NXTweet 09.12.15

One week until Takeover: London. This was all about final bits of build for the key matches. And reminding North American Network subscribers that it's not the end of the world that they can't watch a show live in the evening for once.

Intro

Tweet 1: It's NXTime.

Tweet 2: These emotionally manipulative ads for JEWELLERY on the Network though.
Tweet 3: "Bull Dempsey deserves to be in the opening credits," said nobody ever.

Corey Hollis and John Skyler v Enzo Amore and Big Cass

Tweet 4: Little Enzo and Colin Nash have engaged Serious Mode.

Tweet 5: Corey Hollis and John Skyler are rocking the ECW jobbers look. Good for them.
Tweet 6: Cass been hitting the spray tan, hasn't he? Probs part of his knee rehab.
Tweet 7: Liking Carmella's hair this week FTR.

Fresh knee pads on Li'l 'zo.

Tweet 8: Cena-esque drop kick from Enzo there.
Tweet 9: Story of this match is Cass and Enzo have beaten this jobber team far easier than the tag champs did. Commentary have missed that.
Tweet 10: Food on tables promo here from Enzo. Great stuff.
Tweet 11: Such a fan of Cass waiting awkwardly to hit his catchphrase once Enzo decides he's done.
Tweet 12: "We WILL walk out the NXT tag team champions" - Big Cass, who's probably wrong

Dana Brooke and Emma talk to Tom Philips

Tweet 13: Dana Brooke in a white top? #twothumbsup

Tweet 14: NXT > Japan, says Emma.
Tweet 15: I could believe Emma is a heavy smoker.
Tweet 16: "Scrunch down" - Dana Brooke, with another line I'd be a fan of hearing IRL

Deonna Purrazzo v Asuka

Tweet 17: The Asuka versus Dana and Emma feud isn't the best thing ever but I do like their issue being independent of the women's title.

Tweet 18: I don't like Deonna's chances for this match...
Tweet 19: Not least because she's wearing massive knee pads.

Ask her!

Tweet 20: Going to make the bold prediction that Asuka will debut new ring gear at Takeover: London.
Tweet 21: Oh no! Dana and Emma are standing on the ramp and Asuka is distrac- oh, wait, everything's fine. She just KOed that job girl.

Hype Bros promo

Tweet 22: Imagine Mojo thinking 90s references will get him over with Vince McMahon.

Tweet 23: Things would be very different for them if Russo was still around.

BAMF promo

Tweet 24: 'Fashionplate' Wesley Blake.

Tweet 25: That's a singles run waiting to happen. Give it time...
Tweet 26: Anyone done any fanfic about Alexa's Goa'uld hand thing yet? Asking for a friend.

Hype Bros v BAMF

Tweet 27: Mojo and Ryder are a good fit as partners but you still have to feel for Ryder. Got himself over and this is his reward.

Tweet 28: Liking the Dennis the Menace colour scheme on BAMF.

FFS.

Tweet 29: The physiques on Mojo and Blake though.
Tweet 30: Really enjoying the heel shenanigans of BAMF. Shocking display as Alexa gets lifted up by Blake to kick Ryder in the head.

At least Zack's safe from her rough moonsault.

Tweet 31: Mojo Rawley is a sweaty lad.
Tweet 32: Hoping Blake and Murphy win this. Feel like the Hype Bros will though.
Tweet 33: They won immediately after I pressed send FFS. I get it. Heel tag champs need fave challengers. Still, BAMF deserve better.

Samoa Joe and Baron Corbin promo

Tweet 34: Joe and Barry having a chat here.

Tweet 35: "I don't like where you come from and I don't like what you represent" - Barry Corbin on Apollo Crews
Tweet 36: Barry's gimmick of calling indy guys rookies: tremendous.

Peyton Royce v Bayley

Tweet 37: Peyton Royce getting a featured intro here. Has she won a TV match yet?

Tweet 38: I retract that question as it no longer matters when she's doing Billy Gunn's draped-in-the-ropes pose. Hilarious.
Tweet 39: Billy did it better though. More erotic, for starters...
Tweet 40: Going by boot colours Bayley is the heel and Peyton is the face.
Tweet 41: Bayley doing the Jericho style bulldog always makes me sad.

