NXT Results: 3/23/10 - Week 5, Rookies Team Up

Heath Slater Remains Undefeated

Next week, the pros will have the first official vote which will weigh in on Win/Loss record; Strength; Work Ethic; and "It" factor. Therefore, in week 5, the Rookies teamed up in 2 tag team main events. Heath Slater (3-0) teamed with Justin Gabriel (2-1) to take on the team of Skip Sheffield (0-2) and Wade Barrett (2-1).

In the standings now, Heath Slater is undefeated, having pinned Pro Carlito in week 3 to really escalate him in the ranks. However, Skip Sheffield is an example of what happens when you cannot get along with your mentor. Unlike Daniel Bryan and Darren Young who don't nessearrily need their mentors to succeed, Skip is possibly at the bottom of the ranks when it comes to all four ranking criterias.

Wade Barrett, who is impressive in strength, work ethic, and has that "it" factor, evened his win/loss score with another loss, because he accidently kicked his tag partner in the face, thus allowing Heath Slater to pick up the win.

The win/loss records are: Heath Slater (4-0); Justin Gabriel (3-1); Wade Barrett (2-2); and Skip Sheffield (0-3).

Daniel Bryan is the Best Loser

In the main event, David Otunga (2-1) teams with Darren Young (2-1) against Daniel Bryan (0-4) and Michael Tarver (1-1).

Otunga and Young are evenly matched when it comes to win/loss records unlike Daniel Bryan who hasn't won a single match since coming to NXT. Yet again, wins and losses are not going to be the only criteria when it comes to ranking these rookies. On his first day, Daniel Bryan went one on one with The World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho; and last week he took on The Great Khali. Daniel Bryan's ability to take on current and former World Champions speaks a lot about his work ethic, experience, and the overall "it" factor to one day main event WrestleMania.

David Otunga, a carbon copy of Ezekiel Jackson, which includes the same uranage finisher, has become known as the A-lister. Obviously a reference to his celebrity status, which in the WWE could mean everything. If WWE were to sign Otunga, then perhaps the ratings would boost, especially if assigned to RAW along with the Celebrity Guest Hosts angle. But what happens when it is time to release him?

When Michael Cole compared Daniel Bryan's plain personality along with the plain red trunks against the celeb status of Otunga, there was an indication of what WWE may be about nowadays. Does the fact that Daniel Bryan was trained by Shawn Michaels mean anything? How about being mentored by William Regal at the start of his 10-year indie wrestling career? Somewhere down this terrible mainstream road that WWE has undertaken, wrestling ability must stand for something.

As for his tag partner for the night, Mr. 1.9 is oblivious for the most part as his short temper towards Luke Gallows cost Daniel Bryan a tag, thus allowing Otunga to get the Uranage victory. Yet, Michael Tarver isn't all bad, since during his first dispute with Gallows, he side stepped a sneak attack attempt by Darren Young and managed to get the upper hand.

Darren Young, with his Dragon Ball Z hair style, has yet to gain the respect from his mentor C.M. Punk. But that has not stopped him from amounted victories. C.M. Punk's refusal to acknowledge his rookie just makes Young work that much harder to impress his mentor. Which is what Skip Sheffield should be doing instead of apologizing.

The win/loss records are: David Otunga (3-1); Darren Young (3-1); Daniel Bryan (0-5); and Michael Tarver (1-2).

Who will come out on top next week as the Pros have their first vote, ranking the rookies thus far.

NXT Results: 3/16/10 - Week 4, Competition Picks Up

Justin Gabriel and Matt Hardy vs. Darren Young and C.M. Punk

In week 4 of the NXT competition to crown the next break out star, we learn that the pros will be conducting the first round of votes in two weeks. Yet, we still do not know what that means exactly. Will someone be voted off NXT? And if that person is voted off, what of their pro? Will he get a new rookie, or return back to the locker rooms?

The opening contest was a tag team match pitting team Hardy against Team Straightedge. Matt Hardy, or sensi, having his rookie sport the new Matt Hardy t-shirt, is not really teaching Justin to be a star. Because the things Justin does in the ring are exactly what made Evan Bourne popular in ECW, before the reality sank in that there is no cruiserweight division in the WWE. If Justin looks to make an impact, he'll have to prove why the fans should pay to see him.

C.M. Punk not exactly liking his rookie, but throughout the course of the match treated him with respect. Darren Young, not at all certain how to get on his mentor's good graces, is becoming more aggressive in the ring.

The match ended with C.M. Punk striking Hardy with the GTS (while the referee was distracted) and Darren Young scoring the pinfall. However, Young did not enjoy his victory because Luke Gallows rewarded him with a Gallows Pole Drop.

Daniel Bryan vs. Khali

What started out as an initial joke between me and my friend came to fruition in week four of NXT. My friend, who has been following Bryan Danielson's career for a long time, stated that he is one of the best wrestlers in the world and could work with anyone. My joke was if he could work a great match with The Great Khali? No one can, is how he responded.

