Sunset Flip Presents
NXT Report Cards Part 1
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This past week on NXT, we found out that in two weeks, the NXT rookies will be getting report cards.
Therefore, I had the idea to use this column to grade them myself. I’m not sure if anything happens if someone gets a bad grade. This is part one of a two part column.
Daniel Bryan: Based on pure results, Daniel Bryan should get an “F”. Most people think Daniel Bryan is a guaranteed winner on the show, but I don’t see how creative can pull that off. In terms of records, I believe he is 0-4. You can’t even say that his “Pro” will say good things about him to put him over. The Miz hates Daniel Bryan and to be honest, I hate the phrase “Tap or Snap”. Keep in mind, I’m a fan of the guy’s wrestling abilities but I agree that he doesn’t have that much of a personality.
Grade: F
Darren Young: I am a huge Darren Young fan. The first time I saw Darren, he was my favorite on the show. I think he has a good look and can be very entertaining. He has an on and off relationship with his “Pro” CM Punk. Definitely not has abusive as the Miz has been to Daniel Bryan. I also think Darren can be great on the mic, both in serious situations and comedic situations. His record is 2-1 as of this writing. I think Darren Young can have a bright future but I think they have to be careful. I think he works best as a funny kind of character. If they go the other route, I think he can pull it off but not as good as the “happy fun time” guy that he could be.
Grade: B
David Otunga: For some reason, most people think Bryan Daniel has the best shot of winning this whole NXT competition. I disagree and I think David Otunga has the best chance. Otunga got a win against Darren Young but then the next week, thanks to CM Punk, he lost. It seems they are starting arguments between him and his mentor R-Truth. He is the kind of wrestler WWE goes for. He has main stream media exposure, being married to Jennifer Hudson. He was even in I Love New York 2 on VH1. As far as wrestling and mic skills go, I think it’s too early to tell with David and that may be his biggest weakness is that I have not seen enough to have that much of an opinion. He’s not awful but he’s also not awesome. But on the plus side, if you have no talent at all but have the WWE look, then you have a great chance to make the main roster.
Grade: C
Heath Slater: He is undoubtedly, my LEAST favorite NXT wrestler. He dubs himself the “one man rock band”. I think he’s annoying and I think the “rock band” gimmick is probably the most unoriginal gimmick a wrestler can come up with these days. Everyone wants to be a rock star in today’s world so it’s not really an original thought from either him or WWE Creative. But on the other hand, NXT is pushing the hell out of Slater. He is currently undefeated and is the first rookie to beat a WWE Pro in a one on one match. So as much as I hate his character and think his whole gimmick is the most unoriginal on the show, I can’t argue with him being undefeated. He does have lots of charisma and will probably be good on the mic. Finally, it’s pretty clear he is definitely in the top 3 on WWE’s priority list simply for the way he’s been booked. It pains me to give him the grade he will get.
Grade: A
So there you have it. Next week, I will take a look at the other rookies.
Don’t forget to check out the latest Sunset Flip Wrestling Show at sunsetflipwrestling.podomatic.com as I spend a good amount of time trying to figure out how a guest host can put people in the WWE Hall of Fame. I want to be a guest host now so I can IMMEDIATELY put the Shockmaster in the WWE Hall of Fame. It’s not like it’s a real Hall of Fame anyway. But that was last week’s subject.
Have a great week everyone
Jim Boy Star