WWE NXT – June 27, 2012:
After a strong introduction to the product last week, I’m eager to jump in.
I really like the consistency with the colour scheme too. As mentioned last time, I particularly liked the use of fonts to get over characters, as we’ll see in a little bit with Bo Dallas. I would like to see a modern territory-esque presentation to the product, especially with how you come to handle Dean Ambrose’s attack on William Regal last week. But at this stage of the game, so early into its’ run, it’s understandable this can feel like a WWE fingerprinted product at times.
I continue to be intrigued by Armando Estrada as the mouthpiece for Alexander Rusev. I suppose Rusev didn’t yet have the mic skills able to stand alone just yet. This promo worked fine for establishing Dusty Rhodes was the one who lays down the law. I believe Rusev could have been used more effectively, though. It builds anticipation for next week, if anything. I just believe he should have destroyed somebody, or even interrupted a match between two lesser names to reach this same conclusion.
I think it will be acts such as Rick Victor that will be indicative on the type of project this will be. While the Ascension is a foregone and simple conclusion to reach if/when you decide to push Victor, there are so many directions you can take a character like that in. At the end of the day, a lot of these names – with hindsight being 20/20 – are blank canvases waiting to be painted on. I’ll be interested in how you develop then, and how unique a direction you do this. Bo Dallas with the win was fine here, and I am fond of his babyface persona sticking around. Considering the fact it was this that drove the fans to turn on him, and subsequently result in Bo’s crazed inspirational gimmick, this works fine for me and he can be an upper-card guy.
Good showcase for the Ascension, who as noted are not up to scratch as the pairing they eventually will be. I forget Kenneth Cameron was a person honestly. Dominant victory. Another thing I’ll be interested in is when titles could be introduced. It’s still fascinating to me that while the NXT Championship was introduced in a matter of weeks, the NXT Tag Team Championship didn’t come about for another six months. The NXT Women’s Championship, even more shockingly: a year. There’s totally ways to do this, but I’ve no doubt you’ll use creative license to spice things up before long. Perhaps when we get this expository period of the first few weeks of the brand out of the way.
Dean Ambrose’s promo was everything it needed to be, introducing who he was and what he was about. Good motivation for talking up William Regal, while also not laying it on thick that they had history in Florida Championship Wrestling – which is hardly canon in this new developmental territory concept.
I’m so happy to see Derrick Bateman receive a showcase here. He’s one I’m looking forward to seeing you utilise. I thought at this point in his career, while injury prone, he was hilarious. A dead ringer for Andy Samberg – I thought he was going to be huge. I’m curious how into the comedy you’ll play him. A side note, I do like your writing style for vignettes like these. They feel very organic and don’t feel forced to fit the character motifs.
Another strong promo written for Bray Wyatt, who for all intents and purposes can be saved before debuting with vignettes like this.
I got a kick out of reading Damien Sandow’s pre-match promo on Tyson Kidd, and it does make sense that Sandow would be representing of a guy like Aiden English. Hopefully let’s not lean too heavily into the whole singing thing. I vibe with those two as a unit, and it gets us started on one of our first real undercard storylines with Sandow and Kidd.
Richie Steamboat jumping straight in as one of the top guys is great stuff. I was never personally too impressed by him, but I don’t think I really was able to see enough of him. I’m confident he and Michael McGillicutty would have made for a strong main event. A Sling Blade being used as the finish is hilarious, by the way, and truly shows how normal that move has become in the past twelve years. It totally works for Steamboat.
Overall, a fun follow-up show. Another simple expository show for the brand as you continue to flesh out characters. I’m looking forward to you progressively getting deeper with storylines and stronger matches, but this worked more than fine for what is literally week two of a new territory.
