SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
The following report originally published 10 years ago this week here at PWTorch.com…
KELLER’S NXT TAKEOVER: RESPECT REPORT
OCTOBER 7, 2015
ORLANDO, FLA. AT FULL SAIL UNIVERSITY
AIRED LIVE ON WWE NETWORK
-The show opened with clips of Bailey winning the NXT Women’s Championship. Then the narrator said, “Respect.” Clips aired of past big names winning championships including Chris Jericho, Eddie Guerrero, Ron Simmons, Mick Foley, Edge, Booker T, and Ultimate Warrior holding up their newly won title belts. The narrator spoke about how respect must be earned. Clips aired of rivalries and respect being earned between them including Rock, somewhat begrudgingly, raising John Cena’s arm, Bret Hart begrudgingly hugging Shawn Michaels, Bruno Sammartino shaking hands with Vince McMahon, Ric Flair shaking Sting’s hand, and then back to the NXT Divas celebrating together after Bailey’s win. “It can bond together even the fiercest of rivals.”
(WK Reax: The contrast was so strong out of the gate compared to Raw. The opening package plays off of a sports theme rather than a soap opera theme or supernatural effects with Kane and Seth Rollins.)
-A video package then hyped the line-up – the NXT Women’s Title rematch and the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Tournament.
-Rich Brennan introduced the show as the camera panned the crowd.
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(1) FINN BALOR & SAMOA JOE vs. SCOTT DAWSON & DASH WILDER – Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic semi-finals
A different version of Finn Balor walked out, this one without the bodypaint and dancing routine. Instead, he looked all business and low-key cool. He climbed the ropes and got the crowd to go along with his arm gestures to the beat of his music.
(WK Reax: That ring entrance was more cool than anything going on on the main roster right now. He just has a different kind of “it factor” that some people discount as being “not charismatic,” which kind of blows my mind.)
Samoa Joe then came out. They cut to Brennan, Byron Saxton, and Corey Graves at ringside who talked about the tag tourney. Wilder kneed Balor off the ring apron. Joe went after him aggressively. Interference by Dawson gave Wilder the advantage. Then Dawson tagged in and worked over Joe. Graves said that Wilder & Dawson are the flashy favorites of the tournament, but they’re always on the same page and they are serious contenders to win. Joe came back with an enzuigiri at 3:00. Dawson tagged in just as Joe tagged in Balor. Balor did a flip dive onto both Dawson and Wilder at ringside. The crowd went bonkers and chanted “NXT! NXT”! The heel duo took over and worked on Balor’s left knee. Balor knocked Dawson out of the ring and went to tag Joe, but Wilder pulled Joe off the ring apron before Balor got there. Joe chased him down at ringside.
Dawson then set up Balor for a Wilder flying elbow off the top rope while he had Balor over his knee. The ref was preoccupied with getting Joe back to his corner. Balor kicked out and struggled to his feet. The heels isolated Balor in the corner again. Saxton said Dawson & Wilder have “shocked the WWE Universe.” Can’t they spare us the Orwelian WWE Corporate Speak during these NXT shows? Balor eventually hot-tagged Joe who went to work on Wilder with a barrage of fast-paced power moves leading to a near fall after a snap powerslam. Joe tagged in Balor, hit the Muscle Buster, and then Balor leaped down with the Coup De Grace for the win. As they returned to the back, Joe and Balor eyed the tournament trophy they were aiming for.
WINNERS: Joe & Balor at 8:57 to advance to the finals. (**3/4)
(WK Reax: Really well-executed tag team formula with the heels earning their heel status with cheating tactics. Joe’s flurry after the hot tag was great. Balor did a great job selling the knee injury during and after the match.)
-To the song “Bring Me the Horizon” by Throne, they aired clips of NXT on tour as the announcers talked about their growth in popularity around the country.
(2) JASON JORDAN & CHAD GABLE vs. RHYNO & BARON CORBIN – Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic semi-finals
Rhyno and Corbin dominated most of the early minutes, which was a smart shift away from the formula used in the previous match. Corbin put Gable into an armlock as the crowd taunted him. Rhyno missed a top rope splash a minute later. Graves said that’s why Rhyno typically stays away from rope rope moves. Corbin and Jordan tagged in. Jordan tossed Rhyno out and then suplexed Corbin and speared him in the corner. Graves said Jordan has never looked better than he does right now. Graves tagged in, but Corbin countered his move and scored a near fall, only not a three count because of Jordan’s save. An “NXT!” chant broke out. Gable scored a near fall with a German suplex into a bridge on Corbin. Rhyno gave Jordan a Gore to knock him out of the ring, then he rolled to the floor after him. Corbin got up and gave End of Days to Gable for the win.
