After thirteen weeks of straight up drama, season two of NXT finally reached it’s conclusion last night. The show delivered in every aspect you could think of, and for us Diva fans, Christmas certainly came early this year! The amazing finale had surprises, unexpected announcements that kept us on our toes the entire night, tears, beatdowns, and one winner who probably deserved it more than the others. So how exactly did last night’s show pan out? Well read on and find out for yourself!
Ashley Valence, who is more often than not missing in action, is in the ring tonight and she starts us off by introducing the pros. MVP, Zach Ryder, John Morrison, Mark Henry, and Cody Rhodes walk out and take their seats. Following that, The Miz struts out and announces his rookie, Alex Riley. Michelle McCool and Layla are up next and they announce Kaval. Kaval walks out and holds his arms out, which the girls gladly take and kiss him on the cheek. Finally, Kofi Kingston walks out. He announces Michael McGillicutty. All the finalists are in the ring and Matt Striker is in a freakin’s suit! Talk about sexy!
Striker motions to the front row where the eliminated rookies are sitting. Titus O’Neil, Eli Cottonwood, Lucky Cannon, Percy Watson, and Husky Harris are all introduced to the crowd. Striker reminds us all that the winner will not only be the next breakout star, but they’ll also earn a championship match on pay-per-view. Striker teases us some more and tells the three rookies that they will all be in action tonight; in a triple threat match against one another! Things start breaking down with Kaval shoving The Miz. Alex and Michael start going at one another, with Kofi jumping into the fray and clotheslining Miz over the top rope. Alex ends up out of the ring as well and Kaval spites Miz by holding up the United States Championship.
The cameras go to Josh Mathews and Michael Cole who launch into a discussion about Season Three beginning next week. And guess what diva fans, Season Three is going to consist of nothing but diva rookies!
Cut to the backstage area where the first pro, Kelly Kelly, is standing. Kelly says that she can’t wait to be a WWE pro and that her rookie is a girl that’s after her own heart. Kelly’s rookie is smart, sassy, athletic and she loves pink hightops! Who is Kelly’s rookie?! Naomi introduces herself and says that she is different from the other rookie Divas because her style is so unique. We get to watch a little glimpse of her in the ring and she says that the other girls don’t stand a chance!
After the Kelly/Naomi pairing is introduced, a brief shot of the ring is shown. The Season Two finalists are ready to compete BUT the show goes to a commercial break! When it returns, the bell rings for the match to begin. All three finalists got in great offense and got to show off their defensive skills. Laycool were flawless on the outside of the ring. I’m not going to really get into the match to much. My writing can’t do it justice so all of you can just check out the video!
The ending of the match comes when Michael hits a beautiful fisherman’s suplex on Kaval and goes for the cover. Alex, who is on the outside of the ring, grabs the foot of his NXT rival and pulls him off Kaval. Michael seems completely stunned that Alex would stop him from winning and the two have an intense staredown for a hot minute. Finally, Michael just shoves Alex back into the announce table and Alex hits the mat in pain. He’s gripping his lower back and he doesn’t seem like he wants to move any time soon. Back inside the ring, Kaval and Michael both are on their feet. Michael charges Kaval, but Kaval is able to send him down with an absolute sick kick to the skull. Michael is out of it and Kaval heads for the top rope. Miz is on the outside and he’s encouraging his rookie to get up and go take care of business. Laycool are marking out and screaming at Kaval to finish the match. Kofi is on the outside looking incredibly worried for his charge. This is amazing.
Kaval scrambles to the top rope and goes for the Warrior’s Way, but Alex jumps up at the last second and sends Kaval flying to the outside of the ring! Kaval goes down like a ton of bricks and the Varsity Villian is able to sneak in a cover over Michael and get the win. Wow. Miz starts freaking out and Alex is pretty proud as well. The celebration continues but eventually it goes into another pro/rookie pairing for Season Three!
