Ring of Honor on Sinclair December 3rd

Ring of Honor on Sinclair December 3rd

Recap video of Mike Bennet interfering in El Generico vs. Jay Lethal's TV Title match.

Our announcers are Kevin Kelly and Nigel McGuinness

The Main Event is The Young Bucks vs. Future Shock

Promo time for The Embassy's "Dominant Male" Tommaso Ciampa. He is looking a few inches left of the camera. It reminds me of a Mitch Hedberg joke. Most of the time however, they show videos of him training. Flipping tires, swinging sledgehammers. Ciampa is undefeated.

Shiloh Jonze enters the ring. Here comes The Embassy afterwards. Prince Nana, Princess Mia and Mr. Ernesto Osiris all accompany Ciampa.

Shiloh Jonze vs. Tommaso Ciampa

Kevin Kelly and Nigel McGuinness seem to agree that Jonze has no chance. Ciampa hits several hard elbows in the corner and in doing so also is holding Jonze arm around he rope so he is trapped. Jonze makes a brief comeback but is cut off with a stiff lariat. Jonze does escape the ring and hits a top rope elbow smash on Ciampa followed by a running one in the corner. Ciampa though cuts him off again with a dropkick to the knee and one to the head. Repeated running knee attacks to the corner followed by a powerbomb/backbreaker combo

Winner: Tomasso Ciampa

Everything from the second cutoff by Ciampa to the finish looked great.

Video recap of Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team and The Briscoes fighting in the street. Next week WGTT vs. The All Night Express in a Proving Ground match.

Jim Cornette interviewing ROH World Champion Dave Richards. He towers over him.

In ring segment now with McGuinness, Kevin Kelly, Jim Cornette, Steve Corino and Jimmy Jacobs in the ring. Kevin Steen comes out with his lawyers. Cornette is offering a settlement. He says Steen is a great wrestler but is worried about him as a face for the company. He is too loose of a cannon. Steen says he is a loose cannon. Cornette passes off the response to Steve Corino. Corino challenges Steen to a match at Final Battle. Jim Cornette adds Jimmy Jacobs as the referee to the match. Jim Cornette will be at ringside. If Steen wins, he is reinstated. I am pretty sure that Jimmy Jacobs is turning on Corino. 

Kevin Kelly throws to break as Steen and Corino try and fight.

Inside ROH: It is announced that at Final Battle 2011, Mike Bennett vs. Jay Lethal vs. El Generico
The last unbeaten man will get the ROH Television Title. Todd Sinclair, by Bennett's request, will not be the referee.

Eddie Edwards is with his trainer, Dan Severn. Dan Severn has a sweet mustache. They show clips of Eddie Edwards training camp. Davey Richards has closed his camp (which I will tentatively refer to as Munchkin Land) but he did give comments. He says he wants to remember Eddie Edwards as a man of honor and is trying to ignore the reports that Eddie is a bad man.

Camp Strong: Roderick Strong is with 3 very attractive young ladies. He implies that he is working out very hard with these women (SEXUALLY). He says if nobody dies in the main event of Final Battle, he will go down to the ring and kick them in the testicles and ask for a refund.

Main Event time

The Young Bucks promo: They talk about not respecting anyone. They say they are too good to have to respect anyone.

Now Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly come to the ring. They make up Future Shock. The Young Bucks follow.

Future Shock vs. The Young Bucks

Future Shock controls the opening of the match but a very organized (read: choreographed) session leads to The Young Bucks taking over. One highlight after what I consider to be some uneventful minutes was a wheelbarrow suplex onto the apron by Adam Cole to Nick Jackson. O'Rielly has Matt Jackson in a guillotine choke and nothing Nick Jackson does breaks it until a Matt is able to lift Kyle up and Nick hits a springboard reverse ddt. Bucks finish with "More Bang for Your Buck" and get the win

Winners: The Young Bucks

The match was kind of a drag in the middle but picked up with the slam to the apron. I did like the neverending guillotine but think that it took something out of the finish. As soon as it got broken, the match peaked and even though it ended just seconds later. It still feels like a down ending.