WINNERS: Corbin & Rhyno at 10:29. (**1/2)
-They showed Kevin Nash sitting in the crowd.
-A cool Asuka video package aired showing highlights of her in-ring work along with William Regal’s glowing introduction of her.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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(3) ASUKA vs. DANA BROOKE (w/Emma)
Saxton touted the signing of Asuka as the biggest signing in the history of the Divas Division. He also talked about Dana having likely scouted Asuka and learned a lot to explain her confidence early in the match. After a couple slaps by Dana, Asuka no-sold it and looked riled up. The crowd chanted “You f–ed up” at Dana. Asuka rallied and then danced and postured, which gave Dana a chance to recover. They changed elbows midrange, and when it appeared Dana got the better of her, Asuka countered her into a takedown into an armbar. As Dana distracted the ref, Emma at ringside yanked on Asuka’s legs. Dana then went on the attack. Brennan said Dana was trying to ruin Asuka’s debut. When the ref scolded Dana for not breaking in the corner, she said, “I know the rules!” Asuka applied an ankle lock next. Dana tried to get up and crawl to the corner, but Asuka took her back with a German suplex. She followed with a smooth jumping armbar. Dana tried to flip out of it, but Asuka just switched into a modified crossface chicken wing. Asuka slugged Emma when she jumped onto the ring apron to distract her. The crowd chanted “Asuka City” as she applied the Asuka Lock for the win. As Asuka celebrated, Dana came back for more. Asuka quickly took her down with a spin wheel kick. Asuka walked up to Emma at ringside, but Emma just looked intimidated and looked away. Asuka smiled and walked to the back with her arms raised.
WINNER: Asuka at 5:23. (**1/2)
(WK Reax: Other than mid-match getting cocky and gyrating instead of staying focused on winning – leave that to the heels – she looked really impressive here and did stand out for her smooth sudden application of various takedowns and submission. I liked that there wasn’t a lot of unnecessary bumping or risky highspots. She was believably tough and innovative without just doing a bunch of big spots for the sake of doing big spots.)
-Brennan plugged the Susan G. Komen breast cancer charity drive WWE is doing this month.
-They replayed Balor’s knee injury earlier, then cut backstage to a trainer working over Balor’s knee as he cringed in pain. Joe paced with worry in the background.
-A vignette aired promoting Nai Jax debuting next week.
(4) “PRINCE PRETTY” TYLER BREEZE vs. APOLLO CREWS
Brennan talked about Breeze having seasonal residences all over the world to go with his talents and good looks. The announcers talked about Breeze being part of NXT “from day one” and how frustrated he is watching others pass him by. They said a win tonight would get him back in title contention. As Apollo came out, Brennan noted that Triple H said in a Twitter chat that Crews has the potential to be NXT Champion. Saxton said Crews has shown that and stated that it is his intention. Graves said they’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg with him. Brennan said Breeze wants to win back respect for the locker room and himself. Graves said Breeze felt disrespected that Crews came in with all of this hype. Saxton astutely pointed out that he can get people talking about him and now Crews by winning. Great point. Crews stopped an early Breeze flurry with a standing high dropkick. Breeze rolled to ringside. Crews charged and checked him at ringside, then played to the crowd.
Back in the ring Crews gave Breeze a delayed drop vertical suplex for a two count. Breeze elbowed Crews to reverse momentum. Breeze knocked him to the floor seconds later. Breeze then shoved Crews toward the ring apron and Crews flew back-first hard into the edge of the ring apron. Back in the ring Breeze stomped away at Crews. Brennan noted that Breeze has been using shortcuts lately because he’s frustrated. Graves said if you don’t get caught, why not do what he can to get ahead. Breeze landed a back stabber for a near fall. Crews caught Breeze on the top rope and pressed him, but Breeze slipped free and then put Crews in a sharpshooter. Crews grabbed the bottom rope to force a break. Crews cut off Breeze’s offense with a clothesline. Breeze got up and elbowed Crews’s back over and over. When he mounted him in the corner, Crews lifted him. Breeze rolled through and mounted him on the mat with punches. Crews powered out. Crews caught Breeze with a sudden jump round kick to the back of his head.
Crews shouldered Breeze and flipped over his back, but Breeze surprised him with a Supermodel Kick. That was good for a near fall. Crews caught Breeze flying off the top rope and turned it into a powerslam. Crews then Gorilla pressed Breeze. Breeze grabbed his legs to stop him from following up with a standing moonsault, which was a clever spot you don’t see a lot. Crews, though, did it after breaking Breeze’s grip. Breeze caught him, though, with his knees and scored a near fall. He charged at Crews, but Crews gave him a boot to the face. Crews then powerbombed Breeze for the win.
