NXT Retro Review Episode 8: The Gold Rush continues

Retro WWE NXT Episode 8 – Orginal air date – August 8, 2012

The show begins with a recap of Dusty Rhodes announcement of a tournament to crown the first NXT Champion and we get a pretty nice package highlighting the men in the tournament talking about how much they wanted to be the first champion. The only discrepancy here, Drew McIntyre is talking about his desire to win the title and he lost last week. Oops.

Coheed and Cambria plays to begin the show. Interesting that Audrey Marie has replaced Sofia Cortez aka Ivelisse in this week’s opening package…

Jim Ross, Byron Saxton, and William Regal are on commentary.

Michael McGillicutty vs. Justin Gabriel in First Round Gold Rush Tournament Match

Damn, I love Axel’s old theme song. Jim Ross actually says he would be surprised if McGillicutty didn’t win the whole tournament. They lock up to start the match, with Gabriel struggling to grab a wristlock. McGillicutty ducks to throw an elbow to the ribs and reverses it, but Gabriel rolls back and cartwheels over to reverse it back, then takes McGillicutty over for a one count. McGillicutty takes refuge in the corner and Gabriel tells him to bring it. They tease a test of strength, but instead Gabriel takes him down and turns it into a hammerlock on the mat, while Regal talks about wrestling Gabriel’s father in South Africa.

Gabriel uses a half nelson briefly to get a one count, then back to the hammerlock. McGillicutty gets to his feet and reverses it, then switches to a headlock. Gabriel counters with a top wristlock into a headlock of his own. McGillicutty tosses him in and Gabriel puts him down with a shoulder block, which actually gets a pop. That means mat wresting done right McGillicutty drops down, but Gabriel cartwheels over and catches him with an armdrag into an armbar. McGillicutty worked to his feet, but Gabriel flipped by the arm back to the mat and grabbed a modified La Magistral cradle for a two count, then armdragged him back down to the armbar. McGillicutty worked to his feet and put Gabriel in the corner. He offered a clean break but then went for a cheap shot and missed, and Gabriel took him down again with the armdrag into the armbar. McGillicutty worked to his feet again, but Gabriel twisted his arm and pulled him in, taking him down into a pinning combination for a two count.

They got to their feet and McGillicutty hit a kick to the gut and grabbed a headlock as some fans chanted “Not So Perfect” at him. Gabriel tossed him in and McGillicutty put him down with a hard shoulderblock. Gabriel avoided him twice with a drop down and a leapfrog, but McGillicutty kicked him in the gut and went for a suplex, but Gabriel floated out and caught McGillicutty with a vertical suplex, rolling through into a sweet submission hold. McGillicutty refused to tap as we go to commercial.

BFC, McGillicutty had the advantage, clubbing Gabriel to the mat with an elbow and putting the boots to him. McGillicutty whipped him in, but Gabriel slid through his legs and hit a spinning back kick, then kicked him in the collar bone and went for a crossbody but McGillicutty moved and Gabriel hit the ropes throat first. McGillicutty worked him over in the corner, finishing with a headbutt and a side backbreaker for a two count, then went to rear chinlock. Gabriel fought to his knees and caught McGillicutty with a judo throw to escape. Gabriel went for a second rope crossbody, but McGillicutty caught him with a dropkick to the ribs for a two count. McGillicutty went to work him over and Gabriel tried to fight back from his knees, but McGillicutty hit a knee to the head for a two count, then went back to the chinlock. Gabriel fought to his feet again, but this time McGillicutty threw him down by his good hair. McGillicutty used the old face twist, then put Gabriel down with another kneehit, then went back to the chinlock. Gabriel seemed to go out for a moment, but eventually fought out and hit some rights.

McGillicutty tried to cut him off with shots to the back off the head, but Gabriel got going only for them to collide on a crossbody. Gabriel beat McGillicutty to his feet and made the comeback, hitting a series of spinkicks and a springboard crossbody for a two count. Gabriel went up for the 450, but Axel had cleared the way, so Gabriel caught him with a splash in the corner and a Blue Thunder Bomb for another near fall. Gabriel looked he wanted to vertical suplex him into the turnbuckles, but McGillicutty caught him in small package that he rolled through into the Perfect Plex, but Gabriel kicked out. What an awesome move. McGillicutty went for a side backbreaker but Gabriel countered into the Eye of the Hurricane! Gabriel then went for the springboard Moonsault, but McGillicutty cleared the way and came back with his sweet one arm swinging neckbreaker for the three count. Interestingly enough, the crowd is doing the “ya!” noise they would later make for the Ascension!

Winner: McGillicutty via pinfall

McGillicutty will now meet Seth Rollins in the next round.