Peyton loses. Again.

Tweet 42: This Nia Jax and Eva Marie pairing being a lasting thing is a great decision. This heat is manager heat.
Tweet 43: Standing at ringside to get booed. That's how to book Eva Marie.

Apollo Crews and Finn Bálor chat backstage

Tweet 44: Casual chat between Apollo and Finn in front of a camera here.

Tweet 45: #unfinishedbusiness
Tweet 46: I want Finn Bálor to be booked as an increasingly paranoid champion, like Austin in 2001. Doing backstage skits where he sings and that.

Baron Corbin and Samoa Joe v Finn Bálor and Apollo Crews

Tweet 47: Barry and Joe tagging out against their rivals and it being framed as tremendous use of mind games is hilarious.

Tweet 48: Crews v Joe will be a good thing for NXT when it rolls around.
Tweet 49: Barry, you're not even taping your wrists, mate. What have you become?
Tweet 50: If this match ends with Joe choking out Finn then Finn retains next Wednesday.
Tweet 51: Could see Apollo or Barry taking the pin though TBH.
Tweet 52: Barry Corbin should get a new gimmick where he makes reference to being a werewolf every so often.
Tweet 53: Bálor falls to the Coquina clutch. So he'll retain the title. Because that's how WWE works. And NXT, despite what it gets right, is WWE.

The hossiest hoss.

Tweet 54: Joe posing with another man's belt to close the show. #heel
Tweet 55: Good show. Good hustle. Strong stuff.

NXTweet 21.10.15

The most memorable thing about this week's episode of NXT? The debut of James Storm. No, that doesn't sound promising but it turned out okay thanks to strong performances from Asuka, Alexa Bliss and promos from Tyler Breeze and Samoa Joe. The less said about the flat main event the better...

Intro

Tweet 1: Going to watch NXT. Immediately excited by this recap of a generic battle royal from last week.

Tweet 2: Remember when Breeze heelishly eliminated Samoa Joe even though he was already out of the match and the crowd cheered him for it? #goodtimes

Asuka v Billie Kay

Tweet 3: So bored of this company-name-as-chant trope.

Tweet 4: Not bored of Asuka though.
Tweet 5: Billie Kay isn't smiling or waving and is bragging about having long legs. In WWE that passes for heel.
Tweet 6: Big fan of a lone child in the audience chanting for Asuka.

I'm a fan of Asuka.

Tweet 7: "Submission specialist" - Rich Brennan on an armbar
Tweet 8: Asuka wins via Bob Backlund tribute.
Tweet 9: Bob Backlund being Asuka's manager would be the greatest thing to ever hit the NXT's women's division.

Baron Corbin vignette

Tweet 10: "Let's take a very special look at Baron Corbin!" Alright, Corey mate.

Tweet 11: And it's written and pronounced Barry.

Tyler Breeze promo

Tweet 12: Tyler Breeze here, giving us a hilariously peculiar promo.

Tweet 13: Talking about slicing bacon. What the hell, Tyler?

Enzo Amore and Big Cass v Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder

Tweet 14: How many people look at Big Cass and Enzo at an airport? Probably quite a few. That's how Cass's dad Kevin Nash measures success.

Tweet 15: Halloween promo. Big Match John's route to the top.
Tweet 16: Hope Dawson uses his devastating chop block as a finish from now on.
Tweet 17: Enzo and Cass winning is surprising. Doing it via a cheap rollup by 'zo is excellent though.

#beatdown

Tweet 18: Anyone else feel this interaction between Cass and Dawson be Triple H's way of paying homage to Arn Anderson and Sid?

Eva Marie live in Paris

Tweet 19: EMNN update.

Tweet 20: I'd accept Eva Marie as a present. I wonder if that was a genuine offer she just extended to me through a laptop screen.

James Storm v Danny Burch

Tweet 21: Danny Burch is from Kent. Not London.

The state of this.