NWA HOLLYWOOD~!

Stu Stone opens the show saying that he thought he had the upperhand on Percy Pringle, Adam Pearce and Bob Trobich but didn't. He is looking for someone to take the NWA Title from Adam Pearce. He said he is coming back once he finds that guy.

"The Mirror Image" Ricky Mandel vs. Jarek Matthews

Mandel has a title belt with a mirror on it. The analysis for this, being provided by Jeff Resnick, Todd Kennely or James Morgan. Mandel is an all around athlete and Matthews is a submission specialist. After every few moves, Mandel goes to his title and checks his reflection to make sure his looks are still intact. He makes a mistake and while he is checking his looks Matthews rolls him up and gets the victory

Winner: Jarek Matthews

A short match but told a simple story

Someone with an umbrella has a microphone and is singing about Nick Madrid.

Next from Hoboken, New Jersey is Hobo. His opponent is K-Man.

Hobo vs. K-Man.

This appears as if it will be a one sided encounter, Hobo isn't small but K-Man is bigger. Hobo got very little offense in. K-Man won after a full nelson slam.

K-Man reminded me of a one man Road Warriors. Used Ironman by Black Sabbath as his theme much like the Road Warriors did. Controlled a good portion of the match and overpowered Hobo. After the bell, he raised Hobo's hand like a good sportsman. Then when he dropped it, Hobo fell down.

Earlier this week they got reports saying that The Ugandan Giant Kamala had his foot amputated and were unable to confirm this. But Kamala apparently sent in a video to confirm this himself. They go to the video tape now. Kamala says he is blessed he is alive. He thanks people for their support. I was hoping the video would be of him in character. I know it is a serious issue but that would be awesome to see.

Dave Marquez with news about TV tapings that already passed (at least as of my viewing), then a video of Peter Avalon talking about Ryan Taylor and Scorpio Sky. Peter  Avalon is still a tiny man, nothing has changed in the year since I last saw this program.

8 man tag main event hype: Johnny Yuma, Willie Mack, Terex and Brian Cage make up apparently the babyfaces. Yuma runs through their accomplishments. Terex is undefeated. Now we go to the heels. Shaun Ricker, Watts, Mikey O Shea and Timothy Thatcher. The heels do a better promo (well Shaun Ricker does) but cannot agree who is the leader.

ITS AN ELIMINATION MATCH~!

Promo by Famous B.

The heels are apparently named "The Gravy Maniacs" Shaun Ricker is a former NWA Heritage tag team champion with Brian Cage, one of his opponents for tonight. Mikey O'Shea has a look, at least in attire and size, like Bam Bam Bigelow. Watts is probably the best known member of this match with his appearance on USA Network's Tough Enough earlier this year. Timothy Thatcher has a look resembling early ECW Mike Knox. He is British though. That is the best I can do.

Next the babyfaces who will apparently be known as "The Cage Rage" Brian Cage had a WWE developmental deal as Kris Logan is signed to a deal with Jeff Katz Wrestling Retribution Project (as is Shaun Ricker), Terex is the biggest man on "The Cage Rage" and is apparently undefeated.
Johnny Yuma is a former NWA Heritage Tag Team champion with Johnny Goodtime and Willie Mack is a member of the UWF crew 40 Glocc. He also has appeared on The Art of Wrestling with Colt Cabana. Earlier when Dave Marquez was talking about the match, he said Johnny Yuma was the captain of the babyface team but apparently Brian Cage is the leader. Interesting note, the referee is bigger than Johnny Yuma

