Itami vs Balor Had Better Be Amazing

[Hanley!]

Based on what happened this week on NXT, it looks like Itami vs Balor will be happening in the semi-finals of the #1 contenders tournament in a couple of weeks. And I think this is an important match for both of them.

So far, they haven't wowed me for the most part. Balor has great music and had an absolutely star-making entrance at NXT R-Evolution. And has had some decent matches. So far he's doing well, but his entrance comes off a lot less well without the creepy makeup. And if anything, his appearances since R-Evolution have only subtracted from the star-power he had developed after that show.

Itami has also been okay in the ring, but not even as good as Balor who hasn't been fantastic. He doesn't have a cool entrance or makeup or any discernible attributes really, and so far they've given us basically nothing to really get behind with this guy. And this week he finished his match with a dropkick. What the fuck was that?

Both of these guys have been okay since debuting, but that's all. I'm already less excited about both of them than I was after R-Evolution. The only really memorable thing about either of them is Finn Balor's awesome entrance. I'm not saying I'm giving up on these guys. I believe they both have a lot of talent and potential. But they're not living up to it at the moment. NXT is too short a show for everyone to have a spot on it every week, and if we're seeing Balor and Itami instead of Zayn and Neville, then currently I'm disappointed.

So I really think they should be given plenty of time in their semi-final match, so they can show everyone what they can really do. They should be leaving it all out there to make an impression with the fans and let everyone know they can be stars with the WWE. Itami in particular, cos he hasn't shown me anything yet. And there can't be this much hype behind the guy for no reason.

I know this is going to be a controversial opinion. And I could be even more controversial by saying that Owens needs to step it up too. His assaults look brutal and awesome, but in every promo he's had so far he sounded bored and completely lacking in intensity.

I want the new guys to succeed badly. I'd still mark out to see Balor getting his full makeup entrance at the Royal Rumble as a surprise entrant. That'd be fucking amazing. But so far this trio of new stars haven't quite lived up to the hype. I hope they get there soon, because once Zayn and Neville are brought up to the main roster, those are going to be some huge shoes to fill on NXT.

[VaderBomb]

How much of their pre-WWE stuff have you watched? If you're unimpressed, maybe you should check out some of their unadulterated material. I feel if you are more familiar with them personally, that you will gain more of an appreciation for them in these early stages. I'm not expecting them to put on a five star classic when WWE is allowing them limited time because they feel that these guys need to "develop" themselves into WWE superstars. Give 'em time, and if they aren't impressing you (or anybody else for that matter) after making it up to the main roster, I'll likely blame WWE because these two have proven over the years in NJPW, NOAH, ROH, etc. that they are two of the absolute greatest wrestlers to ever lace up a pair of boots.

[Hanley!]

How much of their pre-WWE stuff have you watched? If you're unimpressed, maybe you should check out some of their unadulterated material. I feel if you are more familiar with them personally, that you will gain more of an appreciation for them in these early stages. I'm not expecting them to put on a five star classic when WWE is allowing them limited time because they feel that these guys need to "develop" themselves into WWE superstars. Give 'em time, and if they aren't impressing you (or anybody else for that matter) after making it up to the main roster, I'll likely blame WWE because these two have proven over the years in NJPW, NOAH, ROH, etc. that they are two of the absolute greatest wrestlers to ever lace up a pair of boots.

I've watched a little of Devitt's stuff, which I liked. I've seen him perform better than he has in the WWE so far, but not enough to call him one of the greatest wrestlers ever, by any means. I'm not sure if I've watched any of KENTA.

It's irrelevant though. That stuff shows that they're capable of being entertaining, but it doesn't make them entertaining right now. I'm not saying it's all their fault either, WWE do share a portion of the blame for not giving us more of a reason to invest in them. Though I really hope Itami has more in the tank when it comes to in ring work. Obviously he's not going to be cutting long promos regularly because he's not a natural English speaker, but that just means he has to be that much better in the ring to get over. And every time he's been in an NXT ring so far, I've been underwhelmed.

[Messiah]

I am a huge Finn Balor mark and I am not afraid to admit it, so I'm going to disagree with you there.

The structure of NXT doesn't allow for guys who aren't involved in the title picture to get a lot of shine as far as character development or storylines. The creative team does a good enough job with the time they are allotted. Right now, they are focused on building up Hideo Itami and Finn Balor and keeping them in the spotlight but due to the time restrictions, there isn't a lot they can do. This is why I'm not willing to blame NXT or Balor/Itami. The idea to do a tournament is brilliant and something the WWE doesn't do enough of. Keep both of them doing something meaningful while you deal with the NXT Championship and NXT Women's Championship.

