Welcome to NXT Future Five on Last Word On Sports, where each week we analyze the latest episode of World Wrestling Entertainment Network’s hottest program, NXT and rank the five performers who made the biggest impact.
NXT Future Five: Week of September 2, 2015
Highlights of the Night
The Ascension vs. Baron Corbin & Rhyno: Konnor and Viktor got a HUGE reaction. It’s like the crowd at Full Sail University hadn’t seen RAW in months. They were greeted by loud “Welcome Back” chants. With the two of them set up against big time heels Corbin and Rhyno, it’s obvious the office wanted to see how they work as heroes. It makes me wonder if that’s the direction they will go with the Ascension moving forward. Viktor hit a huge flying tackle early on to take out the Man Beast, and a double tackle took down Baron moments later. The Ascension utilized quick tags to isolate Corbin in the corner, much to the delight of those at Full Sail. The Ascension continued to control the match until Viktor was thrown into the ring post on the apron. After a strange edit (I believe Viktor might have knocked himself silly and needed a moment on the outside), we were back to action with Rhyno and Corbin trading tags to now isolate the loopy Viktor. He eventually rallied back with a huge lariat and made the hot tag to Konnor, who used his fists to pepper both opponents, then set up Rhyno for the Fall of Man. Corbin distracted Viktor, allowing Rhyno to score the Gore and the upset victory.
Regal/Chiampa/Gargano/Breeze Backstage: NXT General Manager William Regal was discussing the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic with the two NXT hopefuls when they were interrupted by Tyler Breeze. Breeze talked about his need to win the tournament, and asked Regal to find him a worthy partner. Regal turned his attention to Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Chiampa, calling them the two hottest free agents in the country. He said next week Breeze would get his partner and face the new duo. His partner? Bull Dempsey! Tyler seemed upset but said it wouldn’t matter who he was paired with, he would win anyway. He finished off by telling Johnny and Tommaso to smile for the camera and “say Breeze” before exiting. The two new comers looked on intensely and thanked Regal for the opportunity.
Jason Jordan & Chad Gable vs. Neville & Solomon Crowe: The crowd was absolutely crazy for the former NXT Champion Neville. Some impressive chain wrestling to start with no clear advantage between Crowe and Gable, at least not at first. Gable turned an ankle pick into an arm drag and then a backslide which was incredibly fluid. Solomon gained control and locked on a headlock on the ground while the crowd chanted for his partner. When he finally gave them what they wanted, the crowd became unglued, chanting his name even when he got backed into the corner and out wrestled by a fresh Jason Jordan. Some quick moves later and Neville was back in control with a lightning fast drop kick that sent Jordan to the mat. Gable tried to run interference but Crowe quickly cut him off and threw him out. The ring was cleared as we went to break. After the commercial, we were back to hold for hold wrestling, with Jordan and Gable dominating Solomon. Some smooth double team work from the amateur stand outs kept Crowe in the corner with many, many shoulder tackles. Chad did a funny bit holding his towel in front of Solomon while Jason charged into him. Crowe continued to be worn down by Jordan until the crowd fired him up enough to crawl the ropes. It was short lived however as Chad came in with a bow and arrow submission. Solomon reversed it and made the hot tag to Neville, who knocked Gable off the apron and hit all of his signature moves on Jordan. Neville had him in position for the Red Arrow but Chad pulled his partner to the outside. Neville just changed trajectories and instead flew to the outside, hitting Jordan with a moonsault. Crowe followed up with a suicide dive onto Chad. Back in the ring Jason caught Neville after springing from the top rope, showing some impressive strength. Jordan tossed him but Neville made the tag to Crowe, who nailed a running knee. He tried to follow it up, but got caught with a belly to belly suplex from Jason. Moments later, the duo hit Grand Amplitude for the victory.
The Future Five
5. Alexa Bliss: While her match with Blue Pants didn’t exactly light the wrestling world on fire, it was still a solid encounter and a victory for Alexa. Not just a victory, but a measure of revenge against the popular Blue Pants for her involvement in costing Blake & Murphy the NXT Tag Team Championship against the Vaudevillians back at Takeover. It felt like an abrupt end to this rivalry, but hopefully things are only heating up between these two.
4. Neville: Make no mistake about it, in the eyes of the fans, Neville was the star of the show this week, and a returning hero. Even if he didn’t manage to get the job done against Jason Jordan and Chad Gable, many would blame his weak link partner, Solomon Crowe. Every time Neville was in the ring, he was a house of fire. His offense was crisp and exciting, proving once again why he remains an incredibly popular superstar on the main roster and why so many have high hopes for his future with WWE.
3. Baron Corbin & Rhyno: Baron Corbin and Rhyno may be a pair of brick houses, but against the most dominant tag team in NXT history, they appeared to be under dogs, which is why it was so impressive to see them squeak out the victory here. While they took the majority of the punishment in their match, the ability to withstand that punishment is an accomplishment in itself. They were able to out-smart the Ascension by scouting their finish and being ready with a game plan when they went for it. It would lead to the down fall of Konnor and Viktor, allowing the Lone Wolf and the Man Beast to do what few teams in NXT had accomplished.
2. Chad Gable: There is a very good reason why Chad Gable is already being hailed as a guy to watch very closely in NXT. First let’s discuss his charisma. It seems to seep out of his pores, and that was evident in his backstage interview with partner Jason Jordan. His banter with Jordan borderlines between bromance and more than friends, but it’s done so subtlety that you almost miss it. Couple that with his smooth as silk execution in the ring and it’s easy to see why this guy already has a following. His transitions from move to move are some of the best I have ever seen. He harnessed his amateur background into a showcase this week.
1. Jason Jordan: Normally I wouldn’t split up a tag team in the Future Five, but this week Jason Jordan was just above his partner, which really says something when you think of all the praise I just heaped on Chad Gable. Watching Jordan this week was like watching Kurt Angle, a comparison usually reserved for Chad. Everything he did in the ring this week looked like it hurt but was executed so perfectly that it made me gain a whole new respect for him. Brock Lesnar isn’t the only WWE talent that rents a home in Suplex City because Jason was handing out belly to bellies like they were candy at Halloween. He looked impressive because he was impressive.
Final Thoughts
Ugh. Good God what a mess. I was so excited heading into this week’s program that maybe I set myself up for disappointment, but honestly, I think NXT just had a lack luster show. That’s a real shame given the excellent few weeks that they’ve had. With the exception of the highlights mentioned above, everything in this show was either dull or just plain bizarre. The Apollo Crews match was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, and the Eva Marie match had an awkward, obviously botched 3 count so horrendously bad that I’m flabbergasted it even made it to air. Well it did, and it dragged down the show big time. While the opener and main event were very good, everything else was awful. It was like biting into a burrito you haven’t microwaved long enough. The ends were hot and the middle was ice cold, leaving a real bad taste in your mouth.
