It’s another Tuesday (okay really Wednesday) which means we have just witnessed a jaw dropping episode of NXT. On tonight’s show, the storyline between AJ and Maxine heats up with not only a rematch, but a backstage segment to discover the whereabouts of Hornswoggle. The couples took a break from each other this week, so let’s see how the ladies do when they don’t have their soulmates behind them.
We return from a commercial break to find the plaid loving AJ on her cell phone. She seems to be questioning why Hornswoggle has not returned any of her messages, or answered his phone as of late. As she hangs up, Maxine enters into the Frey. AJ questions where he is, to which Maxine believes she means Derrick, and informs her that he’s in the back soaking his feet after his tag match with Tyson Kidd against Titus O’Neil & Percy Watson earlier in the night. AJ stops her and demands to know what she has done to Hornswoggle.
Maxine breaks the news to AJ that Hornswoggle took off with the Bella Twins to Palm Springs for the week! Her reasoning behind this allegation? He got sick of little girls, and preferred real women. AJ doesn’t believe Maxine, which sparks the seductive she-devil to show AJ a photo of the leprachaun with the Bellas that she caught on her camera phone. AJ still doesn’t believe her, and as she walks off, Maxine drops the bombshell that Photoshop is greeeeat (read that in your Frosted Flakes/Tony the Tiger voice).
“If you want it, come and get it” blasts over the sound system, as the room turns bright green…which can only mean it’s time for Maxine! Once she makes her way to the ring, the bell sounds and the two divas lock up. Maxine shoves AJ off, and as the two get together again, she backs AJ into the corner and begins choking her, screaming “Where’s your boyfriend now, huh?!” She lets go at a count of three and charges forward. AJ catches her with a shove backwards, which for some reason amuses me greatly…
Maxine lands on her knees, allowing the Pocket Rocket to run forward with a front dropkick! Maxine scurries to the corner to fend off her nemesis, but AJ jumps up and hits a nice monkey flip for a two count. She Irish whips Maxine into the ropes, but Maxine reverses it and drops AJ with a atomic drop, followed by simply tossing her around by the hair. She slams AJ face first into the canvas and applies a brutal looking submission move, sparking a “Lets go AJ” chant to break out.
Maxine throws AJ into the second rope and begins to choke her with her leg. She continues to take control, heading back to the leg submission, which looks to brutally bend AJ in half. Maxine locks in a choke hold, asking AJ if this is what she wants. Knees to the back, followed by re-applying the choke. “Where’s your boyfriend at, huh?” AJ gets to a vertical base and tries to fight Maxine off, but the lady in red throws AJ back for a two count.
She whips AJ into the ropes and delivers a sick boot to the jaw for another close call victory. Maxine begins choking AJ in the corner with her foot, before dropping her with a neckbreaker. She begins to grow furious with AJ’s never say die attitude, just relentlessly pounding her in the chest, and choking her with submissions. Maxine picks AJ up and tosses her to the corner once more. After charging forward, she throws AJ into the opposing turnbuckle. Maxine charges once again, but she is met with both of AJ’s boots to her face.
AJ ascends to the second rope, and leaps off with a beautiful reverse crossbody to garner a two count! AJ begins to gain control of the match, with a running clothesline, followed by an awesome looking roundhouse kick to the head. AJ takes Maxine down to a knee, and looks to go for her shining wizard, but Maxine gets back up to a vertical base and attempts a clothesline. AJ manages to duck, but Maxine lifts her onto her shoulders and drops AJ throat first onto the ropes. From there, she lifts AJ up into a double underhook position, and drops her in a move that I can’t explain, as I simply watch in awe and how sick and great it truly was. For the purposes of my own enjoyment, I will refer to this maneuver from now on (until an actual name is revealed) as “Maximum Destruction”.
One…
Two…
THREE!
Maxine scores the victory in this one on one contest! As she celebrates in the ring, Titus O’Neil runs out to check on AJ. Maxine makes her way up the entrance ramp smirking, as this match comes to a close.
Thoughts: Where to start? Much like last week, I loved the backstage segment. People may be upset that Maxine and AJ are on NXT, but look at all they get to do. I think the length of their backstage segment alone was the span of 10 Raw Diva Matches. It’s really enjoyable to watch them actually getting time, and a storyline. I don’t know if this will lead to the Bella Twins coming to NXT, but I thought it was a great touch to have Maxine show AJ a photo, and then reveal it to be photoshopped together (I’m assuming she used a photo of when Hornswoggle & The Bellas were on screen together at Wrestlemania 27 and photoshopped the background to a beach scene).
Onto the match, another enjoyable contest. I loved how they had AJ get beat down for the most part because it really helps people to believe Maxine to be this controlling heel in the sense that she controls her matches (and her men). AJ is probably the best seller in the division in my opinion, but she still gets to show some cool moves so it works. Maxine’s finisher is probably my new favorite in WWE, and I don’t know where she came up with it, but props to her for doing something completely different and not reverting to the facebuster that’s been handed down from generation to generation…All in all, I love NXT, and I hope it just turns into a brand honestly. I’d like to see Kaitlyn and maybe debut Naomi as a heel, or bring Aksana even, to mix the matches up a little.
