July 18, 2012 – Winter Park, Florida
Tamina Snuka def. Kaitlyn
NepotismXT strikes again. Have you guys seen Kaitlyn’s YouTube vlogs? They really ruin the WWE Superstar mystique. Whatever, not relevant to this match. I don’t think either of these ladies were really ready at this point to be wrestling on TV, but the bright side is nobody was really watching NXT during this stretch. *½
Jinder Mahal def. Percy Watson
The commentator whose name I refuse to learn calls Mahal one of the more polarizing figures in NXT, which is honestly pretty fucking racist given that you have a guy doing a white South African dynasty gimmick in the next match. That said, I learn from Regal on commentary that Mahal is also part of NepotismXT, as he’s Gama Singh’s nephew. Dude is still boring but Watson was actually pretty solid, definitely better than he’d go on to be on commentary. **
Leo Kruger def. Richie Steamboat
This wasn’t half bad. Kruger was pretty over, even though he’s the heel, and Steamboat brought some sudden offense. That offense ultimately led to Kruger using his own momentum and the ropes to beat Steamboat, which is a nice finish for a pair of novices. **¾
Raquel Diaz def. Paige
I guess Diaz is Eddie Guerrero’s kid, which means at least one person in every match so far on this episode is 2nd generation. Man, Paige is really on jobber duty. She spooked Diaz until Diaz hit a Gory Bomb. Then Regal calls out that she’s a Guerrero but doesn’t explain why she’s called Diaz. ½*
Justin Gabriel def. Heath Slater
I appreciate them putting on a real main event. Gabriel has some sick moves, and Slater played the heel role very well. The finish was a little hinky, so maybe they’ll get it right next time. ***