WWE NXT Review - October 9, 2013

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Antonio Cesaro def. Leo Kruger

I realize their brawl from last week's show set up this matchup, but couldn't we have gotten some sort of interview featuring one of the competitors (or both) prior to the bout to give the match some meaning? Aside from that, this was a surprisingly great match that featured a lot of exciting action throughout. While the Full Sail University crowd was cheering both guys, it appears Kruger was the intended babyface, especially with the post-match beating he took from Cesaro. I would like to see this feud continue and it will be interesting to see how Kruger fares as a babyface going forward.


Charlotte def. Santana Garrett

If my memory serves me correctly, then Santana also competed at TNA's One Night Only event from last month. She was as green in this match as she was then, but she sure is gorgeous. The only issue is that Charlotte is equally inexperienced in the ring, so this match wasn't as good as it could have been. The finish looked especially bad and didn't come off good on television. Nonetheless, I am glad there is finally an ongoing story in the Divas division (and an interesting one at that), something that the main roster can learn from.

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Mojo Rawley def. Danny Burch

From what I have read, Rawley is a former football player, so he gave a good first impression here. I was incredibly impressed with his intensity in the ring and the crowd seemed to really like his charisma. I am not sure if his "hype" gimmick has lasting power, but is definitely entertaining for the meantime. I look forward to seeing more from Rawley in weeks ahead. As for Burch, his wrestling style slightly reminds me of William Regal, but that may be because they are both English.


Alexander Rusev and Scott Dawson def. Enzo Amore and Colin Cassidy

I am not at all as high on Dawson as others might be (I just find him terribly bland), but there is simply no denying that Rusev is an impressive competitor. The two teams worked a decent match, but it was too short for my liking. They have established a rivalry between them in recent weeks, so it was odd to see the heels win so decisively. I'm all for Rusev and Dawson gaining credibility as a team, but them vs. The Ascension for the tag titles isn't an appealing matchup.


Rob Van Dam def. Aiden English

After working two squash matches, it was odd to see English elevated to the point of facing RVD. The outcome was pretty predictable from the get-go, so I am not sure what this bout was supposed to accomplish. Don't get me wrong, though, as it was great to see RVD in NXT for the first time and work a nice match with English, but it was a strange way of putting an abrupt end to English's momentum.


Overall Show

In all honestly, this was probably one of the most lackluster editions of NXT I have seen in a good while. The opening match was extremely solid, but everything that followed left a lot to be desired. I would have preferred to see less matches on this show and more in-ring action. The worst part was that nothing made me want to tune in next week. Sure, an NXT Championship match between Bo Dallas and Sami Zayn will be taking place, but even the final hype for that match on this show could have been better.