The Great Khali, exhibitiing no wrestling ability whatsoever, defeated the self proclaimed Best Wrestler in the World. Bryan Danielson proved the bible wrong, sometimes David cannot slay Giloath.

And if Daniel Bryan losing to the worst "pro-wrestler" in the WWE wasn't bad enough, then being chokeslammed by The Big Show (sent by Miz) is just a perfect end to a bad say.

Heath Slater vs. Michael Tarver

Heath Slater is coming off with some momentum as he pinned NXT Pro Carlito last week in a one on one contest, but could he outlast Mr. 1.9 Michael Tarver?

Heath managed to provide some interesting offense when he connected with a corkscrew to the outside of the ring. Tarver attempted to ground him, but Heath managed to roll him up for the victory.

Yet don't let the loss fool you, because Michael Tarver attacked Heath from behind and layed him out with a T-Bone suplex.

Wade Barrett vs. Skip Sheffield

Losing his match last week to Justin Gabriel, Wade Barrett is currently 1-1. While Skip Sheffield is on a losing streak because he fails to shut up and listen to his mentor William Regal.

Chris Jericho, on the other hand, loves his rookie because Wade Barrett is a majestic destroyer. And this match was just a sampling of what Wade Barrett is capable of as he struck with an overhead bodyslam.

WWEStrikesBack Picks: Wade Barrett Stays; Skip Sheffield Goes.

NXT Results: 3/9/10 - Week 3, Just Beginning

Daniel Bryan's Mizerable Losing Streak
David Otunga and R-Truth vs. Daniel Bryan and The Miz

After suffering his first loss at the hands of Darren Young, David Otunga has lost faith in his mentor (R-Truth) without taking the time to realize that C.M. Punk was the cause of the upset. Yet, this week, the two worked as a cohesive unit as they capitalized on the ever growing split between Miz and Daniel Bryan.

As for those two, Miz had a pet talk with Daniel Bryan on his 0-2 losing streak. He also noted that if Bryan was pinned in this tag team match, that he would see to it personally that his dreams of being a superstar would be over.

Daniel Bryan was on the verge of submitting Otunga with a fierce heel hook, but Miz tagged himself in and ultimately lost the match. So in turn, did Miz let Daniel Bryan down? And how much does it say for one half of the Unified Tag Team Champions to lose this match?

The One Man Rock Band is no Bad Apple
Heath Slater w/Christian vs. Carlito w/Michael Tarver

Last week, Heath Slater was spit in the face by Carlito. And Carlito made it known that Slater should be thanking him for getting spit at. Doesn't make much sense at first because who wants to be spit at? But if Heath did not get spit at then he would never have had the chance to prove himself against a Pro.

Heath unleashed some massive right hands at the start of the match, and kept with great offense. But Carlito took Heath to his limits, almost having fun with the rookie. Then Carlito's overconfidence got the better of him as he dictated his maneuvers, but failed to estimate the unpredictability of Heath Slater who managed to get the roll up and the victory.

Heath Slater, if you follow closely, has toned down his excitement ten fold, and has become more focused in the ring. Christian is doing a fine job with his rookie.

In NXT, Size doesn't Matter, But it Helps
Justin Gabriel w/Matt Hardy vs. Wade Barret w/Chris Jericho

Wade Barrett, a personal favorite to win the NXT competition, is rolling with great momentum after defeating fan favorite, Daniel Bryan, last week. This week, he went one on one with Justin Gabriel.

Justin Gabriel pinned William Regal in his debut match along with his sensei, Matt Hardy. With an impressive 450 splash, Matt Hardy is confident that Justin will make it far in NXT. But his match against Wade Barrett was nothing short of luck.

Justin may have the speed of a crusierweight, but Barrett has the size and strength to overpower even the fastest of opponents. With a devastating backbreaker from the top rope and innovative bow and arrow stretches, Barrett is well on his way to becoming the next break out star. However, with an upset from Justin Gabriel who connected with the 450 splash, the momentum has shifted over as Justin is 2-0.

Yet, within defeat one can still come smelling as fresh as an English rose as Chris Jericho slapped the Liontammer on Justin Gabriel and raising his rookie's hand in dominance.

NXT Results: 2/23/10 - Week 1, Daniel Bryan Learns the Hard Way

Daniel Bryan's Personality Test: Fail

Welcome to the premiere post of WWE's newest concept NXT. Let's get underway with what exactly is NXT? NXT is a new concept where WWE plucks out eight rookies from FCW and pair them off with eight WWE pros from SmackDown and RAW. The show kicked off with The Miz introducing his Rookie, Daniel Bryan, an "Internet darling" and famous in the "minor leagues." Daniel's first task: enter the arena along to Miz's entrance theme, introduce himself, and come up with a catchphrase.

According to The Miz, the WWE Universe may not be aware of Bryan's lack of personality. Daniel explained how he wrestled for ten years and he finally has a shot in the WWE. His catchphrase was two words: I'm sorry, sorry that The Miz is his mentor and not William Regal. Daniel Bryan would then come up with another catchphrase directed towards The Miz, "You either tap, or you snap." The Miz then slapped some personality into Bryan, and rightfully so.

