Good morning everyone, and welcome to the first redux of 2015! I know what you’re all wondering… and yes, yes it’s true. I did write 2014 in the title date at first, but the good news is I caught myself before it went public!
Anyways, hopefully everyone had a great holiday and end of the year. Now we get back to business though, as our fan voted and writer’s choice winner for Promotion of the Year, NXT, returns with their first episode of 2015. And let me tell you, it is a fun one!
Thus, without any further ado, let’s kick things off with some Enzo, some Cass, some Carmella, and some Blue Pants!~
Out to the Full Sail venue we go, and up on our screens pop Enzo Amore and Big Cass, who are doing the introductions for our one and only Princess of Staten Island, Carmella. She pops out to her catchy Iggy Azalea-esque mix, proclaiming herself to be the most fabulous Diva in NXT. All the chicks around better watch their backs because they’re about to get murked… BADDA BING, hottest chick in the ring.
With that, she hands the microphone over to Big Cass and the music stops. The crowd is already erupting in a “Blue Pants” chant because Leva Bates is essentially the cosplaying queen of Full Sail University who has managed to captivate an entire crowd by simply the color of her trousers. And I absolutely love it.
Carmella puts her fingers in her ears to drown them out, as Enzo builds some hype up for her upcoming opponent. She’s been inspired by Sami Zayn’s [R]Evolution Road to Redemption… she’s a star… she’s confident… she’s smart… she’s sexy… good lord, Leva is getting a rockstar intro. Oop, well until Cass refers to her as hailing from the clearance rack. Those pants could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars! Don’t underestimate them.
Yes, yes, it’s the one… the only… BLUE PANTS!
Out comes spiritual leader, Leva Bates, who legit just got a nameplate reading off “Blue Pants” and I kind of want to retire because I’m not sure anything can top this from here on out. The crowd is ecstatic. They are in love! Enzo claims that since the last time we saw ol’ Blue Pants, she’s met up with Steve and gotten a Blue’s Clue which is just fantastic. Enzo and Cass’s ability to reference old Nickelodeon programming will never cease to amaze.
Alright, it’s time for the rematch of the century. The bell sounds as the guys exit and we get underway with Carmella taking on Blue Pants. The fans never stop chanting for her, as the pair lock up and Carmella takes control. She takes Bluey down and then drops her with a hair mat slam. The ex-salon owner proceeds to step right on the hair of Pants Goddess, as Enzo gets a little too fired up and is executing some pretty sweet shuffling on the ring apron. This ends up distracting Carmella, who piefaces him off! She turns around… Leva with a small package! BLUE PANTS WINS!
The crowd is in near tears, as Blue Pants receives a huge ovation for her shock victory and a pre-recorded version of Big Cass singing the Price is Right theme transitioned into an old FCW song hits! Blue Pants runs and jumps all over the place, then proceeding to scurry to the back as she celebrates with the fans.
Back inside the ring, however, the mood is much more hostile as Carmella pounces on Enzo! She beats him with shots to the back as Cass must physically restrain her. She’s now chasing him around the ring, but again, Cass tries to calm the situation down and the trio must work on their problems another day.
GASP! The Diane Sawyer of Wrestling Journalism has made her presence felt in the actual ring. Is this a first? Can it also not be the last?
Devin Taylor stands before us and welcomes her guest out from the back… Charlotte! Charlotte enters and steps towards the ring, performing her patented front flip and then split leg sliding inside. Wait a sec… was that a near collision between her boot and heavenly Devin Taylor’s face? Please don’t take out my favorite broadcaster on all of television Charlotte.
Charlotte takes the microphone and lets a “Woo!” out, as Devin proceeds to claim she’s defeated seemingly everyone, so what’s left for her?
And then it happens.
The crowd…
Chants…
Blue Pants.
These are the days I love you Full Sail, very very much. Charlotte then does one of my favorite things in her repertoire aside from the suplex into a spinning neckbreaker, in that of shutting the crowd down by telling them what they can and cannot do while she is before them.
Charlotte proclaims that NXT is her home, and NXT is revolutionizing women’s wrestling! She’s faced Sasha twice, and she certainly is very tough, but she’s still beatable. Annnd with that, out pops The Boss and The Becks! She amusingly talks down to Charlotte, claiming that she has beaten her twice (duh), and that she’s oh-so smart for discovering this. The problem, though? It doesn’t matter… because she’s about to get the beatdown of her life!
The two step inside the ring before they’re rudely interrupted by the guitar riff of Natalya’s theme song, and out she comes to chase the women off. She embraces Charlotte in the ring as all four stare each other down and this segment comes to a close.