The stunning Alicia Fox, who is looking all kinds of fierce tonight, proudly tells us that she’s not really surprised she was chosen as a pro for the upcoming season of NXT. What she does find shocking, however, is the fact that her rookie is ALMOST as fierce as she is. Alicia’s rookie has champagne taste with a champagne budget, and her name is… Maxine (formerly known as Liviana)! Maxine’s video starts to play and she says that when it comes to this competition, she is the best. She wants it all and all the other girls need to find a new dream.
The Alicia/Maxine pairing seems really exciting and as that fades out, the pros are seen on stage discussing their votes for Season Two. One rookie is going to be eliminated when the show returns. That’s not all that happens when the show returns. Goldust is backstage and he addresses the WWE Universe. He says that he has seen his rookie and that she will star in a Shattered Dreams Production. Goldust claims that once he is done with her, that we will never ever forget the name (suck in breath dramatically a la Goldie) AKSANA! Aksana’s video package starts to play and I have no clue what the heck she says other than she is the prettiest girl in all of NXT. Go Aksana!
Striker is standing outside of the ring when the cameras cut back to the ring area. He says that he wants to briefly speak to the rookies who have already been eliminated and get their thoughts on who they think the WWE’s next breakout star should be. Titus is up first. He says that of the people who are left, we have a ninja, a Will Ferrell look-a-like, and a guy who is trying to relive his high school football days. He says that out of those three, he would have to pick the guy who is trying to relive his football days as the winner. Eli goes second and he very simply states that Alex should win NXT because not only is he the complete package, but he’s also very likable. Amazing. Lucky is third and he starts to whine and make insults. Then he turns heel right before our very eyes and says that the show was basically flushed down the toilet the moment Lucky was canned. Haha, see my pun there?
“Showtime” is fourth and says that in his opinion, Michael is the winner. Michael not only has the ability, but he has the lineage and he works hard. And last, but not least, is Husky. Husky says that Michael wins this season because like himself and Cody, Michael was born better. Striker points out that none of the eliminated rookies mentioned Kaval, but he brushes it off and says that’s why we have the pros poll. The dramatic elimination begins and after a few agonizing moments, Alex Riley is voted off. Awwwwwwww.
On stage, The Miz is furious and our girls, Laycool, are up there and clapping in his face. Kofi joins in on the fun, and eventually all the pros stand up and clap simply because Alex has gotten the boot. Kaval and Michael are both loving this, and Alex is walking around the ring with a little smirk on his face. He insults Striker the minute he is given the mic, and gives a shout out to the few fans he has in the crowd. Alex then goes on to say that his father was not a wrestler and that he didn’t spend his youth in bars wrestling and trying to get an internet following. He says that he actually went to college and that thirteen weeks ago no one in the sports entertainment universe even knew who he was. He says that despite the adversity, he stood tall and proud in the ring and he was almost the WWE’s next breakout star. Alex continues on and says that he is still standing because he was hands down the most talented kid in the competition and that he would still bet the future of the WWE on himself, Alex Riley.
The next pros for Season Three are announced and yes, I used the plural form on purpose. To much shock and some horror, the Bella Twins (Nikki Bella and Brie Bella) introduce their rookie. They let us all know that their rookie is already a little familiar to us fans and she’s been competing in sports her whole life. Jamie Keyes is the next rookie Diva announced for S3. Jamie says that the experience she has gained from ring announcing has already given her a leg up with the crowd. The audience is familiar with her and now she’s ready to kick some butt and win!
After a promo for the WWE’s recent show in China, Primo Colon pops up on the screen. Now excuse me, but I had no clue he even had a job. Imagine my surprise when he starts talking and says he is going to be a pro!!!! His rookie is none other than AJ Lee, oh boy. I imagine this is going to be an interesting pairing to say the least. AJ says that she is representing for all the nerds out there and that not every girl wants to wear high heels. She says that we won’t be getting rid of her any time soon.
Striker is in the ring with Kaval and Michael now, and he says both of them have had the chance to prove themselves physically and now they will have the chance to prove themselves verbally. Striker wants them to tell each other why they should be the winner of NXT and why the other deserves to be eliminated.
