11/1 Gutteridge's WWE NXT TV Review: Antonio Cesaro vs. Tyson Kidd for the US title, Xavier Woods vs. Leo Kruger, Roman Reigns debut, The Usos vs. Michael McGillicutty

By Darren Gutteridge
 
WWE NXT on Sky Sports 3
Taped on 9/20 in Winter Park, Florida
 
[Q1] After titles, The Usos had just started to make their entrance. As they entered the ring, Tony Luftman welcomed us and introduced William Regal. I forgot to mention last week how monotone and dull Luftman was. I thought Byron Saxton was just bored. I hope Saxton and Regal get back together on commentary soon, as they were really starting to mesh well. Johnny Curtis and Michael McGillicutty came out, and Curtis started dancing on the way down, rubbing himself and throwing in some pelvic thrusts. McGillicutty looked disturbed, as am I...
 
1. The Usos vs. Michael McGillicutty and Johnny Curtis. The Usos dominated both heels until a stiff kick from McGillicutty gave them the advantage. They isolated Jimmy, and bickered between themselves, with McGillicutty shouting at Curtis for wasting time. Jimmy dodged a corner splash and got the hot tag, and Jey reeled off his signatures, getting a rise out of the audience. He took out Curtis with a superkick and landed a Samoan drop before tagging in Jimmy for the Superfly Splash on McGillicutty and the pin...
 
The Usos defeated Michael McGillicutty and Johnny Curtis in 4:16
 
After the match, the Ascension's music played, and they appeared in their Statler and Waldorf balcony from a few weeks ago again. They starred down the Usos before the commercial break... [C]
 
Gutt Check: Blink and you'll miss it there. There was no lull in the match, but that meant it kind of came and went without really doing much. The Usos were in trouble for roughly a minute before the hot tag. I hope they don't go back to the Usos and Ascension feud. It has been going since the start of NXT and has never really excited.
 
[Q2] Leo Kruger came out underneath a big picture of his smiling face on the tron. Xavier Woods (Consequences Creed from TNA) was waiting in the ring...
 
2. Xavier Woods vs. Leo Kruger. Kruger sat in the corner, and Xavier caught him rushing out of the corner with a headlock. He held it for a while as Kruger tried to roll him, but Kruger changed tactics and picked Woods up for a backbreaker. Kruger started smacking his head and then beat on Woods on the mat.
 
Kruger slowed the match down with a bearhug for a while, eventually slamming Woods down when he looked to escape. Woods escaped a second bearhug with a jawbreaker, and started a comeback. He hit a clothesline out of a headstand flip and went top rope, but Kruger sidestepped the dropkick. He picked Woods up and hit him with his hangman facebuster finisher for the 1-2-3...
 
Leo Kruger defeated Xavier Woods in 3:59
 
Kruger started laughing as he sat next to Woods, and Luftman threw it over to a Big E Langston package...
 
After it, Byron Saxton was stood behind a podium at the top of the ramp with Big E. Saxton asked about the 5 count, and Big E said he loves the number. He said he has 5 fingers on each hand, 5 toes on each foot, and said there were such things as 'high five's'.
 
Vickie Guerrero came out and said she was there to recruit Big E Langston to her stable. Big E said he had exactly what Vickie needed, before slapping his hands together in front of her, sending the chalk on them into her face. Vickie screamed at him and left, while Big E held up the '5' gesture to the crowd...
 
Gutt Check: I thought WWE would have made Xavier Woods a featured guy on NXT considering his TNA time, but I guess WWE doesn't care if he was on TV before with another company (and so they shouldn't). He got in a lot more offence than most get on Kruger, which is a positive, and it made for a solid match. The Big E stuff however was just flat out bizarre. He likes high fives? He has the correct amount of digits on his hands and feet? WWE are maybe making a kneejerk reaction to the pops Big E has been getting, but that is all kinds of wrong considering the persona and dominance in the ring he has shown so far.
 
Luftman announced that Antonio Cesaro vs. Tyson Kidd would be the main event tonight, and it would be for Cesaro's US title. Jinder Mahal came out with his original gimmick instead of his 3MB shtick. He got in the ring and called himself the modern day maharaja, but he was missing his crown jewel - the NXT title. He demanded a rematch with Seth Rollins, and invited Dusty Rhodes down to reward him with it.
 
