WWE NXT alt. perspective report
July 12, 2011
Taped in Uncasville, Conn.
Report by Justin James, PWTorch contributor

Week 19 of "NXT: Redemption?" Talk about "absurd." How they managed to drag this out for this long with only six initial participants is still a mystery. Derrick Bateman looks like the front-runner with a win last week, but how valuable is a win when he was tagging with Daniel Bryan? On NXT, while wins and losses don't count in the competition, they do indicate who WWE is backing. Also of note is that Tyson Kidd and Yoshi Tatsu are still around, while Vladimir Kozlov and JTG seem to have disappeared. (Or have they?) Pre-show, it is so odd to see Hugh Hefner in a Stolichnaya ad on WWE.com. At the rate WWE is going, they might as well bring back Naomi from NXT 3...

Rookies (and Pros):
Titus O'Neil (Hornswoggle)
Darren Young (Chavo Guerrero)
Derrick Bateman (Daniel Bryan)
Conor O'Brian (Vladimir Kozlov)
Lucky Cannon (Tyson Kidd)
Byron Saxton (Yoshi Tatsu)
Jacob Novak (JTG)

[Q1] Before the intro video, there's a video on Derrick Bateman that paints him as a face, complete with Superman theme song style music.

To start the show, Derrick Bateman comes out. He has his own music. Could they get any more behind him? He shakes hands with Regal and heads to the ring. Bateman cuts a promo that feels a bit heelish, as he promises to save "NXT: Redemption" from being bad. Good luck with that. Darren Young comes out to interrupt. They jaw back and forth, and they both seem like heels. Titus O'Neil comes out to Hornswoggle's music and gets the leprechaun pop. Bateman cuts him off as soon as he starts to talk and they trade barbs over who is better at cheap pops. Titus with a "Master Bateman" comment. Maryse then interrupts to a good pop. She schedules a "Rookie Triple Trech" elimination match.

[ c - Money in the Bank ad based on the Cena-Punk match ]

1 - DERRICK BATEMAN vs. DARREN YOUNG vs. TITUS O'NEIL - Triple Threat Elimination match

Back from break, a quiet "Daniel Bryan" chant is going. Bateman gets knocked outside while Young and O'Neil go back and forth. O'Neil throws Young out of the ring too. Outside, Bateman tries to make plans with Young to gang up on O'Neil. Regal's commentary is really off. As Young and Bateman beat down O'Neil, a pro-Ryder chant gets going. Ah, Daniel Bryan is ringside, he is the only Pro around. Typical triple threat gang up tactics in the ring.

[Q2] O'Neil eventually fights out of the handicap situation while Bateman recovers in the corner. Bateman recovers and gets some offense in. Young eventually turns on Bateman with a scoop slam. O'Neil gets the sit out slam on Young, but Bateman breaks up the pin and steals it for himself. That makes no sense, it's an elimination match, why steal a pin for yourself when it could keep the pin from happening?

[ c - The "WWE All Stars" ad with the opera music ]

Back from break, O'Neil is dominating Bateman. Bateman and O'Neil go back and forth in a completely uninspired match. Daniel Bryan looks concerned, or perhaps it is exasperation without how bad this match is. Bateman with an impressive running dropkick for two. O'Neil runs over Bateman with a pair of shoulder tackles and then gets a backbreaker, followed by a fall away slam for two. O'Neil slips on a flying clothesline from the second rope, which still hit a bit. Bateman with his new bulldog finisher for the win.

WINNER: Derrick Bateman. WWE is clearly behind Bateman, but the new version of his character is not nearly as fun or interesting as it was last season, and this match stunk.

They played the very effective Money in the Bank video from Raw. It makes me wish they would bring back Shelton Benjamin for one more of these.

Backstage, Yoshi Tatsu is giving his broken action figure a chip from a casino (they are at the Mohegan Sun casino). Striker asks Tatsu why he hangs onto a broken doll, Yoshi says that it's about honor. Wouldn't you know it, there's another Tatsu-Kidd match!

