Gutteridge's WWE NXT Review: Big E Langston vs. Conor O'Brian for the NXT Title, Bo Dallas and Adrian Neville vs. Luke Harper and Erick Rowan, Paige and Sasha Banks vs. Audrey Marie

By Darren Gutteridge

WWE NXT
Aired April 4 on Sky Sports 3
Taped on March 21 in Winter Park, Florida

[Q1] A video package before the titles hyped Big E Langston vs. Conor O’Brian for the NXT Title tonight...

After titles Tony Dawson welcomed us to the show, and introduced Brad Maddox and Kassius Ohno as his commentating partners. Maddox said he was here to scout NXT, and Ohno said he had some things to discuss about William Regal.

Bo Dallas came out to his new music. Yeah, it’s generic rock music, but it’s better than the country music he used to have. Adrian Neville came out to generic rock music No. 66, followed by The Wyatt Family. Bray Wyatt said he congratulates the ‘mouse’ for surviving one night in the cage with the ‘snake’, referring to Dallas’ win a over him a few weeks ago. Wyatt said he didn’t care, as everyone knows, the snake will eat the mouse in the end...

1. Bo Dallas and Adrian Neville vs. Luke Harper and Erick Rowan. Maddox revealed that Oliver Grey is out for 6 months with a torn ACL after the ‘attack’ from the Family. The Family isolated Dallas for the opening minutes until Neville got the hot tag. After a flurry of dropkicks, he nailed a standing Shooting Star press for a two count. This forced Wyatt to create a distraction at ringside when Neville climbed to the apron, allowing Harper to send him flying off the apron to the ground. Rowan threw Neville back inside and Harper hit a running big boot for a two count before the commercial... [C]

[Q2] Rowan hit a big leg drop on Neville for another close two count when we returned. The heels returned to their previous isolation tactic, trying several times to pin Neville after double team moves, only for Neville to dodge a big boot in the corner and get the hot tag on Dallas.

Dallas hit the ring with a series of clotheslines, and looked to put Harper away with a springboard bulldog, but Rowan broke the pin up. Dallas sent Rowan to the outside, and then dropped Wyatt with a right hand when he tried to interfere. Neville dived over the ropes onto Rowan and Wyatt, and Dallas pinned Harper following his belly to belly suplex...

Bo Dallas and Adrian Neville defeated Luke Harper and Erick Rowan in 8:10.

Bray Wyatt looked enraged at ringside as Neville and Dallas celebrated...

Gutt Reaction: A solid opener. The Family are very close to finding a nice balance of power moves kept fresh by quick tags. They tend to hit one big move and then tag out, as so not to drag the pace down, which is then complimented by their opponents, especially in this match, kicking the speed into top gear when they get the hot tag. It’s also nice to see Wyatt shrug off his loss to Dallas so quickly, as it means we can all move on from the booking mistake.

In a darkened room, Conor O’Brian said the NXT Title would belong to him tonight, and concluded by saying he is “The Ascension”, and he will rise...

A tour promo aired, advertising Undertaker, Sheamus and Randy Orton vs. The Shield for the TV taping in London on April 16th. Guess Taker’s sticking around a little...

Back in the arena, Dawson threw us over to a replay of both The Rock and John Cena’s promos from Raw...

Back in the arena, Dawson tried to keep the Mania talk going, but suddenly Regal ran in and started attacking Ohno. As Maddox and Dawson scattered, Regal clawed Ohno’s face before rolling him off the announce table as the crowd chanted ‘Thank you Regal’...

A brilliant hype video aired covering Undertaker vs. CM Punk. It focussed more on CM Punk’s ‘I am God’ promo and Taker’s ‘I’m going to hurt you, and hurt you bad’ promo, with barely any mention of Paul Bearer or the Urn... [C]

Gutt Reaction: Regal’s attack really nicely mirrored Ohno’s from last week, and the crowd’s reaction shows that this feud is going places. Also, seek out the Taker/Punk video, because it encapsulates just how good this feud SHOULD have been. It was ‘The Streak’ vs. ‘The Best in the World’, not ‘I stole your urn, and that makes you mad’.

[Q3] Brad Maddox reacted in a very over the top fashion to Regal’s attack when we returned, as Summer Rae came out for Divas tag action. Audrey Marie is her partner, and they are facing Sasha Banks and Paige...

2. Paige and Sasha Banks vs. Summer Rae and Audrey Marie. Paige made several attempts to attack Summer Rae, but Marie kept cutting her off. Sasha tagged in and hit a nice springboard arm drag, followed by a headscissors. A clothesline from Marie allowed Summer Rae to tag in, and the heels isolated Banks in their corner. Banks eventually reversed a roll up pin by Summer Rae, and tagged Paige.

Rae panicked and tagged Marie, before running to the back. Paige quickly hit Marie with the Paige Turner for the 1-2-3...

Paige and Sasha Banks defeated Summer Rae and Audrey Marie in 3.47.

Paige slid out of the ring and ran to the back as well...

A World Tour Report aired, hyping Punk vs. Cena vs. Ryback for the Raw house shows. Birmingham has a Smackdown show this time round, so maybe we’ll get Undertaker. Maybe. Hopefully. Please? . .

William Regal vs. Kassius Ohno was announced for next week. Conor O’Brian came out first for the main event, and Dawson said ‘experts’ said O’Brian looks like an Orc. OK... Big E came out to a big pop...

3. Big E Langston vs. Conor O’Brian for the NXT Title. O’Brian landed the first blow with a kick, but Big E took it and then shoulder barged O’Brian to the outside... [C]

[Q4] Big E was still dominating when we returned, but O’Brian caught a break by dragging Big E’s head off the top rope and hit a half nelson slam for a two count. He kept Langston grounded with elbow drops and a headlock, before picking Big E up and hitting a flying shoulder tackle for another two count. After a nerve hold, O’Brian started to punch Big E, but Langston absorbed the punches and started to hit clotheslines. He did his multiple knee lift spot, and looked to run the ropes, but O’Brian caught him with a big boot.

Langston kicked out, and O’Brian started to get angry. He mocked the ‘five’ chant, and looked to hit the Big Ending, but Big E escaped and hit a running body check, before landing a Big Ending of his own to retain his title...

Big E Langston defeated Conor O’Brian in 6.02 to retain the NXT Title.

The crowd started the ‘five’ chant, and Big E replied by hitting another Big Ending and slapping the mat for the 5. He posed with the title as NXT went off the air...

Gutt Reaction: Another solid match on a solid show. This was miles ahead of their previous encounter, as they kept the match from bogging down as O’Brian matches tend to do by hitting a lot of power moves. Hopefully, when Kane meets Langston on Sunday at Mania 29, they do something similar – make it all a strength spectacle, and keep it short.

I was expecting this to be a hold-over show, with lots of Mania hype. They had a few videos, but I can’t help but feel they should have had the Road to Wrestlemania show go on this week, instead of last week. That being said, NXT viewers are more than likely hardcore fans, so if they aren’t sold on Mania by now, they never will be. So if you’re looking for an escape from Mania hype this week, give NXT a go.

Thanks for reading. If you had any comments or thoughts on the show or this review, feel free to add me on Twitter via @Dazatheg