Kassius Ohno vs. CJ Parker

I can’t get over how good of shape Ohno/Hero is here. Just Saxton and Regal on commentary here. They lock up to start the match and Parker (who is now killing it as Juice Robinson in New Japan) takes Ohno over with a fireman’s carry. Ohno shook it off and they locked up again, with Ohno grabbed an armbar into a wristlock. Parker reverses it and does a nifty reversal leading to a legsweep for a one count, then caught him with a modified schoolboy for a one count. Ohno slid to the floor for a breather. Parker took a breath and went to go after him, but Ohno tripped him and slid his leg under the ring skirt, then slingshoted back in the ring with a stomp to the chest. Ohno followed up with a series of stomps to the back of the head, then waited until he hit a flying forearm in the corner.

Ohno covered with forearm in the face of Parker for a two count, then hit a standing senton bomb for a two count. Ohno wrenched his neck in a serious half nelson chinlock. Parker got to his feet and tried to battle out with his free hand, but Ohno released the hold and put Parker against the ropes for a vicious knee to the gut. Ohno whipped him in for a backdrop but Parker went to counter into a sunset flip, but Ohno blocked it and pulled him up to his knees by the wrist and hit a Yakuza Kick. Ohno followed up with some stomps and went for a big Yakuza Kick on the standing Parker, but Parker caught it and spun him around and Ohno missed a clothesline and Parker caught him with a lariat, favoring his arm.

He sold so well here that his comeback punches were awkward on purpose. Parker hit a Harlem Sidekick on Ohno for a two count. Parker slid his knee pads down looking for a running double knee in the corner, but Ohno cut him off with the Yakuza Kick from Hell, bringing the fans to their feet. Ohno grabbed Parker and slammed his face into the mat a few times with disdain, then lifted him up for a roaring elbow to the back of the head for the three count.

Winner: Ohno via pinfall

They then went back to last week when the makeshift duo of Jason Jordan and Ty-I mean, Mike Dalton upset Hunico and Camacho. They then went to interview with Briley Pierce with Dalton and Jordan. Jordan said that clearly no one thought they could win, as those guys were on Smackdown, but hey they did. Dalton said that this is what NXT was all about, the chance to prove themselves. Pierce asked if this meant they were a real team now and Jordan said yes. Dalton said they could win every time out now. It’s not very good, but kinda cute anyways.

They promote Jinder Mahal vs Bo Dallas in the main event.

We then get an awesome vignette from the Ascension. It’s a bit Matrix-like, but otherwise a little +hard to describe. Cameron and O’Brien talk about how they held the keys to the future and their dreams and future belonged to them. They were The Ascension and they will rise. It makes no sense, but looks awesome.

Tamina Snuka and Paige vs. Caylee Turner and Kaitlyn

Interesting that they come out to Paige’s music here. Man, seeing Paige so young and untouched after the news of this week is a bit of a bummer. Turner is a tall black woman who was the ring announcer in a few earlier episodes. Regal has the best nicknames for Paige. Hell in boots, The Enchanting Raven Haired Lady…Caylee and Tamina start the match. Caylee shoves Tamina and smiles at her and they locked up, and Tamina tosses her halfway across the ring and Caylee makes the tag to Kaitlyn. The two locked up and Kaitlyn locked in a keylock, which Tamina reversed into a hammerlock. Kaitlyn reached behind and countered with a headlock, but Tamina powered out into a headlock of her own. Kaitlyn moved into a top wristlock, but couldn’t take Tamina down, so she kneed her in the gut and threw Tamina down by the hair. Kaitlyn wanted to tag out, but Caylee seemed to refused and Kaitlyn turned right into a dropkick by Tamina. Kaitlyn went for the tag but Caylee had gone as far as to jump off the apron. Kaitlyn turned around ate a pair of armdrags and a revere bulldog from Tamina for a two count. Paige tagged in to a huge pop and she came at Kaitlyn with right hands in the corner, then stomped a mudhole in her and screamed in the center of the ring.

