There were also two excellent six-man tag-team matches, as Daniel Bryan and the Brothers Rhodes took on the Wyatt Family, and the super-team of Cena, Punk, and Big E Langston took on The Shield.
Down in NXT Land, it was NXT Rewind, as we looked back at the year that was and all the events that happened in NXT. And Santa got my letter, as tonight, we get to see WILLIAM REGAL vs ANTONIO CESARO!!
In between the segments, we went back to Renee Young in an empty NXT Arena. There's not much to say about these segments, because it's just there to string the show together.
A Look Back at the Opening of the WWE Performance CenterTo start with, we got a look back at the opening of WWE's new Performance Center in Florida. It opened back in July and is the centerpiece of their new developmental system alongside NXT. Any WWE talent that wants can make use of the facilities there to improve their work.
It contains several practice rings where the wrestlers can work out the kinks in their style, fine-tune their moves, and get advice from the trainers on what needs improvement. These trainers include Billy Gunn, Joey Mercury, Bill DeMott, and Sara Del Rey. Del Rey, whom I've spoken about several times before, marks the first female trainer specifically to train the female wrestlers. They've even had guest trainers come by, such as former Divas Champion Mickie James and former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Adam Pearce.
Among those practice rings, there is a custom-built "aerial ring" specifically for the high-flyers to hone their craft. Its construction is top secret, but we know that it does have a foot of padding, similar to the crash-pads used by stuntmen in the movies. Kofi Kingston, when he got to try it out, says he was able to do his signature Boom Drop from the top-rope in the aerial ring, which in a normal ring would have hurt his tailbone and spine something terrible.
They can work out in a 5500 square-foot gym to develop their strength and cardio and conditioning. Working with coach Matt Wichlinski, they use a program based on one created by Triple H's own trainer, Joe DeFranco, to get them into the best of shape. They even get guest fitness instructors, like former WWE Diva Eve Torres and none other than Diamond Dallas Page. DDP has been getting a lot of attention on the Internet for his sterling work in promoting his DDP Yoga health system and helping known substance-abuse cases Scott Hall and Jake 'The Snake' Roberts get clean and work on staying clean and in the best shape they've been in years. If DDP is sometimes helping the talent in NXT stay fit, this can only be a good thing.
To help them stay healthy, they have physical therapy and 'pre-hab' rooms on-site where the wrestlers can stretch and work to prevent injuries before they happen. With the equipment and staff on hand, they work as diligently as they can to make sure the future WWE superstars in NXT have as long a career as they can.
To prevent incidents, curb goofing off, and encourage hard work, the Performance Center has live-feed cameras that give real-time feedback to WWE Chairman Vince McMahon and many other executives. This allows them to, at any time, log into the system and see who's putting in the hours to improve. It also keeps potential problem coaches from bullying the talent on site. In a business where embittered veterans have been known to take liberties with the younger wrestlers (I'm looking in your direction, Bob Holly), this is a good step to keep them in line.
This system also has tablets all over the walls that the talent themselves can use to look at all of their work in the Performance Center. They can look specifically at any match or in-ring session they want to look for the bits that need improvement. With these cameras and tablets, they can also work on their characters and promo-cutting ability, with guidance from ring legend and WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes.
All of this means that WWE is putting a strong emphasis on developing their own talent and helping them become the best they can be. With the best facilities, coaches, trainers, and equipment available to them, the WWE's future has never looked brighter from that perspective.
2013's NXT Breakthrough Talent
The next segment that followed highlighted the NXT talent that has broken through to the main roster in 2013. Some of the talent mentioned in this segment-- the Wyatt Family and The Shield-- I will address later, since they get some segments of their own in this week's show.
Fandango was hyped for weeks before he debuted. The former Johnny Curtis had seemingly been handed a gimmick that was a death sentence. A flamboyant, sparkly ballroom dancer? It should never have worked. But Curtis called upon the same natural talent for weirdness that he'd put to use during the interminable 'NXT Redemption' Season 6 and threw himself wholeheartedly into the character. He built up his heat by refusing to compete if the ring announcers mispronounced his name ("It's Fahn... dahn... GO!"), and finally had a decent-to-good debut match at WrestleMania 29. Since then he's become a regular midcard act, known for a little comedy, and still a bit of a joke, but with NXT diva Summer Rae as his dancing partner, he's not going anywhere.
