SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
The following report originally published 10 years ago this week here at PWTorch.com…
WWE NXT Results
December 4, 2013
Taped at Full Sail University
Report by Justin James, PWTorch contributor
[Q1] The pre-credits video is a “last week” interview with Antonio Cesaro, who mocks Regal’s accent and telling him to butt out. Leo Kruger comes into the picture to thanks Cesaro for taking him to a place he had never been to before, says that he could be a Real American, and points out that he has a match with Sami Zayn. Cesaro says he will talk to Zeb Colter about making Kruger a Real American, in exchange for… he notices the cameraman and turns around to whisper so we can’t hear. Wait, did someone in WWE acknowledge the presence of a camera?
Byron Saxton, Alex Riley, and Renee Young have the call.
There is another new ring announcer, who introduces Natalya and Paige for their NXT Women’s Championship. Riley tries to say that Paige may be scared of a main roster Diva, and Young shoots that down right away. The crowd is hot for Paige as usual. Some pre-match intensity between the two.
1 – PAIGE vs. NATALYA – NXT Women’s Championship match
Natalya offers a handshake and it is accepted, but with some misgivings. They trade control on the mat and have some quality sequences. Natalya with moves straight from Tyson Kidd’s playbook. Paige with the same then a headbutt into a roll-up for two. Double leg takedown and a jackknife for another two. More mat work and the pacing indicates a long match. Natalya wants the Sharpshooter but Paige gets to the ropes before it can be locked in. Paige takes a breather on the outside.
[ Commercial Break ]
Paige is beating the brakes off Natalya in the corner out of the break, looking totally deranged. The announcers put over Paige’s mental toughness for being able to focus on retaining the title despite the Total Divas drama and the BFF’s on NXT. Paige with an abdominal stretch, but Natalya reverses the hold and locks in one of her own. Paige escapes and goes back to a vicious corner strategy. Natalya is struggling on the apron and Paige does her leg lifts through the ropes, but Natalya grabs the leg and leg whips Paige’s right into the ropes head first. Double cross-body to reset the action.
Paige gets up at seven, but Natalya gets the better of her. Natalya with a sit-out powerslam for two, slick move. Paige takes advantage of a telegraphed back body drop, but Natalya responds with a discuss clothesline for two. Natalya with a Sharpshooter, drags Paige mid-ring, but Paige gets halfway to the corner, then reverses the hold to send Natalya into the turnbuckle headfirst. Brutal. Paige is selling the Sharpshooter for a long time as Natalya holds her head.
Another double count, and they get up at eight. Paige hits the Paige Turner as she struggles to her feet for the win.
WINNER: Paige in 10:00. It is so refreshing to see Paige matched up with someone else who can wrestle with a less-dainty style. Natalya brought out Paige’s chain wrestling side, and Paige gave Natalya someone to use it on for the first time in a long time. Paige is reaffirmed as top dog in NXT, being able to hang with Natalya for ten long minutes, including some sequences that had me cringing with felt pain.
Post-match, Paige is in tears, helps Natalya to her feet, gives her a hug, and they both raise each other’s hands. Natalya is crying, too. They shake hands for real.
[Q2] Backstage, Lana talks to Alexander Rusev. Tyler Breeze comes in and thanks Rusev for the help last week. Breeze makes fun of Ohno’s looks. Lana cuts him off, says that Rusev is thankful, and ignores an invite from Breeze. Lana exhorts Rusev to crush Ohno and win the NXT Championship.
Scott Stanford reminds us that Bo Dallas faces Adrian Neville in a championship match tonight.
The new male announcer has Mojo Rawley backstage for an interview. Rawley says he’s not slowing down and his confidence is growing. Alexander Lefort with a returning Scott Dawson says he can make Rawley a lot of money. Rawley says he knows who Lefort is, the guy who has been holding money out of Dawson’s paycheck, and says that he saw agents like Lefort in football and he’s hurting Dawson’s career. Dawson claims Lefort looks out for him even though there have been some issues with pay lately. Dawson lets Lefort reassure him, and challenges Rawley to a match next week, which he accepts.
In the ring, we have an unnamed wrestler. Aiden English interrupts the announcement of his name to sing his song. His ring gear is getting more and more elaborate, with an embroidered velvet scarf and fancier patterns on his trunks.
2 – AIDEN ENGLISH vs. UNNAMED JOBBER
The jobber puts up a bit of a fight. English is able to take over quickly. He has some very sharp, crisp offense. He quotes Hamlet before landing a big suplex, then the Director’s Cut for the win.
WINNER: Aiden English in 2:00. English has a very unique style, each move is deliberate, but the speed makes it feel snappy, as opposed to plodding like Randy Orton.