Gravy Maniacs vs. The Cage Rage

Ricker and Cage start out but Ricker tags out to Mikey O'Shea. O'Shea is a large man and Cage is struggling to get him off his feet. Timothy Thatcher tags in. Watts tags in as we  go to commercial. Then when they come back, Watts tags out immediately. Not really a good sign about Watts. Brian Cage is able to get some offense in and tag in Terex. Terex is obese. After some offense on Thatcher by Terex, Johnny Yuma tags in. Yuma is tiny. Willie Mack tags in now. Quick tags by each team. Some triple teaming by the babyfaces leads to a pin attempt. Then all hell breaks loose. All 8 men brawling around the arena. BRIAN CAGE WITH A MOONSAULT FROM THE TOP TO THE OUTSIDE! Terex threatens to dive out of the ring, but Watts cuts him off. Which is good. Because people would have died. After things get cleared up. Ricker and Yuma are in the ring. Ricker showboating but is unable to get a 3 count. Mikey O Shea tags in. Yuma is able to escape. Terex tags in and he delivers clotheslines to all the heels until the two fat men (O Shea and Terex) spill outside. Double countout.

Mikey O Shea and Terex both counted out.

Watts and Mack are in the ring but Mack tags out to Brian Cage. Cage working over the arm of Watts. Which apparently Watts will need for his finisher. Quick tags by the heels and Cage is being stomped on by the heels. After several minutes Cage is able to tag in Willie Mack. Thanks to a distraction by Shaun Ricker, Watts (with a handful of tights) rolls up Mack and eliminates him

Willie Mack eliminated

Johnny Yuma comes in and is trying his damndest against Watts. Willie Mack runs in and attacks Watts. Allowing Yuma to hit what appeared to be a modified piledriver (could have just been a double knee jawbreaker and I saw it wrong, looked good regardless) on Watts and pin him

Watts eliminated.

Poor Yuma is stuck in the ring with Thatcher and Ricker. Repeated tags by the heels. Shaun Ricker gets Johnny Yuma with a side suplex slam and pins him

Johnny Yuma is eliminated

Two on one against Brian Cage. Thatcher locks in a submission but Cage gets his feet on the ropes.  A quick neckbreaker by Cage sends Thatcher out

Timothy Thatcher eliminated

Quick pinfall attempts by Cage. Ricker has more energy than Cage, conserving his energy early in the match. After escaping a suplex attempt, Brian Cage is able to hit another neckbreaker and get the victory for his team.

Winner: The Cage Rage (Brian Cage)

Overall, I really liked Shaun Ricker on this show. The main event was the definite highlight of the night, although I did not like Willie Mack running back in to cost Watts the match. It made sense because Mack got eliminated by suspicious means but it happened right in front of the referee to no consequence.

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Money In The Bank Predictions: Hail Caesar!

Friends, Romans, Country Men, I come to you today with predictions. Predictions for the 2011 Money In the Bank PPV. Not the whole thing though. Just two matches. The matches the PPV is based around. The Money In The Bank Ladder Match. While I am very much intrigued about the Mark Henry/Big Show match and the CM Punk/John Cena match, I fear that any prediction I make of other would lead to the opposite of what I want happening. The good thing is, if I am wrong, I will admit it. So if The Big Show beats Mark Henry in 30 seconds as opposed to my prediction of the complete invert of that (Henry winning quickly), I will admit it straight away.

Proof of that point is right here. I cannot name the WWE title match for last years MITB PPV. I assume it was something involving Sheamus and Cena but do not know if there were more people as well. What I can remember, however, is my predictions for both Money In The Bank ladder matches from that PPV. From RAW, I had Evan Bourne winning. To prove anyone can do it. He was, just as he is now, a very popular guy and could have probably gotten over by nearly beating the WWE champion. He would lose. I still stand by that theory. One thing I do not stand by is my Smackdown ladder match prediction. Matt Hardy. I believed that Matt Hardy would win the Smackdown World Title shot. For basically the same reason as I predicted Evan Bourne. Matt Hardy, for those who don’t remember, only wrestled a handful of times after this ppv for the WWE before leaving the company, going to TNA and….. I’ll be damned I can’t remember what he has done there. I know it is stuff. I remember he teamed with Chris Harris once but other than that I am blanking on it. I also predicted Dolph Ziggler for the WrestleMania 26 Money In The Bank match. Clearly, my track record on these is based on optimism not reality. How off will my predictions be this year? Let’s see shall we?