Xavier Woods was formerly known to wrestling fans as That Other Wrestling Company's Consequences Creed, former tag partner of Ron 'The Truth' Killings. He hung around there for a while, where his charisma kept him employed, especially when they used him as straight man to 'Black Machismo' Jay Lethal. When his time in That Company came to an end, he was-- to many fans' surprise-- signed by WWE. His time on NXT was marked by his "stuck in the 90s" character and his funky dance moves. In between his geeky references and on-air segments, he's also working on his PhD in Psychology. Woods was featured heavily in the WWE news when the Performance Center was opened, and finally debuted on Raw alongside his once and future tag partner R-Truth and has been immediately plugged into a feud with Brodus Clay that seems to be leading to the break-up of Tons of Funk.
Damien Sandow was featured in this segment, although I can't really figure out why. He debuted on the main roster in 2012 without spending any time in NXT. His only notable appearance on NXT was in May, when he unsuccessfully challenged for the NXT Championship against none other than...
Big E Langston. Arguably the biggest singles breakout star of NXT this year, Big E debuted at the tail-end of 2012 as the enforcer for AJ Lee and Dolph Ziggler. His looming presence and unique charisma loomed at ringside during their matches for three months before his first WWE match at WrestleMania. Since then, the Dolph/AJ/Big E trio has all gone their separate ways, and now Big E Langston is the Intercontinental Champion, with a huge upside as recent weeks have seen him align himself with CM Punk and John Cena against The Shield, which is pretty much equivalent to strapping a rocket to his back.
A Word From: Big E Langston
And speaking of Big E, we got a promo from him as he talked about the year he had. He went from being just a big guy to the 'Master of the Five-Count,' to the NXT Champion, to debuting on the main roster and wrestling at WrestleMania, and now becoming the Intercontinental Champion. He says he couldn't have made it without the support of the fans and their maniacal five counts, and says this is just the beginning.
Promo: Antonio Cesaro
Hyping up the last NXT main event of 2013, Cesaro said that out of the small number of world-class technical wrestlers, William Regal is the only one he's ever respected. He said Regal's ruthlessness and evil genius was an inspiration to him. He even said that Regal helped him get his job in WWE, and thanked him for that. Despite that, Cesaro says that Regal knew this day would come, "when there's only room for one of us... and that's the younger, stronger, and the far, far better man."
A definitely heelish promo toward the end, but it also showed the immense respect that Cesaro has for Regal. The two did know each other prior to Cesaro's signing with WWE, and much of that same British catch style is present in Cesaro's technical wrestling, and this promo did much to set up the main event.
2013's New NXT Championships in Review
This year saw two new championship titles introduced to NXT. The first was the NXT Tag Team Championship. Introduced by Shawn Michaels, a multi-week tournament was held to crown the first-ever champions. The teams included such one-off pairings as Percy Watson & Yoshi Tatsu and Alex Riley & Derrick Bateman, and main roster appearances by the likes of pre-Matadores Primo & Epico and 3MB's Heath Slater & Drew McIntyre, as well as NXT stand-outs Kassius Ohno & Leo Kruger (unofficially called the 'Cruel & Unusual Connection'), Bo Dallas & Michael McGillicutty, and the two eventual finalist teams, British Ambition (Adrian Neville & Oliver Grey) and the Wyatt Family (Luke Harper & Erick Rowan). We were treated to highlights of the tournament finals between British Ambition and the Wyatt Family, from NXT Episode #154 from January 31, 2013.
Many were disappointed that The Ascension never got a chance to compete in that tournament, but the original incarnation of The Ascension on NXT ceased to be shortly before the titles were announced, as Kenneth Cameron, one-half of the team, was released after getting drunk and punching a cop, leading to his arrest. Viktor didn't join Konnor until months later.