WINNER: Crews at 9:41. (***)
(WK Reax: I really liked this match. Again, just smart psychology and no wasted moved, and each wrestler wrestling in a way that matches their persona.)
-They cut to ringside where Funaki and Hideo Itami were watching the show together.
(WK Reax: The crowd shots are such a nice touch, giving the impression the pro wrestlers not on the show (due to injury, retirement, or exclusion) find it a big enough deal to sit and watch live.)
-A commercial aired for the WrestleMania 32 travel package.
-They showed Bailey pacing backstage, looking like the moment was big for her. She took a deep breath and stretched to try to calm herself.
-The announcers commented on a clip of the Balor knee injury from earlier. They showed the finish of both semi-final tag matches.
(5) FINN BALOR & SAMOA JOE vs. RHINO & BARON CORBIN – Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament finals
They aired a clip of a Dusty promo before Eden Stiles introduced the match. Brennan noted that Stiles is the wife of Cody Rhodes. Graves said the wedding was Dec. 12, 2013. Corbin and Rhyno came out first, then Joe and then Balor. I loved how angry Rhyno was at the fans for booing him during ring intros. The announcers discussed the challenge of Balor wrestling injured. Graves said everyone always wrestles injured, but a fresh injury like this is different “and it’s always on your mind.” Corbin went after his knee early in the match. Joe tagged in and threw a barrage of fists at Corbin and then closed with a chop to the head in the corner.
The heels ended up taking over on Joe and working on hi for a couple minutes until Joe hot-tagged in Balor. Balor rallied against Corbin, but was slowed down by his knee. That opened up Corbin to give him a boot. Rhino then clipped Balor’s leg on the ring apron. Balor went down and winced as the ref checked on him. Corbin was relentless on Balor. Brennan asked if Corbin was in the right going after Corbin’s leg. Graves, on point, said that until he scores a pin or tapout, there’s no such thing as disrespecting Balor by going after his weak point. Balor came back with a Sling Blade out of nowhere and hot-tagged in Joe again.
Joe went to work on Rhyno and gave him a boot to the face and then a sexton. Rhyno reverse-whipped Joe in the corner, but Joe came back with a chokeslam. He then knocked an interfering Corbin out of the ring. That distract led to Rhyno hitting a Gore for a near fall. Balor broke up the count. Balor gave Corbin a DDT and then clotheslined him over the top rope. Rhyno knocked Corbin off the ring apron. He set up a second Gore on a groggy Joe, who kicked him and then set up a Muscle Buster off the top rope. Balor tagged in and landed the Coup de Grace for the win. No hints of dissension between Balor and Joe. They hugged and celebrated afterward.
WINNERS: Corbin & Joe at 10:57. (***1/4)
(WK Reax: A tremendously executed match. I just loved the disciplined story they told. The producers of NXT are the best in the biz, and these three vets along with Corbin put on a really, really good match that wasn’t out to get pops and “This is Awesome!” chants from the fans, but rather tell a really good story, wrestle true to their characters, and build to a satisfying finish.)
-The post-match trophy presentation included Dustin Rhodes and Cody Rhodes in the ring. Cody talked about his late father. He quoted John Wayne: “There’s just some things a man can’t run from.” Cody said they can’t run from what happened to the Dream, but they can remember and respect his legacy. Joe and Balor applauded. Dusty’s WWE “American Dream” theme played. Joe and Balor held up the trophy.
-A video package aired on the Sasha Banks vs. Bailey title change at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn, and then clips of the build-up to this match along with training footage. Great stuff to create a big-match feel.
(6) BAILEY vs. SASHA BANKS – NXT Women’s Title match – 30 Minute Iron Man rules
They aired Sasha Banks backstage putting on her glasses, and then strutting to the ring. They showed Stephane McMahon, Lita, Charlotte, and Becky Lynch at ringside watching and applauding. They cut to Bailey backstage, looking overwhelmed by the moment, like she just found out her puppy died. But once her music hit and she walked out, her mood shifted and she played to the crowd excitedly. She gave out some hugs, of course, before entering the ring. The crowd chanted “Women’s Wrestling,” “This is Awesome!”, and “You Deserve This!” as the match began. Bailey and Sasha looked like they were going to skip the match and just cry and hug instead. The countdown clock was shown at the start, but wasn’t a constant presence on the screen. It was shown on the big screen on the entrance stage.
A minute or two in, after a feeling out process and test of strength, Sasha went for some quick pinfalls with some rollups for one counts. She settled into a headlock as the crowd speed clapped. Bailey went for a a few leverage pinfalls herself for one counts. Bailey overhead suplexed Banks, who landed hard on her shoulder. They replayed it.