Paige took down Kaitlyn with a side mare into a headlock. Kaitlyn tried to work to her feet but Paige turned it into a wristlock and went for a whip, but Kaitlyn countered with a shortarm clothesline. Kaitlyn picked her up and drove her into the corner and tagged in Caylee who put the boots to her before taking her down with a wristlock for a one count. Paige fired back and hit a pair of sidekicks to the ribs, then pinned the arms for a unique roll up for a two count, then took her over with snap underhook suplex for a two count. Paige tagged Tamina, and they whipped her into a double clothesline for a two count. Tamina hit a knee to the head, and then went for a slam. Caylee was supposed to float over and grab her in a reverse rollup, but missed entirely and Tamina made her pay with a kick to the chest. Caylee fired back with a right and grabbed her reverse rollup for a two count. Kaitlyn made the tag, dropkicking Tamina in the knee, then one to the head for a two count. Kaitlyn whipped her hard into the buckles, and tagged in Caylee again, who hit with a judo throw into a rear chinlock. Tamina got to her feet, but Caylee took her down by the hair into the chinlock. Tamina got to her feet again and hit a few elbows, then hit a sloppy Samoan Drop to the get the hot tag to Paige. Paige hit a clothesline and a shoulderblock, then tossed Caylee with a fallaway slam for a two count, with Kaitlyn breaking up the pin. Tamina came after her, but Kaitlyn slid to the floor and pulled Tamina out hard, but for no reason in the ring, Paige small packaged Caylee for the three count.

Winner: Tamina and Paige via pinfall

Then we see Bo Dallas warming up for his match with Jinder Mahal when Derek Bateman (EC3) comes behind him. He yells “schoolboy” before bursting out laughing at his own joke. Bateman congratulated him on getting into the tournament, before throwing out a snide remark about not being chosen himself and talking about how Bo left high and dry against Curtis and McGillicutty. He says all this very tongue in cheek, but Bo raises an eyebrow and asks if they are cool? Bateman says of course and it’s not like he’s gonna cheer for Jinder Mahal. Dallas said he would appreciate his support for real, and they bump fists.

Bo Dallas vs. Jinder Mahal in a Gold Rush Tournament Quarterfinal Match

Mahal is now sporting a buzz cut here. JR is back on commentary for this match. They lock up to start the match and they spend considerable time jockeying for position. Eventually Bo backs Jinder into the corner and the ref calls for a break and gets it. They then go for a test of strength, but Bo spins through into a top wristlock into an armdrag into an armbar. Mahal works to his feet but spins through on the wristlock and Bo hits a fireman’s carry into a hammerlock. JR says he can see either man becoming WWE Champion some day…Damn, he turned out half-right. Mahal works to his feet and Bo goes to spin through with a wristlock, but Mahal nails hims with a forearm and starts working over Bo in the corners. Mahal goes for a whip, but Bo catches with a back elbow. He ducks a clothesline and catches Mahal with a crossbody for a two count, then spins through for an O’Connor Roll for a two count. Mahal missed a kick to the ribs and Bo schoolboys him for a third two count, and Mahal takes a powder. Commercial Break.

BFC, Mahal is control with a chinlock, having caught Bo during the commercial coming into the ring with a knee. Mahal switched to a half nelson, but Bo got to his feet and punched his way out with his free hand, but Jinder caught him with a knee to the gut, followed by a basement dropkick for a two count. Mahal followed up with a neckbreaker for a two count, then choked him with his ankle. Bo tried to fight his way up, but Mahal took him down with a legsweep trip, and started punishing him with knees. Mahal covered for a two count. Mahal threw Bo into the corner, and Bo caught him coming with some kicks to the ribs, but Jinder cut him off with a knee to the head, then dropped an elbow for a two count. Mahal then used a cravate hold.

Bo fought to his feet and hit a jawbreaker. He missed a right hand and Jinder went for a back suplex, but Bo reversed it and fell on top for a two count. Bo then made the comeback, hitting some rights before going off with a clothesline, a backelbow, and an elbow to the back of the head. Bo caught a charging Mahal with a belly to belly suplex for a two count. Mahal went to take refuge in the corner as Bo tried to pull him out, but Mahal caught him with a pair of elbows, and a modified Michinoku Driver for a two count. Mahal missed a splash in the corner, and Bo hit a swinging bulldog for a two count. Bo went for a double underhook, but Jinder backed him in the ropes, then used his arm to pull him throat first into a clothesline on the top rope. What a freaking move. Mahal then hit a flatliner before locking on the camel clutch. Bo fought the hold, but ended up tapping out.

Winner: Mahal via submission

Mahal celebrated to end the show.

Fanatic Take: This was another solid show, thanks to the two tournament matches that I really enjoyed. Lots of good chain wrestling throughout the show, which I liked a lot. When one sees Jinder Mahal in these early NXT matches, you can see how ended up where he did. He can work. The women’s match was…not good this week, thanks to Caylee Turner. As the Mae Young Classic kicks off, we can be thankful for how far women’s wrestling has come in five years. I will say, seeing how Paige was embraced right off the bat by the early Full Sail crowd is sad, considering how her life has gone since then. I think I can speak for all when I see I hope she finds health and safety in her life soon and maybe gets back to being the Enchanting Raven Haired Lady we all once loved.

screenshot – WWENetwork