I might be the only one, but I'm looking forward to seeing what Bobby Roode can do in NXT. For some reason it just seems like he's going to be another guy set to have a career renewal after TNA.

 

What's the hold-up there? He was ringside for Takeover: Dallas but hasn't appeared on any TV since.

When he first arrived he was attacked by Corbin and then had a short program, but nothing about the way he acted or talked about himself said "plucky babyface." He was cocky and full of himself from the start. It's a slow burn. I think they planned on him being a heel from the get go, but wanted to let the initial "hey looks who's here" good will happen and subside.

 

Gotta agree with Johnny here. Aries has been pretty douchey from the get-go. They were just smart enough to know you can't bring in an indy darling as a pure heel at the start. Even though the shows haven't been quite as good since they lost their writer to Smackdown awhile back, they still have the big picture stuff down pat.

That little sit down between Joe and Balor wasn't perfect by any means, but it reinforced how revitalized Joe is as an overall performer right now. If anything he might have crushed Balor too much. Balor cam off a sulking, sad, complaining child. Joe came off as a confident champion who knows he has his opponent's number. Joe's true return to form is one of my favorite things in wrestling right now.

That little sit down between Joe and Balor wasn't perfect by any means, but it reinforced how revitalized Joe is as an overall performer right now. If anything he might have crushed Balor too much. Balor cam off a sulking, sad, complaining child. Joe came off as a confident champion who knows he has his opponent's number. Joe's true return to form is one of my favorite things in wrestling right now.

 

Double turn?

Didn't feel purposeful to me. I guess maybe Balor could be turning a bit to set up him joining some version of the Bullet Club on the main roster, which I could get behind. It honestly just felt like Joe doing his job really well and the Balor character sort of hitting a weird dead end. I like Balor and all, that was just such a strange promo to me. You can't come down in a leather jacket and be the cool guy - popping your collar - ace of the promotion one day and then stare off in the middle distance like highschool kid that just lost his girlfriend the next. I'm suspecting Balor is going to the main roster soon (and this will play very little into his future) and Joe is going to be the new king of NXT for a while.

I'm assuming the post Takeover build will be for Joe vs Nak at the Summerslam weekend show. Bring Balor up soon, and maybe have him put over Nak on his way out?

I'm looking forward to a Joe/Nakamura match so much I feel like they're just killing time until that happens. Takeover should be a good show, but there's nothing on it I want to see half as much as Joe vs Nakamura.

That sitdown interview really felt weird, as if Joe was the betrayed friend and Finn was the whiny little guy that's upset because he lost his favorite toy.

 

I really liked the finish in the tag match. Felt fresh and had a surprise factor to it.

 

I'm looking forward to Takeover, but not nearly as much as the Dallas show. No need to get up in the middle of the night and watch it, it'll be enough to watch it the next day after work.

Joe vs Nak is going to be really good. I am trying not to build it up to the point where it will never live up to my own hype.

That interview segment pretty much sealed it for me that Balor is going to get kneecapped on the main roster. Dunn already hates accents, and Finn has shown he kind of sucks at WWE style promos.

So by that logic, Nak has no chance on the main roster

 

Balor will be just fine

When he first arrived he was attacked by Corbin and then had a short program, but nothing about the way he acted or talked about himself said "plucky babyface." He was cocky and full of himself from the start. It's a slow burn. I think they planned on him being a heel from the get go, but wanted to let the initial "hey looks who's here" good will happen and subside.

 

Took some time to think about this, and while it's a fair point, I really think you're giving way too much credit to both WWE (NXT) and Aries.

 

- WWE, even the beloved NXT chapter of it, is never that subtle. They usually beat you over the head with stuff like this.

 

- I think what it really comes down to is that Aries is not a very good performer (outside the ring, at least in a face role).

So by that logic, Nak has no chance on the main roster

 

Balor will be just fine

Nak has shown to be much better at promos so far. Of course he has the advantage of not having to deliver reams of bad WWE writing too. They just have him hit the key points, which with his charisma make him look like the Rock compared to everyone else.

That interview segment pretty much sealed it for me that Balor is going to get kneecapped on the main roster. Dunn already hates accents, and Finn has shown he kind of sucks at WWE style promos.

 

I watch NXT on and off, today I have watched the last 3 episodes and I was coming to this thread to ask if Balor is always this bad at promos.