I think Finn Balor has been amazing. His matches haven't blown the roof off the place but again, the structure of the NXT shows doesn't allow for that unless its the main event or on an NXT Takeover event and Balor hasn't had a singles match on either or yet. Despite that, his match with Kidd was solid and the match he had this week with Axel I felt was alright considering the time. Balor is a star in the making, that much I am sure of. I am disappointed they haven't had him cut a promo just to get deeper into him as an individual but that will come with time. To be honest, I'm willing to give NXT more leeway than WWE because the former has proven they are big on character development and story progression. It is just hard to fit everything into 1 hour.

As for Itami, I agree. His in-ring performances have been a bit lackluster. However, and this is coming from someone who isn't familiar with his work prior to the WWE, some of it may have to do with having to adjust to the WWE-style and different opponents. I still believe he'll be a valuable addition to the roster. Just put him in a Chris Benoit kind of role. I wonder how Itami would work as a heel because I thought Benoit did a fine job as a bad guy in 2000.

I 100% agree about Kevin Owens. His promos have been bland-ish. I really hope he turns it up a notch next week for the contract signing.

I do get where you're coming from and I agree with some of what you said. It is just hard for me to blame either side since they have to make do with what they are given and I think they do a good job of it. Itami/Balor will be the main event of the show, so I'm expecting they'll be given somewhere around 15-20 minutes. I'm confident they will put on a great match!

[Hanley!]

Yeah, I'm being a little hard on Balor. He's done decent so far, his match with Kidd was pretty enjoyable. But when people go tossing around phrases like "one of the best wrestlers ever", that'll raise your expectations pretty high. It's not surprising that it might take him a while to live up to that kind of hype. He's done enough to get himself over and get me interested so far, I think he just needs a great singles performance soon to keep the hype going.

Itami is another matter though. At this point, if Itami wasn't an indy darling I would have no idea what I'm supposed to like about the guy. He's failed to demonstrate any particular talent. His matches have been okay at best (even tagging with Balor, he was never the star of the match). And he has no real personality or gimmick. I know that he can't promo much but it's possible to get personality across in the ring too, and I haven't seen that from him.

A great match between the two of them next week would accomplish a lot. It's the first time two of the big new signings will be facing each other on NXT, so I imagine people will be paying a lot of attention. And if it goes well it will really help both of them, particularly Itami.

It's early days for Owens. He hasn't had a big singles match yet, and I'm confident he'll work well with Zayn. So far his offense has looked pretty devastating. But at this point all his promos have been shit. If they're going to keep giving him mic time, he needs to start using some of it. Right now, he looks like he doesn't even want to be there.

[VaderBomb]

How much of their pre-WWE stuff have you watched? If you're unimpressed, maybe you should check out some of their unadulterated material. I feel if you are more familiar with them personally, that you will gain more of an appreciation for them in these early stages. I'm not expecting them to put on a five star classic when WWE is allowing them limited time because they feel that these guys need to "develop" themselves into WWE superstars. Give 'em time, and if they aren't impressing you (or anybody else for that matter) after making it up to the main roster, I'll likely blame WWE because these two have proven over the years in NJPW, NOAH, ROH, etc. that they are two of the absolute greatest wrestlers to ever lace up a pair of boots.

I've watched a little of Devitt's stuff, which I liked. I've seen him perform better than he has in the WWE so far, but not enough to call him one of the greatest wrestlers ever, by any means. I'm not sure if I've watched any of KENTA.

It's irrelevant though. That stuff shows that they're capable of being entertaining, but it doesn't make them entertaining right now. I'm not saying it's all their fault either, WWE do share a portion of the blame for not giving us more of a reason to invest in them. Though I really hope Itami has more in the tank when it comes to in ring work. Obviously he's not going to be cutting long promos regularly because he's not a natural English speaker, but that just means he has to be that much better in the ring to get over. And every time he's been in an NXT ring so far, I've been underwhelmed.

Irrelevant? This isn't sitcom television, it's pro-wrestling. It's a journey. These characters have existed for a long time before arriving at this company. You can't act as if it's irrelevant to understand and develop a possible interest in these people before they are in WWE. They have respectable reputations for more than good reason. I'd be hard pressed to act as if their early showings in borderline developmental TV are a "make it or break it" considering their legacies.

[Hanley!]

Irrelevant? This isn't sitcom television, it's pro-wrestling. It's a journey. These characters have existed for a long time before arriving at this company. You can't act as if it's irrelevant to understand and develop a possible interest in these people before they are in WWE. They have respectable reputations for more than good reason. I'd be hard pressed to act as if their early showings in borderline developmental TV are a "make it or break it" considering their legacies.

I stand by the irrelevant comment.

The characters haven't really been around for a long time before arriving at the WWE. The performers have. But Itami and Balor were invented for NXT. The WWE commentators constantly tell us that what they've done before doesn't really matter. This is a fresh start and nothing that they've done before matters if they can't get it done in NXT. That's what they tell us. And while I find that disrespectful to these performers, it's also kinda true. This is a fresh start.

Here's an example: As good as Mistico was, Sin Cara was a giant disappointment from the beginning of his WWE career until he left. His career in Mexico did not make his performances in America more entertaining. Fans can make their own judgments on whether it was his fault, the WWE's fault or whatever. But they can't deny that he wasn't a failure in the company.