Starting with RAW -

Alberto Del Rio: He shouldn’t be in this match. He doesn’t need it. He already won a #1 contender match. He is just risking unnecessary punishment on his body. I do like his chances of winning however. Just his victory on RAW a few weeks ago for the WWE title shot does put him down the line in my order of possible winners.

Alex Riley: Riley seems to have Miz’s number and Miz won the case last year. I don’t see Riley winning though.

Evan Bourne: He is in the match to do pretty flips and look like he is dying. I can’t predict him as a winner. Not making that mistake again. Least likely to win in my opinion.

Kofi Kingston: Everybody seems to be predicting Del Rio. But I believe a babyface is winning. Someone who can run out and attempt to save the WWE title from CM Punk at the end of the night. Someone who can afford to look like a dumbass when he fails. Sorry Kofi. Its not your time to be a world title holder yet.

Jack Swagger: I don’t see a heel winning and I don’t see a former MITB winner winning. So Swagger is out. Remember. Swagger won the WrestleMania 26 one. Remember Jack Swagger is a former World Champion. Remember?  C’mon. He did. Look it up.

The Miz: For the same reason I said no to Swagger, I don’t see Miz winning this one.

Rey Mysterio: I can see Rey winning this and remain popular even in losing to Punk. In one of my early scenarios, I thought Rey was winning and losing to Punk.

R-Truth: He is a dark horse in this one (no racial), I could definitely see him winning the case, losing the cash in and claiming a conspiracy.

#8  Evan Bourne: Very little chance

#7  Jack Swagger: He is feuding with Bourne, so it is fitting they are both so low.

#6  Alex Riley: Still too early for Riley

#5  Miz: Don’t see him repeating

#4  R-Truth: If the main event didn’t indicate that someone may cash in that night, Truth would be higher.

#3  Rey Mysterio: I think that if Rey were to win the case, he would use it in a 1 on 1 match against Cena and I don’t believe the scenario of the night would allow that to happen.

#2  Alberto Del Rio: If he hadn’t won the title shot on July 4^th, I would say that this was his match to lose.

MY PREDICTION FOR THE WINNER OF THE RAW MONEY IN THE BANK LADDER MATCH: Kofi Kingston. I said earlier in this it is not his time to be a World Title Holder yet, but I do think he wins the case and fails at the cash in.

Smackdown -

Cody Rhodes: If Rhodes wins, I see him carrying around the case for a while. Maybe destroying the case to make it disfigured like him. With Randy Orton holding the World Heavyweight Championship and Rhodes having a history with him. I say he has an ok chance to win. But CM Punk’s storyline takes precedence right now, so Rhodes gets moved back a little

Daniel Bryan: I have no real argument against him winning, but don’t believe he has as good of a chance as others do.

Heath Slater: You know, I want Heath Slater to win this. Just for the reaction of the crowd. He is in the match to do what Evan Bourne is on RAW. Look like he is going to die.

Justin Gabriel: Much like Slater, I see him dying. But playing into something else (along with Slater)

Kane: Unpredictable. Kane usually gets more focused on each summer. Even holding the World Title for the final 6 months of 2010. I don’t think he wins but will not be as surprised if he does.

Sheamus: My early favorite to win. I would have had him winning until I thought of a new way to go.

