– The intro and music is absolutely fantastic. They spotlight the main guys that will be on the show every week, as well as get the crowd going with Triple H. This is his pet project and deserves so much credit for launching this new era of wrestling. Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton and William Regal man a three team announce table.
Cesaro defeated Sami Zayn. This is hyped as a huge match, with two guys who know each other so well. Cesaro catches Zayn and tries a swing, but Zayn flips on his feet and sends him to the outside. Zayn then hits a dive to the outside. As the match continues, Zayn is continuously beaten up by Cesaro, sending his body to the outside and pounding away using all pieces of the arena. Cesaro is very commanding in the ring, working on the left knee. Finally, Zayn sends Cesaro into the corner with a suplex. Zayn hits Blue Thunder Bomb, which is an inverted style powerbomb.( he spins Cesaro in the air 180 and hits a powerbomb.) Koji Clutch is applied by Zayn onto Cesaro, but the strength of Ceasro reverses it into a single leg clutch.
After Zayn gets to the ropes, Cesaro gets him in the giant swing. A few close pin falls give us to a stale ground. Cesaro yells to Sami Zayn to stay down after multiple European Uppercuts. Both men unload punches to one another and the intensity is back after 5 minutes of slow pace. Cesaro hits a big boot, but Zayn reverses it for a two count. Cesaro hits another uppercut and then the Neutralizer for the finish. This match was fantastic and told such a dramatic story. Cesaro continues to impress, but Zayn showcased his diverse talents in the ring. He can do it all, can't he? The submission moves were impressive, the speed was intense, and his ability to execute everything with ease made him look like someone who belongs on the main roster. Wow!
Score: 9/10
Mojo Rawley defeated CJ Parker. Parker plays the heel in this match, a guy who is about peace (even though the world is full of toxic attitudes). Rawley is always hyped up, so that is his gimmick. Parker works on Rawley early in the match, sending him to multiple corners and yelling in his face. Rawley gets going with two body splashes to the corner. He hits his "Hyper Drive" for the finisher, which is like Rikishi's sit down splash in the middle of the ring. You can tell the difference between the excellent guys and the ones that are still very young and green. I was not overly impressed with either of these guys. Their gimmicks seem forced and are not natural.
Score: 3/10
The Ascension defeated Too Cool. Connor and Viktor are the tag team champions, the longest in NXT history. Connor is the big muscle, with an excellent look and demeanor. Connor hits a few shoulder blocks and a big boot. Viktor comes into the ring and really does a good job at bringing psychology into the match. He hits a suplex and applies a headlock. Scotty Too Hotty, with a bald head, gets the tag and begins to work on Viktor. He goes for the worm, but Viktor sends him into the middle rope. Viktor hits a massive clothesline and they both stalk their prey.
"The Fall of Man," where Connor sweeps his legs and Viktor hits a spinning elbow, ends the night for Too Cool. You can see the potential for both men in the Ascension, but they are still a little away from the main roster. They have their characters down and will only get better in the ring. The only issue is that NXT lacks other tag teams, ones that can really push the envelope with the development of their gimmicks.
Score: 5/10