I'd also argue that if you don't think early performances in the WWE are important compared to a wrestler's legacy, you might want to revisit Braden Walker. That's an extreme example, but it's a relevant one. He was a respected wrestler before joining WWE, but he tanked on television early on and was fired.

I reckon Itami will be around for a while, but he needs to make an impression soon if he's to have a good career in the WWE. He could very easily end up being the next Sin Cara. I'm not saying I want that to happen, but it definitely could. Which is why I want to see a big performance from him soon.

[Messiah]

How did you feel about the match, @Hanley!?

I really enjoyed it. I thought it was going to go longer than it did but they were still given a good amount of time. Lots of sweet counters, sequences, and it was hard-hitting. I came away really impressed with Itami finally. No doubt in my mind that Neville/Balor, if given 20 or so minutes, will put on an early MOTY contender.

[Messiah]

Poor Itami.

[Kyle]

Itami definitely has the bigger learning curve coming from Japan and working that stiff style his whole career. It helps that there are guys in NXT that he can work stiffer with, like Balor, Owens, etc...

[Hanley!]

How did you feel about the match, @Hanley!?

I really enjoyed it. I thought it was going to go longer than it did but they were still given a good amount of time. Lots of sweet counters, sequences, and it was hard-hitting. I came away really impressed with Itami finally. No doubt in my mind that Neville/Balor, if given 20 or so minutes, will put on an early MOTY contender.

Yeah, no complaints about the match whatsoever. Well not about the in ring stuff anyway. I did find the commentators really fucking distracting though. They barely called any of it, they spent the entire thing hassling Neville more than I thought was appropriate. It really threatened to pull me out of the action.

In the ring though, both guys really did their jobs admirably. I loved the fast start to the match; they really tried to fit in as much action as they could. Some nice chain wrestling and counters, and the whole thing moved at a lightning pace. They had really good chemistry. I was finally given some indication of Itami's worth: his strikes looked sick and his selling was top notch. I think one or two big signature moves would help him get over more (particularly if he's never going to get to do his finisher), but as the guy who was taking the loss in this match he played his role perfectly. He made himself look good, he made Balor look great, and he showed people who aren't that familiar with him that the hype exists for a reason.

Probably my favourite NXT match so far that didn't involve Zayn & Neville.

[Str8Shooter]

I have to believe eventually they're going to let him do the GTS. Why would they have him tease it multiple times now to huge pops if they weren't? It's unlikely Punk is coming back anytime soon, and I believe Itami was using the move first in Japan. I say it's up for grabs.

[The Legend]

I'm not a huge fan of either guy, but Balor definitely has more potential in WWE to me than Itami.

[VaderBomb]

I have to believe eventually they're going to let him do the GTS. Why would they have him tease it multiple times now to huge pops if they weren't? It's unlikely Punk is coming back anytime soon, and I believe Itami was using the move first in Japan. I say it's up for grabs.

My guess is that they're holding out for a big match/moment. Perhaps his first title match or big feud culmination.

[EmperorWu]

In a perfect world they would reinstate the brand split, put all these guys on Smackdown and let Paul Heyman run the show again. Now that he's easier to get along with I think it could work. So many of these guys need to be on the main roster, few of them are spring chickens. However creatively we know they will get destroyed. It's quite the dilemma.

[Hanley!]

In a perfect world they would reinstate the brand split, put all these guys on Smackdown and let Paul Heyman run the show again. Now that he's easier to get along with I think it could work. So many of these guys need to be on the main roster, few of them are spring chickens. However creatively we know they will get destroyed. It's quite the dilemma.

I'm very opposed to the brand split. It causes too many problems. Splitting the talent in half ultimately leads to less variables on the shows, and we get the same matches and feuds over and over again. Less talent also means that it's easier to be featured in the main event of one particular show, but a lot harder to build up the momentum to genuinely be seen as a main eventer. Plus, having two world champions in the same company makes both belts mean so much less. It makes the Royal Rumble mean less, because the winner is just as likely to be opening the show as closing it.

Basically the brand split just dilutes everything about the company. It was interesting for a while, and we got some good moments out of it. Smackdown vs Raw feuds, surprise cross-overs, draft lotteries and two friends capturing the world titles at the same time were all things that couldn't have been done without the split. But after a while it was just time to go back to the norm.

It would definitely be great to see Heyman booking a WWE show again, I'll agree with that. It'd be amazing to see a two hour NXT show with Heyman at the helm. I'd fucking love to see that. Heyman knows how to play to a wrestler's strengths and help to get them over with the crowd. He'd be ideal for finding those new wrestlers with a lot of untapped potential. And it'd just make for good television. But even in this scenario, I think NXT really does work better as a feeder show. I wouldn't want to see it positioned as equal to Raw ... even if it is far more entertaining right now.