Sin Cara: WWE is paying this man quite a bit and he does flips. I see no way in him winning however

Wade Barrett: Wade Barrett is my least favorite man in the 16 that I have discussed thus far but…

#8 Heath Slater

#7 Justin Gabriel

#6 Sin Cara

 #5 Daniel Bryan

#4 Cody Rhodes

#3 Kane

#2 Sheamus

And the winner:

In this match, there are 4, former members of Nexus. Daniel Bryan, Justin Gabriel, Heath Slater and the former leader of Nexus, Wade Barrett.  CM Punk is the current leader of The Nexus. I believe that this will play heavily into the outcome.  What I indicated in the analysis for Gabriel and Slater earlier is something bigger planned. I see them and the eventual winner of the Smackdown Money In The Bank working as a team in the match. It will eventually break down though. Slater and Gabriel will be laid out. But it hints at something bigger later in the night.

As you can easily guess, my prediction for this match is Wade Barrett. I believe that at the end of the night, CM Punk defeats John Cena (going against my word here and laying out my prediction for the WWE Title match), defeats the first savior of the night Kofi Kingston and goes to leave. He is stopped in the entrance way by the WWE Tag Team Champions, Mike McGillicuty and David Otunga. They want to know what is up? They put their careers in Punk’s hands and he is stepping out on them. They have plans of their own. They attack Punk. Lay him out. This is where Wade Barrett comes out and cashes in. He successfully defeats CM Punk. Becomes the WWE Champion and regains his position as the leader of Nexus. I do not recall if the Wade Barrett, CM Punk argument over who is the rightful leader of Nexus had a blowoff.

Barrett now has the WWE Championship, he has rid the WWE of 2 top names. The two guys who Nexus attacked in their debut. John Cena and CM Punk and he has Mr. McMahon groveling at his feet for saving his company the embarrassment of losing their top championship.

I feel the need to admit something….

I am a nerd. Not in a traditional smart sense but I care a lot about very specific stuff. As indicated by previous editions (and hell, the existence of it) of The Digital Undercard, this is clearly wrestling. But this goes back. It goes back to a time when I was even nerdier than writing an occasional wrestling blog once or twice a week. Starting the night after WrestleMania 23 (the event was on April 1^st, so April 2^nd) I began ranking the top and bottom five wrestlers from each WWE show (RAW, ECW, Smackdown and when applicable PPVS) and writing down the rankings in a spiral notebook. I did this for every event the WWE put on for two years. This had no purpose as I am the only one that ever saw these rankings.

Why am I telling this story? Because recently I have been looking for regular columns to do for The Digital Undercard and have decided to revive "The Rankings". It will not be daily but instead weekly and will not be WWE exclusive. The top five wrestlers each week in my opinion.

#5 The Miz

At the Elimination Chamber, The Miz defeated Jerry Lawler, successfully defending his WWE Championship. The next night on RAW he, along with his WrestleMania opponent John Cena, defeated Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel for the WWE Tag Team Championships, they lost the titles soon after (about 12 minutes) but that was due to his attacking of John Cena. His ego and hatred for John Cena got in the way of his own personal success. And for that he is at #5

#4 Sin Cara

The former Mistico officially signed with the WWE this week and was the recipient of a press conference in Mexico City announcing it. It is not common for someone to receive this high of praise before even setting foot in the WWE. Reports are saying that he will not go to Florida Championship Wrestling to learn the "WWE style", like most every signing has done over the past few years. Clearly the WWE sees money in Mistico and they should, he is one of the biggest names in the world of Lucha Libre and this is one of the biggest signings in the WWE in years.

#3 John Cena

At the Elimination Chamber, John Cena defeated 5 men to win the right to challenge for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania, but that is not what has him being ranked this high. It was his rebuttal to The Rock that is getting him here. He stood up for himself and delivered some great lines, mostly implying that The Rock was a homosexual. As childish as many believe that to be, look at what The Rock said the week prior. Not really high class material from Dwayne either.

#2 Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel

Twice this week they won the tag team titles. Once from Santino and Vladimir Kozlov on The Elimination Chamber and once the next night on RAW. But they also defeated Trent Baretta and JTG on Superstars. 2 and ½ victories this week (they didn't win the titles cleanly on RAW). On these rankings title wins will get you farther than other wins. That is why they are #2. They are the only team to be multiple time Unified Tag Team champions.

