Only recently did I realize that WWE NXT is on Hulu Plus with a lot more back episodes than the WWE Network has to offer (What's up with that? Why can't I watch "Tough Enough" or WWE's version of ECW on The Network? What if I want to see The Sandman vs. Zombie classic?) and so I started watching NXT from the September 26, 2012 episode as I felt that was a good a place as any to start after the final competition season that seemingly never ended as well as what came after that, which was kind of just a glorified version of "Superstars".
The match listing here was quite interesting, complete with a promo for Paige, who says that you will never really understand her.
The now Curtis Axel (Michael McGillicutty at the time) defeated Bo Dallas in the opening contest. This was billed as a big third generational match and rightfully so. It had me wondering about the positioning of both of these talents on the main roster right now. On one hand, Curtis Axel (I refuse to continue to try and spell that other ridiculous name) was a Paul Heyman guy, in a tag team with Ryback, went away for a little bit and now the most he's really done since returning is the tag team break up on "Main Event" (Or was it "Superstars"? Does it even matter?) Aside from the occasional Curtis Axel vs. Sin Cara match, he hasn't really done anything of note.
On the other hand, you have Bo Dallas- who lost this match mind you- and he has been on the main roster bo-lieving and only absent in recent weeks because I believe he's injured. Also, Bo Dallas would go on after this match to hold the NXT Title for quite a while and I don't think Curtis Axel ever held it. With the announcement of a Bo Dallas action figure coming out early on in 2015, I am eagerly awaiting the chance to buy it... while Curtis Axel and HHH warm pegs in a Battle Pack at my local Target.
The second match saw Leo Kruger defeat Jake Carter and wow is there a lot to say about this one. Jake Carter is "your girlfriend's favorite superstar" and also the son of Vader. Yes, that Vader. And no, he is not Ethan Suplee. Obviously Jake Carter is neither on the WWE main roster right now nor in NXT still so I kind of wonder how someone who is the son of Vader could be released by WWE. More importantly, I wonder what happened to him in terms of wrestling as a whole because it feels like he could just as easily have made the transition to somewhere such as TNA. While I won't look into it on any official level, I'll just pretend he's perfecting his craft in Japan and will be back to either WWE or TNA in the not too distant future. After all, this is from over two years ago now.
Leo Kruger is now on the main roster as Adam Rose, the guy who likes to party all the time and is in a feud right now with the bunny. Leo Kruger is actually a lot better as a character than Adam Rose and I actually like Adam Rose a little bit. But what Rose has in that comedy act/cheesy feel that WWE really doesn't need, Leo Kruger has twice that in being a pure villain. Speculation can begin that Adam Rose will one day go full heel on The Bunny and even if he doesn't take the name of Leo Kruger again I think that as a heel this guy could be bigger than almost anyone else on the WWE main roster today.
Match three saw Ryback in a return to NXT and he squashed the duo of Aiden English and Francis Remi Dorian. Ryback was on the WWE main roster at this time so he was just down here pulling double duty I guess, as William Regal referred to it as a special appearance of some kind. Aiden English will go on to form the Vaudevillains, one of my favorite tag teams in NXT, while I have absolutely no idea who Francis Remi Dorian is. (A google search brings up the name "Louis Fontaine" but otherwise it's mostly just results for this specific match. So this guy may or may not still be wrestling... probably)
The main event had Richie Steamboat defeat Kassius Ohno. We all know that Kassius Ohno is no longer in WWE for whatever reasons, but whatever did happen to Ricky Steamboat Jr.?? Wikipedia says that he had his last NXT match in November of 2012 (so looks like I'll be seeing that soon enough) but then he also had to have back surgery and as such was released from his WWE contract in 2013. Why he hasn't either come back to WWE or made waves elsewhere in the world of professional wrestling is beyond me as he is one heck of a great wrestler, which should go without saying given who his father is.
This episode of NXT taught me a lot about where some of today's current stars came from, but then also with Curtis Axel, Bo Dallas, Jake Carter and Richie Steamboat on here it made me think a lot about multi-generational stars as well. While having a famous father could open doors for you, the fact is it only matters what you do with it from there. Just ask Harry "DH" Smith.
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