NXT Retro Review Episode 9: The Gold Rush Tournament Final is set

NXT Retro Episode 9: Orginal air date – August 15, 2012

The show began with a shot from earlier today, with Briley Pierce interviewing Richie Steamboat. Pierce talked about how Steamboat could win the whole Gold Rush tournament. Steamboat said that being the first NXT Champion would be a blessing and that he had dreamt about being a champion since he was a child. Then Jinder Mahal came up to him and started badgering him in Hindi before saying in English that he would turn his dream into a nightmare tonight…

Coheed and Cambria welcome us in.

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

Jinder Mahal vs, Richie Steamboat (Gold Rush Tournament Semifinal Match)

They paced aggressively before locking up to start the match. Steamboat tried to go a standing armbar, but Jinder shoved him away and smiled. They locked up again, and Jinder stuck him with a knee to the gut, and tried to work over Steamboat, who did his best to cover up. Mahal broke throw the guard with a European Uppercut, then whipped him into a back elbow. Mahal choked him over the top rope and Steamboat tried to fight back a few chops and right hands, but Mahal cut him off with a knee to the gut again. Mahal whipped him in, but Steamboat slid through the legs and caught him with a dropkick for a quick two count, then took him over with an armdrag into an armbar. Mahal worked to his feet and drove him into the ropes.

The ref called for a clean break and Mahal tried to sucker punch him, but Steamboat blocked it and fired back with a right hand and hard chop. Steamboat went for a whip, but Mahal blocked it and caught him with a hotshot. Jinder followed up with a nice flying knee for a two count. Mahal then used a chinlock, trying to grind his forearms into the face, but Steamboat fought to his fight and battled out with some bodyshots, and then tried to lite Mahal up with strikes. Mahal shoved him off, but Steamboat caught him with a flying forearm and a pair of clotheslines.

Steamboat hit a charging back elbow in the corner and tried to get a running start, but Mahal pulled him in looking for a backsuplex, but Steamboat landed on his feet and went for an enziguri, but Jinder ducked. He tried to follow-up with the camel clutch, but Steamboat slipped out the back and tripped him, then caught him in a sloppy reverse rollup for a two count, then an also sloppy crucifix into a sunset flip for a two count. Steamboat went for a backslide, but Mahal blocked it and flipped Steamboat to his feet, and caught him with a spinning neckbreaker for a two count. Jinder then set up for a superplex, but Steamboat fought him off and shoved him to the mat. Steamboat went for a missile dropkick, but Mahal cleared the way, and he immediately seized on the mistake with the Camel Clutch. Steamboat tried to fight the pain, yet made no movement to counter the hold, and ended up like everyone else in NXT so far-simply tapping out.

Winner: Mahal via submission

So, Jinder is in the finals. He will meet the winner of the Seth Rollins vs Michael McGillicutty match, which will be the main event tonight.

Briley Pierce then interviews Leo Kruger, who is a twirling a lock of his hair and has on a very different facial expression. Pierce tries to ask him about the Gold Rush Tournament, but Kruger cuts him off in his native South African tongue, before saying in English. “Something has been bothering me. Something has been brewing inside of me.” Then he takes out a false tooth and sports a creepy ass smile. He has unofficially just transitioned from African Royalty to the Hunter gimmick most fans enjoyed.

Heath Slater then came out with the mike. He told the fans to look at him. Lol. He then talked about how had everyone had seen him on Raw lately, facing all of those “ancient dinosaurs.” He said that was in the past now, and issued an open challenge to anyone in the back, and he meant anyone. No one came out and Heath screamed “I’m waiting” as we go to commercial.

BFC, Heath is still waiting in the ring, and then said that was what he thought – no one wanted to face THE ONE MAN BAND! He said that he would entertain the crowd instead. But then finally of all people, SCOTTY 2 HOTTY came out. Did he really deserve the all caps. Yeah, I’m sorry about that. I apologize.

Heath Slater vs. Scotty 2 Hotty

Scotty got a pretty nice pop coming out, but he did what an old pro does, and got pretty much the whole crowd clapping and cheering before he and Heath locked up. Heath went from an armbar into a wristlock, but Scotty rolled through, kipped up and reversed the wristlock, which he then chained into a headlock. Slater shoved him off, but Scotty came back with a shoulder block. Heath dropped down and went for a hiptoss, but Scotty reversed and went for his own, but Heath blocked it, so Scotty kneed him in the gut and flipped over to his feet, and ducked a right hand. Scotty then held up a hand to stop Heath, then busted out the moonwalk!

