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This show started really strongly. Since then, I have been pining for the next NXT special.
Ryback vs. Kane in a chairs match in next.
They started out working over each other with chairs. If a guy is at my head and I have to be right, and the question is “Does Ryback hurt people with stiff shots†I would say yes and not worry for a second that I was about to die. Well, unless Ryback was holding the gun. Man, he wails people. After a bunch of plunder, Ryback did his feed me more gimmick and Kane threw a chair in his face and chokeslammed him. I am rooting for Kane even though he should not win. Anyway, Ryback hit Shellshock and won. They took a lot of abuse, that’s for sure. One guy more than other, if you get my drift.
Time for Rusev vs. Jack Swagger. The NXT locker room has nothing to worry about. Triple H books them so they won the week.
As Lana started to tell us America sucks, Swaggers music hit and the match is on.
Swagger was in control for the first few minutes. Rusev locked on the Accolade. Swagger powered up after a minute or so. He reversed it into The Patriot Lock. Rusev got out and kicked Swagger in the face a few times. Rusev locked on the Accolade again. Swagger didn’t tap, but the ref called for the bell.
They are already pushing the “Final Battle†between John Cena and Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble. We have six weeks to let that germinate.
They are letting Bray Wyatt and Dean Ambrose headline the show. On the one hand, other than the opener nothing else deserved to. On the other, if they can end the show on a good note maybe we can remember the slop in between the beginning and the end. We shall see.
This one is full on TLC, I hope they can do what those before them (other than the opener) couldn’t.
These guys worked really hard and took a lot of abuse. They gave them a lot of time and they did a ton of stuff. They did all that they could to save the show, and they took a toll on their bodies. … Near the end, Dean went to use a TV monitor on Bray. It was plugged in and the first time he tried to hit Bray, the cord stopped him. So he tried it again and the TV shorted out, made a spark and blinded Dean, and he walked into Sister Abigail and lost.
In a vacuum, the match was really good (even if the finish was goofy). In the bigger picture, Dean Ambrose (with cause, to be fair) lost to a guy who got killed in a feud against John Cena and barely beat a part timer that lose to Fandango in Chris Jericho. Vince may think finishes doesn’t matter, but they do. If this guy sucks to that guy, and then I suck to the guy who sucked to the first guy, it makes me suck more.
Anyway, if this was a “Should you buy the replay†question, uh no. The opener was great. The main event was very good. The rest of it was like a Raw (and Cena killing three guys for twenty minutes was worse than that) so unless you won’t get enough tomorrow night, you can skip this. If you bought the Network to see this but haven’t started yet, just watch Takeover R Evolution now and check this out later.
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