By Jon
COMMENTATORS: Byron Saxton & William Regal
The Ascension mercifully find new opponents this week on NXT, taking on Superstars regulars Tyson Kidd & Justin Gabriel in the main event. Also on the show the feud between Richie Steamboat and Kassius Ohno rages on, Seth Rollins confronts his first NXT Championship challenger ahead of next week’s defense, and Big E Langston does his Big E Langston thing.
CHAMPION
- NXT CHAMPION: Seth Rollins
LINEUP
- Richie Steamboat vs. Drew McIntyre (*3/4)
- Big E Langston vs. Aiden English (SQUASH)
- Percy Watson vs Kassius Ohno (**)
- Tyson Kidd & Justin Gabriel vs. The Ascension (**1/2)
*****
-LAST WEEK: Richie Steamboat defeats Kassius Ohno, Ohno wrecks Steamboat in a post-match attack.
-EARLIER TODAY: Briley Pierce ambushes Kassius Ohno for an interview as he enters Full Sail. Ohno is blindsided by Richie Steamboat, getting revenge for last week. Looks like this one isn’t over yet!
RICHIE STEAMBOAT VS. DREW MCINTYRE
This is McIntyre’s first appearance since coming up short in the Gold Rush tournament, having fractured his wrist. He’s back in action tonight in a cast that he’s “not allowed to use”. Steamboat got his pre-workout earlier in the day with his attack on Kassius Ohno so he’s ready to go.
Steamboat rolls McIntyre up for a one-count, McIntyre slides under the bottom rope to force a reset. McIntyre drops Steamboat with a shoulder tackle, Steamboat ducks a clothesline and connects with a dropkick. Count-along rights in the corner, McIntyre pushes him off but runs right into a double chop. Steamboat tries a float over, McIntyre counters with a kick to the ribs for a two-count. Snap suplex, lateral press, Steamboat kicks out once more and is immediately trapped in a seated abdominal stretch. Steamboat escapes, McIntyre belts him with a forearm and drops him face-first off a fireman’s carry for the 1…2…another kickout. McIntyre tries again, Steamboat tries to counter with what I think was supposed to be a rana but he falls to the mat instead. A little awkward but Steamboat quickly rebounds with a series of strikes. Kassius Ohno runs out for the distraction, McIntyre hits him in the back of the head with his cast and follows up with the Future Shock DDT for the 1…2…3.
DREW MCINTYRE DEFEATED RICHIE STEAMBOAT VIA PINFALL (4:26)
- Decent match but oddly clunky, like the timing was off or something. Ohno interfering wasn’t surprising given the attack earlier in the day; in fact he was justified in my opinion. McIntyre is cool and all but he would be better suited as part of a band, perhaps a three man band. (*3/4)
-DID YOU KNOW?: WWE’s Facebook pages add 70,000 fans a day.
BIG E LANGSTON VS. AIDEN ENGLISH
English shows some trepidation but says F it and tries to get the upper hand with a series of rights, but Langston easily brushes it off and goes to work. Soon enough it’s straps down and a Big Ending for the 1…2…3.
BIG E LANGSTON DEFEATED AIDEN ENGLISH VIA PINFALL (1:13)
- Fun as always. (SQUASH)
“ONE MORE TIME” chant from the Full Sail crowd, Langston gives the crowd what they want after a replay with two more Big Endings and self-administered FIVE counts. English sells each beautifully, getting some good air after landing on the canvas to really make that impact look ferocious.
-Richie Steamboat searches the backstage area for Kassius Ohno, stopping Michael McGillicutty to ask if he’s seen him. McGillicutty don’t give a f*ck.
-NEXT WEEK: WWE Champion CM Punk will be on the show.
IN-RING SEGMENT
Michael McGillicutty makes his way out to the ring as Saxton announces that he will be challenging Seth Rollins for the NXT Championship next week. McGillicutty calls Seth Rollins out to the ring so he can say what he needs to say to his face, calling him a paper champion. Rollins puts over McGillicutty’s talent in the ring but he makes it easy to forget given how much he runs his mouth. McGillicutty says he has no respect for Rollins and never will, Rollins holds up the NXT Championship as proof of…something. Rollins says the time for talking is over and wants to have this match RIGHT NOW. McGillicutty says he’s going to do this when he’s ready and leaves the ring.
- McGillicutty is a logical first contender for the NXT Championship given his string of wins recently. Should be a good match, excited to check it out.
