WWE NXT Review - May 13, 2015

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens come face-to-face.

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Baron Corbin def. Solomon Crowe

It was nice to see Corbin face some credible competition for once other than the usual no-namer, but why did it have to come at the expense of Crowe? He's been doing well for himself since arriving in NXT in a few months, so to have his first loss come in a squash against Corbin where he was essentially made to look like an enhancement talent was mind-boggling to me. I liked Crowe's new look and entrance theme, so hopefully this wasn't a reflection of what officials think of Crowe. On the other hand, the post-match brawl between Corbin and Rhyno was very good and probably the best thing Corbin has done in NXT since his debut (which obviously isn't saying much).


NXT Women's Champion Sasha Banks def. KC Cassidy (Non-title)

Similar to how Becky Lynch had a quick squash win a few weeks ago, this was much of the same for Banks. Her talents were showcased in this nice little match as her title defense against Lynch draws closer. There really wasn't much else to it other than that it was a nice momentum boost for Banks. Of course, her post-match promo talking about her match with Lynch was short, sweet and to the point.

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Tyler Breeze takes out his opposition.

Alexa Bliss def. Carmella

Both Alexa and Carmella are works in progress in the ring, so pairing them may not have been the best idea It wasn't a terrible match, but it was sloppy in spots and Blake and Murphy at ringside hindered it more than it helped it. Carmella has had a tough time connecting with the crowd since coming to NXT, but it looked like the promo she cut on the NXT Tag Team Champions afterward won over the audience.


Tyler Breeze and Adam Rose def. Hideo Itami and Finn Balor

It was interesting to not see the rosebuds come out with Rose. If that's because he's a heel, why didn't they do that months ago? It also served as a reminder how asinine it is that WWE didn't capitalize off all the buzz that the ESPN E:60 special got last week by keeping him off Raw this past week. Unbelievable. Anyway, the match was solid and was a fun preview of what we're bound to get in the No. 1 Contender's Triple Threat match next week. Breeze being the last man standing for the second consecutive week was a smart move as he has the least likeliest chance of winning.


NXT Champion Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn Came Face-to-Face

While this wasn't exactly what I expected it to be, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. Zayn questioning Owens' motives only for Owen to not say a word until he was on the ramp with his back to the ring was excellent. My only obvious nitpick was the blatant dubbing over of Zayn's promo. I understand they want to incorporate the injury he sustained in the match with John Cena from last week, but to go to such lengths seemed unnecessary. That aside, this was a strong segment that has me extremely excited for the championship rematch (if it ultimately comes to fruition, that is).


Overall Show

It wasn't the hot go-home show it should have been, but it was still successful in building up the card for next week's Unstoppable event. None of the matches were particularly memorable, but at the very least, they all served a purpose in regards to the pending special, and the final segment with Owens and Zayn is worth going out of your way to see. We haven't had a mediocre special yet, so I have lofty expectations for Unstoppable and I'm nearly certainly it will deliver.

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