-- 4/20 WWE NXT Reax

John of Cocoa Beach, Fla. (7.0): Best Match: Heath Slater upset of Jericho. Worst Match: Rockin Sockin contest. Considering the travel issues with the volcano in Iceland, I'm not as critical as I normally would be, but this NXT episode was good, not great. It did help separate who I think has the best chance to win in my mind. The last couple of weeks have shown only Wade Barrett has the complete package on what WWE looks for. He has size, a unique and marketable look, and he can talk. Skip Sheffield also moved up a lot on the show and proved he's a tough, relatable everyman that a working class WWE fan can relate to. Michael Tarver and David Otunga have it as future heels, with Tarver a little better in the ring right now, but Otunga is a heat machine for the future. I like the dynamic of Darren Young and how his look and lifestyle conflict with the Straight Edge Society. Justin Gabriel needs more in-ring time, but he has a good teacher in Matt Hardy. As far as Daniel Bryan and Heath Slater go, the main event provided WWE has plans for Slater, most likely on Smackdown, but I'm not buying into Daniel Bryan anymore as a surefire WWE type. I think TNA is a better fit for him. Bryan has this personality and look about him that makes me think he's the guy who, if you went out to a certain restaurant chain, he would ask for one of the under 550-calorie meal.

Justin James of Columbia, S.C., IT professional/author (8.5): Best Match: Slater vs. Jericho. Worst Match: Gabriel vs. Otunga. Someone in WWE is clearly listening to the fans. While the challenge itself was fairly lame (I found myself sympathetic to Michael Tarver’s explanation of non-participation), I liked that they spread it over the episode instead of forcing us to sit through a 20-minute opening segment like the last two shows with competitions. The challenge itself was good, and surprisingly gave the Rookies, particularly Skip Sheffield and Michael Tarver, a chance to grow more as characters. Michael Tarver has really grown on me, by the way, as a personality. I still really like Skip Sheffield as well. Darren Young is getting better and better, and I am standing by my prediction that he is the dark horse in this race. Otunga looked really bland in his match; he needs some refining to be ready for the big leagues. I suspect that WWE is realizing that his D-List fame isn't making up for his lack of skills, especially when the audience has really connected with Wade Barrett as a heel. The triple threat was well-executed, and I like the continuation of the Young vs. Gallows feud. The Slater vs. Jericho match was pretty good, but the ending was absolutely superb, from the countering of the Walls to Jericho to Jericho's post-match tantrum. The show fading out with Jericho in the middle of a tantrum really gave the show a feel of being a live TV program. Finally, the Pros talking about the Rookies in the video packages was perfect. This must be done every single episode. Period.

Richard H. of Wilmington, Ohio (5.5): NXT was pleasantly surprising when the competitors were allowed to actually show their abilities (or lack thereof) in the ring. I deducted two points for the dated American Gladiator jousting tournament. The best match was Slater's upset win over Jericho while the worst was anything involving Tarver, Mr. 0.0. Darren Young may not win the competition, but he is already being set up for a program with the SES and a particularly jealous Luke Gallows. ... Josh Mathews is warming up to me simply by being quiet and letting "Vintage" bury himself as an announcer. When Josh has injected himself, he has been very good. As for this week's competition of the old joust elimination from Gladiators, Punk said it best when he described it as a "silly stick fight." And shouldn't there have been more recognition of the missing Pros, e.g. they were absent due to the volcano or just giving their Rookies the solo spotlight? ... The tension being shown between some of the Rookies and their mentors is also building nicely with Sheffield actually showing a little competitive spark and arrogance. After last night, I would rank the Rookies by what they have shown on TV thus far: Barrett #1, Slater #2, Daniel(son) #3, Gabriel #4, Otunga #5, Young #6, Sheffield #7, and Tarver 0.0 dead last in every category.

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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