BRM Reviews the 2/17/2016 NXT

[Big Red Machine]

CHAD GABLE, JASON JORDAN, COLINS CASSADY & ENZO AMORE vs. SCOTT DAWSON, DASH WYLDER BLAKE, & MURPHY (w/Alexa Bliss!)-
Has Chad Gable always had all of that hair or did he gradually grow it out and I didn’t notice?
Heels work over Gable’s head by hitting it a lot. That spot where Gable got bonked by a heel after the heel had been punched by Cass, thus delaying the hot tag was something I don’t think I’ve ever seen before. Enzo wins up pinning Dawson after a rocket launcher.

Has anyone managed to reasonably explain why WWE puts commercials in the middle of NXT matches on the WWE Network (essentially advertising something we are clearly already paying for)?

DEONNA PURRAZZO PROMO- she started to cut a decent promo but then got interrupted by Dana and Emma, who cut a standard Dana and Emma promo.

DEONNA PURRAZZO vs. ASUKA- 3.5/10
I’m shocked that WWE is still using Purrazzo even though she’s done both ROH TV and TNA PPV recently.

EVA MARIE & NIA JAX PROMO- Nia came off as a million times more natural and believable than Eva did.

We’re getting Bayley & Carmella vs. Eva & Nia next week. That should be oodles of fun.

TYE DILLENGER vs. ALEX RILEY- 3.25/10
I really love what they’re doing with Riley and giving Dillenger a win here not only helps that angle, but makes it mean more every time any other undercard guy gets a roll-up on anyone high enough up on the card to actually be involved in a story.

FINN BALOR PROMO- great!

Anyone else hate the song they’re using for WrestleMania this year? It just doesn’t have the right feel.

CORBIN WANTS REGAL TO PUT HIM IN THE #1 CONTENDERSHIP MATCH- Regal says no, so Corbin makes veiled threats.

We’re getting Jordan & Gable vs. Blake & Murphy next week, which means MORE ALEXA BLISS!
Also, in the graphic, Gable has an absolutely atrocious beard and mustache.

#1 CONTENDERSHIP MATCH: Sami Zayn vs. Samoa Joe- 7.75/10
As soon as Sami fell the way he did, you had to know they were doing the double-pin finish. Regal comes out and decides… nothing. A frustrating ending to an otherwise good episode of NXT.


Also, does anyone know who the ring announcer is?

[cero2k]

#1 CONTENDERSHIP MATCH: Sami Zayn vs. Samoa Joe- 7.75/10
As soon as Sami fell the way he did, you had to know they were doing the double-pin finish. Regal comes out and decides… nothing. A frustrating ending to an otherwise good episode of NXT.

I hated this ending, it killed the whole show for me. Regal NEEDS a clear winner, and the two only men in the promotion with the power of restarting a match are baffled that there is no clear winner. they looked stupid

[Big Red Machine]

#1 CONTENDERSHIP MATCH: Sami Zayn vs. Samoa Joe- 7.75/10
As soon as Sami fell the way he did, you had to know they were doing the double-pin finish. Regal comes out and decides… nothing. A frustrating ending to an otherwise good episode of NXT.

I hated this ending, it killed the whole show for me. Regal NEEDS a clear winner, and the two only men in the promotion with the power of restarting a match are baffled that there is no clear winner. they looked stupid

If I had to guess... this is what happens when you go four months between Takeovers but only want to do big tile defenses at Takeovers. I think a mid-February Takeover show consisting of:
Balor def. Zayn
Joe def. Crews
Dash & Dawson def. Enzo & Cass (gimmick match)
Bayley def. Carmella
Asuka vs. Jax
American Alpha def. Blake & Murphy
(and maybe a Corbin squash?)

would have done their booking a lot of good.

[badnewzxl]

I don't get why you wouldn't just restart the last fall.

Actually, I don't get why they didn't treat the triple threat as if it were a three way dance and have Zayn and Joe fight it out right then.

It makes everyone look boneheaded. Why has no one pointed out the obvious solution: keep fighting til there is a clear winner, dammit!

And fire that ref for Christ's sake!

[Big Red Machine]

I don't get why you wouldn't just restart the last fall.

Actually, I don't get why they didn't treat the triple threat as if it were a three way dance and have Zayn and Joe fight it out right then.

It makes everyone look boneheaded. Why has no one pointed out the obvious solution: keep fighting til there is a clear winner, dammit!

And fire that ref for Christ's sake!

There is no kayfabe reason for it (aside from, potentially "the show is about to end.") The real reason is that it lets them stall for time until the Takeover show which is in April (which, as we've all noted, is getting quite annoying).