Justin Gabriel came out instead, and said Jinder needs to get to the back of the line. He asked the audience if they would like to see Mahal vs Rollins, and then pointed out only the Tye Dye Guy, who was sat in the crowd, seemed to like the idea. He asked if they wanted to see Gabriel vs Rollins, and they cheered. The pair were then interrupted by Drew McIntyre. He said he is the only one of the three with a win over Rollins.
 
Bo Dallas entered the arena next, and said they had all had their shot, and now it was his turn. As he got in the ring, Dusty Rhodes finally appeared, and said they all had valid points. He told them they had to earn any opportunity in NXT, and he booked a fatal four way for the #1 contendership next week. He started dancing to his entrance music as the four guys carried on arguing in the ring... [C]
 
Gutt Check: That’s a really good hook for next week, but the four guys in there don't strike me as threats to Rollins. I would think that the main roster guys aren't in with a chance of winning what is essentially the developmental title, and Dallas hasn't been built up as an in ring threat to any really degree. It'll be slightly awkward to see McIntyre and Mahal wrestle each other considering 3MB, but this was recorded in September, when no one in their right mind would have thought the pair would team with Heath Slater to form a rock band.
 
[Q3] A World Tour report aired, touting the currently underway European tour...
 
Roman Reigns made his debut, with the commentators putting him over as a special talent and a high flyer. CJ Parker, his opponent, was already in the ring...
 
3. Roman Reigns vs. CJ Parker. Reigns is quite big for a so-called 'high flyer'. Reigns got straight on Parker with strikes, working over Parker's left arm. The match slowed to a crawl until Parker landed a big boot out of the corner. He tried to hit and run, but Reigns caught him with a big boot of his own. Reigns punched the ground, and then waited for Parker to get up before putting him away with a back suplex turned into a front slam...
 
Roman Reigns defeated CJ Parker in 3:33
 
The commentators really put over Reigns, with Regal calling him a future major star for the WWE ... [C]
 
Gutt Check: Excuse me for not immediately sharing your enthusiasm Mr. Regal. While he looks technically sound in the ring, the match died in the middle. He was touted as high flying, yet except for a few leaping clotheslines, he never left the canvas. He also debuted with no discernable gimmick, or any face/heel tendencies. He is also no relation of Luther Reigns. That’s your weekly obscure 00's wrestler reference folks.
 
[Q4] Tyson Kidd played to the crowd as JR joined Regal on commentary. Cesaro came down as the US Title graphic aired...
 
4. Antonio Cesaro vs. Tyson Kidd for the US Title. The first 2 minutes was all beautiful chain wrestling, followed by a lot of pin combos. They cut to a quick break to advertise the Ireland leg of the European tour...
 
Cesaro headbutted an onrushing Kidd, and tried for the Neutraliser, but Kidd countered with a back body drop and a dropkick. Kidd got a close two count with a roll up, followed by two more off a head scissors takedown and then a springboard elbow drop. He tried to pick up the pace, but Cesaro tossed him in the air and landed his European uppercut. This set up the Neutraliser and the pin fall...
 
Antonio Cesaro defeated Tyson Kidd in 7:41
 
Cesaro posed for a while with the title, as JR hyped next week’s main event before NXT went off the air...
 
Gutt Check: A good match that I would have liked to have seen given more time. It seemed to be really building up a head of steam and then suddenly it was over. Hopefully, they give this a run on the main roster, as it could benefit both men (if Kidd's going to lose, why not lose in a title match as opposed to against the flavour of the week heel?).
 
Two good matches coupled with two utterly forgettable ones. Xavier Woods enjoyed the better debut despite losing, whereas Roman Reigns made as much impact as Kelly Kelly does when running the ropes. I have completely forgotten what happened in the first match, but the main event balanced things out a bit. Middle of the road week for NXT.
 
I'll be attending the Raw and Smackdown tapings next week, so look out for some coverage from me on the site Monday and Tuesday. The Grand Master Sexay costume has been abandoned, but look for the big sign addressed to Michael Cole and you'll see me.
 
Thanks for reading. If you had any comments or thoughts on the show or this review, add me on Twitter via @Dazatheg