-- 5/11 WWE NXT Reax

Joey B. of N.J., artist (4.0): Either WWE simply wanted to bury independent sensation Bryan Danielson or they've had a long-term plan for Daniel Bryan all along. Or is it back to Bryan Danielson? His getting booted from the show was a mixed blessing in that I didn't want to see him go, but now I don't have to watch and listen to him being buried every week. At least his send-off interview was intriguing. I've watched and enjoyed every NXT episode, but this week's show fell flat for me. Michael Cole's banter is so cringe-worthy. How can the powers-that-be find his comments productive and/or entertaining? Isn't making money the point here? Why undermine the talent and annoy the viewers to the point that viewers are tuning out? ... All reality shows seem to degenerate into people throwing each other under the bus and the host(s) provoking reactions. NXT is in that phase now, unfortunately. ... Skip Sheffield vs. Cheetos Man was a good match and I was surprised to see Skip sent off. If this were the 1980s, he'd be a shoo-in with that physique. I almost wish the show was ending now. Why? Because all these guys have great potential, but some need more experience and seasoning, and getting kicked off NXT will make it hard for WWE to get the fans behind them in the future. At least there was no silly challenge this week.


Jarel Barnes of Tidewater, Va., college student. Best: Brian Danielson's promo. Worst: Matt Striker and Michael Cole. I haven't watched NXT for the past few weeks and I was disappointed with this week's showing. The first two eliminations of Michael Tarver and Daniel Bryan came off as extremely weak. Michael Tarver seems to have legit personality and was either held back by creative or it was a bad attempt at character development. Tarver's "exit" promo referring to his personal struggles was well done, especially if it means a possible tie-in with a Raw storyline. I hope to see him link up with his mentor Carlito with that Million Dollar Ted angle. ... Bryan Danielson not being Daniel Bryan was incredible. It was the first real promo in WWE since, coincidentally, his first mentor, Shawn Michaels, said good-bye a couple months ago. He had intense passion and a fierce look in his eyes when he talked about the "guy" that kicked people faces in and was the best wrestler in the world. I was glad he got a good pop from the crowd because everyone was tired of the watered-down, loser Daniel Bryan. I hope WWE uses Danielson's promo as a stepping-stone to push him as himself on Raw. ...The wrestling matches were ho-hum and passable. David Otunga has everything, but the wrestling skills. Wade Barrett is a great heel who is already a star in the making. Darren Young actually looked good in the ring and, fortunately, his headband fell off, making him look normal and not too over-the-top. Justin Gabriel can easily be the A.J. Styles of WWE if he is used right. Skip Sheffield has a lot of potential to be a great heel, as he was getting better before he was the third cut. Lastly, Heath Slater is just okay right now. His look needs serious revamping. It's sad that this review of NXT is about looks and personality more than actual wrestling because I saw nothing spectacular outside of Skip's awesome inverted pocket Stunner.

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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