-- 5/25 WWE NXT Reax

Sergio H. of Phoenix, Ariz. (8.0): Best: The crowd finally reacting to Bryan Danielson. Worst: Telegraphed rookie wrestling. Minus the always lame interview questions, this was a pretty good episode of NXT that had some exciting moments. David Otunga looks greener than Gumby in the ring, but Slater telegraphed most of his sells and literally pulled Otunga over him for the momentum pin. Still, I'd take Slater over the A-List, but Otunga has the media connections that McMahon will eat up. Is there a difference between Evan Bourne and Justin Gabriel? Not really, and I foresee this tag team pairing in the near future. Barrett should win, but he needs to develop some deadlier heel antics along with a unscrupulous personality to get over. I hope and pray that there are big plans in place for Danielson because he can really go in the ring and I believe he cares and respects his craft as much as any other guy in the locker room. With Benoit gone and Angle's career coming to a close, Danielson has the ability to take the role of the premier technical submission style wrestler in the business. Perfect ending to NXT: The Miz tapping to Cattle Mutilation mid-ring. Is that too much to hope for?
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TJ of Pittsburgh, Pa. (6.0): Best Match: Gabriel vs. Barrett. There's no point in declaring the tag match the worst match since there were only two matches. Say what you want about Daniel Bryan's lack of charisma, when people look back on this season after next week, the ONLY things they will likely remember are those moments involving Bryan. First, it was the great match with Chris Jericho on Week 1 and recently these altercations with Cole and now Miz. Personally, I have been waiting for somebody to publicly state the obvious with respect to Cole. Michael Cole hosts the WWE flagship show because the WWE figured he couldn't bring down Raw as much as they hoped Jim Ross might bring Smackdown up. He commentates on NXT because, frankly, there's nobody else to do it. As for the Final Four rookies, let's be honest. Otunga is there for one reason, and one reason alone. Because he has a famous girlfriend. His mic work is stale and his in-ring skills are nearly non-existent. If this were a legit competition, he would have been sent home at the first elimination. Sadly, WWE cares more about name value than talent, so Otunga actually has a chance of winning next week. Barrett doesn't do a whole lot for me, but he has decent skills and a good look for wrestling. I think there were probably better workers among the eight Rookies, but he probably has the best all-around skills of those who are left. Of the three, he should win, but may not. Gabriel strikes me as the WWE's answer to A.J. Styles in both look and style. He really elevated his game this week in his match with Barrett. I think a year or two down the road, Gabriel probably has the best chance of the final three to make people say "wow," but, sadly, it probably won't happen in WWE.

Alejandro Mendoza of Bay Area, Calif. (8.5) It was very good to have the Pros out there for the show once again, as it created the impression that they're actually "judging" the Rookies. The first tag match of Truth/Otunga vs. Slater/Christian was pretty interesting and kept a good pace. I was expecting Otunga and Truth to have some issues, but they worked a good match. The ending maybe could have gone a little better with Slater on the ground just looking lazy with a kick out, but it was acceptable. Justin Gabriel is a gymnast, but he's so much more. Barrett and Gabriel worked a good match and that 450 Splash is beautiful to watch. The highlight of NXT this week has to be Bryan Danielson. He's developed a better character since eliminated. I liked Cole throwing the first slap and initiating the brawl so WWE can't do something dumb with the angle like Cole taking Bryan to court. Bryan is showing true charisma and fans are responding to it. Also, his attack on Miz looked like realistic with the first forearm. Bryan is evolving into a superstar at a fast pace.

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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