NXT 4/10/14

In Memory of WARRIOR 1959-2014

-From Full Sail University in Orlando, FL

-Hosts are Rich Brennan, Alex Riley, & Jason Albert (a.k.a. Albert, a.k.a. Tensai)

-Match 1: Adam Rose (w/entourage) VS Danny Burch

-Rose prances around, so Burch kicks him in the stomach. Rose gets stuck in the ropes, but he takes the opportunity to mess with Burch before hitting a mule kick and taking control. Burch slugs Rose down, and implores Rose to get up. Rose takes a couple chops and fires up, peppering Burch with punches followed by some chops. Rose hits an avalanche, a mule kick, a sitdown splash in the corner, followed by a spinebuster. Rose removes his elbow pad and drives it home from the second turnbuckle for the pin.

1/2* Really basic stuff. I REALLY hope that's not going to be his finisher.

-LAST WEEK: Sami Zayn passes out while trapped in Corey Graves' Lucky 13 submission.

-The ref explains why he called the match.

-Corey Graves will take the win, but tells Zayn that they're just getting started.

-Bo Dallas has a special announcement tonight.

-Match 2: Bayley VS Sasha Banks (w/Charlotte)

-Banks goes for the win right away, but doesn't come close to getting it. Bayley goes for a sunset flip, but Banks blocks, sits down, and gets two. Banks slugs away with some mounted punches, then dumps Bayley on her face for two. Banks walks on Bayley's back and gets two, then locks on a cross-armed choke. Banks lets go and gets two, then blocks a roll-up by grabbing the ropes. Bayley fires up and hits a running clothesline, followed by a flying uppercut then a flying back elbow. Bayley charges into a boot and Banks reapplies the cross-arm choke, but Bayley escapes, and hits a belly-to-belly for the win.

**1/2 Pretty solid action. Bayley is capable in the ring, but her "woman-child" gimmick is total bush league. It's also pretty weird that they haven't done anything with Charlotte since setting her up to be Paige's next challenger.

-Mojo Rawley is next. Shit.

-Match 3: Sylvester Lefort VS Mojo Rawley

-Rawley is the definition of a guy whose gimmick does not match his look at all, and he seems like someone who would annoy the shit out of me if that were his real personality. If this were the attitude era, his hyper-ness would have been explained as being the result of a serious meth addiction. Rowley hits a couple Stinger Splashes, a butt bump, and finishes with the Hyper Drive (sit-down splash). Well, at least it was short.

SQUASH I may not like Rowley and his "uber-positive Goldberg" gimmick, but he's over with the NXT crowd.

-Brodus Clay comes out to add a beatdown then complain about Triple H & John Cena putting Adrian Neville over and not him before calling Neville out. Neville responds, and they trade insults before Brodus back away.

-Camacho doesn't like Adam Rose. Oliver Grey tells him to forget about Rose for a moment, and face him next week.

-The NXT roster spends some time at Axxess over WrestleMania weekend.

-Khali makes his NXT debut, and actually tries cutting a promo in English. Bayley enters to give him a hug. CJ Parker surmises that Khali produces 3X the amount of waste of the average person. Khali responds in Punjab, but it's cool because Bayley has conveniently been taking lessons, and she translates that Khali challenged Parker to a match for next week.

-Bo Dallas enters, and while he's not afraid to step to the back of the line for an NXT title shot, but he has his own version of the YES Movement, the Bo Movement, and wishes to use them to Occupy NXT. The crowd responds by literally turning their back on him. Bo gave you ingrates COOKIES damn it! Bo is upset as we go to break.

-Back from break, Bo is still upset and refuses to leave the ring, so NXT GM JBL comes out to book Bo VS Justin Gabriel.

-Match 4: Bo Dallas VS Justin Gabriel

-Gabriel hits a couple cross-bodies to start, then gets a sunset flip for two, and Dallas bails. Bo gets a punch to the face, then slaps on a side headlock. Gabriel escapes and turns the tide, and Bo stalls, drawing a "boring" chant. Dallas manages to snap Gabriel's throat on the ropes, then kick Gabriel to the floor. Dallas follows, and works Gabriel over a bit before rolling Gabriel back inside, hitting a knee drop, and getting a one count. Dallas hits a suplex for two, then locks on a cravat. Gabriel escapes, but gets dropped for a two count, then Dallas reapplies the cravat.

Dallas hits a clothesline for two, then elbows Gabriel in the face when Gabriel blocks a whip. Another whip attempt is countered, and Bo takes a big bump off it. Well, this match needed something. Gabriel gets a spin kick, then they almost botch a spot pretty badly before Gabriel hits another couple of kicks before adding a splash in the corner and a springboard cross-body for two. They exchange strikes, then reversals leading to an inverted DDT by Dallas for two. Dallas goes for a double-arm DDT, but Gabriel counters into a Northern Lights suplex (mis-called a Fisherman by Albert) for two. Dallas avoids a springboard moonsault, but Gabriel promptly gets a small package for two. Dallas kicks Gabriel's knee out from under his knee, and finishes with a double-arm DDT. Not like Drew McIntyre has any opportunities to use it.

*1/4 Yeah, this was a pretty bad main event. I haven't seen too much of Bo, but I know a few people who have watched NXT religiously who are not big on his ring work.

-FINAL THOUGHTS: This was definitely the worst episode of NXT since the Network launch. The roster is paper thin right now and is only going to get more so when Bo, Paige, and Rose all leave. This show really needs Sami Zayn to provide a good match every week.