NXTweet 19.08.15

This week's episode of NXT opened and closed with promo segments, a contract signing and a promo to set up a brawl respectively. This is a little close to the standard RAW formula for my tastes but it worked here, this being one of the better episodes of NXT of the last couple of months, and it's worth bearing in mind that I'm not someone who feels the show has gone off the (proverbial) boil.

There were a few reasons for this. Firstly, none of the people involved in the talking portions of the show have been in enough for us to feel bored at the prospect of them in more. A large part of the reason promo segments on RAW get so much hate is that they all too frequently involved John Cena, Seth Rollins and the rest of the gang. We know what's going to be said and done before anything happens and so it's boring.

Secondly, the promos featured performers we care about discussing championships we care about. It's far easier to sit through these sorts of things when the people involved are over and are taking about something meaningful. To go back to RAW problems again, the trouble is that they happen so often (every week, basically) that we're just hearing the same things discussed. It also helped that the discussions didn't adhere to a formula. The contract signing in particular gave us something unusual for WWE in Banks, the defending champion, telling Bayley she wasn't worth it before walking away. Yeah we still got a brawl between the two but the way in which we got to it told the story of 'The Boss' being an arrogant champion who doesn't rate or worry about her opponent.

The show was helped by a fun, if underwhelming, eight man tag match and an entertaining non-title tag match featuring the tag champs. These two matches, incidentally, did a nice job of quietly highlighting the number of teams that have sprung up in NXT over the last couple of months, something that had been sorely needed.

All that and Baron Corbin getting to lay out Samoa Joe to try convincing people he has a chance of beating him at Takeover! Quite the hour of wrestling...

Intro

Tweet 1: Finished work but I'm going to sit AT work and watch NXT. Madness, am I right?

Tweet 2: Dramatic recap of Finn Bálor entering the arena last week. Less dramatic reveal that he as facing Marcus 'NXT Kane' Louis.
Tweet 3: I bloody love Marcus Louis though tbf.
Tweet 4: Also from last week: Bayley and Becky Lynch did a wrestle. This is also very dramatic.
Tweet 5: How long has Dana Brooke in the intro please?

Sasha Banks and Bayley contract signing, featuring William Regal

Tweet 6: #Regalpop

Tweet 7: Top lad, Blackpool's favourite son, bright-eyed Billy Regal.
Tweet 8: Rich Brennan is morphing into Michael Cole. Physically, I mean. Poor man.
Tweet 9: Contract signing. These are always a laugh.
Tweet 10: Long term I kind of hope they go with the theme of Bayley always being a step behind the other lasses. It'd make for a great payoff.
Tweet 11: Sasha mocking a young Bayley fan there. Absolutely phenomenal stuff. She'd have gotten the granny handbag treatment on World of Sport.
Tweet 12: "There's a reason Takeover: Brooklyn isn't here" - Sasha Banks, failing geography but excelling at heelish jibes
Tweet 13: Sasha ain't ratchet, folks...

Sasha dropping some hot truth direct into Bayley's ears.

Tweet 14: Big fan of every pretty much every woman in NXT being so over they split the crowd.
Tweet 15: Really hope Sasha walks out on this fight challenge.
Tweet 16: Bayley really kind of has to win after this pretty vicious promo from Banks.
Tweet 17: "You're just not worth it" - Sasha Banks, going full tilt at making Bayley the ultimate underdog for their match
Tweet 18: Should've called this Takeover NXT: NYC. Got a good ring to it.

Tyler Breeze v Rob Ryzin

Tweet 19: Look! Look, everyone! It's TYLER!! *swoons*

Tweet 20: I like the idea that Liger called up Triple H and demanded an NXT match. Didn't happen though.
Tweet 21: Wii's this lad with the fauxhawk then?
Tweet 22: I like him having Ryzin' on his trunks. Terra Ryzing reference?

Super (model) kick for the son of Terra.

