Full Sail University
Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Jim Ross, William Regal
For all intents and purposes THIS is the first episode of NXT in the format we know of today. To give a little backstory, NXT started in 2010 to replace the failing WWECW. It was basically Tough Enough under a different name taking "rookies" and seeing who'd be a future WWE star. Unlike the earlier Tough Enough's where they'd hire people off the street or small time independent wrestlers, the 2010 class featured veterans such as Daniel Bryan and Wade Barrett. Up until 2012, NXT kept the game show, elimination format until right around this time in June. Someone had the bright idea to merge their developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling with NXT to create one big developmental conglomerate. As FCW came to a close, one by one their top stars started making their way to NXT.
The show opens with a montage of the WWE legends and saying the next ones are on the way, the future begins...right now. The theme song is pretty badass and worth a listen if its your first time hearing it. William Regal is on the voice-over greeting us when Jim Ross makes his entrance. He welcomes everyone and introduces your new general manager Dusty Rhodes. Dusty says the main event will be Michael McGillicutty and Tyson Kidd one on one. Dusty says NXT will be wilder and crazier than ever and we're sent to a montage of a new NXT rookie named Bo Dallas. Dallas says he's the grandson of Blackjack Mulligan, son of Mike Rotunda and nephew of Barry & Kendall Windham. He says he knew he was going to be a wrestler his whole life and he says he's ready to fulfill expectations. He like to smile....yay. Its time for the first match
Match 1
Bo Dallas vs Rick Victor
Dallas makes his debut against FCW's Rick Victor. Ironically around this time Victor had beaten Seth Rollins to be the FCW Champion. Victor was a 10 year veteran of the independent scene so he definitely had experience going into his developmental deal. Dallas is in the black and white striped trunks and Victor is in the long purple tights. Victor starts with a headlock and Dallas gets in a top wristlock. Ross says Victor is a superbly conditioned athlete as Regal reminds us that he was trained in the legendary Dungeon with Bruce and Ross Hart. They trade armringers before Dallas gets a fireman's carry takeover followed by a few armdrags. Victor backs Dallas into the corner and chops away but Dallas reverses it with right hands. Dallas heaves Victor across the ring then hits a clothesline in the corner. Dallas tosses Victor again and hits a powerslam. Dallas hits a spear and covers for 1...2...3 that's it. Dallas wins it quickly and that was pretty good for what it was supposed to be. Rather them go 2 minutes than 10 and bore everyone.
Time of match: 2:20
Winner: Bo Dallas by pinfall
After the match Briley Pierce in a coat and tie interviews Bo. Pierce is none other than Ryan Nemeth, the real life brother of Dolph Ziggler who was nursing an injury at the time. Dallas says he had a gameplan and he executed it. He says its just the beginning for him and his smile is here to stay. "You will know Bo!" He's only 22 years old here so this is the perfect training ground for him. Ross then says another guy will be making his debut the following week, you might have heard of him......Seth Rollins. As mentioned earlier, Rollins was the former FCW champion and in the montage, he says he's the change we've all been waiting for. He called that one. Ross hypes up the main event and the debut of the intellectual Damien Sandow next before we go to commercial.
Back from commercial we get a montage for another guy about to make his debut, Antonio Cesaro. The next match was supposed to be Damien Sandow making his NXT debut against Jason Jordan. In case you forgot, Sandow was Idol Stevens back in 2007. His opponent is actually former Indiana University wrestler Nathan Everhart going by the name Jason Jordan. The announcer incorrectly calls Palo Alto "Palto Alto" causing Sandow to get pissed off and say he's not wrestling Jordan. No I'm not kidding, Sandow legit leaves.....the only time I'd ever seen that before is when Diamond Dallas Paige refused to wrestle a jobber in 94 or 95. Ross says he doesn't know whether to be mad or thankful as we go to a vignette introducing The Ascension. Longtime developmental wrestler Ryan O'Reilly was rechristened Conor O'Brien and his partner is Kenneth Cameron aka Thomas Latimer....yes, Charlotte Flair's ex. The British accent of Kenneth works here as Conor says they're the gateways of the future and they will rise.
We go to the Raw Rebound where we show John Cena vs John Laurinitis from the recent Raw. Vince McMahon had fired Laurinitis and he came out in a neckbrace saying he made a main event handicap match of David Otunga, Big Show and himself against Cena. Big Show says thanks for the contract and leaves Johnny Ace high and dry. In the actual match, Cena beats the crap out of Otunga and Laurintis refuses a tag. Then when Otunga gets the upper hand, Laurinitis tags in and beats up Cena causing Otunga to turn around and leave too. Cena hits three FU's in a row on Johnny and locks in the STFU to send him off TV. On to the next match.
Match 2
The Ascension (Conor O'Brien and Kenneth Cameron) vs CJ Parker and Mike Dalton
The Ascension's entrance is pretty cool, especially when Conor's eyes light up. For those that don't know, CJ Parker is now known as Juice Robinson and we got a young Tyler Breeze (Mike Dalton) here. Cameron bullrushes Parker to start with takedown punches before knocking Dalton off the apron. Cameron heaves Parker in the corner and stomps away before tagging in Conor to do the same thing. They frequently tag to stomp and drop elbows on Parker.. Cameron screams and tags in Conor before hitting a jawbreaker. Parker turns right into a flapjack by Conor who Ross calls The Downcast. Conor covers for 1..2....3 and that's it. Ascension makes quick work of Juice & Breeze to establish them as mean looking fellas. Cameron and Conor pose over the fallen Parker as we go to the replay. Regal says the rest of the roster is in a panic over them. Standard jobber match, not much to say.
