NXT Redemption Recap
The WWE Intro airs and merges right into the arena as fireworks are going off and the word “Redemption” is shown on the TitanTron. Grisham welcomes us to the shown and says there will be a new format this season and it is all about redemption. Grisham says it’s a new season and he has a new partner, William Regal. Regal repeats that this season is all about redemption. Grisham sends it to Matt Striker in the ring.
Matt Striker welcomes us to NXT Season 5. Striker welcomes his guest host for NXT Season 5, Maryse. Maryse says that this season will be very different from past seasons and introduces the NXT Rookies. Darren Young from NXT Season 1 enters, followed by Conor O’Brian from NXT Season 4. Lucky Cannon, wearing a really bad version of a Ric Flair robe is back from NXT Season 2. Byron Saxton from NXT Season 4 returns, as does Jacob Novak and finally Titus O’Neil from NXT Season 2. Striker welcomes the Rookies back and says that each of them have been chosen to return for redemption. Striker says that this season will be slightly different and gives it to Maryse. Maryse says the winner of NXT Season 5 will qualify for NXT Season 6. Striker then says that there will no longer be Immunity and Immunity points. There will be redemption points and if there is a tie between the voting done by the Pros and the WWE Universe, the Rookies can use the redemption points, if applicable in an attempt to save themselves from elimination.
Striker then says it’s time to find out who the Pros are. Chavo Guerrero is introduced as Darren Young’s Pro. Chavo says he is happy to be Young’s Pro and that his in ring ability is his strength but that Young can’t take it easy and must separate himself from the pack. Chavo finishes by challenging Young to get noticed. Vladimir Kozlov is introduced as Conor O’Brian’s Pro. Hard to understand Kozlov but he tells O’Brian that people like you more when you are yourself and if they don’t, then punish them. Tyson Kidd is introduced as Lucky Cannon’s Pro. Kidd tells Cannon that he really is lucky that he is Cannon’s Pro. Kidd says that Cannon was too nice and that he has to take what he wants. Yoshi Tatsu is introduced as Byron Saxton’s Pro. Tatsu says that Saxton was over confident and that he has to relax and be himself. Striker chimes in and says that with Maryse, Yoshi and Vladimir, he won’t understand a word this season. JTG is introduced as Jacob Novak’s Pro and says that Jacob had to deal with the drama between Dolph Ziggler and Vickie Guerrero. JTG says now there will be no distractions. Finally, Hornswoggle is introduced as Titus O’Neil’s Pro. Hornswoggle clears his throat and mumbles and speaks incoherently before barking like O’Neil.
Striker says now that the Rookies have met their Pros, it’s time to begin the season and Jacob Novak will face Darren Young in the first match of NXT Season 5 next as we take a break.
We’re back and Young and Novak are talking strategy with their Pros. The bell rings and both lockup, with neither getting the advantage. They fall through the ropes and Novak hits the floor hard. Back in the ring, Young goes behind Novak but Novak elbows out of the hold. Novak and Young are slow to start things off but Novak steps right into a powerslam from Young, who gets a two. Young lifts Novak up and hits a few uppercuts but takes a boot from Novak. Novak nails Young with elbows in the corner and whips him to the opposite corner. Novak charges and Young puts the boots up. Novak charges again and catches Young’s boot, hitting him with a clothesline in the corner. Novak hits another boot and covers Young for a two. Novak applies a modified sleeper and Young quickly gets up and rams Novak into the corner. Young starts to fight back but Novak hits another clothesline for a two. Novak then picks Young up and sets him up for a suplex but Young counters by hitting a Norther Lights suplex. Young then takes control, hitting a few clotheslines, a back body drop and the full nelson into a facebuster for the three. Young and Chavo celebrate the big win after the match.
Yoshi Tatsu meets up with Maryse backstage. Yoshi congratulates Maryse on becoming the guest host and has something he wants to say to her. Byron Saxton walks up to Yoshi and says that he wants to be ready for this season and wants to talk strategy with Yoshi. Maryse excuses herself and Saxton tries to say something as Yoshi cuts him off, screaming to Saxton that his timing is no good.
After a break we go to the Raw Rebound featuring John Cena’s response to The Rock and The Miz responding, attacking Cena after.