Post-match, English indulges the audience’s request for an encore. Once again, roses get tossed into the ring.
As English leaves the stage, Antonio Cesaro hits the ramp in a suit. He is here to apologize to Byron Saxton for losing his temper last week and invites Saxton on stage for an in-person apology. Saxton reluctantly goes to the stage. Cesaro offers a handshake, but Saxton is leery. He takes it and Cesaro offers a sincere apology, in five difference languages. Saxton is very doubtful. Saxton thanks him. Cesaro lets Saxton do the “We the People” with him, but Saxton doesn’t want to. Saxton says it, but doesn’t mean it. Cesaro gets angry. Saxton ends up assaulting Saxton, and then demands to know where Regal is, then slaps Saxton to the ground.
[Q3] “Last week” Zayn is asked about how he feels about losing the #1 contender match. He says the better man won, but it’s frustrating to not have won it. He wishes Neville the best of luck and says that he will work his way back to the top. Leo Kruger ambushes him from behind. Apparently, one forearm to the back of the head is all it takes to get an invite to the Real Americans.
Tom Philips is filling in for Byron Saxton. Tyson Kidd comes out to a nice reaction. He’s facing Leo Kruger, who is the one who attacked him some time ago when Kidd was injured (back when Kruger was aligned with Kassius Ohno), which started the Ohno-Regal feud.
3 – TYSON KIDD vs. LEO KRUGER
Hot start as Kidd shows his speed and anger at Kruger. Kidd isn’t giving Kruger an inch and he goes through his full arsenal. Kruger fights out of the corner. Kidd gets a boot up in the corner but Kruger catches it and attacks the injured knee.
[ Commercial Break ]
Kruger is working the knee on the mat. Kidd makes a short comeback, but Kruger flattens him with a punch to the jaw. The ref makes Kruger lay off, but Kidd still gets the worst of it. Kruger locks in a mid-ring Sharpshooter, until Sami Zayn appears on the apron. Kruger just drops Kidd to look at Zayn, and Kidd sneaks up from behind to pin Kruger.
WINNER: Tyson Kidd in 6:15. I liked this match until the predictable, WWE-style ending. Kidd looked better in this match than he did on Superstars a few weeks ago. Kidd needs to spend some time at NXT, develop his character and his promo skills, and return to the main roster with the full package, much like Husky Harris did to become Bray Wyatt.
Scott Stanford announces Sami Zayn against Leo Kruger next week.
Backstage cameraman asks Hunico and Camacho about beating The Ascension and challenging for the NXT Tag Team Championship. Everything they have in life, they took and they will take the titles.
4 – BO DALLAS vs. ADRIAN NEVILLE – NXT Championship match
They lock up and Neville is able to transition to a wristlock. Dallas gets a break the corner, and uses it to get ahead. Neville with some high flying moves to send Dallas to the outside. Dallas with a cheap-shot out of a ref break, and the turnbuckle cover is off somehow. The announcers remind us that this is how he beat Sami Zayn.
[Q4] A bulldog gets a two count for Dallas. Dallas looks cocky as he drops a knee pad and goes to the second rope, but Neville dodges a knee drop. Neville attacks the hurt knee. Neville with rapid attacks and Dallas rolls out of the ring. Huge corkscrew dive over the top from Neville. Dallas gets rolled into the ring for a nearfall. Neville plants Dallas with a bodyslam and starts to go up top, but Dallas rolls out of the ring. Neville lands a cross-body from the top rope to Dallas on the outside.
Both men are down and selling the big move. Neville slips in at nine, and Dallas can’t make it back in.
WINNER: Adrian Neville in 7:45 via count-out, Dallas retains the tile. Another lucky, tainted match for Dallas to retain the title. Nice bait and switch with the turnbuckle cover to fool us on the match ending. Bo Dallas is a great example of how someone can make an excellent champion without strong in-ring skills, his character draws massive heat.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Fun night from NXT, particularly with the match between Paige and Natalya. It’s a shame that WWE will never get behind women’s wrestling on Raw or Smackdown in the way they do on NXT even though it would arguably be a better draw than their current mid-card mess.
RECOMMENDED NEXT: 10 YRS AGO – WWE Raw Results (12/2/2013): Cody & Big Show & Goldust vs. The Shield, plus Sandow, Stephanie, Triple H, Cena, Kane, Miz, Kofi, Fandango, Orton
OR CHECK THIS OUT AT PROWRESTLING.NET: Powell’s NXT Hit List: Lyra Valkyria vs. Xia Li for the NXT Women’s Title, Noam Dar vs. Chad Gable for the NXT Heritage Cup, Iron Survivor Challenge qualifiers
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