WWE’s NXT big thing
Green...but mean: WWE's NXT generation of heels kicked ass on tonight's RAW.
World Wrestling Entertainment closed an otherwise bloated, painfully unfunny, lackluster RAW tonight with one of those angles that may be talked about for years to come if the follow-up is as brilliantly executed–and in today’s WWE, that’s a big IF. As the Viewer’s Choice (think Cyber Sunday-/Tuesday-like voting scenarios) main event of CM Punk vs. John Cena was in the ring, eight “NXT” (the recent rookie competition show on Syfy) would-be superstars emerged one by one from the stage and the audience, surrounding the ring. Wearing NXT armbands (for solidarity, I suppose), the gang of greenhorns first attacked Luke Gallows and Punk, with Serena scurrying to the back. Cena was bum-rushed next, followed by Matt Striker and Jerry Lawler at the announcer’s table. Michael Cole, fresh off a memorable performance in an angle with NXTer Daniel Bryan (Bryan Danielson, who’s certainly no rookie and an amazing performer), suspiciously disappeared from the ringside area after the announcer’s table was turned on top of the fallen King, so perhaps he’ll be playing the Eric Bischoff role a la the NWO. They’ll definitely need a mouthpiece for this young band of renegades, and given his natural obnoxious nature, Cole could be an inspired choice.
RAW ring announcer Justin Roberts was attacked and partially stripped, with his eyes nearly popping out of his skull as Bryan choked him with his own necktie. The NXT invaders destroyed the ringside area and snapped the ring ropes before continuing the beatdown on Cena. Against character, Punk attempted to make the save but was easily overwhelmed. (It would have been a nice touch if the heels had unmasked Punk as well, but that was a small detail that was overlooked.)
The live crowd jeered pretty hard and it appeared on TV that no one left the arena during the onslaught. Bryan taunted a seemingly unconscious Cena, repeating “You are not better than me!” before nailing the Champ with a vicious kick across the skull, with the crowd chanting, “You suck!” The NXT gang then hit a few of their finishers before Cena was carted off on a stretcher.
With injuries to longtime key players Randy Orton, Triple H, Undertaker and the recent retirement of Shawn Michaels, the company desperately needs to create new stars and this was as creative a way as any to get over an entire stable of fresh new heels. (I couldn’t help but thing back to the WCW “invasion” and how amazing it could have been had WWE managed to get the big names like Sting and Goldberg to lead an assault like this.) The NXT attack had an unscripted, dangerous feel to it, which is exactly what the company has been lacking for several years now. Tonight’s closing segment was the best thing I’ve seen on RAW in a long time–almost good enough to make me forget about the embarrassingly bad comedy with the cast of the A-Team and the dance-off between Koslov and Santino. Almost.
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