NXT - 22/4/15

[Kirbi]

We finally watched the show this evening, and it was pretty damn enjoyable; therefore, review-time!

Finn Balor v Tye Dillinger: Balor won, because who cares about this randomer? It's generally good to see Balor though, so I'm not gonna complain overmuch. His theme is a particularly nice opener to the show, too.

Post match: Tyler Breeze issues a challenge to Balor, in his trademark fashion (humorous egotistical ranting, for the uninitiated). I am satisfied with this turn of events, and I hope that the ring is just covered in noodly tendrils for the presumed takeover match (pants v headgear).

Bayley v Becky Lynch v Charlotte: And this is why we were definitely gonna watch this week... lateness notwithstanding. I wasn't sure either who would win this, or who I wanted to win it. And I mean that in a good way.

The match was shorter than I'd anticipated, and it wasn't booked as well as I might've hoped - it fell victim to the classic triple-threat problem where people stay out of the ring for an unrealistically long time when they get a tap.

So there was basically a series of one-on-ones to start with; they were good, and there was some killer moves, but it's still not ideal.

The ending section was great though! All three in the ring, all in contention, all looking good, the tension was up, and the finish itself was beautifully done.

In the end, Lynch snaked the win by pinning Bayley while Charlotte had Bayley in a submission move. Bayley came out of this looking determined, and like she won't quit; Charlotte still looks physically dominant; and Becky Lynch looks like the flashy, opportunistic sneak that she should. I particularly loved that face she had on at the top of the ramp, as the number one contender. Classic.

Later in the show: Great little vignette between Banks and Lynch to set up their rivalry, and to remind everyone of their previous alliance. I thought they were both really strong here, and I'm looking forward to the match(es) to come.

There was a special treat for us Irish folk at the end of the segment, too. For the uninitiated, this is Bosco:

Show Spoiler

Hideo Itami v C.J. Parker: This was pointless, but kind of ok. Itami continues on, relentlessly boring. Oh, and he won.

Rhyno v ???: Night of jobs! Rhyno killed this guy, whoever he was. He was swift, and merciful (to us, not the jobber). Also, I kind of forget where this match happened on the card, and the internet refuses to educate me, so this placing is my best guess.

Kevin Owens v Alex Riley There was a brief Owens interview earlier in the show, and I think it was the first of his that I've enjoyed without reservation. His demeanor was great in the segment - he was calm and kind of distracted; the perfect model of the not-too-bothered. And that's as it should be; Owens is winning this match - he knows it. Everyone knows it. This is not a thing. - But it is remarkably entertaining.

Owens and Riley put on another solid match - just like last time, and the result was the same too.

Post match: Owens had just decided not to head backstage quite yet - he has some cruelty to mete out, don't you know.

And of course, they give the people what they want! Owens is prevented from ending Riley's newly-burgeoning career by our hero, Sami Zayn. Cue a great section, where Zayn goes after Owens like a proper mentler, and Owens cannot stand to it at all!

Following Owens' retreat to the back (hugging his title like a security blanket - great imagery), the show ends with Zayn in the ring; his theme is playing, and he's looking the opposite of it i.e. dangerous as fuck.

Verdict: Too many jobs, but you could hang basically any hour-long show on this headliner and the Women's match, and come up smelling of roses. Good show.

[The Legend]

I've got to really disagree with you. I thought about posting a review when I watched it last week and then realized how negative it was going to be. The Divas match was outstanding, but there was nothing else worth seeing on this entire show.

I find Balor mostly overrated as a character and somewhat so as a wrestler. Seeing him in a squash match and winning easily has no appeal for me.

As I stated previously, the divas match had a lot of entertaining moments and filled with great action. Also, the way they ended the match was outstanding in setting up multiple angles.

I'm glad CJ Parker is gone. Now I'm just wishing he'd actually be gone. This match was incredibly pointless.

I get Rhyno being in NXT on some level as a trainer/mentor, role model. I don't however understand feeding him young guys that have their careers in front of them as total squash matches. This is the biggest waste of time of anything the WWE currently airs on any of its programming.

