By Jon Mezzera, Torch Specialist

Having taken a few weeks off, this is my first chance to comment on the third season of NXT, the all Diva rookie season, and quite frankly I'm not sure what to say. Last week, you had Michael Cole, the lead announcer for Monday Night Raw, but a heel, blatantly ripping the product and walking out on the show at the end. That is hardly a ringing endorsement for the show. He is a heel, yet he pretty much spoke the truth. I can't fault anything he said, but is that how WWE wanted me to react to his comments? I don't even know any more. I have no idea what WWE is doing with this show, what they want me to think about it, and what their plan is. It is the most perplexing experience. But, I sort of like it better this way. I have no idea what's going to come out of the announcers' mouths next and that appeals to me. It is a train wreck of a show, and I don't want to watch, yet I cannot turn away. That all being said, lets take a look at the Hits & Misses for this week.

NXT HITS

C.M. Punk: Punk has been floundering on Smackdown lately in the long feud with The Big Show. Hopefully, his loss to Show at Night of Champions will mark the end of their feud and he can move on to something better (I wouldn't mind a feud with Christian, but Christian is starting his angle with Alberto Del Rio so that's doubtful). Due to that feud, Punk hasn't had many great moments lately, but he was thoroughly entertaining as Michael Cole's replacement at the announce table. I loved his outfit with the sport coat over his wrestling gear. I laughed every time he got one of the rookie Divas name wrong. I laughed when he claimed to have to played musical chairs when he was in wrestling school. I loved how he greeted Cole upon his return to the announce table with a big hug, despite saying that the show is bad with or without him. And in the end, I loved the fact that he said he would return next week.

NXT MISSES

Talk the Talk Challenge: It has become a tradition here on NXT Hits & Misses to give the Talk the Talk Challenge a Miss once a season. When Naomi gets the biggest cheer for saying she doesn't want to talk about toupees, but wants to wrestle, I wonder if WWE gets the message from the fans. I somehow doubt it as she got disqualified. Much of this show is a train wreck, and this segment is no different. But, unlike much of the rest of the show where I still enjoy it on some level, I honestly get no enjoyment out of this crap. Just like when the guys had to do it in the past, I have to wonder what any of this has to do with being a pro wrestler. I don't get it. When will any of these Divas ever have to cut a promo like this without a script on a topic that has nothing to do with anything? This is channel changing bad.

Jon Mezzera is PWTorch.com's WWE Hits & Misses Specialist, providing his point of view for Raw, Smackdown, NXT, and Superstars each week. s him at jmezz-torch@sbcglobal.net.

For another view from the original Hitlist author, compare Jason Powell's views to mine by visiting prowrestling.NET's "Hitlist" section here.

[Torch art credit Grant Gould (c) PWTorch.com]

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