#1 The Undertaker and Triple H

Not a word was spoken but in the 10 or so minutes these men were on RAW this week, one of the biggest WrestleMania matches was set up. For three weeks the 2-21-11 videos were ran, it was finally revealed to be The Undertaker. Before he can say anything, Triple H comes out, gets a reaction that dwarfs The Undertaker and by nodding, challenges him to a match at WrestleMania. Taker refuses, then accepts. Using body language alone. My only problem was this was in the middle of the show and not the end.

Fact or Fiction February 23, 2011

I took these questions from 411mania's fact or fiction. Here is the link for those that want to see the original article

http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/columns/175578

 

 

1. Triple H putting his Career against The Undertaker's Streak at WrestleMania is too much of a copy of last year to work.

FACT It is very similar to last year but it will work. I can understand what they are going for. Undertaker, just as last year with Shawn Michaels, has already beaten Triple H at WrestleMania. Why should he risk his legacy to give someone a second chance without them putting something on the line themselves? Just because it was done last year with ½ of the same equation doesn't mean it won't work. It would probably work better if Triple H hasn't been off TV for 8 months. He is a big enough star that him losing a career match and being gone from the WWE will mean big things, but he has been gone since April, so him being gone again doesn't mean too much.

2. Making Hernandez a new member of Immortal upon his return was a good move for TNA.

FACT Him being included in the group makes the group look better. Without Fortune and Abyss, they don't seem strong. Hernandez gives them that strength. He looks like a monster, has a history of being treated like a monster and is pissed off at a key rival of Immortal. Being featured in a major angle is going to get him featured on TV more. He won't need to fight for the spot. Good move all around.

3. The Elimination Chamber PPV topped last year's and provided a clear direction to WrestleMania 27.

I saw more of last year's show than I did this years. It set off the run for HBK and Taker, Batista and John Cena and The Legacy 3 Way. Although one improvement that this year's had is no world title changes as opposed to last year's three world title changes. If The Undertaker's return happened on this show instead of RAW, this would be an easy FACT but I have to say PUSH

4. TNA would be making a wise move by signing Isis the Amazon.

FICTION. Wouldn't really be an unwise move but I am sure they can find other women that can do more for the division than be big


5. Trish Stratus is as much of a enticement to watch Tough Enough as Steve Austin is.

FICTION. I don't think her being involved with the show will do as much as Austin being involved will. Maybe more than Booker T's involvement will but not as much as Austin's.

6. Taping Impact outside of the Impact Zone will backfire on TNA.

FICTION At least they will be in front of a different audience than the usual theme park dwellers that they are currently drawing. The obvious problem will be the people may not be as devoted to the product as the current attendees are. Different attendees that could be into different wrestlers and we could see some different elements to the show. Plus there will be fewer asinine chants.

Unless the shows don't draw and the building is empty. They would look stupid and it would blow up in their face.

7. Hacksaw Jim Duggan undoubtedly deserves his spot in the WWE Hall of Fame.

FACT. He won a Royal Rumble. He is popular. Its not like the Hall has been a place for great wrestlers anyway. He comes back frequently, he is loyal to the company, its probably a nice payday, could probably get him more money at the independent shows he does. (I am not in the business so I have no idea if that would be worth getting him more money, just a guess on my part) My problem with him being in is he is the 2^nd one announced, which I determine to mean that everyone they announce for the rest of the class will be lower than him. I have heard some of the rumored names for the rest of the class, many of them deserve that #2 spot more than he does.

8. Jerry Lawler vs. Michael Cole is not a match you want to see at WrestleMania.

FICTION. Its not gonna be a good match. Cole isn't a wrestler. It will be a slaughter. But for one year, Michael Cole has been absolutely obnoxious and it will be a pleasure to see someone to shut his mouth. I do wonder what will happen after WrestleMania though, the two guys wouldn't be able to be seated at the table next to each other after one basically destroys the other.