-EARLIER TODAY: Briley Pierce is with Tyson Kidd & Justin Gabriel in an empty Full Sail Arena. Kidd brings up their former reign as WWE Tag Team Champions and will bring the fight to The Ascension. Their interview is interrupted with strobe lights and the music of The Ascension, who stare them down from the rafters. LOL.
–Richie Steamboat attacks Kassius Ohno during the latter’s entrance for the next match. Officials pry him off, crowd chants “LET THEM FIGHT”. They do not let them fight. A dazed Ohno enters the ring and decides to wrestle the match anyway.
“SHOWTIME” PERCY WATSON VS. KASSIUS OHNO
Ohno goes right on the attack, Watson sends him into the ropes and connects with his pinpoint dropkick followed by a series of jabs. Watson connects with a couple of midsection kicks followed by a leaping legdrop for the 1…2…Ohno kicks out. Ohno counters a slam with an inverted jawbreaker and ferociously pummels Watson with a series of kicks. Ohno charges, Watson connects with an inverted atomic drop followed by a pair of dropkicks and a Showtime Splash for the 1…2…Ohno kicks out. Ohno escapes a fireman’s carry using the top rope and catches a charging Watson with a knee followed by a rolling elbow to the back of the head for the 1…2…3.
KASSIUS OHNO DEFEATED PERCY WATSON VIA PINFALL (3:18)
- Richie Steamboat can’t handle a distraction but Kassius Ohno can overcome a sneak attack, proving himself to be the tougher of the two. Watson is a much more exciting performer than I remembered him being, though to be fair I didn’t remember much because my memory sucks sh*t. I liked this. (**)
TYSON KIDD & JUSTIN GABRIEL VS. THE ASCENSION (KENNETH CAMERON & CONOR O’BRIAN)
After weeks of war against The Usos we finally get a break as The Ascension take on another main roster tag team instead. I appreciate the change of pace. Kidd & Gabriel I remember from the good ol’ days of Superstars on Hulu Plus. Jim Ross joins Saxton & Regal to call the main event.
Kidd & Gabriel take control early, connecting with a double leapfrog and kick on Cameron for the first two-count. Cameron blocks an O’Connor Roll and catches Gabriel with a back elbow, following up with an overhead throw. Ascension take over as NXT goes to commercial.
Back live and not much has changed, O’Brian slowing things down with a bodyscissors on Gabriel. Gabriel shifts his weight to almost get a surprise pin, O’Brian clubs him repeatedly to put an end to that. Gabriel rolls under a clothesline to make the tag to Kidd, who dazes O’Brian with a series of kicks. Kidd finally takes the big man off his feet with a springboard dropkick for the 1…2…O’Brian kicks out and rolls to the floor. O’Brian catches a baseball slide attempt and throws Kidd to the floor like a sack of potatoes. Fast tags by The Ascension as they take turns stomping a hole through Kidd in the corner. Cameron drops an elbow and applies a combo bodyscissors/reverse chinlock. Kidd escapes with elbow strikes, O’Brian quickly tags in to keep the offense going for his team. Another bodyscissors, cutting off the oxygen to Kidd. Kidd grabs a toehold to nearly escape, Cameron tags in and catches him with a kick to the ribs. Cameron stops a brief comeback with a back elbow, lateral press for the 1…2…not yet. Kidd dodges both Ascension members, finally making the tag to Gabriel. Springboard crossbody and series of kicks to Cameron. Kidd and O’Brian fight on the floor, Gabriel misses a 450 Splash while Kidd gets sent into the ring steps. Ascension measure Gabriel and hit Total Elimination (called “The Fall of Man”) for the 1…2…3.
THE ASCENSION DEFEATED TYSON KIDD & JUSTIN GABRIEL VIA PINFALL (8:51 SHOWN)
- Fun main event, Kidd & Gabriel were an underrated team. This gives The Ascension another win over a main roster tag team, putting them at the top of the NXT heap…which I guess isn’t saying much since they’re the only real tag team on the show at the moment but WHATEVER. I’m just glad it wasn’t another Usos match. (**1/2)
The Ascension celebrate their victory and Ross signs off hyping next week’s big show featuring an NXT Championship main event and a CM Punk appearance.
*****
FINAL THOUGHTS: Watchable matches, continuation of Steamboat/Ohno’s feud, build for next week’s show, AND a Big E squash. A perfectly fine way to kill an hour.
