NXT 4/24

-The show opens with Divas/NXT Women's Champion Paige walking backstage, where she runs into NXT GM JBL, who strips her of the NXT title. Paige is miffed at that to begin with, but relents after JBL butters her up a bit.

-Lana opens the show proper by introducing Alexander Rusev.

-Hosts are Rich Brennan, Alex Riley, & Jason Albert

-Match 1: Alexander Rusev (w/Lana) VS Travis Tyler

-Tyler hits a dropkick...and that's it for his offense. Rusev runs through his usual offense, finish with the camel clutch.

-SQUASH The crowd getting behind the poor jobber was pretty funny.

-Adam Rose gets carried into his interview segment. He says Comacho is a boring party pooper.

-Match 2: The BFFS VS Emma & Divas Champion Paige

-The Paige reveal is done during commercial, presumably because she was carrying the NXT title belt when this was taped. Emma turns her back on Sasha, and gets rammed into the turnbuckles for it. She fires right back anyway, including noticing a blind tag to Charlotte, taking care of both heels and hitting Charlotte with a monkey flip. Paige tags in, and the faces hit a double team suplex on Charlotte. Charlotte gets a leglock, but Paige escapes and elbows her in the head, leading to a Flair Flop from Charlotte. Paige gets two, then tags Emma, who promptly cedes control to Charlotte.

Charlotte can't quite pull off landing on her feet after a monkey flip, and she tags Sasha. Sasha gets a Thesz Press, and Emma officially becomes a FIP. Charlotte gets a headscissors and turns it into a Skullfucker. Brennan compares the move to a figure 4, which completely flummoxes Albert. Emma finally turns it into a pin to force a break, but she can't make the tag until scoring with a clothesline. Paige hits Sasha with short-arm clotheslines and goes for the Scorpion Crosslock, but Charlotte hits a vicious low dropkick to break that up. Charlotte takes care of Emma, tags in, and hits her flipping neckbreaker for the upset pin.

**1/2 Decent enough tag formula work. I would be very surprised if Charlotte doesn't win the women's ittle tournament.

-Match 3: Tyson Kidd VS Mason Ryan

-Kidd gets the NXT version of a star entrance, then the announce team immediately talk about how much better his wife is doing than him. Mason Ryan gets ZERO reaction. Remember when he was going to be the next big thing? Kidd uses his speed and kicks at Ryan's legs, but gets caught and sent back into the corner. Ryan hits a slam and a legdrop for two, but Kidd comes back with kicks to get Ryan down. Kidd hits a slingshot legdrop a la Jerry Lynn for two, then goes for a front facelock. Ryan escapes, then counters a slingshot into a gorilla press slam in a cool spot. Kidd counters an avalanche with boots to the face, then finishes with a Blockbuster.

* Not good at all, aside from the one cool counter by Ryan.

-Rene Young interviews Kidd, who considers his comeback a rebirth, and this a good time to be on NXT. Well, he's not winning anything on the main roster, so it probably is a good spot for him.

-Match 4: Angelo Dawkins VS Tyler Breeze

-Dawkins is apparently a wrestling Urkel, which makes me realize that I miss Percy Watson. Dawkins gets a rollup for one, then a waistlock takedown, which pisses Breeze off something fierce. Breeze fires back and hits a kick to the back for two, and accidentally gets called a woman by Brennan. Breeze hits the chinlock, but Dawkins fights out. Breeze hits a kick to the midsection and some mounted punches before finishing with the Beauty Shot spinning heel kick. Yeah, he needs a new finisher.

1/2* The gimmick is there for Breeze. The ring work is not.

-LAST WEEK: Adrian Neville barely survives Brodus Clay in the ring, but gets attacked backstage, and loses some teeth.

-Match 5: NXT Tag Team Champions The Ascension & Corey Graves VS WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos & Sami Zayn

-I did not recognize Graves as Sterling James Keenan until stumbling upon that fact on wikipedia. I do remember the collective "WTF?" reaction on DVDVR when he was signed though. One of the Usos starts with Victor, and hits a chop to the throat to send him down, and Victor tags Graves, so Uso tags Zayn. Graves decides to tag Konnor rather than fight Zayn. Konnor gets Zayn down so Graves tags in, only to get taken down in turn, and Zayn hits some mounted punches to send Graves running again. Zayn catches Victor with a leg lariat, then tags in one of the Usos. The Usos double team Victor, and Jimmy gets a two count. Victor tries ramming the Usos' heads together, which they of course no-sell before dancing and slugging Victor down.

Jey hits a big shoulderblock for two, then tags in Jimmy. Jimmy works the arm, then tags in Zayn for more of the same, then he tags in Jey to keep it going. Jey stops to work the crowd, and gets caught with a huge clothesline and forced into the heel corner. Konnor gets in and works Jey over as Brennan awkwardly calls a replay that isn't actually shown on screen. Konnor hits a flapjack as we go to break.

Back from break, and Jey continues to play FIP, getting worked over by The Ascension. Graves gets in, and hits a front suplex followed by a fistdrop for two.Graves keeps control via a headlock, and Victor tags in. Victor hits some stomps and chops, and wins a strike exchange for two. Jey counters another headlock into a belly-to-back suplex, but Konnor prevents a tag. Jey gets a sunset flip for two, then a desperation punch to the face. Konnor prevents another tag and Victor gets in, but Victor immediately allows the hot tag to Jimmy, who cleans house. Jimmy catches both members of Ascension with Samoan Drops, followed by the ATM on Victor.

Graves tags in and is immediately caught with a small package for two. Zayn tags in, and hits a cross-body off the top for two. Graves blocks the Heluva Kick, but falls victim to Blue Thunder for two. The Usos take care of Ascension, and Zayn hits the Heluva Kick. Jimmy (I think) tags in, as Jey & Zayn hit stereo dives on Ascension, and Jimmy finishes Graves with a big splash off the top.

*** Pretty good tag formula work. I understand an Uso pinning Graves as they had to win here, but you don't want either of The Ascension taking the fall, and they can't let Zayn pin Graves just yet.

-The faces dance to close the show.

-FINAL THOUGHTS: Pretty good show this week, thanks mostly to the main event, and no thanks to the announce team, who were really awful, especially Brennan.  I know there was another taping leading to a future NXT special, so I'm interested in seeing how things shake out over the next few weeks.