Michael is up first. He addresses Laycool and asks them why they submitted their adopted ninja baby into the competition. He tells Kaval that he doesn’t know if he should spank him or breast feed him and Michelle chimes in that Michael wishes he could spank Kaval. He rips Kaval’s ring attire and asks why he thinks that after thirteen years of hard work and never making it that he will make it now? Michael continues on by picking on Kaval’s name and thankfully, the buzzer sounds.
Michael Cole throws in a peril of wisdom and I quote; “Thank God. And Alex Riley got eliminated?!”
Exactly what I was thinking!
Striker takes the microphone from Michael and now it’s Kaval’s turn to speak. He says that Michael was trained by Harley Race, a third generation superstar, and that he was set up perfectly to be a success here in the WWE. Kaval says that all he brings to the table is a middle class background, a deep voice, and a high school diploma. He just a kid from New York. Kaval says that he has given his blood, sweat, and tears for the past thirteen years to earn his respect and the right to perform in the ring with legends like Eddie Guerrero. He tells Michael that if he thinks Kaval doesn’t deserve to be here then he is sadly mistaken because Kaval will be the next breakout star. The buzzer sounds.
Striker says that one of these two men will be the next breakout star and both rookies left start going at one another. NXT fades to commercial.
When the show returns we are treated to a shot of Vickie Guerrero. She says that she is going to be a pro on Season Three and she has the rookie that is going to dominate. She introduces us to Aloisia. The video package begins to play and Jesus Christ. Aloisia is a beast! She’s six foot nine and she says no one is going to stop her from becoming the next WWE Diva. Everyone is pretty stunned.
Back to the ring action! The winner is about to be announced. Striker says that all the mental, physical, and verbal challenges are over. The winner of NXT season two is…….
KAVAL!!!
Everyone goes insane! Laycool take off running to the ring and Kaval is freaking out. The minute Michelle and Layla get in, they maul Kaval and he picks them both up. The Laykavool celebration is damn near bringing a tear to my eye. What a beautiful television moment. Michael looks pissed off and disgusted, but do we care?! NO! Kaval has won! The celebration continues on until Striker brings things down a notch. He turns to Michael and asks him what’s going through his head at this moment.
Michael instantly becomes a bitter betty and walks around the ring, looking pissy. All the pros are watching from the stage curious to see if this man is classy in defeat. He is not. He says he doesn’t know what to say and he points at Kaval. Laycool cheer and hug their man, and the crowd responds accordingly. Michael is not amused. He can’t believe Kaval is going to compete in a title match on pay-per-view and he promptly declares that the match will suck. Michael gets up in Kaval’s face and tells him that he is nowhere near his (Michael’s) level. Michael continues his bitchy rant by saying his only goal was to be World Champion but today he ended up eliminated. Boo hoo. He lost his promised shot at a title. He claims that he won’t let this deter him. Nothing is going to stop him. He is the future, la di daaaaa. Everyone just wants him to shut up at this point. Michael says that starting now the genesis of McGillicutty is going to begin. Even Michael Cole wants him to just stop and that’s bad.
Michael is basically booed up the ramp and finally Kaval is given the microphone. He’s pretty speechless and he turns his back. That’s when Striker and Laycool are booted out of the way and the NXT rookies attack. Lucky nails Kaval from behind and basically it’s just a beatdown for the next few minutes. The face pros rush to the ring to try and save Kaval. It’s a hot mess and basically nothing they’re doing is helping Kaval. The referees try and break things up, and the face pros stand there stupefied as Husky destroys Kaval. Alex and Michael rush the ring and immediately get in on the action against Kaval.
Things breakdown to the point where Alex gets rid of Percy, and now what’s left in the ring are Husky, Lucky, Michael, Alex, and a beaten down Kaval. Michael is screaming how he should have won. Every rookie in the ring hits their finisher on Kaval, and Titus and Percy jump back in the ring. Laycool are crying real tears now and poor Kaval. He is just out of it. Husky looks at the girls and laughs, and my God! What a way to end things.