The tournament marked the high point of the NXT tag team division, as many of those teams were never seen again. Percy Watson was virtually never featured on TV, and then only as enhancement talent, until his release in May. Derrick Bateman was in a similar situation, and also released in May. The Ohno/Kruger team quietly broke up almost as soon as it was formed. Dallas & McGillicutty soon went their separate ways as McGillicutty was repackaged into Curtis Axel. Main roster tag team appearances stopped happening.
British Ambition barely got off the ground as champions before Grey tore his ACL and was put on the shelf by the Wyatt Family, leaving Neville forced to find a partner in Corey Graves in order to fight off the threat of the Wyatt Family. The Wyatt Family themselves soon went on to the main roster. This left just Neville & Graves and a newly re-formed Ascension in the tag division. Hunico & Camacho have been popping up more as of late, but with Hunico donning the Sin Cara persona on the main roster, it remains unclear if he'll be able to pull double-duty.
The other new championship title introduced to NXT this year was the NXT Women's Championship. Introduced in the spring by Stephanie McMahon, it, like the tag titles, featured a multi-week tournament to crown the first champion. Featuring most of the named NXT women's wrestlers and some Divas from the main roster, it showcased Tamina Snuka, Alicia Fox, Bayley, Sasha Banks, Summer Rae, Aksana, and the eventual finalists-- Emma and Paige.
The two clashed on NXT Episode #174 from June 20, 2013 in a classic match that saw Paige crowned as the first (and thus far, only) NXT Women's Champion. Their rivalry has continued to simmer throughout the latter half of the year, as the two feuded with the BFFs and have come to blows a couple of times, although the mutual respect they feel has thus far prevented any explosions of animosity.
Interviews: Paige ...and Bo Dallas
Speaking of the NXT Women's Champion, Devon Taylor interviewed Paige, congratulating her on the tournament finals and the title win. Paige addressed it by saying that Emma "will still always be a dancer to me," but did offer her respect, because for all that dancing, she knows some moves in the ring, and gave Paige her hardest-fought victory in NXT. (She still doesn't like Emma, though.)
Paige said that the championship proves that Paige is the best NXT women's wrestler, and she did emphasize the word. But she's looking for more. So she sent a message to "all the Divas, even you, AJ, because sooner rather than later, I will be the most dominant Anti-Diva ever to walk through the WWE. I will make history... as a wrestler."
She left, but Taylor barely had a chance to speak before NXT Champion Bo Dallas sidled up and hijacked some air time. He said he knows she wants to hear about all the hardships he's had to endure this year-- the battle royal to become #1 contender to the title (from Episode #171 on May 29 --J2K), defying all the odds to defeat the undefeated Big E Langston to win the NXT Championship (from Episode #173 on June 12 --J2K)-- but he'd rather talk about all his Bo-lievers, about Bo-lieving in yourself, "but more importantly, in Bo-lieving... in me." Then he ran the highlights of his title win.
The Wyatt Family
One of the two major success stories of NXT from 2013 is the Wyatt Family. Following his exile from CM Punk's Nexus, Husky Harris reinvented himself in FCW, soon becoming the eerie Scripture-quoting swampland messiah Bray Wyatt. His attempts at building momentum for himself in the new NXT were stymied by injuries, but he very quickly rallied and kept himself occupied and in the public eye by introducing NXT to the "sons of the Wyatt Family"-- Luke Harper and Erick Rowan.
With the massive Harper & Rowan doing his bidding, and with his hypnotic speeches, Wyatt earned a massive following in the NXT Crowd despite his unabashed heel nature, and they were quickly turning heads. It wasn't long before they were called up, their characters intact, their main roster debuted by weeks of creepy videos that soon had them described by JBL as "Duck Dynasty meets the Manson Family." Although their debut match against Kane at Summerslam was considered a bit of a dud, Wyatt, Harper, and Rowan have continued to be pushed as an intimidating and dangerous presence, and their recent feuds with CM Punk and Daniel Bryan are clearly meant to elevate them further.
