WWE NXT - November 20, 2013
by Samoa Rowe
-From Orlando, FL. Our hosts are Byron Saxton, William Regal, and Alex Riley.
-NXT Champion Bo Dallas comes to the ring to celebrate his homecoming after his latest “world tour.” That’s a good way to spin Dallas performing on the undercard of WWE international house shows. Bo has a party hat and kazoo and is gaining overness by the second. Bo shares a slide show of his trip, mostly pictures of him with the same shit-eating grin in various settings. I’m disappointed by the “boring” chants, as the segment is pretty funny. Bo hands out cookies to the fans until JBL joins the party. JBL puts Dallas over as the face of NXT! Sami Zayn interrupts and receives a hero’s welcome. Bo amusingly offers Sami a cookie. JBL is less thrilled that the recently suspended Zayn is interrupting them. Sami only wants the chance to take the NXT title from “delusional cheese ball” Bo. JBL reinstates Zayn for taking his suspension like a man. Dallas reminds us that he beat Zayn once and thinks he’s a sore loser. Sami says he doesn’t mind starting over from the bottom and plans on earning his title shot. JBL makes a Beat the Clock challenge to determine the #1 contender, which is fine with Sami. Good segment to start the show, Dallas grinned through the entire thing.
Beat the Clock Challenge:
Colin Cassady vs. Alexander Rusev (with Lana)
They finally got around to giving the mysterious blond Russian a name and it’s Lana. Not bad. They lock up and Rusev goes on the offensive. Rusev repeatedly delivers falling head butts but is unable to gain an early pinfall. A diving head butt misses, allowing Cassady an opening. High knee lift by Cassady gets a 2 count, as does an elbow drop. Rusev counters and targets the chest before applying the Accolade (Cobra Clutch). Cassady crawls to the ropes and Rusev is getting flustered by the time. Rusev lifts Cassady for repeated knee lifts to the ribs. Rusev reapplies the Accolade for the win at 5:33. Good showing from both men here, this was better than it had any right to be, **¼.Winner: Alexander Rusev
-Devin Taylor (new brunette reporter) interviews Adrian Neville backstage. Neville has to put his issues with Corey Graves behind him so he can win Beat the Clock.
-Devin Taylor interviews Bayley about being double crossed by Charlotte. Bayley is confused because she and Charlotte were best friends like Sponge Bob and Patrick. Bayley admits she hasn’t had the courage to confront Charlotte yet but when she does, her fists will do all the talking. Bayley tries to make a new friend in Devin, who declines her offer to do the robot. Bayley is awesome.
Beat the Clock Challenge:
Tyler Breeze vs. Kassius Ohno
The time to beat is Rusev’s 5:33. Breeze is aggressive and tries to steal a quick win. Ohno delivers some rapid pinning predicaments and nails a hard chop. Breeze drops Ohno off the apron with an enziguri. Breeze tries to drag Ohno back to the ring, which infuriates the announcers, as Breeze could have just won by count-out and beaten the clock. I guess you could pass it off as a rookie mistake by Breeze. Back to the ring, Breeze nails a vertical suplex and goes after the back. Breeze misses the Beauty Shot and Ohno capitalizes with quick near falls. Ohno reverses a roll-up for the win at 4:48. Ohno beats the clock in fun sprint of a match, which a pretty colossal screw up from Breeze in the middle, **.Winner: Kassius Ohno
Hunico and Camacho vs. Jonathan Hornigan and Chris Rothwell
Camacho plants a Rothwell, allowing a Hunico Swanton Bomb to finish it at 0:17. It was a two-move squash, but I’m glad to see Hunico and Camacho getting a push.Winners: Hunico and Camacho
-Devin Taylor interviews Hunico and Camacho on their victory. They put The Ascension on notice!
-Another new interviewer talks to Kassius Ohno about his victory. Ohno is all confidence but is interrupted by Lana. Ohno mocks her Russian accent and dismisses her.
Beat the Clock Challenge:
Aiden English vs. Adrian Neville
English sings a parody of “Seasons of Love” from RENT on his way to the ring. The time to beat is Ohno’s 4:48. Neville tries to use his speed to gain a quick win, but English’s size advantage slows him down. Neville somesaults into a drop-kick position, but English answers with blows to the head. Neville throws a chop, but English delivers a side headlock takedown and looks for the cover. Chinbreaker by Neville and some stiff kicks. Series of clotheslines by Neville and a running boot to the head gets a 2 count. English rolls out of position for a Red Arrow and nails a neck breaker for 2. Neville blocks a superplex and finishes it with the Red Arrow at 4:45! Good fast-paced match here with a real sense of urgency, **½.Winner: Adrian Neville
-Spooky promo from The Ascension. They have some bad things in store for Hunico and Camacho.
Beat the Clock Challenge:
Leo Kruger vs. Sami Zayn
The time to beat is Neville’s 4:45. Before the bell rings, Bo Dallas seats himself on the stage to watch. Zayn quickly nails a cross body for a pin attempt. Kruger is on the defense, kicking out of quick covers and thrusting the throat. Kruger goes on the offensive, hitting quick slams and suplexes for pin attempts. Zayn bounces back with a flying cross body for 2. Kruger cuts Sami off with an uppercut and regains control. Sami makes a comeback with rapid fire offense, but misses the Yakuza Kick! Spinebuster by Kruger gets a close near fall. Zayn reverses a cover to win at 4:45! We have a tie! Another fun sprint of a match with zero down time, **¼.Winner: Sami Zayn
-JBL comes out and says there will be no controversies in NXT! Next week, Sami Zayn will face Adrian Neville, with the winner getting an NXT title shot in 2 weeks. Sounds good to me!
Final Thoughts: With the full roster back in Orlando, things are finally rolling again! The Beat the Clock matches were all fun and (mostly) booked appropriately, as everyone wanted the quick win. It’s hard to complain about an hour of wrestling TV that featured zero rest holds. Thumbs up!
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