Okay, wow. That was definitely a lot to digest in an hour. Kaval winning, the Season Three announcements, and watching Laycool cry at the end are variables that are almost to much for me to handle right now. To kick things off, I want to talk about the match that was held tonight. After this many weeks, we all know Kaval, Alex, and Michael are capable in the ring. That said, I was so impressed with the Triple Threat match tonight. Sometimes those matches can be a bit messy, but I thought all three competitors really amped up their game and took it to another level tonight. The finish was my favorite despite the fact it was sort of bittersweet. I know that after Alex stole that victory, there was no way he was winning tonight. I did enjoy the fact he got the victory over Michael.
I’ve been saying it all season and I’m going to reiterate it again. This guy has no personality. He has no charisma. His promos tonight on Kaval were horrible, especially the first one. I sincerely hope that for whatever group these Season Two rookies look to be on the verge of forming, Michael is not their leader or mouthpiece. Alex, Husky, and even Percy blow him out of the water when it comes to cutting promos. He just doesn’t cut it, and yes, I cheered when he didn’t win.
Kaval winning is brilliant. Not only does he deserve it, but along with his victory comes one for Laycool. They were chewed up and spit out by the wrestling press for their involvement on NXT and for the fact they had Kaval as their rookie. No one believed in them and no one thought they should mentor him. I’m sure all three members of Laykavool were aware of what was being said about them and now, they can laugh at everyone who doubted them. Laycool consistantly outshined their so-called more skilled and more charismatic male counterparts week after week. They were the only pros who had actual personality besides The Miz, and other than the aforementioned Miz, Laycool were the only pros who seemed to enjoy being on the show. They really came into their own on Season Two and I would say the same about Kaval. This trio truly took what was given to them and ran with it. They were flawless. They were exceptional. And I’m going to miss seeing them each and every week.
But life goes on and tonight we discovered that Season Three is going to be devoted entirely to rookie Divas. Not surprising this is already being slapped with negative reviews and for all those people who shitting on this show before it begins I want to congratulate you on being narrow-minded assholes. Am I happy about all the pro/rookie pairings? Absolutely not. But am I going to sit here and write an entire show off without even seeing an episode? HELL NO! The people who are bashing the fact that Kelly Kelly, Alicia Fox, Vickie Guerrero, and the Bellas are pros are the same people who dimissed Laycool as pros and cried that Kaval was being mishandled or underused. Well lookie how that turned out, right?
If I can manage to keep an open mind about things, then everyone else should be able too as well. It’s not fair to the pros and rookie girls of D-NXT S3 to sit here and talk about how Beth Phoenix, Natalya, and Melina should be pros. That would make sense and this is World Wrestling Entertainment. What they do is not going to make sense. They’re letting Primo and Goldust mentor people. How many of you were even aware that Primo was still employed? The fact of the matter is we’re FINALLY getting an entire HOUR of television devoted to DIVAS. The rookie girls are phenomenal. A lot of them are already main roster ready and I’m excited to see them match up against the female pros. Naomi versus Alicia anyone? Isis throwing Kelly out of the ring may just happen! Aksana who is harder to understand than Maryse is being mentored by Goldust. Now that is comedy gold, pun totally intended! My whole point is, we should not judge a book by its cover. It’s going to get us nowhere. At this point, we should take this rare gift the WWE has given us and embrace it. We’re getting Divas. And God forbid, some of the matches may actually be good and lengthy.
That alone is enough for me to get stoked for D-NXT. Quality Diva matches and television time are rarer in the WWE than the great blue whale is in the Pacific Ocean and to be honest, I don’t even know if that analogy makes sense. All I know is that Season Two ended with a bang. Kaval won. Laycool are the dominating pros. The promise of more Season Two drama has been teased. And most importantly, we’re all about to witness the beginning what is no doubt going to be MY favorite season of NXT. Goodbye and goodnight Season Two. I’ll miss ripping on Percy. I’ll miss lusting over Husky. I’ll miss Laykavool. Thanks for the memories.
D-NXT? Bring it! Until next week, Cryssi is out!