Time of match: 1:18
Winners: The Ascension by pinfall
We go to a vignette of another fella making his debut, a weirdo named Bray Wyatt. Hmmm, where have we seen him before? Its Husky Harris under a new gimmick. He cuts a promo saying monsters and boogeyman are real. Of course he's real, he beat Booker T at Wrestlemania! We then cut to Derek Bateman, today known as EC3 looking for Johnny Curtis, now known as Fandango, in the bathroom. Next week its going to be Bateman vs Curtis in the main event. Its funny how Curtis towers over Bateman and Bateman admonishes him for not washing his hands. Curtis says he's going to win next week and washes his hands on Bateman's shirt. Derek calls Johnny a dirtbag as we cut. Today Curtis is known as Dirty Dango on the indies so I guess this is where he got the "dirty" part from. Anyway let's go to the main event.
Match 3
Tyson Kidd vs Michael McGillicutty
Both these guys had their runs in WWE before being sent down to NXT to get some fresh feuds. Both of them will be back on the main roster but for now they go one on one here to show the "rookies" how its done. Before the match, Regal calls Johnny Curtis a "dirty, filthy swine." The match starts and Regal says Kidd started wrestling when he was 12 years old in the Dungeon. Ironically Kidd came from the Hart clan and their battles with Michael's father Mr. Perfect are well documented. They lock up and Kidd gets in an armringer before Michael grabs the rope. Ross explains the rope break rule as Kidd gets in a headlock. Kidd and Michael exchange go-behinds as Regal says both men have evilness about them that he respects. Kidd and McGillicutty circle before Kidd gets in another headlock before exchanging takedowns. Kidd drops McGillicutty and Michael bails to the outside to stall for some heat. The crowd chants and Kidd caters to them as Michael gets back in. Michael gets a greco-roman knucklelock to gain control but Kidd springboards into an armdrag as Regal says its wonderful to watch. Regal says Kidd was heavily influenced by Owen Hart which makes sense since Kidd made his debut in 95 when Owen was still alive. He also says the aggression he sees in McGillicutty reminds him of Mr. Perfect and Larry "The Axe" Hennig. Michael kicks at him in the corner and hits a snap suplex. Michael covers for a deuce but puts his head down and eats a boot. Kidd clotheslines Michael over the top to the floor and Tyson hits a suicide dive through the ropes. We cut to commercial and when we come back Kidd rams Michael's head into the buckle. Tyson stomps on Michael and hits a dropkick. A cover gets a deuce and Michael blocks a headscissors attempt to throw Tyson on the apron. Tyson goes for the shoulderblock but Michael blocks it with a knee. Michael nails a second rope neckbreaker and covers for 1...2.. nope. Michael rakes the ear across the apron and Regal likes that. Jim Ross "You're essentially an evil man." Regal "Yes." Kidd takes a sternum bump into the corner and Michael covers for another deuce. Michael locks in a chinlock but Kidd powers out of it. Kidd tiltawhirls into a sunset flip for a two count and Michael hits a powerful clothesline to stop the momentum. Another lateral press gets a two and ties Kidd into the tree of woe. Michael pounds away on the chest and chokes him from under the bottom rope. Michael covers for 1...2..nope. Michael goes for the Tajiri dropkick but Kidd rolls up, sending Michael nut first into the ringpost. Kidd strikes with hard kicks to the quadriceps and one to the face. A dropkick drops Michael and covers for 1..2....nooooo. Michael runs into a boot and a kick on the apron. Kidd springboards but Michael counters with a dropkick of his own. Michael covers for 1...2...nooo, Tyson gets the shoulder up at the last second. Michael sets up Tyson for a superplex but Tyson shoves him down. Tyson comes off the top with a moonsault but the cover only gets two. Kidd goes for the Dungeon Lock but Michael holds onto the apron to kick him off. Michael then hits a Saito suplex then covers for 1...2...nope. Michael applies the sharpshooter to add insult to injury but Kidd makes it to the ropes. Michael goes for the Perfect Plex but Kidd counters with an inside cradle for 1...2...nope. Kidd rolls up Michael then finally applies the Dungeon Lock. Michael taps and this one's over, Kidd wins it. Regal says he's proud to be a wrestler and there's no losers here. He's right about that, that was a great match and the crowd salutes it. McGillicutty made one mistake and Kidd made him pay. We go to the highlights and Kidd salutes the crowd after its over. That was a hell of a match between two guys that know what they're doing. Kidd had been wrestling for 17 years at that point and Michael 5. They were perfect to end this show by showing what veterans can do. As the FCW stars began to migrate toward NXT the vets would be called up to the main roster and anyone not getting over would get the boot. No way in hell these two were getting the boot, both had a future.
Time of match: 14:06
Winner: Tyson Kidd by pinfall
Ross and Regal sign off and that's it for the first episode of the "new" NXT. With the FCW stars such as Rollins, Wyatt and Cesaro coming, it was the end for what people called "NXT Red". It was only the beginning as NXT as been WWE's version of Triple A baseball ever since. Basically half of the crew for Wrestlemania 30 were in or going to be in NXT around this time. That's how great a crop WWE had at the time. They also had the perfect team in Regal and Ross to do the commentary as Ross shills his ass off for anyone in the ring and Regal puts over any and all dirty, underhanded tactics he himself would have done. All in all this was pretty good for a "debut" show that was now trying to take itself seriously after that weird period where NXT Redemption just kind of ended with no notice. Next week we got Curtis vs Bateman, the debut of Antonio Cesaro and the debut of Seth Rollins. That should be good.
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