Oh, and no matter what WWE might want you to think, C.M. Punk still exists, and no amount of ignoring the chants will change that.
Down in NXT Land, the BFFs proved their true colors in a six-Divas tag match against Emma, Natalya, and Bayley, BIG CASS clashed with the Artiste, CJ Parker has a smaller carbon footprint than you, and things got creepy as the Wyatt Family made a return.
NXT is building their way up to their big debut on the WWE Network, which this week was finally confirmed as being called "NXT Arrival." The Live Special is shaping up to be a big deal, as they're loading it up with matches that fans have been clamoring for for weeks.
I'm a bit torn on having Triple H acting as the authority figure (but not The Authority figure) making these matches. On the one hand, the NXT fanbase is informed enough to know that Triple H is overseeing the developmental program, but on the other, NXT is supposed to have a General Manager to make these matches. It used to be Dusty Rhodes, until he was "fired" as part of The Authority angle on the main roster when Cody Rhodes and Goldust both lost their jobs as well. He was replaced by JBL, who was mostly around long enough to screw Sami Zayn out of a title victory, and then put him on the sidelines for a few weeks for perceived insubordination.
Since Sami was reinstated, however, JBL has been absent from NXT, and now we have Triple H booking "Arrival." I hope that, after the Live Special, we get some sort of answer about the NXT GM situation, if only to clear up the dangling plot thread.
NXT Stars Making Good
Alexander Rusev is still getting promotional vignettes on Raw and Smackdown, and Lana is now starting to become a little more palatable as a manager for him. Granted, I'll have to reserve final judgment on that until I see how she does at ringside with him on the main roster. Ditto on Rusev, for that matter; he's developed well enough on NXT, although I still think he's unpolished, but how well someone does on NXT is no guarantee of success on the main roster.
Emma continues to associate with Santino as she's rekindled her feud with NXT rival Summer Rae. From the looks of things, we may be seeing an intergender tag match between Santino & Emma and Fandango & Summer soon, but it will most likely end up on Main Event. If it does end up on Raw, it'll be cut for the Hulu Plus replay. Somewhat disappointingly, I've been seeing comments and criticisms from WWE fans about Emma, thinking her dance is stupid and the gimmick is dumb. A lot of the criticisms seem to stem from the fact that Emma was called up before Paige, which is somewhat valid, but one must remember that Paige is still recovering from an injury.
This week's commentary trio was Tom Phillips, as bland and inoffensive as always, Alex Riley, less terrible than usual, and William Regal, always a treasure. They were joined at the top of the show by Renee Young for the women's tag match, as per usual.
There's not a whole lot to say about the commentary, though, to be honest. Riley isn't great at color commentary, but he wasn't terrible this week either. They did play up the proximity of this week's episode to Valentine's Day, with the typical Regal-Renee flirting going on. Regal is always being a casual old lech when the ladies are around, but Renee is easy-going enough to play along with it. They were also talking about "crushes" during the show, with Riley calling Emma his crush. He even quipped, "If we got married, I'd even take her last name." That was spun into Regal's "crush" Aiden English during his match, as Regal played up his indignation that anyone would lay hands on him.
Where Regal came invaluable, however, was during the Sami/Cesaro confrontation, but I'll address that later.
Match #1: Natalya, Emma, Bayley vs The BFFs (w/ Charlotte) & Alicia Fox
Last week, Emma made her return to NXT competition after several weeks' absence due to injury, and picked up a victory over former Divas Champion Fox. The BFFs soon made a sneak attack after the match, and were subsequently run off by Natalya & Bayley. This match was the natural extension of that altercation.
We were told that Alicia Fox approached the BFFs and asked to join them, and that this match is a part of her initiation into the group. During the match itself, there was a definite "show-off" style to some of Fox's moves, which Renee Young said was down to Fox trying to impress Summer Rae. What else the initiation would entail wasn't elaborated on, as even Renee wasn't sure what the process had in store, comparing it to an Illuminati or Freemason-style secret.
There was some humor at first, as the BFFs were quick to retreat from Natalya, who had the definitive strength advantage. When Emma tagged her in near the start of the match, Summer Rae immediately ran across the ring to tag in Sasha Banks, who yelled at Natalya, shoved her, then ran away as well. Ultimately, however, Bayley was the lady-in-peril, as she was soon isolated by the heel ladies, who kept wearing her down and bullying her around.