Owens and Riley had a match a few weeks ago. If you saw that match, you saw this match. Seriously, nothing different. No story progression. It was pointless.

Seeing Zayn at the end saved things a little bit, but overall this was easily the worst episode of NXT I've seen them put out.

[Kirbi]

^^^

I absolutely see where you're coming from here, and I wouldn't disagree with a lot of the detraction's you mentioned - I just think I found more to like in the other stuff.

I really enjoyed the little backstage segments with Banks/Lynch and Owens' interview. They were fun, they broke things up nicely, and they progressed story and character a little.

This was also the first time I'd been anyway optimistic about an Owens match going in, and had that optimism confirmed. The fact that this was essentially a re-run is probably why I enjoyed it - the previous match between Owens and Riley was a pleasant surprise from a wrestler who'd previously been in the red on entertainment value for me. So, I was hoping for and expecting more of the same, and that was what I got.

The Zayn bit at the end also made me more hopeful for the Zayn/Owens rematch; primarily because of Zayn's attitude. If we were to end up with a re-tread of their last match, I'd be fucking upset - I really hated it. So, I was feeling cagey about that pairing coming around again, but the show left me more hopeful about that too.

Also, BOSCO!

The amount of nothing matches was a bit ridiculous though - they should've added time to the Women's match.

[Hanley!]

Seeing Zayn at the end saved things a little bit, but overall this was easily the worst episode of NXT I've seen them put out.

I'm a bit flabbergasted to hear you say that, because to me this was easily the best episode of NXT in weeks. The last several have been pretty awful.

I'm not saying it was a perfect show. All the squash matches bug me too. It's nothing more than filler and it's really frustrating. It's indicative of laziness and bad writing. Given they have so little time for this show, they need to be using it better. However, for the last few weeks, it felt like the entire shows were filler. Nothing stood out and it didn't feel like anything was being progressed.

On this show, we got a good women's match. A couple of good backstage segments involving the women and Owens, and a really hot finish to the show, helping to build some excitement for Owens vs Zayn II.

The squash matches are getting ridiculous, and they badly need to figure out something to do with some of these guys (particularly Rhyno, Baron Corbin and Itami, who do nothing but fill time). But I was glad that for the first time in several weeks, it felt like something on the show was actually worth watching.

[The Legend]

Seeing Zayn at the end saved things a little bit, but overall this was easily the worst episode of NXT I've seen them put out.

I'm a bit flabbergasted to hear you say that, because to me this was easily the best episode of NXT in weeks. The last several have been pretty awful.

I'm not saying it was a perfect show. All the squash matches bug me too. It's nothing more than filler and it's really frustrating. It's indicative of laziness and bad writing. Given they have so little time for this show, they need to be using it better. However, for the last few weeks, it felt like the entire shows were filler. Nothing stood out and it didn't feel like anything was being progressed.

On this show, we got a good women's match. A couple of good backstage segments involving the women and Owens, and a really hot finish to the show, helping to build some excitement for Owens vs Zayn II.

The squash matches are getting ridiculous, and they badly need to figure out something to do with some of these guys (particularly Rhyno, Baron Corbin and Itami, who do nothing but fill time). But I was glad that for the first time in several weeks, it felt like something on the show was actually worth watching.

I'll compare it to last week's show for comparison. Starts with Crowe vs Parker, not a great match by any stretch, but at least the match had a story behind it with Crowe debuting in a segment against Parker a few weeks before. Still hate Parker, but preferred to see him here against Crowe.

Corbin squashes a former Marine, still a stupid squash match, but at least they gave the jobber a bit of a character and at least Corbin has his career ahead of him unlike Rhyno. In a bit per bit comparison that week wins.

Any time Enzo Amore and Big Cass are on my screen is a huge plus.

The Divas matches were the only comparison where this week won over the week before it.

Sami Zayn vs Rhyno was a far better main event than we received this week.

Above all of that, in week's previous NXT always has felt like it was building to a climax and this was no different with Zayn vs Rhyno and the story that went into it. This past week, Owens vs Riley ends and I'm waiting for the rest of the show, because surely that couldn't have been it.