Tweet 22: Disgusted by these people marking out for TNA veteran James Storm.
Tweet 23: Interesting to note the commentary lads have referred to him being signed.
Tweet 24: I'd be interested in a rebranded Beer Money in NXT. Storm solo? No thanks.
Tweet 25: Which TNA megastar will turn up next? Rockstar Spud? Abyss? Gunner?!

Alexa Bliss v Peyton Royce

Tweet 26: Oh? Heel Alexa Bliss? Pffffft... That's fine. Whatevs. I'll sit through this I GUESS.

Tweet 27: Don't understand why exactly Bliss is a heel.

Alexa Bliss: red hot heel.

Tweet 28: Peyton Royce walked out with a flower in her hair. It's gone now and I didn't see her take it out.
Tweet 29: I like Buddy 'The Boy' Murphy selling more than Alexa on every mode she takes.
Tweet 30: Devastating sparkle splash there. You're not seeing alleged super worker Big Match Hiroshi doing that are you?
Tweet 31: Earrings on Blake though. Worthy of Batista.

Baron Corbin v Rhyno

Tweet 32: Wolf versus rhino here. If this happened in the wild the wolf wouldn't stand a chance.

Tweet 33: Barry's obviously going to win this so I hope they take us on a #journey
Tweet 34: "Like a monster truck colliding with a bulldozer" - Corey Graves on Rhyno v Barry Corbin
Tweet 35: Crowd doesn't seem bothered by this. Surprised considering how over Rhyno usually is.
Tweet 36: Let's not forget that Barry Corbin has a tattoo of a phone.

The best picture on offer for this match. No idea who's doing what.

Tweet 37: Guy in the crowd checking his phone there. Sums up this reaction.
Tweet 38: Graves comparing Barry Corbin to Mike Tyson there.
Tweet 39: Spinebuster. Textbook big lad move.
Tweet 40: Corbin kicks out of the Gore and in doing so guarantees that he will one day ascend to main event status.
Tweet 41: Gore into the End of Days, while shakily done, was a good finish.

Samoa Joe promo

Tweet 42: Backstage Samoa Joe's going to pontificate us off air. Maaaaaate...

Tweet 43: Is it audacious of Breeze to call out 'Mr TNA' Samoa Joe? I don't think so. It's wrestling, Joe. Toughen up.
Tweet 44: I liked him channeling Chris Jericho at the end there though. Hilariously naff.
Tweet 45: Good show. Good hustle. Goodnight, everybody!

NXTweet 30.09.15

Next week is a Takeover special and this episode was just shunting bits and pieces into place. I'll leave the lengthy chat for the Takeover review.

Kyle Edwards recaps the Dusty Tag Classic so far

Tweet 1: Going to squeeze in some NXT. May pause though. Don't like doing it but whatevs.

Tweet 2: Hot start with Kyle Edwards and his Tenth Doctor cosplay.
Tweet 3: Flashbacks to Michael Cole on Livewire.
Tweet 4: Pleased to see my boys Gability and 'The New Double J' getting a win.
Tweet 5: And Dash and Dawson, the Not-Mechanics, are still my picks to win.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic: Enzo Amore and Big Cass v Samoa Joe and Finn Bálor

Tweet 6: What's up with Carmella's dancing? Pubic lice?

Tweet 7: Actch promo from The Realest Lads. #treat
Tweet 8: Billy Gunn would be in the Hall of Fame right now if he'd spelt out his two words.
Tweet 9: Finn Bálor thinking his leather jacket is all that and a bag of snazz. Nah mate. Joe's towel is where it's at.
Tweet 10: I did like WWE's shameless pilfering of the Bullet Club font though.
Tweet 11: Corey, Joe's good but he doesn't move like a lightweight.

Unbeatable combo? Sure... for now!

Tweet 12: Imagine Big Cass getting pinned off an STO. Takes more than that to put down Kevin Nash's spiritual son.
Tweet 13: Who'd have thought Enzo and Cass would lose that?!

Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa discuss their NXT careers then get interrupted by Tyler Breeze

Tweet 14: 'Sweet' Johnny G and 'Wreck-It' Tommy Champ.