Thoughts: Blue Pants! I am so happy this came off as well on TV as it did in the venue. Not even going to lie – Leva Bates was one of the most over people in that entire set of four tapings, possibly only second to Sami Zayn and Finn Balor. This has taken on a life of its own, and quite frankly, I don’t see why you wouldn’t swoop her up. Charlotte doesn’t feel like she’s going to be down here much longer and then before you know it, they’ll (hopefully) push Sasha and Bayley to the moon, thus making their time limited as well. We need women who can be representatives of the division in the way the brand utilizes those three in terms of marketing and spotlight, and I really think the crowd has told you they see Leva as that.
I’m not saying her identity has to be “Blue Pants” because I mean, a main roster crowd would never ever get that. Sign her, give her a ring name, and have her do an interview where she introduces herself to the world following the shock win ala Paige earlier this year. That way she has a legit name and everything, but the Blue Pants stuff can still work on NXT without needing to eventually transition.
Also, can we discuss this?
Trending Worldwide for #WWENXT:
Blue Pants
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) January 2, 2015
She trended worldwide… because of her pants.
Nobody else even made the list for them that entire night (at least according to NXT’s twitter). It’s like, what more do you need? This woman you threw out on TV to lose in two moves and be forgotten about has become a beloved figure that this crowd will chant for before they even know it’s possible she could walk out. All the character development in the world can be put into someone, and Leva Bates will still have gotten fans to their feet based on colored bottoms more than it. Her power.
Sorry guys, small tangent but I just want her signed. Triple H may totally skim the Internet one day, stumble upon this and be like “Hmm… this slightly random writer wants me to sign Leva Bates. Let’s do it!” Of course, he would then take a gulp of water and spit it up into the air, ruining his iPhone 6+ and sparking little Aurora to offer purchasing him a new one since she can buy and sell us all.
Onto the second segment, I enjoyed it for what it was, but I also think it came off a little like it was very last minute scheduled. Just certain things like the short time, and the fact Nattie just kind of slowly walked out and stepped in the ring but did nothing. It was a little weird as I expected her to give one powerful line or something to fire back at them but then it just ended. Charlotte and Sasha Banks’ delivery was so on point though, and I thought that – even though it was short – this was one of their better promos in terms of how it came across. Charlotte’s serious tone mixed with Sasha’s sarcasm is the way to go!
Buuuuttt, speaking of Natalya… it’s eh to me. I really don’t know what to think. Like I’m not in favor of Divas from the main roster being on NXT personally, because I feel the division is already so small that we need to debut women who are still waiting as opposed to bringing people down who could make that process even slower. Plus, it also limits the number of first time matches we can see when someone gets called up to the main roster.
Now, I love Nattie when she’s managing Tyson down here, and that might seem kind of sexist to say, but unfortunately it’s the way NXT rolls. What I mean is that I don’t mind seeing the guys from the main roster come down here because I don’t feel like they’re taking up spots of the men who haven’t debuted yet considering there are so many options for them with how many guys segments and matches there are. But when it comes to the girls, every single spot is vital. Our Division has six women who solely belong to NXT, and I’m pretty sure that’s the highest number it’s been in quite some time. I’m not as frustrated seeing Natalya here as I was earlier in the year when we had a lot of candidates who seemed so, so close to debuting like Kendall Skye *cries* and Veronica Lane *weeps*, but I still think it forms problems if it runs long term because that spot could go to someone like Dana Brooke, and it could also help people like Zada get brought in quicker… or hell, Leyvonna and Dasha could actually get ring names before they’ve been down here for a full year sans identity.
I guess what I’m saying is that I think it’s fine for now, but I really don’t want this to become a full-fledged tag team feud in the long term. Natalya and Tyson are great together, but as far as the division goes, I want to see women brought in who are exclusive to NXT. If we were getting two female matches per episode, then sure, bring all you want. But it’s just so small right now, and even with how tiny it is, Alexa Bliss still feels so underutilized. Why not put her with Charlotte as sort of a mentor/rookie type duo if Bayley is injured? I’d be all for that, and think it could work great.
Also, since I can’t go one redux without mentioning either:
- That triple threat feud man… I just want Sasha vs. Charlotte vs. Bayley before one of them is called up for good.
- *starts a “Let JoJo wrestle” chant.*
That’s it for this week. Join me again next time when we find out if (please God) there’s another chapter in the saga of Blue Pants, if Carmella and Enzo will ever have the Intergender match I pray for, and if these two fearless duo’s get to collide in the center of the ring.
