WWE NXT On SyFy Recap

THE ENTIRE WORLD IS WATCHIN'. Thanks Jim! The show opens with highlights from the inaugural episode, including Daniel Bryan's main event match, and then we get another look at all eight NXT rookies as the American Bang Wild and Young music plays.

R-Truth is starting off our show by rapping his way down to the ring with his rookie David Otunga in tow. Josh Mathews and Michael Cole are at ringside, and Josh sends things to our "host" Matt Striker. "I'm very excited about this concept. 8 NXT rookies are paired with 8 WWE pros.

They're looking to impress both you the WWE Universe and their pros. They will win by the vote of those pros, but there's one catch - no pro can vote for or against their own rookie." Okay, at least we've laid out some ground rules how to win or lose. Truth: "Wichita, Kansas! WHAT'S UP?!" (WHAT'S UP?!)

* David Otunga v. Darren Young

Young is accompanies by the Straight Edge Society, who look just as unhappy to be here this week as they were when he faced Otuna LAST WEEK. Young kicks Otunga in the gut and throws him into the post to get things started. Otunga throws him to the ropes for a hard hip toss, an arm drag, and a cover for 2. Cole puts over Otunga's Harvard credentials. Young hits a neckbreaker and throws a kick to the back. Cole talks about how Otunga trades text messages with Cedric the Entertainer.

Young applies a chinlock to Otunga and the crowd boos. Truth pounds on the mat. I guess Otunga is the babyface here? Well he's definitely the more promising of the two based on his look and promo, and pairing with Truth will make you a natural face, but his promos make him a cock. Then again by being paired with CM Punk, Young will be the heel, even if his own "pro" doesn't like him. Young dropkicks Otunga off the apron to send us to a commercial break.

Young has Otunga grounded as we come back from break, with the Straight Edge Society looking on non-plussed. Even as he drops knees to the forehead and hits a vertical suplex the SES are looking anywhere except at the ring.

Really the pros and rookies need to trade here - Punk needs to be paired up with the cock Otunga and Truth needs to be paired up with ... well I was going to say the more likable Young but Young's douchebag silver trunks and high haircut really hurts his likability no matter who his mentor is. Otunga nearly gets a schoolboy in the corner for a fall. Young hits a clothesline in return for 2. Young tries to crank up a facelock and once again Truth rallies the crowd in support of his rookie.

Otunga blocks a neckbreaker on his comeback and gives Young a shoulder tackle which sends him to the floor. When he goes out to give chase Luke Gallows and R-Truth get in an argument. On the other side Punk yanks Otunga's leg while the ref is distracted, and Young pancakes Otunga to get the three count. WINNER: DARREN YOUNG.

Young's finisher is like a half-assed Styles Clash but it worked. Truth tries to get in the ring to help his rookie up and Otunga shows his colors by shoving Truth all the way across the ring. So great, now things are even Steven. At least when Otunga won in a squash last week, he looked like a standout.

Now neither one of these guys are over as each has beaten the other. They may have realized they made a mistake by burying one of the "rookies" so quickly last week, but once they made their bed they should have laid in it - trying to "fix it" by putting them on the same level just makes it worse. Otunga should have squashed someone else, and Young should have had a more competitive match with one of the other rookies and lost. We can all book this better than WWE does but what'cha gonna do?

Video package time! "My name is Daniel Bryan and I'm from Aberdeen, Washington. They call us rookies but I've been wrestling all around the world for ten years. Facelocks, heel hocks, toe holds, armbars, that's what I'm building towards. I was trained by Shawn Michaels - I left high school the night I graduated and drove down to Texas to train with him. The best things in life aren't the things you own but the time you spend with friends and family.

You can't help but be thankful and amazed you have this opportunity. My goal is to headline WrestleMania, but first I have to win WWE NXT. I am Daniel Bryan, nothing will stop me from achieving my dreams." Cole rallies against Josh Mathews and THE TWITTER GEEKS saying Bryan needs to learn how to wrestle in front of the millions in the WWE Universe. Mathews sticks to his guns and says Bryan was impressive in his WWE debut against Jericho.

The trainer is looking over Bryan backstage as Miz arrives. "Congratulations on your debut last week, you learned a valuable lesson - you are dirt, you are scum, you are nothing in the WWE. You will respect me as your mentor. Your next lesson is that even with a boo boo you still have to compete. That's why I signed you for a match with Chris Jericho's rookie Wade Barrett, and that match is next. Good luck!" Miz slaps him in his injured ribs and Bryan winces. Miz leaves, the trainer comes back to tape him up and we go to commercial.

This week's DID YOU KNOW is that NXT was watched by more people than any program on CW. Whoopee. During the commercial break Striker tried to interview Otunga and Truth comes in and shoves him in che chest and says "So what you think you gonna come here and make your name off me? You done barked up the wrong tree!" The two get into a brawl and spill to the floor and a referee tries unsuccessfully to break it up. Three different refs have to jump on and tackle them both to the ground. Jericho and his rookie come out afterwards.

Y2J: "It's time for all your failures to meet the new success story in WWE - my new protege, Wade Barrett!" They throw us to a video package for the "bare knuckle boxer" for Manchester, England - who says that as the biggest and tallest (6'7") guy on NXT he's going to win on size alone, not to mention his skill. "I don't mind torturing people, I don't mind hurting people, I know how much money it's putting in my bank account. I'm not here to win fans over, I'm here to win a contract."