During the show, we were treated to a promo from Wyatt himself, flanked by Harper & Rowan. "This world is defined by the brave men and women who are willing to stand for a cause. Our crusades began at a place called NXT. In our short reign there, I assure you there was not one man, woman, or child who did not recognize the name 'Wyatt.' We reigned like kings. Based all upon one principle: Down With The Machine. We took our efforts to the WWE with that same purpose in mind. We have defiled monsters. We have turned heroes into victims, all for a cause that started in NXT: Down With The Machine."
2013's Rising Talent
This year wasn't just about the talent on NXT that went on to become a success on the main roster. Many new faces debuted in NXT this year, or were pushed to the forefront and have become signature members of the roster.
Aiden English, long described as a thespian, finally got to show off his vocal talents when he repackaged himself as 'The Artiste' and elevated himself out of 'named jobber' status. Coming to the ring while serenading the audience with a song, he showed a knowledge of brawling that befitted his stature and 'strongman' attire. It wasn't long before the NXT Crowd were calling for encores and throwing him roses.
Mojo Rawley had been spoken of in interviews as having a huge amount of energy and a charisma that had some comparing him to a young John Cena. This past autumn, the NXT Universe got to see it first hand. Espousing his motto of "I don't get hyped, I STAY HYPED!", Rawley came barreling onto the scene in hyperdrive and hasn't looked back. His style and promo work are still unpolished and need some work, but the potential is there and he could become a big star.
Bayley somewhat shyly, but enthusiastically, made her big debut in NXT this year as well. Best described as a star-struck and somewhat socially-awkward fangirl, Bayley's bright-eyed innocence caught on with the NXT Crowd. Dishing out hugs of doom and gushing over headbands and robots and unicorns, Bayley is another standout in the developing divas division in NXT, a break from the mold of the majority of the interchangeable main roster Divas.
Tyler Breeze is another case of a 'named jobber' getting repackaged into a more successful character. Originally known as Mike Dalton, it wasn't until he was reinvented into the narcissistic model Tyler Breeze that he became a success. Coming to the ring in fake fur, tasseled boots, and perpetually taking selfies of himself with his iPhone, Tyler Breeze is another gimmick like Fandango that seems like a death sentence. But like Fandango, he's thrown himself entirely into the character. The 'Gorgeous One' rapidly gained a following in the NXT Crowd, to the point where they completely turned against the face-aligned CJ Parker when he dared to feud with him.
Alexander Rusev made his big NXT debut against none other than former World Champion Dolph Ziggler. Ordinarily, a match against a main roster member-- especially a popular one like Ziggler-- is a definite sign that we're about to served some squash. Instead, however, Rusev had a competitive match with the Show-Off, and very quickly became a named wrestler on the show. Briefly aligning himself with Sylvester LeFort's Legionnaires, Rusev briefly feuded with Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady, but then struck out on his own, attacking LeFort and finding new management under the guidance of Russian femme fatale Lana. The Bulgarian Brute has already become a dangerous force with his ending the NXT career of Kassius Ohno, and seems positioned to become a top-level threat on NXT.
Sasha Banks was an up-and-coming women's wrestler on NXT without much characterization. She ended up succumbing to the corruptive influence of Summer Rae, however, and found new confidence and arrogance. Dubbing herself 'The Boss,' she and Summer Rae formed the BFFs (Beautiful Fierce Females) and have been a thorn in the side of the NXT women's division ever since. She is another sign of the high hopes I have for the future of the Divas division, as she's added many little touches to her character and style that have helped her stand out.
Corey Graves had a breakout year in 2013. Switching alignment from heel to face, he spent the early half of the year feuding with the Wyatt Family. Forming allegiances with Kassius Ohno, Adrian Neville, and William Regal, he helped fight them off and captured the NXT Tag Team Championship with Neville. The leader of the 'Filth Parade,' Graves dubbed himself the 'Savior of Misbehavior,' and turned back to the heel side after he and Neville lost the titles to The Ascension in the autumn. With his hard-nosed style and submissions skills, Graves seems poised to make a splash in 2014.