Tweet 15: These lads being on NXT is still pretty surreal. Getting promos. Sharing the screen with Tyler Breeze. When did WWE adopt this approach pls?
Tweet 16: Apollo Crews v Johnny Gargano. Winner gets an EVOLVE championship match.
Tweet 17: Waiting for Ethan Page to run in.

Museum piece, apparently.

Tweet 18: "That drop kick belongs in a museum because it's a work of art" - Byron Saxton, confusing museums and galleries
Tweet 19: Hope Johnny Gargano starts calling this abdominal stretch the Johnny Abdominal because why not?
Tweet 20: Looking forward to Sami Zayn coming back and Triple Paul booking an ROH v WWN thing.
Tweet 21: The guy with the contract won? I'm shocked (I'm not).

William Regal, Emma and Dana Brooke backstage

Tweet 22: #Regalpop

Tweet 23: Emma and Dana acting like naughty school kids here. Lol stuff.
Tweet 24: "Looks like a high-heena" - Dana Brooke
Tweet 25: Regal showing two women a video of another woman grunting and making slapping sounds. Sexual harassment in the workplace!

Dana Brooke and Emma v Billie Kay and Peyton Royce

Tweet 26: Dana Brooke. Now with added gloves.

Tweet 27: Heel Emma with her Heel Music and her Heel Gloves that don't cover her palms. She should've never been broken in the business!
Tweet 28: Third match in a row with obvious winners. The first two were good enough for that not to be an issue. Can this be too?!
Tweet 29: "Emma isn't my friend, she's my strategic ally."

Raw power.

Tweet 30: Peyton and Billie wearing matching gear, desperately trying to entice a women's tag division. I reckon NXT could handle it.
Tweet 31: "C'moooooooon!" - 'White Meat' Peyton Royce
Tweet 32: 'White Meat' got got by Dana's Alex Shane tribute.

Jason Jordan and Chad Gable talk to Devin Taylor then get interrupted by Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder

Tweet 33: JJ embracing his status as Jeff Jarrett's heir.

Tweet 34: Jamoke. Strong words, mate.

Tommaso Ciampa v Tyler Breeze

Tweet 35: Ciampa v Breeze. O rly?

Tweet 36: Assuming Breeze will win but it's the least obvious thing on this show so far.
Tweet 37: Ciampa being like "Breeze is stiff" though. FFS.
Tweet 38: Did I do a Tommy Penmanship gag last week? Think I did.

Snug.

Tweet 39: Ciampa reveling in his stiff ring work here. Whaddaguy.
Tweet 40: Good match this. Ciampa getting built up is pretty cool.
Tweet 41: Barry and Big Terry have this tourney sewn up. Don't believe me? Ask 'em.
Tweet 42: Ending on a vid so I'm going to say that this show had some good hustle now. The video in question will obviously be great.

NXTweet 09.09.15

One NXT this week: Australian women, more Dusty Tag Classic action, and NXT being recorded at WWE TV tapings! What a time to be alive, as they say.

Intro

Tweet 1: Just put on the Network to find an Orton v Cena match. The people in charge of schedules really know how to grab people.

Tweet 2: I'm switching over to NXT... now.
Tweet 3: NXT could totes do its own opening tag thing. It would go against the point though, failing to celebrate the history of WWE.

Peyton Royce v Carmella

Tweet 4: You're not a princess, Carmella. Nor are you fabulous.

Tweet 5: Can't wait until Peyton Royce and Emma form a pro-Australia stable.
Tweet 6: Fist bump of Honor.
Tweet 7: The usually solid Rich Brennan just calling a fisherman suplex a suplex there.

A fisherman suplex.

Tweet 8: Imagine if someone won off a cross body in 2015.
Tweet 9: Carmella won by tap out. In WWE that qualifies her as a submission specialist.

Samoa Joe and Finn Bálor backstage

Tweet 10: Joe handing Bálor the title belt was utterly cringe and I can't say why.

Tweet 11: I did like Joe pronouncing Bálor as "bailer" though.

