SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
The following report was originally published five years ago on PWTorch.com…
WWE NXT Results
March 13, 2014
Taped at Full Sail University
Aired on WWE Network
Report by Justin James, PWTorch contributor
[Q1] No pre-credits video. Paige is out first, without the red lipstick but with the new purple outfit. The booth is Tom Philips, Alex Riley, and Jason Albert (Tensai), which Philips says is a much better name. The announcers talk up Paige and Emma’s ArRIVAL match. Paige is facing Sasha Banks, accompanied by Charlotte. Lots of focus on Charlotte’s dirty ways last week.
1 – NXT Women’s champion PAIGE vs. SASHA BANKS (w/Charlotte)
Banks yanks Paige’s shirt away before she can toss it to the crowd and then throws it at Paige. That was a mistake as Paige trashes Banks. Banks puts Paige in a corner and slaps her silly. Banks with some nice, heelish offense. There is a group of nine Mojo Rawley fans in the audience with identical shirts, but they don’t seem too hyped. Banks mocks the fans cheering for Paige. Paige finally banks Banks into the corner to turn it around. Paige locks in her new submission move after a fight, and Banks is forced to tap.
WINNER: Paige in 5:10. Decent match. I’m loving Paige’s submission finisher, it is unique, provides the opportunity for her opponent to have a dramatic fight, and looks brutal. Banks keeps improving.
Post-match, Charlotte runs into the ring to jump Paige, but Natalya makes the save, despite her mini-feud with Paige a few months ago. Interesting to see how they are building to a Paige-Charlotte match.
Video recap of the beginning of the Zayn-Graves feud. Backstage “last week” interview with Zayn. Zayn wonders why Graves is suddenly calling him out. Zayn says there is no beef on his side, but will be happy to fight Graves if he needs to.
Bo Dallas is slated to face Colin Cassady later tonight.
Post-PPV style recap of Mojo Rawley’s victory over C.J. Parker at ArRIVAL. Apparently his finisher is called “Hyperdrive.”
Backstage, Rawley is going nuts like someone fed him ten Red Bulls, keeping himself hyped.
The Ascension are out with their new and vastly improved music and presentation. By the crowd’s reaction, I think they may now be classified as “monster faces” instead of their previous heel status. They have been taking the face corner lately, too. They are facing a pair of NXT jobbers. Again. Somewhere along the way, “Conor” got renamed to “Konnor.”
[Q2]
2 – THE ASCENSION (KONNOR O’BRIAN & RICK VICTOR) vs. TRAVIS TYLER & CAL BISHOP
Victor, then O’Brian do the damage to Tyler as the announcers compare The Ascension to Legion of Doom. Distraction from Bishop gives the job squad some momentum, but Victor pops out of the corner with a Cesaro-like uppercut. Tag to O’Brian and Bishop runs to his corner to surprise Tyler with a tag. O’Brian wrecks Tyler. O’Brian whips Tyler into his corner and Victor catches Tyler with a top-rope knee, a new team move they call “The Guillotine.” This sets up the Fall of Man for the win.
WINNERS: The Ascension in 3:00. I definitely like the new presentation of The Ascension, and they have returned to their fast, tear-em-apart style. What they need is an actual tag team division to stand tall over.
Mason Ryan comes out, and Renee Young is added to the booth, usually reserved for women’s matches. Riley gets annoyed by Albert telling Young how nice she smells. She says “showers go a long way.” She ogles Ryan’s muscles and says he looks like an Adonis.
3 – MASON RYAN vs. LESLEY BLAKE
The crowd makes some Batista references. Blake and Ryan do a bit of technical wrestling. Blake finally escapes the armbar and unloads on Ryan, but Ryan turns it around. Blake crossbody’s himself right into Ryan’s arms. Ryan spears himself into the ringpost. Albert keeps taking credit for Ryan’s physique, for giving him tips that “can’t be repeated on-air.” Blake is getting a surprising amount of offense, and the crowd claps Ryan to his feet. The announcers see Ryan as a contender to the NXT Championship. Big Boot sets up Ryan’s finisher for the win.
WINNER: Mason Ryan in 4:00. It was shocking to see Mason Ryan starting a match with a stretch of wristlocks and armbars. It was like Tyson Kidd grew a foot and put on 120 lbs. of Raw beef.
Devin Taylor talks to Bayley, who is psyched about being on the WWE Network. Banks and Charlotte thankfully intervene. They knock Bayley’s looks and attitude. Bayley grabs the Summer Rae picture on a stick, and pretends to be Summer Rae. Natalya comes in, but Charlotte verbally tears her apart, and says that the only thing Natalya is famous for is drunk-dialing her boss on a reality show. Charlotte owned this segment on the mic.
Xavier Woods is out without his usual smile for his revenge match with Alexander Rusev. But, Tyler Breeze’s music hits instead. Breeze acknowledges that they are not friends, and he politely requests that Woods allow him to have this match instead.
[Q3] Lana introduces the “super athlete” Alexander Rusev. Breeze cheap-shots Woods, who refuses to leave the ring. Rusev enters the ring and completely ignores Woods’s distress.
4 – XAVIER WOODS vs. ALEXANDER RUSEV (w/Lana)
Woods says he can take the match, but Rusev’s knees and feet say otherwise. Woods blocks Rusev’s knees with his shins in the corner, and rallies. Woods wants something off the ropes, but Rusev surprises him with a fast, botched Samoan Drop. The Accolade wraps it up. Lana looks on with approval as Rusev keeps the hold on for far longer than needed.
WINNER: Alexander Rusev in 2:45. I like Rusev’s work, it looks brutal and moves fast. Too bad his packaging is such a mess of stereotypes and cliches.
Sheamus is advertised for next week.
Devin Taylor is about to interview Adrian Neville, but Bo Dallas interrupts and says that his re-match is in two weeks. He will be the first NXT Champion to get a rematch. Dallas says his Bo-Lievers are sick of Neville. Neville finally has enough and slaps Dallas, who just glares at him.
Colin Cassady to a nice reaction from the crowd. Lots of “SAWFT” signs, and fist bumps and cheers, even from the folks wearing Bo Dallas shirts in the audience.
5 – COLIN CASSADY vs. BO DALLAS
Cassady easily gains the upper hand with his strength and height. Cassady cuts off an early Dallas rally, and a leaping elbow drop gets two. Dallas takes a lengthy breather on the outside, but gains control when he re-enters. Side headlock to wear down Cassady. Dallas gets dumped to the outside.
[ Commercial Break ]
Cassady wants to bring Dallas into the ring, but Dallas hot-shots him on the ropes.
[Q4] Dallas with a long, long stretch of offense. Cassady with a big whip into the turnbuckle and both men are down. Dallas gets up first, but a big right from the mat keeps Cassady on offense. The SAWFT forearm to the back gets two for Cassady. Big boot drops Dallas for a nearfall. They tussle in the ropes, and Dallas uses cheap tricks to set up a DDT, and he snatches Cassady’s hands from grabbing the ropes for the win.
WINNER: Bo Dallas in 12:45. That match went on much longer than I wanted it to, with Dallas in a boring stretch of offense. Cassady’s in-ring is tightening up.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Good pacing and storyline progressions here. I think the women’s division may be the hottest part of the show right now, with a legit heel stable and a seemingly unstoppable champion. They need to get Dallas out of the way to set up the next big challenger for Neville.
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