At 5:45 Banks went for a Bank Statement, but Bailey countered. As Banks sold her shoulder, Bailey bent over and helped her up. There was a sense of respect perhaps being shown, but then Banks shoved Bailey down hard and grinned arrogantly that she is not to be trusted. The announcers said that was classic Bailey and classic Banks on display. Bailey fired back with a rally of moves. A minute later Banks blocked the ref and poked Bailey in the eyes, then rolled her up for a pin at 8:35 to take a 1-0 lead. Saxton said it just isn’t right she got the lead that way.
Bailey turned it up and lifted and dropped Banks chin-first over the top rope, perhaps a “Snake Eyes” tribute to Nash in the crowd. Banks came back with a nasty forearm. Bailey got up and surprised Banks with a belly-to-belly for a pin at 20:55. It became 1-1.
Bailey went for a sliding kick at ringside, but Banks caught her and swung her hard into the ringside steps. Saxton noted she landed with a thud right in front of her family. Banks threw Bailey back into the ring, but a minute later back into the steps at ringside two more times. She taunted Bailey’s family before throwing Bailey back into the ring where she scored a two count. Banks threw Bailey to the floor, and Bailey grabbed at her knee in pain. Banks dragged Bailey to the stage and threw her into the countdown clock LED board. Banks returned to the ring and strutted arrogantly as the ref began to count Bailey out. Banks got a 2-1 advantage via countout. They cut to a little girl dressed up as Bailey sobbing in her dad’s arms.
Banks smiled and relished giving Bailey a beating. She trash-talked her and continued on the offensive including a camel clutch. Bailey climbed to the bottom rope to force a break, and then she surprised Banks with a victory roll for a three count, making it 2-2.
Banks couldn’t believe it. She grabbed at her hair in frustration. The young Bailey fan at ringside was back to cheering, the tears gone. Bailey went aggressively after Banks and face-planted her for a two count. A “Women’s Wrestling!” chant broke out. Bailey hung Banks upside down in the corner and charged with a running knee for a two count. Banks turned the tables by hanging Bailey upside down in the same corner, then hit her with double knees for a near fall. When she charged shoulder-first at Bailey, Bailey lifted herself up and Banks flew into the ringpost. The crowd chanted “This is awesome!” with 8 minutes left.
They began to fight at ringside. Brennan said they’ve never seen this side of Bailey. Bailey took a running leap off the ringside stairs and hit a flying clothesline with 6:30 left, as noted by Brennan. Sasha launched herself at Bailey at ringside, but Bailey caught her and landed a belly-to-belly. The crowd chanted “Holy sh–!” The crowd chanted “Iron Woman!”
Back in the ring, both could barely stand. Bailey put Banks up on the top turnbuckle. Banks punched and kicked Bailey away from her, but she was too exhausted to do anything else. Bailey climbed up to suplex her, but Banks shoved her down. Bailey burst at Banks and landed a Bailey-to-Belly for a three count, but the ref called it off because Banks’s foot was on the bottom rope. So it remained 2-2 with 3:30 left. Graves said if it ends 2-2, they’ll go to overtime, they won’t be satisfied with a draw.
Bailey gave Banks a top rope reverse huracanrana. She turned and charged at Banks, but Banks gave her a belly-to-belly for a believable near fall. She then locked on a Bank Statement. The clock counted down under 90 seconds as Bailey strained to break free. Bailey tried to reverse it, but Banks reapplied it. Graves noted she couldn’t lock her hands and get the full grip. Bailey pulled Banks’s hand off and spiked her fingers against the mat. Banks sold the pain with 30 seconds left. Banks gave Bailey a Bank Statement, but Bailey rolled through into an armbar submission with great torque. The ref signaled Banks tapped out with two seconds left.
WINNER: Bailey retained 3-2. (****1/4)
(WK Reax: Tremendous story told. Just total discipline here in building the emotions and not wasting moves. The big spots they did were memorable because they didn’t stack them one after another and they let them breath afterward.)
-Afterward, William Regal, Stephanie, and Triple H presented Banks with flowers at ringside. The NXT roster stepped out and applauded as Triple H presented Bailey with a larger bouquet of flowers in the ring and held her arm in the air. Josh from Tough Enough was among those applauding. Bailey absorbed the cheers from the crowd and cried.
FINAL THOUGHTS: There are so many subtle things NXT does well that WWE and TNA didn’t over the last week in their big live shows, I sometimes get distracted just wanting to make notes of what they are. This is absolutely a winning formula and approach to the pro wrestling genre. Everyone delivered on and off camera, including a stellar job by the announcers start to finish. Yes, NXT would not be this special if they had to fill five hours a week plus major PPVs every month. That said, this booking approach and the ring work discipline is so tremendous and smart, it would handle the overexposure much better than the Raw/Smackdown main roster approach does.
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