Recap of Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic house show matches

Tweet 12: Other than a Dawkins and Fulton appearance it doesn't look like we missed much with these round one house show matches.

Tweet 13: Wouldn't have minded seeing Wilder and Dawson wrestling though. Those lads are #enjoyable

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic: Tyler Breeze and Bull Dempsey v Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano

Tweet 14: *Looks at Tyler*

Tweet 15: Where's Bull's robe?
Tweet 16: Bull Dempsey is the kind of guy who'd be booked as a monster if he was in EVOLVE. Just bear that I'm mind.
Tweet 17: Really liking Gargano and Ciampa running through some generic tag team posing.
Tweet 18: That slap though.
Tweet 19: Honestly, seemed a dick move from Ciampa. Breeze sold it so well though.
Tweet 20: Why is Bull being booked as the more competent member of his team?
Tweet 21: I wish Ciampa was wrestling as Tommy Penmanship.

This is where Bull Fit gets you.

Tweet 22: Half-arsed tag work to get the pin aside that match was pretty good. Could've done with more 'Prince Pretty' though.
Tweet 23: Lol at this vicious post-match kicking from Breeze to Bull. Bit of a comedown for Breeze if Bull's his next Takeover opponent though.

The Lucha Dragons talk about the DRTTC backstage

Tweet 24: Sin Cara having a little chat in Spanish here. Got to keep the luchador gimmick strong, brother.

Tweet 25: I don't speak Spanish but I'm assuming he botched something. Because he's Sin Cara.
Tweet 26: Backstage "Lucha!" fist pumping. #cringe

Dana Brooke talks to Devin Taylor

Tweet 27: Excellent mid-promo pauses from Dana Brooke here.

Tweet 28: 'The Total Diva' needs to learn how to talk to the total correct camera.

Dana Brooke v Billie Kay

Tweet 29: Billie Kay, Peyton Royce and Emma form a new trio and join in the main roster feud. #bookit

Tweet 30: Their motivation is that they're angry at being left out of The Greatest Women's Feud of All Time. Like the Sontarans with the Time War.
Tweet 31: Y'know, like in The Sontaran Stratagem and The Poison Sky.

RIP Dana's silver and pink motif.

Tweet 32: Really liking Dana Brooke's work here. She has the potential to be a solid trash-talker.
Tweet 33: Dana spamming a handstand into an elbow drop like some sort of n00b fighting game player.
Tweet 34: Or, if you prefer, character.
Tweet 35: When is Dana's finisher going to be acknowledged as the Alex Shane tribute it CLEARLY is?

Apollo Crews talks to Devin Taylor

Tweet 36: Apollo Crews there, saying he can't put into words how great it is to be in NXT then putting it into words anyway.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic: The Lucha Dragons v Finn Bálor and Samoa Joe

Tweet 37: Jimmy Uso and Tom Phillips on commentary for the main event. Lower your expectations.

The latest addition to the Finn Bálor package: a jacket. Exciting times.

Tweet 38: Finn Bálor's jacket is verging on Chris Jericho territory. Not somewhere you should want to be these days. Because Jericho's a mess.
Tweet 39: Providence, Rhode Island does not seem like NXT country. Hopefully the lads can win them over.
Tweet 40: "This is awesome!" chant for a wrist lock. That's why I hate that chant.
Tweet 41: Kalisto running into the ring like a weaselish little heel there.
Tweet 42: Maybe he thought it was Lucha rules and Cara had left the ring. That'd be a good gimmick for the Dragons: they wrestle under lucha rules.
Tweet 43: Looking forward to Joe tagging in and beasting Kalisto.

Fingers crossed they start calling themselves
The New Mega Powers.

Tweet 44: Bálor gets worked over by the Dragons. Joe gives both of them a kicking. I hope Joe handling them better leads to Joe's title shot.
Tweet 45: Because the Lucha Dragons should definitely be booked as the gateway to the NXT championship.
Tweet 46: Celebrating with a too sweet because teasing some sort of New Kliq is a thing that's happening.
Tweet 47: Good show. Good hustle.