The biggest NXT debut of the year, however, would have to be Sami Zayn. Formerly the independent wrestler El Generico, Sami debuted maskless and with a generic (ha) nice-guy character. On his first night, however, he wrestled twice, first against Curt Hawkins, and then answering a challenge from Antonio Cesaro and actually scoring the upset win. This led to a classic feud between Sami and Cesaro which culminated in an epic 2-out-of-3 Falls match that has been called the Match of the Year. From there, Sami started gunning for the NXT Championship, and still has his sights set on the title despite the roadblocks put in his way. The fans are solidly behind him, and it's clear that NXT sees big things in his future as well. With Sami's energetic style and open charisma, he has all the tools to become a big star.
2013's Veteran Visits and Legend Look-ins
Many WWE superstars and Legends and Hall of Famers stopped by NXT in the past year. Many of them were just one-off appearances, but they are always treated as a big deal when they happen. Fandango made an appearance in an intergender tag-team match with Summer Rae to take on Emma and Santino that remains one of the best comedy matches that WWE has seen in a long time.
The following people dropped by this year: Damien Sandow, Christian, the Bella Twins, Fandango, Santino, Paul Heyman, Mark Henry, Dolph Ziggler, John Cena, The Big Show, Sheamus, Rob Van Dam with Ricardo Rodriguez, Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, AJ Lee, Ric Flair, and Shawn Michaels.
Promo: William Regal
To hype up the main event, William Regal said that he's in the "late autumn" of his 30-year career, and lately he's been pondering on the legacy he's leaving behind him. "What's it all been about?" He's a vicious, sadistic, and spiteful fighter. He's been a unique entertainer. He said he's never achieved what he's always dreamed-- which was to become the World Champion. "But that's my fault, because I have a wonderful knack for getting myself into a lot of trouble." "To people who know, I've always been a second-to-none world-class technical wrestler. That is, until Antonio Cesaro came along." He knows that even on his best day, Cesaro's ten times the man he's ever been, and that's what this is all about. Cesaro wants to prove it, and Regal commends him for it. "I'm going into this match knowing the only chance I've got of surviving-- let alone winning-- is a miracle," and that a man like him doesn't get one. But Regal is relishing this, regardless of that fact. "I'm going to fight with every drop of bile and venom that I've got! And if this is the end-- I honestly can't think of a more noble way to go, than being beat by the ultimate competitor."
Another excellent promo from a man who is underrated in his promo work. William Regal is, in my mind, the best wrestler alive to never hold a world championship. That he's never held it is, as he said, his own fault for getting himself into trouble with his substance abuse problems. He does know, however, how to put over an opponent as a significant threat, but never letting us forget for a moment that he's an old monster himself. For an old warrior like Regal, going down to a better man is the best 'ending' he can get.
A Word on, and from, The Shield
The end of 2012 saw a new force arrive in the WWE: the mercenary group known as The Shield. Debuting by attacking The Ryback and preventing him from defeating CM Punk to win the WWE Championship, The Shield very quickly established themselves as a major threat, interfering in title matches and defeating all-comers. For nearly nine months, they went undefeated as a unit, and even now, they are still a force to be reckoned with as a team that is absolutely greater than the sum of its parts.
Dean Ambrose was originally known to indie wrestling fans as Jon Moxley, a violent deranged madman, the product of negligent middle-class America. He's a former CZW World Heavyweight Champion and former FIP World Heavyweight Champion. He made waves in FCW with his rivalry with future Shield-mate Seth Rollins over the FCW 15 Championship, but the thing that got everyone to pay attention was his feud with William Regal. Picking a fight with the veteran by attacking him, he awakened the dormant viciousness in Regal and had a star-making match with him. Many were wondering why he was absent from the rebranded NXT, but his work in The Shield has silenced those critics. Still showing some of his unhinged nature in his mannerisms, Ambrose's long United States Championship reign seems to suggest that he might be tapped to be a star when and if The Shield breaks up.