[cero2k]

There is no kayfabe reason for it (aside from, potentially "the show is about to end.") The real reason is that it lets them stall for time until the Takeover show which is in April (which, as we've all noted, is getting quite annoying).

if they really wanted to stall, then stall towards the first triple threat and between that and the singles match. And you still have to build Balor vs whoever wins. Or at least make smarter finishes like Corbin attacking both men because Regal won't allow him to get in there again

[Big Red Machine]

Or at least make smarter finishes like Corbin attacking both men because Regal won't allow him to get in there again

I'm actually starting to fear that this is how their next match will end.

[cero2k]

Or at least make smarter finishes like Corbin attacking both men because Regal won't allow him to get in there again

I'm actually starting to fear that this is how their next match will end.

oh god. Smart booking would build to a 2-outof-3 falls match, but if the Corbin thing happens, that means we still have one more week of dumb finish and Regal incompetence

[Big Red Machine]

Or at least make smarter finishes like Corbin attacking both men because Regal won't allow him to get in there again

I'm actually starting to fear that this is how their next match will end.

oh god. Smart booking would build to a 2-outof-3 falls match, but if the Corbin thing happens, that means we still have one more week of dumb finish and Regal incompetence

Well... you could do 2 out of 3 falls and have Corbin attack for a double DQ when it is 1-1, which would lead to a decisive cage match.

[cero2k]

Well... you could do 2 out of 3 falls and have Corbin attack for a double DQ when it is 1-1, which would lead to a decisive cage match.

you somehow managed to make it worse

[Big Red Machine]

Well... you could do 2 out of 3 falls and have Corbin attack for a double DQ when it is 1-1, which would lead to a decisive cage match.

you somehow managed to make it worse

What's bad about a cage match blow-off? It makes perfect sense and it would lead to something NXT has never done before (although I guess that means it should be saved for a Takeover).

[cero2k]

Well... you could do 2 out of 3 falls and have Corbin attack for a double DQ when it is 1-1, which would lead to a decisive cage match.

you somehow managed to make it worse

What's bad about a cage match blow-off? It makes perfect sense and it would lead to something NXT has never done before (although I guess that means it should be saved for a Takeover).

well, to start off i don't really like the idea of NXT doing cage matches, i just don't like cage matches anymore. And i think it's waaay too overkill for just finding a no 1 contender because Regal can't figure out how to restart a match or do a No DQ and ban everyone from ringside. So you're trying to find who the best wrestler is, you can't do it with the match that promotes escaping from that match

[Big Red Machine]

you somehow managed to make it worse

What's bad about a cage match blow-off? It makes perfect sense and it would lead to something NXT has never done before (although I guess that means it should be saved for a Takeover).

well, to start off i don't really like the idea of NXT doing cage matches, i just don't like cage matches anymore. And i think it's waaay too overkill for just finding a no 1 contender because Regal can't figure out how to restart a match or do a No DQ and ban everyone from ringside. So you're trying to find who the best wrestler is, you can't do it with the match that promotes escaping from that match

So just don't mention that the escape finish is an option. Say "this is NXT. The rules of cage matches here are pinfall or submission only." Framing the match is going to be important anyway because you want to stress that the cage is there not so they can grind each other's face into it, but so that Baron Corbin can't interfere, just like back in 1937 with Jack Bloomfeld and Count Petro Rossi (thanks for making me look so smart, Google!), so if you are going to spend a lot of time framing the match anyway, there is no reason you shouldn't have the time to hammer home to people that there will be none of that "run away in order to win" pussy sh*t.

[cero2k]

if you're building towards a cage match, the first ever, it would have been so much better to have that for the Balor vs joe/sami match at Dallas and have Baron attack that build up.

now that i think about it, i don't know why they're doing this whole thing with Sami if they were just going to do Sami/Nakamura anyway. They should have eliminated Sami out of the equation as soon as they spoiled Nakamura, and they should be building Joe vs Crews vs Balor and play the same story with Crews instead of Sami. That way you can have Corbin in a no 1 contendership match at Dallas against whoever else got eliminated between Joe and Crews. You can have Corbin and Crews getting involved with Balor and Joe that would give the cage an excuse

[Big Red Machine]

if you're building towards a cage match, the first ever, it would have been so much better to have that for the Balor vs joe/sami match at Dallas and have Baron attack that build up.

now that i think about it, i don't know why they're doing this whole thing with Sami if they were just going to do Sami/Nakamura anyway. They should have eliminated Sami out of the equation as soon as they spoiled Nakamura, and they should be building Joe vs Crews vs Balor and play the same story with Crews instead of Sami. That way you can have Corbin in a no 1 contendership match at Dallas against whoever else got eliminated between Joe and Crews. You can have Corbin and Crews getting involved with Balor and Joe that would give the cage an excuse

Because that would be a bunch of losses in a row for Crews. Sami being there makes more sense. Also, Sami questing to regain the title is a better story because he's Sami Zayn.

You're right about the cage match idea working better for Joe vs. Balor (assuming Joe is the #1 contender).