NXT

[LifeLostInRewind]

Honestly, Graves is just a toxic person, and some of his tweets makes him look like a teenage girl seeking attention. He's not even that good as a heel commentato, imo. JBL was better.

[PEN15v2]

Yet another instance of a corporation sweeping things under the rug instead of addressing the issue.

Quite the assumption. Just because it's not done publicly doesn't mean they've done nothing about it.

Also, there's no real proof that Mauro is absent and deleted his twitter because of Graves. I agree that that's exactly what it looks like, but you know what they say about correlation not equaling causation.

[Oliver]

I thought Graves was outstanding as a commentator when he was on NXT TV. I don't really know much of his work on the main roster, I tend to listen to it with the volume off as I can't stand the commentary in general.

Phillips and Graves, as a combo, were as good as NXT commentary got in 2016.

[Cult Icon]

There are definitely people that don't like Graves as a commentator but I don't think the backlash around him has much to do with that anymore than the backlash against Seth Rollins has to do with his ring work. Like Rollins, Graves has become unpopular largely because of how he's behaved on social media; even before this there were weird instances of him going off on drunken ramblings or going after CM Punk or that thing with his wife and Carmela (though in fairness to Graves that was a smear campaign by his wife). I think it's more that that's led to people turning on Graves than his commentary skills or lack thereof (which I can't speak to; the last time I listened to him was four years ago, when I thought he was really good).

[Team Farrell]

There are definitely people that don't like Graves as a commentator but I don't think the backlash around him has much to do with that anymore than the backlash against Seth Rollins has to do with his ring work. Like Rollins, Graves has become unpopular largely because of how he's behaved on social media; even before this there were weird instances of him going off on drunken ramblings or going after CM Punk or that thing with his wife and Carmela (though in fairness to Graves that was a smear campaign by his wife). I think it's more that that's led to people turning on Graves than his commentary skills or lack thereof (which I can't speak to; the last time I listened to him was four years ago, when I thought he was really good).

I think that's largely correct.

Graves is pretty good, but I think he's a personality that really doesn't care if anyone likes him personally so he's going to say what he's going to say, probably not make any friends, and so long as his work is good he knows he'll have his job. It's not like anyone is tuning in or out based on who's calling matches.

I don't think he's going to change his social media behaviour based on whether or not wrestling fans, or even his peers, like him. He's obviously held in high regard by the company (probably higher than Mauro just based on versatility) as they keep giving him more and more, and based on his conversation with Triple H on his first podcast he seems to have a really good report with the office. Sometimes in the corporate world, that matters more than anything.

I'll be curious to see the chemistry of whoever is used instead. I love Mauro's energy and knowledge, but the references get tiresome. So we'll see how it goes.

Let me preface this by saying that I have nothing personally against the guy, and don't like to see people suffer from mental health issues. This isn't a "good, he's had a mental breakdown and he's gone" thing. However, I don't think that anyone is above criticism of their performance for any reason.

Like I said, he's number two on my least favourite list. The references and hip-hop shit is overwhelming. I'm sure he's good in an MMA or Boxing environment where he can't look at the spot happening and know he's got 30 seconds of selling to fit in a reference or something.

I feel a lot of times like I'm getting a parody of the Mauro that was on SmackDown whenever he calls a match. He doesn't seem to be able to match the seriousness of the situation a lot of times, and is some reason physically incapable of saying the words "women's division".

I watched Takeover last night for the first time, and there were points where he'd literally cut off Beth or Nigel, mid sentence, to scream about a move that was done or scream a pop culture reference. It's been happening more and more on NXT shows, too.

I appreciate his energy, but sometimes it's too much. Commentary is supposed to be enhancing the viewing experience. If you're freaking out for a fairly large bump that isn't even going to be used as a false finish just as much as you freak out over the actual finish, then the big finish actually means less because it only means as much as that big bump. There's a time and a place for that, but every single match in every position on every card isn't it.

JR would lose his mind over big stuff that was usually going to be a false finish in a main event level match. If Triple H hit a guy in the head with a sledgehammer, JR would go over the top like it was the finish. That's the definition of a false finish. But he wasn't at damn near aneurysm levels over Triple H's spinebuster that never finished anyone.

