hot tag and enters via springboard dropkick. A bunch of spin kicks follow; McGillicutty still has the wherewithal to drop-toehold a charging Kidd into the bottom buckle. Curtis and McGillicutty team up for a springboard Cement Mixer and would have won but Gabriel breaks it up. Curtis tries a superplex but it’s blocked; Tyson looks for a double jump moonsault press but he falls off the top rope. He’s lucky he did not break a leg there. Kidd recovers with a swinging neckbreaker. McGillicutty runs in and gets quickly deposited and the Air Force hit a Hart Attack blockbuster to get the three on Curtis. 6.5/10 Pretty good main event despite the botched ending; cool finisher for the Air Force.
Here are your winners… Tyson Kidd and Justin Gabriel @ about 12:00 (broadcast) via Hart Attack blockbuster.
In the back Kassius Ohno accepts Richie Steamboat’s challenge.
Byron Saxton is in the ring for a face-to-face promo with the two finalists in the NXT title tournament. Title match is next week. Seth Rollins comes out first and Jinder Mahal follows. Rollins always dreamed of winning gold in the WWE. Rollins found the WWE and it gave him purpose and direction. He is going to live his dream next week. Mahal retorts with… something in Hindi. Mahal then turns to English and calls Rollins a born loser. He was born to greatness and calls winning the NXT title his birthright. Mahal will be the first champion. Rollins tries to respond but Jinder nails him with the mic. Jinder thinks Camel Clutch but Rollins fights back and forces Mahal to the floor and topés onto him as referees separate them to close the show. 5.5/10 I like this face-to-face style promo and it gets the two finalists some airtime and probably one of the first promos on NXT.
OVERALL 5.5/10 Entertaining as usual. I like the importance this show is putting on its title; makes it appear significant becoming the first champion. The clips of major WWE stars, like John Cena, discuss this title make it seem even bigger, this is the way to push a title and a champion.