They do seem to be building up Bayley as having deceptive strength, as there was a moment when Sasha had her in a front facelock, and was powered up off her feet for a few moments. Alicia Fox was put over as a significant threat in her own right, as commentary made sure to mention her prior Divas Championship reign, as well as her physique-- very little fat, and built like an Olympic sprinter. William Regal even called her his favorite, in terms of wrestling ability. (This struck me as a little disingenuous, since Natalya was right there, and I'm sorry, but the Hart Dungeon will always trump OVW training in terms of wrestling ability.)
Eventually Bayley fought her way up and hit a snap suplex on Summer to set up the hot tag. Emma came in on fire on Fox, cleaning house on her and then knocking the BFFs to the floor as well before turning around into a boot from Fox. She then went to tag out to one of the BFFs, but they promptly abandoned her, with Summer yelling "Forget you!" and Charlotte offering a sarcastic "Sorry!" Emma quickly tripped Fox up and tied her into the Emma Lock for the tap-out victory.
This was a solid win for the face ladies, but at the same time, the BFFs can claim a moral victory of their own, since none of their members was the one pinned or made to submit. Charlotte still isn't competing for some reason, but she's at least doing a great job at ringside, sarcastically applauding shows of spirit by the faces (especially Bayley) and otherwise looking like she's "too cool for school" and acting smugly superior.
Match #2: Aiden English vs Colin Cassady
The English/Cass rivalry got started back on NXT 200, when Enzo Amore & BIG CASS interrupted the Artiste's vocal exercises and made fun of his singing. This led to a sing-off between Cassady and English, in which Big Cass shocked the world with his own vocal talents. English, furious at being shown up at his own game, clipped his leg and beat him down, and they've been trading shots over the past several weeks. Cassady insulted English for his cheap shots, English responded by threatening the wheelchair-bound Enzo, which cost Cass a match. Cass responded by swiping English's beret during a match, costing English the match in return. This match was an academic follow-up to that.
We got another one of the Artiste's trademark singing entrances, this time singing a tune that brings to mind Captain Hammer's "Everyone's a Hero" from Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.
Everyone's an artist in their own way
Everyone's got something they can sing
At least you all can try,
But I'm the only guy who's in that ring.
Everyone's an artist in their own way
But I'm the only one who gets to sing
And I'm the only one that does it in... W.W.E.
BIG CASS was using his power and reach to his advantage, muscling English into a corner, then another, catching a kick and dragging him around the ring before punching him in the face. Cass definitely has a good grasp of keeping the crowd engaged in the match as well, as he showboated quite a lot, yelling out "How you doin'!?" while holding English up for a body slam, and similar taunts. For his part, English has a crispness and tautness to his offense that makes it look that much more convincing or devastating, and wasn't above showboating himself at times.
Down the home stretch, Cass shot him into the ropes for a big boot, but English ducked ("Ha ha!") before getting caught on a crossbody attempt. Cass taunted him again, apparently getting ready for a spin-out side slam, but English landed on his feet, kicked out his leg, then connected with the Director's Cut for the win.
I'm a bit puzzled why Cassady and Amore aren't getting more victories. They're far and away one of the most popular tandems in NXT, but they haven't had a legitimate win in months. It would be one thing if they were positioned as heels, but they turned them face a few months back, and they haven't won a single match since they moved on from the LeFort's Legionnaires feud.
It's almost guaranteed we'll see Enzo Amore & BIG CASS in some form on "NXT Arrival." A lot of new fans are likely to tune in to the Live Special, and introducing them to the "Realest Guys in Da Room" is sure to make them a big deal, fairly quick.
In-ring Promo: Sami Zayn & Antonio Cesaro
This is a rivalry that has been in effect for almost a year. In May 2013, Sami Zayn debuted in NXT with little televised fanfare. This didn't matter too much, because the NXT Crowd knew who he was before he was signed by WWE: indie wrestling superstar El Generico. Zayn's debut night, he defeated Curt Hawkins in one match, and then answered an open challenge from Antonio Cesaro, who was looking for competition of his own. To everyone's shock, Zayn picked up an upset win over Cesaro. The rivalry continued over several months, culminating in a 2-out-of-3 Falls match that was voted Match of the Year for 2013 in NXT, and many think across the entire WWE. While Zayn fought hard in that match, Cesaro pulled out the ultimate victory in it, establishing him as NXT's "ultimate competitor," a moniker that was cemented in NXT's last show of 2013, when he defeated William Regal.