Heath charged and Scotty caught him with a hiptoss. Scotty raised the roof and charged in the corner, but ate a boot, and Slater followed up with a clothesline. Slater mocked Scotty then worked him over with some stomps before covering for a two count. Heath hit a knee to the back before slapping on a rear chinlock. Scotty managed to work his feet and break the hold with some bodyshots. Scotty nailed a right, but missed a clothesline that Heath countered with a neckbreaker for a two count. Slater then started to taunt and play with Scotty, who responded with a series of right hands. Slater tried to throw him in, but Scotty did the between the ropes pose. Heath was trying to recover and didn’t notice, and Scotty came from behind with his trademark bulldog! Then it was time for the W-O-R-M, and Scotty dropped the chop for the three count.

Winner: Scotty via pinfall

Scotty saluted the fans and it’s actually a nice little moment.

BFC, they showed from last week the match between Jinder Mahal and Bo Dallas, where Mahal used the top rope to set up Bo and lock in the camel clutch for the victory. Then showed Pierce interviewing Dallas. Bo said that he could come so close, only to come up short. He said the next time the opportunity came, he wouldn’t miss. Then his kinda-partner Derek Bateman came to him and said that he had nothing to be ashamed of, that he left all in the ring…but it just wasn’t good enough. But quoting the great band Chumbawamba, when you get knocked down, you get up again. Bateman said when he won the NXT Title (hehehehe), he would give Bo the first shot.

The Ascension (Kenneth Cameron & Connor O’Brien) vs. The Usos (Jimmy & Jey)

Damn, the Ascension’s entrance was awesome. They had something here. Too bad Bram is a shitty person. Cameron and Jey started the match, with an aggressive lock-up, with Cameron bellowing as he moved in. Cameron stuck him with a knee to the gut and fired off a series of headbutts, but Jey is Samoan, so he shook it off and nailed him with a right, then tagged his brother. They whipped him into a double back elbow, then joined hands for a double elbowdrop. Jimmy stayed on him with a few chops, but then tried to throw some punches from the corner mount, and Cameron slipped under after the second and tripped him, crotching Jimmy on the second turnbuckle. Cameron nailed with a series of forearms to the back of the neck, then pulled him out of the corner with a neckbreaker. Cameron pulled him into his corner, and O’Brien tagged in to begin their primitive version of the Unicorn Stampede, as they tagged in and out, stomping Jimmy repeatedly.

O’Brien got some air for an elbowdrop for a two count, then applied a keylock, dragging Jimmy in the corner to tag Cameron, who kicked the open Jimmy, then set him up for his own elbowdrop for a two count. Cameron then applied a stranglehold, but Jimmy managed to elbow and fight his way out, and send Cameron into the ropes with a right hand, but O’Brien made the blind tag, and the Ascension hit their jawbreaker/flapjack combo, but Jimmy kicks out. O’Brien goes to stay on him, but Jimmy hit a Samoan Drop out of nowhere. Tags both ways. Jey nails Cameron with a pair of flying forearms, a superkick to the ribs, then drops down to deliver an uppercut. Cameron tries to come back with a clothesline, but Jey ducks and catches him (sort of) with a spinning elbow. Jey hits the charging Stinkface in the corner, but O’Brien breaks up the pin. Jimmy comes in and hits O’Brien with a superkick to the ribs, and he goes to the floor. Cameron goes for a slam, but Jey floats over and hits a superkick. Jey goes up, but O’Brien remerges to crotch him on the top rope and Jey spills out to the floor and the ref calls a week ass disqualification.

Winner: Usos via DQ

After the match, the Ascension cornered Jimmy, who tried to fight his way out, but was beaten down. The Ascension did their yell, then laid Jimmy out with their Total Elimination. The lights went out and the show played as the stood of Jimmy’s prone body, then made their exit.

BFC, Briley Pierce tried to interview Richie Steamboat, but Steamboat said now wasn’t the time and waved him off.

Then we had Matt Striker interviewing Hunico and Camacho, who suffered a humiliating lost to Mike Dalton and Kurt Angle’s son two weeks previous. Hunico said that he had a stomach virus and 107 degree fever during the match, and he still wrestled and that’s what people should be talking about. Striker mentioned most people would be in the hospital for that, and Camacho bellowed they weren’t most people. Hunico also said Camacho lost his poodle, and Camacho quipped he didn’t have a poodle. Hunico shushed him. He said in Spanish they would take care of Dalton and Jordan, and Camacho tried to punk Striker. Lolz.