I can see Vince looking at the size, the accent and the promos and giving him no chance at all.

 

So by that logic, Nak has no chance on the main roster

 

Balor will be just fine

Nak has shown to be much better at promos so far. Of course he has the advantage of not having to deliver reams of bad WWE writing too. They just have him hit the key points, which with his charisma make him look like the Rock compared to everyone else.

 

 

Nakamura also has got size and just standing there he has got more presence than almost everybody in the company. Balor does not have those traits.

 

I'm not a Balor fan. I hope he does well just to bring some variety to the main shows but unless he gets AJ type reactions he'll have a rough time.

He would be a great silent heel like a Sabu, or someone who just says a line or two.

 

He came off like a big star when I first saw him. The light up jacket, the real rock n roll theme, the small guy leading all the big dudes, the foreign accent ordering commands, and those crazy eyes. Just seemed fucking evil.

 

All he needs is his finishers. The stomp and that underhook brainbuster are enough. Doesn't need a bunch of shit before that. Definitely has enough character to lean on and emphasize more than doing flashy offense like Styles

Just bought NXT: Brooklyn tickets. Last year's was one of the best shows I've ever been to, esp. in terms of crowd reactions, but it'll be interesting to see who's even in NXT on August 20th.

Yeah I got tickets to NXT in Cincinnati coming up in July. They are advertising the main group of Nakamura, Joe, Balor, Bayley, Asuka but I imagine this might be kind of the last loop for some of those main talents. This summer is going to be interesting in terms of what NXT can do to remain hot and fresh.

I am really into the rumors of End coming to NXT this fall and Strong and Moose being on the radar. They are definitely loading back up. I kind of hope we get an End vs Nakamura match before Nak gets called up.

 

I am really looking forward to this cage match. Joe is really good in a cage and this should be a great blowoff match.

 

Im surprisingly not as stoked about the rest of the card, including Nak vs Aries. I know it will deliver, but for some reason it just hasn't jumped off the screen to me. Maybe they will shock us, but it kind of feels like a pit stop on the way to Nakamura vs Joe.... a pretty well put together pit stop, but a pit stop none the less.

Probably THE END means the end of Takeover's at Full Sail University and will have them at arenas, then the next thing will be taping NXT tapings at arenas, like the Manhattan Center, and other venues that could probably do it, since they want RAW & Smackdown at major venues.

Apparently the NXT crowd was shitting on Andrade Almas at the latest tapings and chanting for Tye Dillinger. Has the "we hate the guys they push" mentality now descended upon NXT?

Tye is a cult figure at Full Sail. They've been cheering for him ever since his crappy tag team with Jason Jordan. If they planned to book him as a babyface vs Tye, it wasn't very smart.

I doubt they would have booed him against someone like Angelo Dawkins or Elias Sampson. It is just that Tye is the popular guy at Full Sail right now. The problem is that I don't know how popular Tye is outside of Orlando.

Tye Dillinger deserves every bit of the popularity he has IMO. He's an unsung hero, much like Tyler Breeze before him. Almas did not impress me one bit in his first outing, which is the only thing I've seen of his. Bad costume, bland ring style, just a massive disappointment all around. I hope Tye gets a much bigger push soon. I was also one of the fans of his "crappy" tag team with Jason Jordan. Were they American Alpha? No. But they were decent. Definitely for the best though that Tye is by himself now and Jordan is with Gable.

I doubt they would have booed him against someone like Angelo Dawkins or Elias Sampson. It is just that Tye is the popular guy at Full Sail right now. The problem is that I don't know how popular Tye is outside of Orlando.

 

I think Tye could be an honest NXT draw. Which means that he's part of the collective act that people would pay to see. I really think that people pay money to sing to Bayley (or to sing Nakamura's song now) or to Do the Gable-Gable, Jordan-Jordan chants. Or yes, to do the "Ten!" thing. It's part of an interactive act in a way that the main roster isn't, and he's an increasingly valuable cog in that machine. If NXT only comes around to your city once a year, you may miss the chance to do the TEN! thing forever. I think there are a lot of people that appeals to, that ECW sense of being an interactive part of something special, like singing to Sandman's music or bringing a weapon for Axl or getting Bubba to insult you..

 

But it would mean absolutely nothing on the main roster.