A few weeks ago, Zayn came out after one of Cesaro's matches, stating that he wanted one more match against Cesaro, who quite bluntly turned him down. Zayn, who is known for not going away when he wants something, simply said he was going to call him out again.
Sami Zayn was greeted with a huge cheer and "Olé!" chants from the crowd, a nod to his old indie persona. He said that he's not proud to say that he's lost sleep over his loss in that 2-out-of-3 Falls match, obsessing over the details, trying to pick out where he went wrong. His career has always been about moving forward, not getting stuck in one place, but now he's stuck in a moment, stuck trying to figure out where he went wrong. At this point, Cesaro interrupted, asking him to stop, because it's starting to sound pathetic. "There was never a moment... there was nothing you could have done that would have made any difference whatsoever. That match was always mine to win. Just get over it. I'm better than you."
Cesaro continued, saying Sami is driving himself crazy, obsessing over this match. The NXT Crowd started chanting "One more time!" which just got Cesaro to say, "Let me finish." "Couple of facts for you: I am better than you. That doesn't mean you won't have a great career. You'll have a great career... down here. You can beat any competitor you want, you just can't beat me. Let me give you a piece of advice... get over it." He then suggested that Sami should look at their match as like looking into a crystal ball of his entire career: "Close, but no cigar."
Sami thanked "Dr. Cesaro" for the Freudian psychoanalysis. He talked about their history, even before coming to NXT. El Generico and Claudio Castagnoli had had a number of incredible matches around the world, which is one reason why the NXT Crowd are so hyped for this rivalry. Sami said he respects Cesaro, calling him a workhorse, a true competitor. Cesaro is at NXT when he doesn't have to be here, because Cesaro is a true competitor, "You'll fight anyone, anytime, anywhere... and yet, you won't fight me. So why is that?"
Cesaro said he doesn't know why it doesn't get into Sami's head that he's better than him. Sami said he's just asking for one more time, "You prove it to me, you prove it to yourself... you prove what you already knew: Antonio Cesaro is better than Sami Zayn.... or, maybe it won't go down like that, and maybe you're afraid, because you bring out the best in me and I bring out the best in you, and you're afraid that maybe your best isn't enough to beat Sami Zayn one more time."
This got under Cesaro's skin. "My best is not good enough? Let me ask you something: how is that little knee of yours? ...No, I'm asking you, is your knee medically cleared?" Sami assured him, "My knee will be just fine." Cesaro asked him man-to-man, "Give me your word, there will be no excuses when I beat you again." Sami said "You have my word," and offered his hand for the handshake to seal the deal, but the NXT Crowd chanted "Pinkie Promise!" Playing off them, Sami put his pinkie finger out instead. Cesaro looked incredulous at this, and put his pinkie finger out as well, on the verge of sealing the deal, but then said: "My answer... is still no!" and kicked out Sami's bad leg. A smug Cesaro started to leave... when Triple H's music hit.
The COO could barely get a word out before the NXT Crowd started chanting "Best for Business!" Triple H told Cesaro that he may not want the match, but it seems to him like the fans do. ("Yes!" chants answered this.) "More importantly than that, I want to see that match." He said that Sami's knee may not be 100% right now, but he has it on good authority that it will be by February 27th. Triple H made it official for "NXT Arrival"-- Antonio Cesaro will face Sami Zayn, "because that is best for business."
Here is where William Regal paid dividends on commentary. His match with Cesaro two months ago was a hard-fought match that he lost, but his respect for Cesaro's accomplishments and skill has only increased since then. When commentary talked up Sami Zayn's resilience, Regal simply said, "It's not going to matter one iota. Antonio Cesaro is the ultimate competitor." That one line makes it seem like an impossibility that Sami could win, but there's enough doubt there anyway that anyone who's seen the 2-out-of-3 Falls Match is salivating at the prospect of a rematch.
