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The following report was originally published on PWTorch.com five years ago this week…
WWE NXT Results
October 2, 2013
Taped at Full Sail University
Report by Justin James, PWTorch contributor
[Q1] It is not a good sign when the Hulu thumbnail for the episode shows Santino Marella delivering the Cobra. Pre-credits video offers a reminder that Fandango is appearing tonight.
Fandango starts the show off with Summer Rae. The announcing booth is Tom Philips, Alex Riley, and Renee Young. Byron Saxton pronounces Fandango correctly.
Emma’s music hits, but Renee Young interrupts her entrance to ask her who her partner is. She introduces Santino Marella. He makes her do the powerwalk to the ring a few times until she gets it right.
[ J.J.’s Reax: This totally kills any juice that Summer Rae and Emma had a few weeks ago. All for a cheap pop. ]
1 – SANTINO MARELLA & EMMA vs. FANDANGO & SUMMER RAE – Mixed Tag Team match
Marella with some humorous clumsiness up front. Marella and Fandango to start. Dancing from Fandago, which Young appreciates. They match each other move-for-move, catching each other’s kicks. Knee to the midsection lets Fandango take control. Marella frustrates Fandango, and Emma sets up a double Cobra and teaching it the Emma Dance.
[ Commercial Break ]
The action is thankfully serious after the break. Despite having the advantage, Marella tags in Emma. Summer Rae tags in Fandango before they touch. They trade tags without every leaving their corner for a minute or two, until it is Fandango and Marella, and Fandango runs over Marella. Young says that Fandango is always touching her face backstage, shades of Johnny Curtis. The announcers dance around some risque topics.
Marella dives for a tag to Emma, but she was involved with Rae ringside. Marella tries to kip up a few times and fails, but he rolls across the ring before Fandango can get his leg drop. Marella keeps rolling between corners to avoid the leg drop. Marella with a kip up and a tag to Emma. Emma gets in offense against Rae.
[Q2] Emma puts on the Cobra sock, but gets ambushed by Rae. Emma threatens Fandango with the Cobra, but Fandango accidentally is tagged in. All four are in the ring, double hip toss, double Sailor Salute headbutt, and Marella gets the sock back to cream Fandango.
WINNERS: Santino & Emma in 11:00. Yes, eleven minutes of house show comedy. It’s hard to believe that a few weeks ago, Emma and Summer Rae were in a very personal feud, and today they are doing comedy. Renee Young is feeling her way around the announcing booth and doing better than her brief appearance last week.
Video Package: The Ascension talked up their match against Graves and Neville for the Tag Team Titles. Awful package.
Kassius Ohno is back to a good pop. He looks a bit slimmer. He’s facing Luke Harper to get revenge for “putting him on the shelf” four months ago. Harper comes out without the rest of his Family.
2 – KASSIUS OHNO vs. LUKE HARPER
Harper immediately uses his size to his advantage. Harper really has his in-ring character dialed in as he wears down Ohno. Ohno with rights to stop the assault, and he sends Harper to the outside. Ohno hits the ropes and bounces right into a big boot that nearly takes his head off. Big clothesline from Harper wins the match.
WINNER: Luke Harper in 3:30. This was pretty close to a squash match. Not what I expected from Ohno’s return. The seems more like “a message is being sent” than “a crowd favorite makes his return.”
Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady with a backstage promo. They are were close as Siamese twins until Dawson and Rusev ambushed them to allow The Ascension to beat them. Amore compares them to tacos, “not the hard kind” and Cassady says that Dawson looks like a mechanic. The only thing Dawson is fixing is to get his teeth knocked in. Rusev breaks boards, but he should be worried about breaking his mother’s heart for dressing bad. Amore finally gets out his S-A-W-F-T catchphrase in reference to the tacos.
Vignette from a guy who does a lot of CrossFit and talks about “Hype.” He’s Mojo Rawley, he debuts next week.
[Q3] The crowd can’t even be bothered to boo for The Ascension. The ship definitely sailed on this one when Kenneth Cameron was released. I normally would complain about the team of Neville and Graves coming out separately, but it’s always been clear that Graves is too much of a loner to truly be in a “team” even if he holds a title with someone else.
3 – COREY GRAVES & ADRIAN NEVILLE vs. THE ASCENSION (CONOR O’BRIAN & RICK VICTOR) – NXT Tag Team Championship match
Neville and Victor to start. Neville with some insane moves early on, using flips and somersaults to avoid Victor’s offense. O’Brian with a trio of shoulder blocks on Neville. Graves in with heat until he walks into a flapjack. Graves is isolated.
[ Commercial Break ]
Graves is still grounded by Victor. Graves is begging for a tag after a crossbody, but he can’t get it. Victor with a half crab while O’Brian hits a leg drop. The crowd chants, “We Want Neville,” and then switches to “You can’t wrestle” at Victor. This match is definitely dragging. Victor dives into a ringpost. Unique camera angle over Neville’s shoulder as he finally gets the tag, then cleans house on Victor.
Neville flattens Victor and clears O’Brian from the ring. Victor gets sent out of the ring, too. Big jump over the ropes takes out The Ascension. Springboard dropkick for a nearfall. Neville sets up the Red Arrow, but O’Brian yanks Victor out of the way. Graves breaks the pin, drags Neville to his corner, and makes the tag. Graves wants a chop block, but takes a knee to the face. Graves takes the Fall of Man for the win.
WINNERS: The Ascension in 11:45 to capture the Tag Titles. While Graves and Neville had lost a lot of steam over the last few months, putting the titles on The Ascension wasn’t going to fix anything. THey have zero heat, zero personality, and their matches are boring when they stretch over three minutes.
Rob Van Dam is advertised for next week.
[Q4] Bo Dallas comes out for the Bo Dallas Invitational. I suspect that Sami Zayn will be putting on a mask to win this and a mystery entrant. Dallas cuts a promo granting an up and comer a chance to beat him for a title match in two weeks. The first opponent is a skinny guy.
4. BO DALLAS vs. JOBBER – #1 Contender Match
Jobber with an immediate roll-up for a nearfall, angering Dallas. Dallas clobbers him. Spear for the win.
WINNER: Bo Dallas in 1:15.
Post-match, Dallas wishes Jobber good luck. He says there must be someone who can beat him. Leo Kruger answers the call. So does Antonio Cesaro. Kruger and Cesaro can’t figure out who will get the shot. Cesaro suckers Kruger and they brawl in the ring until Kruger gets sent out and Dallas clears Cesaro. And look, here’s a crazy masked guy making an entrance!
5. BO DALLAS vs. MASKED MAN – #1 Contender Match
Masked Man moves just like Sami Zayn, and hits the boot in the corner to win.
WINNER: “Masked Man” in 0:15 to earn a shot at the title in two weeks. Wow, was that predictable.
Post-match, “Masked Man” takes off his mask to reveal himself, much to Dallas’s consternation.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Santino Shenanigans took up an entire quarter of this show, which says it all right there. A sorry return for Kassius Ohno and a boring, long Tag Team Title match with a predictable ending, and the predictable Bo Dallas Invitational all added up to a snoozefest of an episode.
NOW CHECK OUT THIS FLASHBACK: 5 YRS AGO – NXT TV REPORT (9-25-13): Triple H appears to mixed reaction, Enzo & Big Cass vs. Rusev & Dawson, Sasha vs. Bayley, plus Tyler Breeze, C.J. Parker, Aiden, Sami
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