One Year of Wild and Young

Tommorow, February 23^rd will be the 1 year anniversary of the debut of the greatest show in the history of pro wrestling. WWE NXT. Eight men all looking to fulfill a dream. A dream that would see them gaining a WWE contract and a shot at a title in the future. I would like to look back and analyze where the last year has lead these eight competitors.

 

Michael Tarver: From the first time we saw Michael Tarver he was spouting how he could knock out any man in just 1.9 seconds. When his time on the show had ended, he knocked out nobody and only had one victory under his belt (final record of 1-9). Over time he voluntarily withdrew from many challenges and at the end his elimination was due to him saying he should be the one to go. As all eight guys did, when the show ended, he made an impact by attacking John Cena, CM Punk, Justin Roberts, Jerry Lawler, security, etc. But it was during this attack in which he did what he had proclaimed he could do for 4 months prior. He knocked out John Cena. It was after several other men attacked him but still, he proved he could do it. He was the third man eliminated from Nexus. This was due to a leg injury, he returned to TV in early 2011 but has done nothing more than appear in backstage segments. When Tarver first got eliminated off NXT, I along with many others seemed to believe that he would become a bodyguard for Ted Dibiase, a new Virgil. He had spoken when he first began the show about how he had six children and had lived in a car for several years, so many put two and two together (Tarver needs money, Dibiase has it) and made the connection. Looking back on what has happened since then, it was definitely more beneficial for Tarver to be in Nexus, going with Dibiase would not have gotten him very far. Dibiase spent most of the summer feuding with R-Truth and then with Goldust, while Tarver was in the main event of Summerslam and a main part of RAW for several months. His injury came at a bad time. I would like to think that if he didn't get injured he would have been the one to get a tag title reign with John Cena, when instead it went to David Otunga. The longer Tarver is on TV without actually doing anything, I don't see him being able to regain his position on the show. I had assumed that he would be the man who attacked Teddy Long in early January 2011 but instead it just seemed to be the beginning of his new "hanging out backstage" hobby.

Daniel Bryan: Daniel Bryan was the star of the first few weeks. The very first main event of the show featured him 1 on 1 against Chris Jericho. World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho. During that match, he got rag-dolled into the announce table. Something that left him with intense bruises on his back and led to his loss that week. The next week he lost to Wade Barrett. Someone who is larger than him. I wrote this loss off as him still feeling the effects of the table incident. 8 losses later he was winless and it went from him having a reason each time that he lost, to him looking completely inept. He was a great wrestler but couldn't win. When the first elimination came, much like Michael Tarver did, Daniel Bryan said he should be the one to go. Unlike Tarver's reasoning that it was in the best interest of the other competitors for him to go, Bryan pointed out that he was winless and he did not deserve to stay on the show. After he was eliminated he did an interview in which he seemed to imply that he was throwing the matches and said "Daniel Bryan" may be done and the future is for "Bryan Danielson". In the past 9 months, that is the only time that name has been mentioned. He started a brief feud with Michael Cole over Cole referring to him as a nerd, but it was an attack on another announcer that set things in waves for him. During the Nexus attack, Daniel Bryan choked ring announcer Justin Roberts with a tie. This got him fired from the company later that week. Eventually he returned at Summerslam as the surprise 7^th man of Team WWE. In the time since that match, Daniel Bryan became the only member of NXT to win singles gold and is currently the longest reigning champion in the WWE. In completing all of that , it kind of destroys the myth that winning NXT matters. His more memorable NXT moments may be from his mentoring Derrick Bateman on Season 4.