They then went to Raquel Diaz in front of a mirror, doing her makeup. She said that the other Divas in NXT had their grannie panties in a wad about her makeover of NXT. She said they needed to realize she was doing this for their benefit and she couldn’t have NXT looking like a zoo. She said no matter if they liked it or not, the Exfoliating Ugliness tour was coming their way. She then blew a kiss to herself and said “Love It!”

Seth Rollins vs. Michael McGillicutty (Gold Rush Tournament Semifinal Match)

They locked up to start the match, and Rollins grabbed a quick waistlock, but McGillicutty broke the grip and turned into a hammerlock. Seth rolled through and out and reversed into a wristlock into a front facelock. McGillicutty drove him into the ropes and the ref called for a clean break, but McGillicutty nailed him with a little kick to the gut on the break. The ref warned him about it. They jawed each other and locked up again, and Seth grabbed a headlock. McGillicutty went to the ropes and demanded that the ref break them. They jawed some more and McGillicutty nailed Rollins with a slap, popping the crowd.

Seth missed a big right, but managed to take McGillicutty down with a single leg and pass, but missed a big stomp, and McGillicutty took a powder. Seth gave chase and McGillicutty went back in the ring to try and cut off Rollins with a clothesline, but Seth ducked and clotheslined him to the floor, then followed up with an awesome tope! Seth celebrated and they showed it on replay. Seth tossed McGillicutty back in the ring, but hesitated following up and McGillicutty cut him off with a big right hand. He shot the half and covered for a two count. McGillicutty began to working over Seth and the crowd is chanting “Ya!” with every strike, which they later did for the Ascension when they were NXT Tag Champs. McGillicutty then hit a hard whip into the corner and Seth crumpled to the mat. Commercial Break.

BFC, Seth was fighting out of a chinlock with bodyshots. Rollins ducked one clothesline, but McGillicutty caught him on the back end with a lariat. He hesitated on the cover and only got two. McGillicutty grinded his forearm against his face, then choked him over the second rope, delivering some nasty crossfaces before covering for a two count. McGillicutty kicked him in the head, then slapped on the back of the head. Seth tried to fight his up with body punches from his knees, but McGillicutty just clubbed him to the mat, while the fans “Ya!” along. McGillicutty covered for a two count, then slapped on a chinlock, but did a cool little roll to make sure he was in the center of the ring with the hold. Rollins managed to fight his way to his feet and break the grip, but McGillicutty stuck him with a knee to the gut and dropped him with a right.

McGillicutty waited for Rollins and milked the spot, nailing him with rights as the fans chanted away until Seth started to fire back with shots, and eventually double legged McGillicutty to the mat and landed from the mount. They got back to their feet and Seth hit a spinning back kick, a flying forearm in the corner, and a flatliner into the second turnbuckle. Seth followed up with a running one leg dropkick for a two count. Seth went for a flying forearm in the corner, but missed and crashed to the mat. McGillicutty followed up with a Perfect snap neckbreaker, then hit an awesome back suplex for a near fall. McGillicutty went for a Saito suplex, but Seth broke the grip and went for a head kick, but McGillicutty ducked and hit a perfect Saito suplex for a near fall. Regal mentions that he was taught that move by Saito himself, an awesome detail. McGillicutty goes for his swinging neckbreaker, but Rollins is able to counter into a backslide attempt, but McGillicutty countered with a clothesline. McGillicutty then sets him up in the corner for a superplex, but Rollins comes alive and fights back. The two trade strikes until Rollins hit him with a series of headbutts and McGillicutty is drapped across the buckle. Seth then goes for a sunset flip into a powerbomb, but McGillicutty holds onto the ropes and clubs him. McGillicutty tries to pull him under for the corner mat, but Seth comes back alive and hits the running powerbomb unto the turnbuckles! Seth follows up with the Blackout for the three count. It’s Seth vs Jinder in the finals!

Winner: Seth via pinfall

As Seth is celebrating, Jinder’s music hits and he marches to the ring. Seth calls for him to bring it, but then Dusty Rhodes comes out saying “Hold on, hold on.” He announces the final of the tournament will be next week! But Jinder takes advantage of the distraction and jumps Seth. He tries to whip him into a clothesline, but Seth ducks and hits the one leg dropkick, then clotheslines him to the floor. Jinder protests and that’s how we end the show.

Frank’s Take: This is another very fun episode. Both tournament matches were very good and told fun little stories. There a lot of details they take the time to acknowledge on these shows and they are all the better for it. Seth vs Axel in particular was excellent. Don’t know how I felt about Heath Slater and his open challenge, even though it is consistent with what he was doing at the time and it was a nice little moment for Scotty 2 Hotty. But, hey, whatever. It was a good show nonetheless.