Dot Net Water Cooler: Chris Shore and Marvin Hermanstyne discuss the debut episode of WWE NXT - Daniel Bryan vs. Chris Jericho, David Otunga, Wade Barrett, and more

Chris Shore and Marvin Hermanstyne hang out around the DotNet water cooler and discuss the topics of the week. Today, they discuss the debut episode of WWE NXT.

Shore: Well, color me surprised, but NXT turned out to be quite enjoyable. Quick, give me your first impression of the show.

Marv: I was quite impressed with the first episode of NXT. It was about time that WWE gave us fans some fresh material to watch. The Daniel Bryan and The Miz feud is already hot, and its only the first episode. I can't wait to see how they plan this storyline.

Shore: Daniel Bryan was very perplexing to watch. He looked like a Von Erich in that ring gear, and he did not look that good in the ring. He worked a very stiff match with Chris Jericho, and that aspect was good. But there was a leg whip that was botched, as well as the elbow that was supposed to spill Jericho over the top. Then he all but no-sold the crash into the announce table. Yet the rest of the match was very good. He also proved why he is with someone like The Miz. His mic skills are very weak.

Marv: I agree with you, and that will be his main weakness. It will also take time for him to warm up to the crowd because of the demographic of the WWE at live events. If there had been hardcore wrestling fans, he would of been over just like one of the main babyfaces. Now that WWE is ridden with kids and casual fans, it seems like he got that Primo ovation from the crowd. Thoughts?

Shore: Have you been reading my mail? I have been trying forever to figure out why guys like John Morrison, Dolph Ziggler, and Evan Bourne can't get over like they should. The kids are killing WWE. This is a problem that is only going to grow going forward. To be honest, I was surprised gimmicks like C.M. Punk's get over. But I realize now he reaches the beer drinking parents, and the kids boo because mom and dad do. All eight of these guys are going to have to find a way to connect with a younger audience, and that's tough in a business built on physical confrontation, and the ramifications thereof. I hate it. If I want to see kid friendly theater, I'll go to Chuck E. Cheese.

Marv: Thank You! About time someone understands where I come from on this issue. You basically pinpointed why I am so harsh on the product. During the Attitude Era, WWE was a can't miss event because stars like Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, The Rock (just to name a few) made the show so damn enjoyable. Even when they went to their heel turns, it made their characters more expandable and enjoyable.

Shore: I've been a supporter of the PG product for sometime. It's a bigger base to pull from, and hardcore fans will stay no matter what. But NXT really made me rethink my position. Look at a guy like Heath Slater. His gimmick is a guy with a rock and roll lifestyle. Except he's not glam enough to pull it off. He looks more...well...fruity than anything else. How is he supposed to get over with that gimmick in today's market? Or what about David Otunga? He may have enough arrogance in him to get over, though he better figure out how to hit his finisher without botching it. I just think this is a tough market to succeed in. What guys do you think have a real chance of making it in this environment?

Marv: Its hard to determine because this was the first episode and I've only watched a handful of FCW matches with these guys being featured. Otunga disappointed me because of the way he botched his finisher. There are two other things that are shocking to me. Number one, they booked him as an heel. I know he did the "I Love NY" reality show (which I watched religiously, don't judge me...LOL) and he came off as one of the suave guys who could be a good babyface, but he could be one damn good heel if booked correctly. If they have interest in him, they should send him to Smackdown. If he goes to Raw, he will be in mid-card hell for years.

Secondly, he's kinda stiff for his size and works like Zeke Jackson somewhat, if you ask me. Knowing Vince, he probably called him up quickly because of his celebrity and will use it to his advantage. I won't be shocked if they ask Jennifer Hudson to guest host Raw if they decided to bring him to the main roster. Wade Barrett has some good potential and working with Jericho could increase his stock becuase the guy could talk. I have to watch a match with him to go further with my assessment of him. Tarver is greener than fresh grass when he is in the ring. How do you think this show will go forward after the first week?

Shore: Well, I think it all depends. Jason Powell made a good point in his blog when he asked what the point of the show was. Is it a contest? If so, how do you win? One of the rookies said he would win NXT in his promo, so I am assuming it is a contest. So going with that assumption, I am guessing we see the rookies that didn't compete last week compete this week, and then some sort of fan interaction begins to rank them. What do you think?

Marv: I think that will be the format of the show. But I won't be surprised if there are a bunch of the rookies that get little to no heat? Guys like William Regal and Jericho can get Arizona heat when they talk, so they could get their rookies over. But everyone else is questionable if you ask me. Truth is over as a babyface, but they want Otunga as a heel so I am interested to see how they book this duo. There are still plenty of questions that needs to be answered about this show.

Shore: A ton of questions. What did you think about the different production of the show? There were some strange camera angles, no hard camera shots that I remember, and a ringside interview in the middle of a match. Strange or cool?

Marv: The camera angles were like playing NBA Live 2000, it has a ton of different camera angles available to use. I know they are experimenting with new things, but the camera crew doesn't seem that experienced in doing so. So to answer your question, it was strange as hell. I know its supposed to be reality based, but can you at least not make the show look like Shotgun Saturday Night?

Shore: Wow, Shotgun Saturday Night. That's just mean. I'll give WWE this, they did something new and fresh. And the fact that we are talking about it like this shows that it made an impact. Sure, it had its problems, but overall, it was a nice change. Agree?

Marv: I agree, this is a refreshing change compared to the throwaway, power hour of WWECW we were getting for three-plus years. Its fine with me because the first product will not be perfect and as the show comes along, we will enjoy it and we could judge it after the eighth week or so. By the way, Shotgun Saturday Night was quite enjoyable with Big Daddy Cool Fake Diesel (aka Glen Jacobs), ugh...I'm just kidding.

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