-- 4/13 WWE NXT Reax

Henry Jenkins of Seattle, Wash. (3.0): Best: The Miz mocks Daniel Bryan. Worst: The Talking Contest. After tonight's talking contest, I don't fear David Ortunga. I pity him. I'd like to line up eight WWE superstars and see if they can cut a promo on sleep or cereal. That entire contest was a public ribbing. Also, I don't know if Darren Young meant to suggest that the other Rookies don't brush their teeth, or that the British don't, but the audience took it personally, so the main event felt like a heel vs. heel match. What a farce. And I am truly interested to know what WWE is trying to do by having Daniel Bryan lose every week and get mocked for being bland. It's an interesting strategy to get him over. Despite all of it, I hope they find a network for the show. No matter how awful NXT gets, I find myself enjoying it.

Terrie Neilson of Las Vegas, Nev. (7.0): Best: SES-Young segment; Barrett vs. Christian. Worst: Young vs. Gallows. I like the idea of a mic challenge, but what was WWE thinking with this one? I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one scratching my head to baldness over the topics. If Wade Barrett is getting his own theme, could this be a sign that Jericho is stepping away? Listening Daniel Bryan veering way off the "passion" topic helped Miz's reactions later, but it just felt overly scripted. How much of the booing was because some were heels, and how much was over the material? How soon before people will stop caring about Daniel Bryan the way this is playing out? Young-Gallows was too short to really tell the story it needed to, then it seemed to play more to the idea that the Straight Edge Society could be breaking up. What gives with that? I'm also getting tired of one-sided stipulation matches (even Michaels-Taker II was one-sided despite The Streak being in play). Tonight was a fun-enough episode for entertainment purposes, but for my picky brain, it was not a good night.

Jimmy Eaton of Kissimmee, Fla., IT technician (9.0): Best Match: Wade Barrett vs. Christian (Barrett was the star of the show in my opinion.) Worst Match: Opening Segment. An overall very enjoyable NXT. All three matches were well-contested and I enjoyed the opening segment to give pretty much everyone a moment to talk, but... It still was about pointless stuff. This is good for their development, although the concept and way to go about it to me is just silly. Thankfully I think Wade Barrett rightfully saved the opening segment with his great promos, but all in all, it could be worse. Anything Jericho says in the direction of Cole and Matthews is comedy gold. I chuckle even typing it, "WATCH HIM! HE'S A MACHINE!" Despite the loss to Christian, Barrett is really up there with some future potential to be a star. Darren Young has officially become one of my top three favorites on this show, those being Daniel Bryan, Barrett, and Young. ... Daniel Bryan vs. William Regal wasn't bad. Regal making him look great for the first few minutes shows he's one of the most underrated performers ever. There was also more great build-up for Miz and Bryan after that match. My main issue here is that we all know Daniel Bryan will feud with Miz. So everything with Bryan losing doesn't really hold my interest, although I still tune in just to see if he has a chance to talk or get in some offense. But the "everyday fan" who doesn't know him won't care until he clocks the Miz. Meanwhile, Gallows and Young had a fun match to end the show. I have to put out there that C.M. Punk's look to Gallows earlier in the show when he said "Punk" was hysterical. Classic Punk reaction. Again, overall, a great way to spend one hour of my time on a Tuesday. I'd almost put money on Tarver getting eliminated first in a few weeks, but that's just me. On a closing note, I really would like to see Cole be a heel commentator. He really annoys me on NXT, but in the good way. So oddly enough, I applaud Michael Cole, especially for pissing me off when he gets on "The American Dragon's" case.

We welcome your 0-10 score and comments on this show for an "NXT TV Reax" feature in the Torch Feedback section of PWTorch.com. Just to add a twist to this feature, include not just your hometown, but also your occupation (mechanic, lawyer, stay-at-home-dad, college student, etc.) so readers get a flavor for what everyone does as "day jobs." To contribute your thoughts on NXT, click here.

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