In an interview with the host of NXT, Matt Striker, Daniel expressed his dislike for The Miz and claimed that he would make it into the WWE without his help. Sure, Miz came from a reality show before coming to the WWE, but The Miz evolved in the 4+ years he has been here. Miz is after all a current-multi title holding champion, and he always anticipates the unexpected. The main event tonight: Daniel Bryan versus The World Heavyweight Champion, Chris Jericho.

Official Theme song of NXT: "Wild and Young" by AmericanBang

Despite the loss, Carlito is a winner

The inaugural NXT match was a tag team competition set for one-fall; Christian and Heath Slater versus Carlito and Michael Tarver. WWE showed a video package for both Heath and Tarver to explain a little of where they come from. Heath Slater describes himself as a rock band without any instruments; however, he looks like a guy suffering from H.A.D.D.. Heath is unique with his Sunkist hair, flailing of the arms stretch out, and his tongue hanging loose. His dream is to become a WWE superstar, and he looks to make it on NXT.

Michael Tarver is known as Mr. 1.9 seconds, because that's how fast he can knock someone out. He should shorten that to Mr. 1.9, because it's obvious that his quick striking abilities attests from his training in mix-martial arts. Which, if any Rookie looks as if they belong in UFC, it would be Michael Tarver.

There was a difference in style between Christian and Carlito's mentoring, even though Christian's team won the match, Carlito had the better method. Michael Tarver is by far the stronger of the two, so Carlito allowed Tarver to wrestle most of the match in order to build endurance. Christian noticed that Heath was lagging and called for the tag, in which he finished with a Killswitch to Tarver. Carlito lucked out by having an amazing rookie of such stature, but the failure lied in Carlito's poor tag team abilities. As for Heath Slater, the man jumps around like a jackass and should learn the rule: less is more.

David Otunga is overrated; Darren Young needs a prayer

David Otunga's video package was longer than the Rookie vs. Rookie match up between Otunga and Darren Young. Otunga claims to have the personality of The Rock, the cerebral text tile of Triple-H, and the power of John Cena. He has a famous fiance, Jennifer Hudson. He graduated from Harvard Law School, and has been to the white house twice this year. As far as Otunga's celebrity status is concerned, I don't give a damn if the man knows famous people, it is what you do inside that ring which will determine if you are as good as you say.

C.M. Punk has stated that he mentors only Luke Gallows and Serena, and if Darren Young wants to be mentored, then he will have to pledge to lead a straightedge life. Darren Young, obviously the polar opposite of C.M. Punk, is known as a party animal - which would most likely include one of the three things that the Straightedge Society is against. By the end of it all, I see Darren shaving off that ridiculously spiky hair of his.

Without any guidance from C.M. Punk, Young fell prey to the "A-lister" Otunga. In a match that lasted no more than a sip of coffee, Otunga did not resemble The Rock, or Triple-H, nor John Cena; he resembled a carbon copy of Ezekiel Jackson with a poorly executed Ura-nage. Just because he's met the president doesn't mean squat when it comes to the WWE.

NXT Main-Event outshines RAW program

In the main-event, the World Heavyweight Champion went one on one with Daniel Bryan. As we have seen earlier, Daniel Bryan has no charisma or mic skills, and he is shortest man in the entire NXT roster. But a more pressing matter is the total lack of respect that he has for his mentor, The Miz. Daniel feels that he is owed something with his 10-year wrestling career, performing in the indie circuit. It's all good that you elevated your wrestling ability for a decade, but he hasn't been inside the WWE long enough to become accepted by the WWE Universe and WWE locker room.

Daniel Bryan did have an impressive outing with the World's Champion, Chris Jericho. Interesting set up since Chris Jericho is the Best in the World at what he does, while Daniel claims he is the Best Wrestler in the World. Chris Jericho is on a far higher scale than Bryan, and there is a difference between a pro and a rookie. Daniel Bryan focused all his outrage against The Miz towards Chris Jericho, and it was seen when Daniel slapped Jericho in the face and started executing drop kicks and running kicks to the chest.

Daniel, however, went a bit off course when he made a running dive through the ropes, only to be flipped kidney-first against the announce table. If you wanted to know the difference between and a a pro and a rookie, there you have it. But instead of cutting your loses, Daniel Bryan seemed to feed off of that pain and managed to lock Jericho in the center of the ring with a heel hook. Jericho's agony was etched on his face as he scrambled towards the bottom rope; Daniel hoping to make it known that he is the Submission specialist and you only have two choices, you tap or you snap. But it was Daniel Bryan who would tap out to Chris Jericho's liontamer. And if losing your first high-profile match wasn't bad enough, than Miz added insult to injury as he started beating down his rookie for lack of respect.

Despite the loss, Daniel Bryan and Chris Jericho delivered big on the premiere episode of NXT, outshining the entire RAW line-up.

Next week: Matt Hardy and Justin Gabriel come to NXT