* Daniel Bryan v. Wade Barrett

Jericho takes credit for Bryan's taped up ribs when he makes his way down to the ring to face Barrett, who is already warming up. Bryan hits the ropes and strikes a "Final Countdown" pose. Jericho says no matter who this guy wowed around the world, he didn't wow him or the WWE Universe. Barrett immediately kicks and punches Bryan in his injured chest and back, then knocks him through the ropes before whipping him to the corner hard and following up with a backbreaker for 2.

Miz and Carlito watch on a monitor backstage as Barrett continues to lay in a beating, and Jericho stands up to applaud his performance. Bryan pulls the ropes to send Barrett out to the floor, then hits a flying knee to the face. Back in the ring Barrett goes back to the ribs, picks Bryan up and holds him overhead, then throws him down hard on his back for the pin. WINNER: WADE BARRETT.

Jericho comes in to kick the crap out of Bryan in the back and ribs and apply the Walls of Jericho as the crowd boos and chants YOU SUCK. Josh Mathews says it's because Jericho was embarrassed he almost lost. Cole says it's because the WWE roster doesn't like him mouthing off to Miz and they all want to teach him some respect. The former is more plausible.

We get a teaser for a tag match and a promo for Shawn Michaels v. Undertaker at WrestleMania 26 as we go to commercial, and we get another one for it after we come back from break in the form of a Raw Rebound. Shit, why not? This is the match I'm buying WrestleMania 26 to see, and I'm sure most people would agree.

Afterwards we see highlights of Christian and Slater winning his debut in a tag match. Next Slater and Christian are in the gym. Christian: "Look I know you're excited alright? But there's a difference between being confidant and overconfidant. It's great when you hear the WWE Universe respond, but you haven't earned that yet, those are my peeps. But then again you were out there with me and you did win your match. I do like you, not much, but I like you."

Christian makes him work out and reminds him he's evaluating everything he does. Next Matt Hardy and his rookie Justin Gabriel are interviewed by Striker, and Gabriel calls Hardy his SENSEI and says he's thrilled to be learning from him blah blah blah.

* William Regal & Skip Sheffield v. Matt Hardy & Justin Gabriel

Reminder that WM26 is 26 days away as we come back for a closer look at Skip. "My name is Skip Sheffield. I'm one crazy cornfed meathead, that's who I am, pedal to the metal, that's what I do. Am I the smartest guy in the world? Heck no. Do I have any specialized training? Heck no! I'm a runner and gunner, a shaker and baker, a mover and groover. I'm serving up knuckle sandwiches and slices of humble pie all night long!" How many MORE cliches can this guy fit into a promo? "Now it's time to put the pedal THROUGH the metal and go full blast."

Well at least one more. "Yep yep yep, what it do!" If this guy is just pretending to be a redneck he's doing a really good job of it. Regal gives him a look of disdain that's too perfect for words as we come back to the ring, right before Hardy and Gabriel head down to the squared circle. Cole: "Is Josh Mathews a WWE pro? 'Heck no!'"

The bell rings and we start out with Gabriel and Sheffield as the crowd chants HAR-DY. Sheffield spears his opponent into the ropes several times, chops him, but Gabriel slides does a dropkick and then a facetrip before trying to lock up the left arm. Sheffield gets back to his feet but Gabriel was able to tag out to Hardy who gets a one count on the Cornfed Colossus. (He even has CORNFED on his trunks.) Gabriel tags back in and leaps off Hardy's back for a splash and a two count that sends us to commerical. When we return from break we get a promo for Edge v. Big Show on Friday Night Smackdown.

Regal is in the ring with Gabriel and knocks him down with an elbow to the face then locks up the left arm and tries to stretch him out. Gabriel escapes momentarily but is overwhelmed by forearms and elbows to the face and then given a release belly to belly suplex. He goes over to tell his rookie "this is what you need to do" and while he does Gabriel tags out, though Regal is all over Hardy and knocks him off the apron with a shot to the face.

Regal goes over to give Sheffield more advice, which he doesn't seem too keen on. The more I watch this show the more it seems like nobody is paired with a rookie that likes them or vice versa EXCEPT possibly Christian, who likes Slater "a little." Regal gives the tag and he and his Cornfed partner double team Hardy. Cornfed does a Sheffield Strut a la Flair and a splash for a 2 count. Crowd chants for Hardy as Cornfed lays in the boots. Regal tags back in and blocks a backslide attempt with ease, then tags back out to his rookie while holding Hardy in the corner.

They take turns double teaming Matt whenever the ref's busy telling one of the two off, all while Gabriel waits in the face corner for a hot tag. Hardy finally gets free with a neckbreaker and both men go for tags, but only Regal gets his. He goes over to call Sheffield a stupid twat or some such, then blasts Hardy in the face with an elbow. Hardy hits a DDT, quickly tags out, and Gabriel hits a 450 moonsault for 3! WINNERS: JUSTIN GABRIEL & MATT HARDY.

Striker is backstage with the other six rookies and Carlito interrupts. He takes a big bite of apple, looks around, and spits it in the face of... Heath Slater. "Ha ha ha! That's cool." He walks out. Slater: "That's cool? You gon' walk away from that's cool?" Striker: "That's NXT." That's it for the show tonight!

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