Skip Sheffield: Sheffield was the first man who was eliminated in the traditional "pro vote" sense. He was very popular with the fans due to his happy go lucky cowboy persona, but after he got eliminated, he refocused himself and became more intense. His role in Nexus was as a silent monster. His clothesline with a tree-trunk of an arm devastated people. He has the look of someone who can and will do big things in the wrestling industry. Former WWE Writer John Piermarini claimed in his blog that WWE power players see him as a #2 face in the future. Nexus got him back on the TV, but I believe it held him back from potentially becoming something huge. As part of a unit, he stood out less than he could have. He suffered an injury over the fall that has kept him out since. He is supposed to be back right around Mania so I feel that he could be the big post mania return. I think Sheffield has the potential to be the next Brock Lesnar (barring the UFC transition)

Darren Young: Apparently when the season ended, Darren Young had the best overall record. I don't know how that happened and since then it has once again reassured the myth that NXT matters. Out of the 8 guys from the show, he has accomplished the least. He hasn't been injured, hasn't been fired but still he has done basically nothing of note. It seemed like he was gonna be placed in a main role as the opposition to Nexus but after his singular appearance in the main event of RAW, he hasn't done anything of note in that aspect. He wasn't in the Royal Rumble despite being advertised. The moral of the story is "Everything Success is, Darren Young isn't"

Heath Slater: Heath Slater was the final member of NXT to be defeated. He pinned the World Heavyweight Champion on NXT. Everything seemed to be going Slater's way. Unlike Skip Sheffield, Heath Slater more than benefited from Nexus. He doesn't have the unique standout look that Skip Sheffield does, he isn't very big. Nexus was his only real shot to get back onto tv. Had it not been for the group, he would have been forgotten about. Right now he is holding tag team gold with Justin Gabriel. As much as I like Slater, I fear that when that team ends, Gabriel will be the one to get the push and Slater will go to the wayside. Heath needs to be associated with someone to remain where he is. He has reached his plateau and I don't think he will go much higher than that.

Justin Gabriel: Gabriel's involvement in the Nexus attacks were quite possibly the most memorable. His 450 splash is popular. During the whole run of the show, he was one of my least favorite competitors, I can't put my finger on why. His involvement in the attacks changed that for me. His 450 splash finalized each attack. Then as the attacks continued, the sadistic look on his face changed to become a regretful one. If it were my choice, Gabriel would have been the one to be in the Darren Young position. He could have been great opposition for Nexus. The Tag Title reigns he has had with Heath Slater seem to be holding him back from bigger things.
I think people want to cheer him and I am sure that if given a chance he could become a strong contender for the IC or US title. I believe he could be a mainstream star. He is the first African superstar the company has had (Akeem and Kofi aren't gonna be counted) and I think his looks will draw in the female fans.

David Otunga: Otunga is the guy the WWE wanted to be the star. He is the one who got the mainstream attention. His relationship with Oscar Winner Jennifer Hudson made him a focus and I thought he was gonna be the one that won the show because of it. Over the process of the show it, he became somewhat of a joke and during the season 1 finale, Wade Barrett verbally massacred him. Otunga eventually won the tag team titles with John Cena but it was a short reign. He hasn't done much since then. Just a sidekick for CM Punk right now. He was just a sidekick for Wade Barrett for a few months. David Otunga, as Barrett said in the finale, has no quality the WWE can use, other than being married to someone famous.

Wade Barrett: The Winner of NXT Season 1. He feuded with the top man in the company for close to 6 months. He was the focus of the main show of the company for all that time. However, at the end of his feud with Cena, he didn't seem special anymore. I think he still has potential for a great future but he is placed with other guys. I thought his move to Smackdown was gonna lead to him breaking out on his own instead he got a new Nexus style group. Nexus hurt him. He had the contract already but his loyalty to the other 7 men caused him to bring them along. It made him seem like he couldn't hang on his own. There is still some question as to whether he can, if he was good enough to win the show, why isn't he good enough to go at it on his own? I once was a big Barrett fan, at the beginning of the NXT show, I supported him. During Nexus, I still supported him but over the past few weeks I have gotten tired of him.