Tweet 23: Oh, he's lost already. Kind of disappointed that Breeze doesn't wrestle long TV matches anymore. He's a guy who warrants time.
Tweet 24: In terms of getting over using only the NXT system I don't think there's anyone that can touch Breeze.
Tweet 25: Breeze stepping on a Liger mask as he walks out. IS THIS SYMBOLIC?!
Tweet 26: Little Attitude Era podcast reference for you there.

The Hype Bros, Enzo Amore and Big Cass v Team Young Boy

Tweet 27: The Hype Bros. I am not hyped.

Tweet 28: Enzo and Cass. Now I'm hyped.
Tweet 29: Mojo seems to think that shouting equals hype.
Tweet 30: May look back at Enzo's debut. I bet it would be fascinating.
Tweet 31: Some sugar-lovin' hype fans and Enzo and Cass versus NXT young boys here. Interesting. I'd have preferred a longer Breeze match tbh.

Jesus de Reigns.

Tweet 32: Big fan of that lad who looks like a cross between Roman Reigns and Super Crazy on Team Young Boy.
Tweet 33: Shout out to Enzo's mullet.

Dash Wilder, Scott Dawson, Chad Gable and Jason Jordan talk about the preceding match backstage

Tweet 34: I'm confused. Is the eight man tag at Takeover going to be aired live? It should be. Hometown lads and all that.

Tweet 35: Chad Gable referencing the 2-0 streak he and 'Jazzy' Jason Jordan have been on there.

Samoa Joe v Steve Cutler

Tweet 36: WWE should bring in Tazz. Reunite him with Joe live on the Network on Saturday. That's going to get subscribers, yo.

Tweet 37: Samoa Joe acting like a big man for choking out jobber extraordinaire Steve Cutler there. Good on ya, Joe lad.

Joe acting like a bigshot.

Tweet 38: Oh look. It's everyone's former NFL player turned wrestler, 'Wolf Shaman' Barry Corbin.
Tweet 39: Barry going full Hardy Boyz and peeling off his T-shirt to show he's filled his special bar.

The BAMF v Sawyer Fulton and Angelo Dawkins

Tweet 40: BAMF v Fulton and Dawkins. But... they're all heels? Whaaaaaa'?!

Tweet 41: The crowd are bullying Alexa Bliss, referring to her as Barbie. Disgusting behaviour. Ban those chanting from the building.

Wr-r-r-r-r-r-r-restling!

Tweet 42: Fulton and Dawkins are winning the crowd over. Maybe a test to see if they could be turned?
Tweet 43: Because who doesn't like a guy inspired by Rick Steiner?
Tweet 44: Remember when Simon Gotch was a silent movie star and didn't speak?
Tweet 45: Female privilege. Tears.
Tweet 46: The fans just chanted "We want Blue Pants" and quite possibly ruined the Takeover surprise for me. The rascals.
Tweet 47: Carmella v Eva Marie getting hyped for some reason. Getting taped in New York. Maybe they're banking on the crowd being into Carmella.
Tweet 48: Clarification on the Takeover lineup there. Thumbs up.

Kevin Owens promo, featuring Finn Bálor

Tweet 49: Oh look. It's Big Kev with a ladder. Wonder what this is all about?
Tweet 50: Brooklyn, New York. The biggest heel on the NXT roster.
Tweet 51: "You are the John Cena of wrestling fans" - Kevin Owens to the NXT audience
Tweet 52: Owens making the crowd the heels and explaining his character motives all while making people boo him. I love this man.
Tweet 53: Motive for regaining the title too. Proving he's better than Finn and annoying the NXT fans. Cracking stuff.
Tweet 54: "Fall, Owens, fall!" - The crowd to Kevin Owens on a ladder

The lads and a ladder.

Tweet 55: Finn Bálor here, making a seemingly rare appearance on the show he's champion of.
Tweet 56: And now, the inevitable brawl.
Tweet 57: Bálor climbing the ladder, presumably to show Owens that he can.