NXT: A Beginners Guide

By Bushwhacker Barker

NXT: Where the future begins!

As a newbie to the Just Blog It team, I’ve been delegated the task of covering NXT for a while. Although most see this as a punishment, I see this as an opportunity as the show hosts some of the best in-ring competitors in the business today, as well as some of the best tag teams in the WWE. It’s clear that with the current season running at over 50 weeks, scheduled to hit 55 episodes on the 21^st March, the WWE Executives are looking to make NXT a separate 3^rd show, showcasing the talents of lesser known stars.

Although only streaming on the internet in the USA, around the world it is shown on television at respectable times either before or after Raw or Smackdown showing WWE’s willingness to experiment with a third show. If you look at how it has been built up over the seasons, the gimmicks have gone (albeit slowly) with the show now focusing on actual storylines and putting on good matches, hell even the divas matches go down well! It was only the other week when a match between Maxine and Kaitlyn was the main event (if you are wondering who these divas are, in the words of Ron Simmons, watch the DAMN show). It was in fact a good match by diva standards, as it wasn’t a Diva’s “squash” match for once.

Okay, so now down to the basics of what NXT is all about...

Jimmy and Jey to Save the Day

The Uso's - The Future of the Tag-Team Division

Written by Hollywood Hinchcliffe

AirBoom have now held the Tag-Team Championships since August 15^th, and this is for one sole reason – there is no one else to take it off their hands.

When I first saw AirBoom I can admit I was intrigued and quietly hopeful that WWE were planning a big push on the Tag-Team division. Hell, I even enjoyed some of AirBoom’s early matches, but after seeing the exact same thing week after week, I quickly became bored.

Don’t get me wrong, I would have preferred to count rice than to watch another Otunga/McGillicutty match. Is match even the right word? Maybe “happening” fits better, as match would imply that something mildly interesting was going to happen. But after seven long months (did you read that in The Rock’s voice? I do hope so) of AirBoom, Déjà vu seems to have occurred in the form of the repetitive combination of The Boom Drop and Airbourne. Granted two impressive finishers, but doesn’t quite seem to get the same response as a 3D, which brings me nicely on to my next point.

The Dudley Boyz, The Hardy Boyz, Edge & Christian, The Rock N Sock Connection, Eugene and William Regal – just a few of the many great tag teams from WWE past (okay maybe not the latter). I can hardly see David Otunga and Michael McGillicutty being remembered for their hardcore personalities and unforgettable matches (or any personality for that matter). Even the likes of The Spirit Squad provided more entertainment on the basis that you got to watch five people (I refuse to call them wrestlers) get their asses kicked instead of the normal two. There was potential for an interesting tag team between The Miz and R-Truth, but that dream was quickly shattered when they began feuding.

However, do not fear WWE Universe, the saviours of this near defunct division are upon us, in the form of two brothers, namely: The Uso’s.

I was lucky enough to watch The Uso’s in a dark match when I went to see WWE Raw, and they were levels above anything that I’ve seen on WWE Superstars recently. They have the personality, they have the skills, they even have the Hakka. Not to mention they are part of the hugely famous “Samoan Wrestling Family” whose members include Rikishi, Umaga and the one and only Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. This fact alone makes them a damn sight more interesting than any partnerships we’ve seen in the past year. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t believe The Uso’s are the sole saviours of the tag team division, but hopefully they can be the catalyst behind reigniting the Tag-Team division.

I just hope that Mr McMahon, oh sorry, I mean John Lauranitis, or do I mean the Raw anonymous GM? Anyway, that’s another topic for another day. I can only hope that the ‘Senior Members’ in WWE will realise the potential of the partnership of The Uso’s and put it to good use.

And with that I believe there is only one more thing to say…

D-VON… GET THE TABLES!!!