James Caldwell, Torch Assistant Editor (6.5)

This was a good episode of NXT. It was firm. The "freshness" of the NXT Invasion angle has worn off, though, so WWE has to find other ways to build interest for the Raw follow-up the next night on NXT. Focusing more on Season 2's characters and what makes the wrestlers unique is a good method to give the show a unique feel.

It seems like WWE has done a better job this season trying to create relatable characters than the first season. Percy Watson brings high energy, Titus O'Neil has an "inspiring message," Lucky Cannon "overcame the odds," Alex Riley is the jock the kids watching at home are predisposed to dislike, etc. There are some good things in play even if the show is a bit of a drag stretched out over an hour.

Meanwhile, Cody Rhodes continues to shine in his role as the lead heel from the Pro side. Miz has drifted into the background the last two weeks allowing Rhodes to step up and let his personality shine, which should transfer to his main involvement on Smackdown. Husky Harris following Rhodes's lead by taking out Matt Striker seems to be setting up for an inevitable Cody vs. Striker match. It wouldn't be NXT without an announcer vs. wrestler feud.

Dominick Mayer, PWTorch.com Contributor (6.5)

This is a minor gripe, but I'm not a fan of Pros getting over on NXT, at least not too much so. Because of this, though it's good to see Cody Rhodes showing some personality, last night he was the star of the show, which is kind of not the point. This having been said, having his Rookie mimic him showed some personality and will be an interesting mini-angle to follow during the season. The other Rookie that really stood out to me was Kaval. We all rolled our eyes when we heard LayCool would be his Pros, but all three of them are taking the angle and running for miles with it so far. Alex Riley is by far the most polished, but I'm still pulling for Kaval to win as of now. Eli Cottonwood's showcase was good, but it's going to be tough for him going forward; big men are something of a saturated market.

The format as a whole is strong; though they'll need to change up the episode-ending mic time as the season progresses, it's a fantastic way to equalize time until people start getting eliminated; only 4-5 Rookies usually compete each week, so it evens the playing field for all eight. The backstories have also worked so far; hearing something like Lucky Cannon's story creates immediate empathy on the audience's part that can't be made with one man's share of around 48 minutes after commercials.

Greg Parks, Torch Columnist (6.0)

Miz and Alex Riley, together in the ring, just look like they were tag team partners made for each other. Not that I hope that happens, as being stuck in a tag team is being like stuck in mud in WWE, but still, WWE likely saw the potential in that pairing, hence they are Rookie and Pro. The opening tag match was fine, and Percy Watson performed admirably in the ring. He may be over-doing it with the gyrations though, which won't (or hasn't) endear(ed) him to the crowd.

McGillicutty vs. O'Neil was a clear indicator of where each man is on WWE's pecking order. It was pretty much a showcase to get McGillicutty over. Surprise! Kaval loses again. At least he had some more quality interaction with LayCool. I liked Cody Rhodes getting the win over Lucky Cannon, just to change things up with that gimmick, and also give him some more momentum. Alex Riley's promo at the end pretty much blew everyone else out of the water, but no one seemed way behind in that regard.

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