BRM Reviews the 12/18/2013 NXT

[Big Red Machine]

TRIPLE H PROMO- he puts over NXT and all of the guys who have come through there: Cesaro, The Shield, the Wyatts, Big E... then he thanks everyone for two-hundred great episodes of NXT.

SAMI ZAYN & TYSON KIDD vs. LEO KRUGER & ANTONIO CESARO- 6.25/10

EMMA & NATALYA BACKSTAGE- Nattie is apparently watching a Tyson's match... the same match which we just saw end. These girls did the best they could with the premise and scripting they were given, but I don't like the direction. Emma seems to be the heel here, and that would be a huge mistake.

PAIGE vs. SASHA BANKS (w/Summer Rae)- 3/10
I didn't think Paige got enough offense in before putting Sasha Banks down, and as a result, it made Sasha look bad.

ENZO AMORE, COLIN CASSIDY, & AIDEN ENGLISH BACKSTAGE- amusing. More importantly, though... WHAT THE F*CK IS UP WITH ENZO'S HAIR? Is he part leopard or something?

THE ASCENSION vs. THE AMERICAN WOLVES PITBULLS (Derek Billington & John Cahill)- 4.5/10
Cool attire for the Pitbulls. It looks the American flag has been carved into their back by wo... um... pitbull claws (Pitbulls have claws, right?). I can't wait to see Billington climb the turnbuckle and howl like a... pitbull.
The "Billington" last name has to be a Dynamite Kid reference... by which I mean it is a rib on Davey for being short.
Tensai says that he has been in the ring with them "in the Orient." I guess he's been hanging out with Mike Tenay, because I can't think of anyone else who still says "the Orient."
Anyway, this was great for a five minute match. The Wolves definitely got over here.

POST-MATCH SEGMENT- Hunico and Camacho came out to have a staredown with the Ascension, so the Ascension send them a message by hitting Cahill with the Fall of Man. This would have worked a lot better if the Ascension hadn't just succcessfully defended the title against Hunico and Camacho last week.

DEVIN TAYLOR INTERVIEWS KOFI KINGSTON- Lana shows up and tells him that "Alexander Rusev vants to CRUSH you next week." Kofi accepts the challenge. A good segment.

LUMBERJACK MATCH FOR THE NXT TITLE: Bo Dallas(c) vs. Adrian Neville- 6.5/10
I don't think I recognized any of the lumberjacks aside from Tyler Breeze. The stuff with Neville and Breeze was perfect. Bo's reaction when he saw Neville about to dive onto him (and all of the lumberjacks) was FANTASTIC!

A good 200th episode for NXT.

[cero2k]

ENZO AMORE, COLIN CASSIDY, & AIDEN ENGLISH BACKSTAGE- amusing. More importantly, though... WHAT THE F*CK IS UP WITH ENZO'S HAIR? Is he part leopard or something?

yes, and it's beautiful. i'm just happy that even with the broken whatever he broke, he's still out there with his awesomeness.

LUMBERJACK MATCH FOR THE NXT TITLE: Bo Dallas(c) vs. Adrian Neville- 6.5/10
I don't think I recognized any of the lumberjacks aside from Tyler Breeze. The stuff with Neville and Breeze was perfect. Bo's reaction when he saw Neville about to dive onto him (and all of the lumberjacks) was FANTASTIC!

mostly bunch of guys without a gimmick yet, but something i did noticed that really really bugged me was that Oliver Grey (as in former PAC tag team and former NXT tag champ) was between them and no reference, no interaction with PAC, no nothing. Oliver's return should be a bit more meaningful, i mean, he never really lost the titles, he should be mad at PAC for losing them.

it's the only thing i hate about NXT, things tend to change without having to explain anything. Kruger is testing a new gimmick in house shows, and i'm sure he'll just debut it without explanation. People just come and go and since they're 'testing waters' they don't explain shit.