[ c - "Rey Mysterio: The Life of a Masked Man" DVD ad ]

[Q3] A new video package based on Monday night's Raw with C.M. Punk airs. Excellent, excellent package. It paints Punk as the underdog babyface fighting for truth, honor, and the American way. Isn't that Cena's role? The music reminds me of Aronosky's work for "Requiem for a Dream." Interestingly, the salty language is included, including McMahon dropping SOB. Again, incredibly strong promo.

Backstage, Hornswoggle is chugging root beer while staring at a glamor shot of Maryse. Titus O'Neil would rather talk about Maryse than his two recent losses. A deliveryman has a package for "H. Swoggle." It's a heart-shaped box filled with green M&Ms. Hornswoggle kisses the picture, thinking it's from Maryse.

Kozlov is on the phone and JTG gets in his face. JTG proposes a friendly wager. Now JTG says that Kozlov isn't styling. Kozlov busts out some finger snapping. Is JTG no longer a heel now? Who knows.

[c - Smackdown ad talking up Randy Orton vs. Kane ]

2 - YOSHI TATSU vs. TYSON KIDD

Kidd still has the leg to Tatsu's action figure. Tatsu with a quick waistlock to a take down, Tatsu and Kidd trade armbars. The crowd is hot for Tatsu. Tatsu holds onto the ropes and Kidd whiffs a dropkick so Tatsu mounts him and goes to town. Kidd to the outside of the ring and they trade blows. Tatsu rolls Kidd into the ring where Kidd goes onto the attack. Yoshi makes a comeback with chops and strikes. Kidd dodges a charge in the corner and Tatsu lands on the second rope, Kidd jumps up and hits a side Russian legsweep from the turnbuckle, sending them both to the mat. Sweet execution. Tatsu rolls out.

[ c - "The True Story of WrestleMania" DVD ad ]

[Q4] Kidd has Tatsu in a scissor hold. Yoshi with the crucifix pin for two, but Kidd comes right back with a neckbreaker. Kidd stands on Tatsu's hair in a classic heel move. Kidd still in control, slowing it down with a headlock on the mat. Tatsu fights out and they reset the action. Kidd with a knee strike to the face, Tatsu fires back with a running spinning heel kick off the ropes, hard shot. The are both down and the ref starts the ten count. Tatsu with his chops and kicks, then a catapault into the corner. Tatsu with a suplex into a bridge for two. Tatsu misses the Shining Wizard and Kidd takes him down with a kick to the leg.

Kidd with a Sharpshooter attempt, but Tatsu fights it off, so Kidd leg drops him instead. Tatsu clears Kidd to the outside. Tatsu fires up for a suicide dive, but Kidd kicks him as he's about to come through the ropes. Kidd with the springboard elbow drop, sick height but Tatsu gets knees up. Tatsu calls for the head kick but Kidd tosses him into the turnbuckle.

Kidd to the top rope, but Tatsu crotches him. Tatcu looks for a superplex but Kidd fights him off. Kidd with a moonsault from the top turnbuckle, but Tatsu dodges, rolls him up with a bridge pin and locking Kidd's legs, and gets the win. Post-match, Tatsu gets the figure's leg, but Kidd assaults him and steals the leg back to close the show.

WINNER: Yoshi Tatsu. Fantastic match with a great variety of different moves and pinning combinations. I'd love to see a cruiserweight-based show featuring this kind of action.

Final Reax: Once again, the only value in this show was the obligatory Tatsu-Kidd match. Derrick Bateman had a great character last season; this time around, he is too sarcastic and nasty and comes off as heelish. He needs to return to his corny dorkiness, especially with the backstage stuff with Daniel Bryan. This is no one on this show with enough character to boo or cheer them, which is odd because there's enough time and few enough Rookies to spend some time developing their characters.

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