Friday, May 8, 2020

NXT 5-22-13 Review

Original Airdate: Wednesday, May 22nd, 2013
Full Sail University
Winter Park, Florida

Follow me on Twitter: @WorkTheNetwork2

Curt Hawkins vs. Sami Zayn

This is Sami Zayn's NXT wrestling debut. Within a minute, Zayn already shows off his unique charisma, a characteristic lacking here in 2013 on NXT. Hawkins continues to try and slow it down, but Zayn keeps firing back. He hits a pop up dropkick for a 2 count. Zayn walks up the ropes and hits a DDT and gets the easy victory. If that was all the time they were going to get, I'm not really sure why Hawkins kept going for headlocks here. Zayn looked like a star here.

Match Rating: 1/2* (out of 5)

Corey Graves gets a vignette shown and he will be facing Bray Wyatt in the main event.

Antonio Cesaro vs. Yoshi Tatsu

The announcers hype up Tatsu's guitar skills and Twitter following. Cesaro quickly hits a big uppercut and then the Neutralizer for the victory. That wasn't even a minute long. After the match, Cesaro grabs a mic and asks if this is the best competition there is? He says that there is no competition on NXT, which prompts Sami Zayn to return and answers Cesaro's challenge. So I guess we're getting another match.

Match Rating: 1/4*

Antonio Cesaro vs. Sami Zayn

After the brief opening of the match and a commercial break, Cesaro hits a clothesline and is in control of the match. Zayn is making a comeback and goes for a crossbody off the top rope, but Cesaro catches him and hits a backbreaker for a nearfall. Cesaro hits a running uppercut in the corner. Zayn goes for a small package, but Cesaro counters it into a suplex. However, Zayn counters that into a roll up and gets the surprise victory here. After the match, Cesaro attacks Zayn and hits the Neutralizer. I don't think there was anyone arguing about this feud lasting longer. Good debut for Zayn here.

Match Rating: **

Renee Young is with Emma backstage. The interview is actually supposed to be for Audrey Marie, who then starts arguing with Emma about it. Emma finally leaves and pokes her hand in Audrey's face while doing her dance. Renee was trying her best to hold herself together here.

We now get a Bray Wyatt vignette.

Enzo Amore vs. Mason Ryan

We get Enzo's NXT debut here and he does his whole entrance shtick, which I did not know was a thing so early on in his career. Ryan tosses Enzo across the ring and then hits a short arm clothesline. He hits snake eyes and then hits another clothesline. He hits a Torture Rack into a neckbreaker and gets the easy victory. Enzo did not have as impressive of a debut as Zayn.

Match Rating: 1/4*

Corey Graves vs. Bray Wyatt

Graves hits a drop toe hold and puts Wyatt into a front facelock. Graves hits a dropkick and Waytt takes a breather outside the ring. Wyatt hits his aggressive crossbody as we go into a commercial break. That is honestly the best move he has in his arsenal. Graves ducks under a charging Wyatt and it sends him to the floor. Graves tries a baseball slide, but Wyatt avoids him and throws him into the steps. I'm not sure what the point of Wyatt wearing his mask is, as it keeps falling off. With the mask off, Graves is going after the face with fists and a high knee. Luke Harper and Erick Rowan start to get involved as Graves is going for Lucky 13 and help break the hold. Wyatt hits Sister Abigail and that is all. This was going along pretty fine and then sort of transitioned to the go home spot seemingly out of nowhere. After the match, the Wyatts continue the attack on Graves until Kassius Ohno comes down. They are able to take him out and Bray hits Sister Abigail on him as well.

Match Rating: **

Well, this episode gets bonus points for having the debut of Sami Zayn and starting a feud with Cesaro. The rest is pretty simple, but certainly not bad thanks to the short running time.

Overall Rating: 48%

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