It’s the most wonderful time of the year! NXT has put another episode into the books of this (thankfully) never-ending season, which produced one of the greatest segments I’ve ever seen as a fan… but we’ll get more into that later. The main story we have tonight is a match pitting one of my favorite Divas, Maxine, against her NXT Season 3 pro, Alicia Fox, in what is sure to be a refreshing bout. On top of that, we also have appearances from Tamina, Kaitlyn, and the woman I want to be signed immediately following her award-worthy performance, Agnes J. Bateman.
Let’s get things underway!
First up, we head backstage where Dirty Curty can be seen chatting up the lovely, Kaitlyn, as they discuss both putting up and sprucing a Christmas tree. Suddenly, out pops Maxine who questions why Johnny is settling for someone like Kaitlyn. Our more calm, demeanor version of Kaitlyn asks Maxine what her problem is being she has nothing to do with this. Dirty Curty tells Kaitlyn to simmer down and find him in his bus after his match because she knows where it’s at, and she heads off.
Maxine screams good luck to Kaitlyn in finding it, considering he doesn’t even have a bus! (Ouch) Dirty Curty then sniffs her and asks if he detects the scent of jealousy. She proclaims that it’s not jealousy, more like an insult to her that he settles for someone like Kaitlyn. Dirty Curty informs her that there is enough of him to go around town and go back again, but Maxine says that he wouldn’t have to do that if he knew how to treat a real woman and would stop settling for little girls like Kaitlyn!
Dirty Curty proceeds to kiss his fingers and place them over Maxine’s lips, issuing that this is the best he can do, before walking off as she spits the taste out of her mouth. Maxine begins to become frustrated, as Master Bateman walks in wearing his finest cardigan trying to issue an apology, before he is cut off by Maxine and told to shut up as she plants one on him. When she finally comes up for air, Derrick proceeds to introduce Maxine to his MOTHER, the greatest female appearance on a wrestling show since Cryssi’s brief on air Raw moment earlier this year, AGNES J. BATEMAN!
Maxine engages in a hug with her future mother-in-law, as Derrick says how happy he is to have the two most important women in his life. He kisses them both and then heads out to prepare for his match, as Maxine tries to tell Mrs. Bateman how glad she is she could come tonight. Agnes cuts her off right away, and tells her to listen up. She says how she’s been watching NXT for the past few weeks and has witnessed Maxine show feelings for Dirty Curty. She informs Maxine that if she hurts one curl on Derrick’s hair, she will TAKE…HER…DOWN! Mrs. Bateman then leaves, as both Maxine is left stunned with her actions…and I submit this scene for a possible Emmy nomination.
We head out to the arena as the stage turns bright green and I applaud heavily at the fact Maxine has a match tonight. She walks out in her Kitana style finest, as her opponent, Alicia Fox, makes her way to the ring in her finest Fancy Fox Hood! The bell sounds as we get things underway in this “former Pro vs. Rookie” match! They go to lock up, but Maxine takes the early advantage with a knee to the midsection. She then tosses Alicia face first into the ring canvas and backs her into the turnbuckle. Maxine shoves her head into the stomach of the Foxy one a few times, before Alicia uses her freshly fixed paws and claws to shove her backwards.
Maxine picks herself up and charges forward, but Alicia leaps onto the top turnbuckle in a split leg fashion and rolls the NXT starlet up for a near fall. Both ladies get to a vertical base, as Maxine executes a double punch to the stomach and throws Fox into the ropes. She then goes to Irish Whip Alicia, but Fox reverses and sends Maxine flying. Alicia with a leapfrog, followed by a split onto the canvas to try and trip Maxine up, only Maxine manages to dodge it with an awesome roll through into a dropkick! She hooks the leg but only gets a two count.
Maxine begins to scream with fury, as she goes for another pin, but does not emerge with the victory. She then grabs Fox and begins to choke her on the ropes until the ref reaches a five count, before planting Alicia with a snapmare and locking in a rear naked choke hold. Alicia struggles against her former rookie, but she manages to get to two feet before Maxine tosses her back down by the hair. Hook of the leg, but Alicia’s shoulders are not down so the ref refuses to count. She tries again, and becomes furious with the referee for not counting. (Who cares if the shoulders are down? You are supposed to just do as Maxine wishes!)
Maxine goes into a chin lock with the knee to the back, before both Derrick and his mother, Agnes walk out onto the stage to scout his bride to be in action! Agnes gives Maxine a death point as if to say “I’m watching you!” as Derrick cheers her on. Fox tries to break out of the hold, but Maxine capitalizes on it and goes for a standing dragon sleeper… only the two of them on the stage distract her long enough for Fox to counter with a snapmare and then run into the Fancy Fox Leg Drop for the victory! She hightails it out of the ring and celebrates, as Maxine lets out some of the most furious sounding screams I’ve ever heard. She makes her way up the ramp, but continues to yell at Derrick the whole way. Maxine then walks past him and to the back, while NXT heads to a commercial break.
Following the main event, in which Derrick Bateman defeated Titus O’Neil and Darren Young in a triple threat with the winner receiving a future match on SmackDown, Derrick calls out Maxine to the ring to celebrate! Her theme song hits… but nobody walks out to the ring. A few moments pass to no avail, but suddenly… YES, THERE SHE IS! The other star of my weekly recaps, Tamina, makes her way out to the ring with JTG. Tamina tells Derrick that she’s sorry to let him know that Maxine packed up all her stuff… and… well, she would rather tell Derrick in private. Bateman refuses to wait, and demands to know where she is. JTG snatches the mic from his girl, and informs Bateman that his girl, his fiance, his boo boo, she left with Johnny Curtis. Derrick is left SHOCKED in the ring, as this week’s show comes to a close, and we move one step closer to finding out Maxine’s choice!
Thoughts: Oh NXT, if you were the only show I watched every week I would never have a bad thing to say about wrestling. This has everything in it I’ve ever wanted, from the fact that it’s filled with people from FCW, or people from the main show who never get air time elsewhere, all the way to the entertaining storylines and time given to everyone. The segment can not get enough praise from me, and I pray to God that Agnes becomes a recurring character in the storyline. I’m interested to see if Kaitlyn plays any sort of role as well, but I’m not sure where it will go.
The match itself was pretty solid. It wasn’t given as much time as before, but it’s understandable because Derrick and Agnes took Maxine off her game and cost her the bout. I like that they finally gave us another match to cover because it’s been a looong time without one. Maxine has become a new person in the ring since NXT ended one year ago today, and it’s great to see her get to wrestle against her former pro. They also seem to be using Alicia pretty much everywhere, which hopefully helps the fans to get behind her in a possible feud with DoD. I really can’t say enough about how much this show amuses and entertains me.