To me, it's the same theory as using a really loud ring. Some rings, because of their construction, are really loud just to move around in. If the ring you're in is particularly loud for some reason, you try to move around in it a little less, especially in the very centre. The reason being, that if running the ropes or a simple scoop bodyslam makes the same sound as the top rope spanish fly finish, the people subconsciously believe that they're the same "size" bump. If everything is huge (if every night is "the greatest night in the history of our sport"), nothing is huge.

[Kleckamania]

Yeah, I'm not a big fan of Mauro. Nothing against his mental issues, but the references feel so very forced, like that super white kid in high school trying to be a G/fit in, and it was just painful to watch. As Coach said he goes absolutely ballistic over simple shit in a match, it waters down his commentary a lot imo. I roll my eyes/desire to change the channel every time someone does a Tope, cause Mauro is gonna act like it was just invented, or God himself just performed it, even if it was sloppy shit. And he cuts people off too much. Honestly, I loooooove Nigel, and it really pisses me off everytime Mauro cuts him off during a show. Mauro is just filler/loud noises, Nigel is always relevant and informative.

Part of me wonders how many guys wind up having an issue/"conflict" with Mauro before people start wondering if maybe Mauro isn't an innocent angel. I'm not excusing JBL or Corey Graves for being dinks, but maybe Mauro isn't so great behind the scenes, and is creating this kind of animosity, then playing the victim card in public? Maybe not? But maybe. We've all had that coworker who does shit like that, and is like an obnoxious know it all. How do/did you feel about them? Maybe that isn't Mauro, but who knows beside the people working there.

Not Dave 7 Stars Meltzer.

And for what it is worth, (not that it has anything to do with this topic) but Corey Graves is fantastic on commentary! He is the closest thing to Bobby Heenan we now have. I always enjoy his dedication to being a heel commentator throughout the night.

[Oliver]

So, NXT is stacking the December 18th show - not sure if there's a reason for this, or just because they'll presumably be doing a taped (at best) or best of (at worst) show on Christmas Day itself.

Baszler vs Ripley for the women's title
Cole vs the winner of Ciampa/Balor/Lee next week for the NXT Championship

[Powder]

They are playing 1-up with AEW, but NXT will be a better show.

AEW is having Jericho wrestle against Jungle Boy, while still teasing a future feud between Lucharsaurus and Moxley.


I know that i have put on some weight in my years, but Kassius Ohno looks terrible.

[Powder]

Why does Kushida wear Marty McFly's outfit to the ring?

[PEN15v2]

His gimmick since Japan was Time Splitter, with extreme Back to the Future inspiration. His move is/was called the Hoverboard lock as well.

[Powder]

Gotcha...I have absolutely no idea to who he is.

[Prime Time]

He once came to the ring with Ryusuke Taguchi dressed as Doc Brown to cap it all off...

[Powder]

Ok, now that is awesome.

[Team Farrell]

His gimmick since Japan was Time Splitter, with extreme Back to the Future inspiration. His move is/was called the Hoverboard lock as well.

Wasn't that a play on he and Shelley were splitting their time between NJPW and ROH, or am I crazy?

Gotcha...I have absolutely no idea to who he is.

Yeah I feel like since Kushida has only been on USA twice (?) they should have expanded that return video somewhat to reintroduce who he is.

I hope they realize that, being on USA, they might need to put a little more work into telling us who these guys are. They've done an impeccable job with Keith Lee so far and were hitting home runs with Cameron Grimes before he fell off the face of the earth.

[Powder]

Last night was a fantastic episode of NXT. Both title matches were awesome, and I (and probably many others) predicted Ripley winning. Io Shirai is yet another major part of the Women's future. Just look at the WWE's Women's division's future: Ripley, Baszler, Belair, Io, Mia Yim. Yikes.

My concerns:
Priest vs Dain. Wrong guy won. Killian Dain has a bigger ceiling than Priest in my honest opinion, and I think that Dain should have won, and begin his move into the NXT main event scene. I would love to see an NXT title feud between Lee and Dain.

Grimes vs Kushida....didn't care anything about, at all. Neither guy connects with me.

Banks vs Dunn. Again I am not that big of fan of Dunn, and who the hell is Banks?


And the ending of the fans/locker room coming out to celebrate with Ripley reminded me of when Luger beat Hogan for the WCW title on Nitro in 1998.