At the table, Grisham tells Regal that they are 26 days away from WrestleMania but speak about this season of redemption and we then take a closer look at Conor O’Brian. O’Brian says he didn’t win because he hid behind a persona and didn’t show the WWE Universe who he was. He gets emotional about how hard it was for him earlier in his life but says that’s the past and the future will have the fans see the real Conor O’Brian and that he will get redemption.
A graphic is shown for the first competition of the Season, the Boot Camp Challenge is next.
After the break, Maryse, Matt Striker and the Rookies are on the stage. Maryse says that this is the Boot Camp Challenge worth three redemption points. Striker explains the rules. The Rookies will run from the top of the stage and must hurdle the wall in front of them. Then they must crawl under a station, walk across the balance beam, weave in and out of the roadblocks and pick up a loaded bag and run it across the yellow line at the top of the stage. The Rookie who does that the quickest will win the challenge and three redemption points. Titus O’Neil is up first and he sets the time to beat at 29.8 seconds. Jacob Novak is up next and beats that time, finishing in exactly 24 seconds. Byron Saxton is next and just misses the time, finishing in 26.5 seconds. Lucky Cannon is next and he grabs the hand of Maryse and says that he will not be a circus monkey for the fans. Cannon says that the show is all about him and that the last time he was on NXT he won more than half the challenges and it did him nothing. Cannon says the only challenge he’ll have is stealing Maryse away from Ted DiBiase, which won’t be much of a challenge. Maryse doesn’t seem too impressed as Conor O’Brian is next. O’Brian fails to set the time to beat, finishing in 27.1 seconds. Darren Young is last and certainly seems to the crowd favorite. Young finishes in 23 seconds and wins the challenge. Young earns three redemption points as we take a look back at last night and Grisham says that up next, we will find out who will be the referee for the Michael Cole-Jerry Lawler match at WrestleMania.
After the break and the segment from Raw where Steve Austin signed the contract to be the referee for the Michael Cole-Jerry Lawler match at WrestleMania, we see the graphic for the main event, Titus O’Neil vs. Lucky Cannon and the match is next.
The promo for SmackDown during the break states that Triple H will return to SmackDown for the first time in over a year and that Alberto Del Rio will face Christian.
Todd Grisham and William Regal welcome us back and send us an in depth look at Byron Saxton. Saxton said that he made some mistakes last season and that learning’s half the battle. Saxton says the Rookies need a second chance and he knows it’s his time. Saxton says that this is his last chance and he will win NXT.
Titus O’Neil comes out with Hornswoggle for the main event. Lucky Cannon comes out with Tyson Kidd. Regal is making fun of Cannon’s awful robe as he takes it off. Hornswoggle wears it for a second before dropping it on the floor. The bell rings and they lock up. O’Neil forces Cannon to the corner and gives him a clean break. Cannon takes a cheap shot and hides in the ropes as the ref forces O’Neil back. O’Neil comes back, firing off stomps to the chest of Cannon in the corner. Cannon tries to drop toe hold O’Neil but he doesn’t budge. Cannon then kicks O’Neil and the force sends him through the ropes and to the floor. Cannon throws O’Neil back in applies a reverse chinlock. The crowd gets behind O’Neil but Cannon breaks the hold and throws O’Neil off the mat. Cannon stomps on O’Neil and applies a sleeper. Cannon puts his foot on the rope as Hornswoggle quickly shoves it off. O’Neil starts to fire back, hitting a few shots but Cannon cuts him off, applying a headlock. O’Neil counters with a belly to back suplex and both are down. O’Neil then takes over the match, hitting a big flying shoulder tackle to Cannon and a back elbow. O’Neil whips Cannon to the corner and runs into a big boot. On the floor, Hornswoggle hits Kidd in the leg and Kidd chases him around the ring. Both slide in and the ref breaks it up, forcing Kidd out of the ring. Cannon heads to the top rope and Hornswoggle shoves him off and into a Sky High powerbomb from O’Neil. O’Neil hooks the leg and gets the win. O’Neil celebrates the win as Kidd runs in, tripping up Hornswoggle and going for the Sharpshooter. O’Neil kicks Kidd in the chest, knocking him out of the ring. Highlights of the match are shown and O’Neil holds Hornswoggle up on his shoulders as the show comes to an end.