Seth Rollins was best known to indie fans as Tyler Black, a former ROH World Champion and multi-time tag team champion on the indie circuit. Like Ambrose, he made waves in FCW by winning every accolade that it had. His energetic style and high-flying talent, coupled with deceptive power and ferocious striking, made him a hit with fans in FCW and NXT. Many were surprised when he switched alignment from face to heel to debut as part of The Shield, but all critics were silenced as The Shield had one of the most dominant year-ones in recent WWE history. Some are concerned that, when and if The Shield breaks up, Rollins will be the one who falls by the wayside. I think, however, that he'll land on his feet and he'll still be a superstar that fans will start to get behind.
Roman Reigns was the big man that most critics assumed would flounder. Formerly known as Leakee (pronounced 'Lay-ah-key') in FCW, he was seen as green and underwhelming in the ring, lacking that elusive 'it factor' that would make up for his deficiencies. To many people's surprise, as part of The Shield, he improved by leaps and bounds, showing an intimidating presence in the ring, shifting seamlessly from silent threat to bellowing brute force. More recently, it's clear that WWE sees big things in his future, as he's been featured more as the breakout star, with his dominant performance at Survivor Series this year, where he single-handedly won the match by eliminating four out of five of the opposing team with his fearsome Spear.
There are signs that the association in The Shield has worked out for all three men. Ambrose and Rollins have shown signs of better physical development, perhaps a result of hitting the gym with Reigns more often. Rollins has become a great trash-talker, clearly some of Ambrose's influence. But Reigns is the one with the most overall improvement, learning from two great wrestlers and becoming the man you want to watch the most.
Before we went into the next big segment about the Match of the Year, The Shield hijacked the broadcast. They said they proved to be the most dominant unit in the WWE, but also the most destructive one. They said they built NXT, and in becoming a success in WWE, they've paved the way... for their next victims.
It was a quick little promo that just served to remind viewers where The Shield came from, and perhaps imply that the next 'dominant unit' could emerge from NXT.
The Match of the Year
I mentioned this before in this blog, and in previous entries. Antonio Cesaro and Sami Zayn developed a quick, but intense rivalry when Sami debuted on May 22 (Episode #170) and scored an upset win over Cesaro. Cesaro got the better of Sami in the return match the following month, and the rivalry continued over the next two months until August 21, 2013, on NXT Episode #183.
On that show, the 'Real American' Antonio Cesaro and the French-Syrian-Canadian sensation Sami Zayn tore the house down. Competing in a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match, two men that knew each other very well from the independent circuits got a chance to show off and put on an epic spectacle. Within moments of the match's end, the fans in attendance were already chanting "Match of the Year." WWE personnel sat up and took notice, with many agreeing with the sentiment. Even Michael Cole has called it "the best match I've seen this year."
On this episode, we were treated to highlights of the match, but I won't go into any more detail here. It really is a match that has to be seen. People have put the episode up on YouTube and Dailymotion, I'm sure, but with NXT available for free on Hulu, I simply urge you to go there and look it up. You'll thank me.
Interview: Sami Zayn
Following the highlight clip, Devon Taylor asked Sami about what it was like to compete against Antonio Cesaro. Sami said it was very difficult. "He's a beast." "I came into NXT with a lot to prove," Sami said, and said it's a big deal for that match to be called a Match of the Year, even if he didn't win. Sami's focus now is the NXT Championship and Bo Dallas, but he currently has to deal with this roadblock called Leo Kruger. "And with this talk of 2-out-of-3 falls, that's got me thinking." So Sami Zayn then challenged Leo Kruger to a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match to kick off the New Year next week.
Now, Leo Kruger is not Antonio Cesaro. Cesaro is one of the best all-around competitors in WWE right now. Kruger isn't quite in the same league. But Sami Zayn is. I think that match could be an early track contender for NXT's 2014 Match of the Year. We'll see next week.