Match #3: Tye Dillinger vs CJ Parker
Tye Dillinger got the jobber entrance, being already in the ring wearing purple speedos. Dillinger may be familiar to some fans as Gavin Spears... but then again, he might not be familiar at all. Dillinger had been stuck in OVW developmental hell under the name Shawn Spears for quite some time before being called up to the main roster as Gavin Spears... and was seemingly brought up exactly long enough to lose a lot and then go away. He was released from his contract, but eventually got picked up again.
I'm not sure why I wasted time typing that up, because it ultimately doesn't matter. Dillinger is enhancement talent, when all is said and done. This didn't stop the NXT Crowd from getting behind him, since his opponent was the Moonchild, CJ Parker, whom the crowd despises. After Parker's entrance, the fans started chanting "Let's Go Tye!" and even "Purple Power" to riff on his speedos. When Dillinger managed a takedown on Parker, the fans even popped.
Parker took control back with a snapmare and a cannonball senton. When he spun Dillinger around with the airplane spin, the crowd went quiet. The Third Eye palm strike was all it took to win the match, but then Parker got his heat back when he called for the microphone.
"Why don't you people love me? Do you know what I do for you? Do you know what I do for our world? I reduce, I reuse, I recycle! You're looking at a guy who scoots around in a fuel efficient 2013 Ford Fiesta that gets 40 miles to the gallon! Because I care about Mother Earth. And you people, you sheeple, you boo me for that. I should be booing you! You're the ones melting my ice caps! You're the ones burning a hole in my ozone! You're cutting down my trees, you're poaching my animals, you're spilling oil all over the place! This world's going down the tubes, and it's the NXT Universe's fault. Because you are incapable of loving, you don't love the Moonchild, you don't love the world, and you don't love yourselves. From this moment forward, the Moonchild don't love you neither!"
This was a great promo from CJ Parker to cement his heel turn, and it was a great promo to really give the fans a reason to hate him. A holier-than-thou modern-day hippie/environmentalist is a good way to twist his character around. It might just salvage him.
Match #4: The Wyatt Family (w/ Bray Wyatt) vs These Guys
The Wyatt Family's return to NXT was hyped throughout the show with a graphic of the Family's faces and their lantern, underscored by their theme, "Live in Fear." Unlike most hype graphics, however, there was no announcer voice-over to accompany it. It made it very creepy, and even commentary was remarking on it, intimating that there's a chill in the air at the notion that the Wyatts are hanging around somewhere.
The NXT Crowd was understandably excited to see the Wyatt Family return. Their entrance stinger got a huge pop, and they were serenaded with "Welcome Back" chants when the lights came back up. These Guys were Jason Jordan and Marcus Louis (pronounced in the French style as "Louie"), who naturally got zero offense in. Louis was the sacrificial lamb, as he got dominated by Luke Harper and Erick Rowan in the Wyatts' corner. Harper tagged himself in and corralled Rowan, pushing him away from the corner, then setting up as if to whip him into Louis' body.
Instead, however, Rowan whipped Harper into These Guys' corner, where he knocked Jordan to the floor, while Rowan barreled into Louis with a huge avalanche body splash, then sent him straight into Harper's discus lariat for the victory. Post-match, Bray Wyatt got out of his rocking chair and called to the crowd, who were doing the 'Wyatt Wave,' and swaying to the music. The Wyatt Family held Jordan up for Wyatt, who delivered Sister Abigail, and then they stacked the bodies on one another as Wyatt got himself a microphone.
"Grown men tremble by the sounds of our footsteps. Souls cry at the mere thought of our presence being felt. This world has been laid victim to all my poisons! We have never forgotten where we came from. NXT has and always will belong to the Wyatt Family. Follow the buzzards!"
A hot little return, and perhaps indicating that the Wyatt Family are returning to NXT for a little while. The idea of the Wyatt Family feuding with the Ascension over the NXT Tag Team Championship is intriguing. But we'll see where things go from here.
A Rundown of NXT Arrival
- Ladder Match - NXT Championship - Bo Dallas defends vs Adrian Neville
- NXT Women's Championship - Paige defends vs Emma
- One More Time - Antonio Cesaro vs Sami Zayn
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