Main Event: Antonio Cesaro vs William Regal
Rather than have the entire episode be comprised of clips and filler, NXT did right by the fans (or 'We, The People,' if you like) by giving us this match to close out 2013. Commentary was filled by Tensai, Tom Phillips, and Byron Saxton, who briefly spoke before the match began. He said it was personal for him, and as far as he's concerned, Cesaro is a glorified bully, and that he hopes he gets what he deserves. Tensai said that this match could be a Match of the Year contender itself.
To add just a touch more importance and class to the match, Howard Finkel even provided the ring announcing. The match was all technical wrestling, with very little striking until the home stretch, and even then, they made every strike meaningful, rather than just whale away at each other. The story in this match was the age-old "youth and skill versus age and trickery." Cesaro was unquestionably the stronger competitor, and used that strength to gain leverage and keep the advantage when he had it, but Regal's experience and surprising agility for a wrestler of his age and weight allowed him to take back control at times.
Commentary was always talking up Regal's mind. They pointed out how you can see in his eyes that he's calculating, concocting plans to hurt his opponents in unique ways. Tensai said that every part of Regal's body is a weapon to be used, and that it may factor into the match. The fans were clearly enthused to see one of Regal's rare in-ring appearances, and chanted "You Still Got It" to remind him that he doesn't have to hang up the boots just yet.
Among the many displays of Cesaro's strength, he bridged up when Regal took him down with a cravate, and when the British veteran transitioned to a dragon sleeper with Cesaro on his knees, Cesaro just powered him up and over his shoulders to the mat. All these displays of technical skill and impressive strength and agility led to an emphatic and absolutely true chant of "This Is Wrestling!" from the NXT Crowd.
The story of the match was told through Cesaro's attacking Regal's left knee. The knee, which had a brace on it, was the target of the Swiss strongman's offense, and it spelled the end of most of Regal's offense. Regal still showed some fight when he went down, but Cesaro kept going after it, ignoring Regal's attempts at clawing his way free of holds, exposing the knee to do more damage. Probably the most painful hold that Cesaro applied would have to be a Stretch Muffler, stretching Regal's bad leg across his shoulders and then lifting him off the mat, forcing that bad leg to bear all the weight of his dangling body.
From there, Regal started getting crafty. He floated around when Cesaro went for the leg again, making several roll-ups and pin attempts, until finally Cesaro ran straight into an elbow. The striking started up as Regal dished out some European uppercuts, only for Cesaro to return fire with ten of his own. Cesaro put Regal into the Cesaro Swing, but then instead of going for the Neutralizer, he decided to taunt and mock Regal, which came back to bite him.
Regal fought out of the Neutralizer and then took out Cesaro's left arm with a nasty twist move. Cesaro shoved him back in the corner and went for his charging European uppercut, only for Regal to kick out and take out Cesaro's right arm as well. Regal took control with an Exploder Suplex, and then started to line Cesaro up for the Knee Trembler, only for his leg to give out long enough for Cesaro to catch Regal with a headbutt. Cesaro lined up for another, only to get kicked square in the head. Regal started to look for a butterfly suplex, only for Cesaro to power up and carry Regal's weight on his back and then bridge into a pin, but Regal escaped and started setting up for the Regal Stretch, only for Cesaro to worm his way to the ropes.
The endgame kicked in when Regal walked right into a picture-perfect dropkick right to the face. Cesaro then started working feeling back into his arms before hitting a big double-stomp to the back of Regal's head! At this point, Regal more or less stopped moving. The referee kept checking on him, and Cesaro seemed reluctant to capitalize. When he did pull Regal up for a Neutralizer, he hesitated and let him drop, only for Regal to claw and climb his way up enough for Cesaro to finally heft him up for the Neutralizer and the three count. After the victory, Cesaro continued to look conflicted.
Regal was helped to his feet and assisted up the ramp by officials, but Cesaro stopped them at the top of the ramp. There was a brief staredown between the two men, before Cesaro offered his hand and shook the hand of the valiant veteran. That was your final shot for NXT in 2013-- sportsmanship and respect.
Next week: We kick off NXT 2014 with a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match between Sami Zayn and Leo Kruger.
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