WWE NXT Review: Barrett, Slater, Young want votes; The Great Khali destroys Daniel Bryan

Sorry for this being late. I went out Tuesday night while NXT was on and had to wait till Hulu put it up.

NXT in Review

This week's focus was on the rookies trying to impress their pros. Not that it never is, but we found out this week that the votes will be cast in two weeks. Exactly what the votes will be based on is unknown, though Michael Cole and Josh Matthews were paying more attention to win-loss records tonight.

Darren Young & CM Punk d. Matt Hardy and Justin Gabriel when Punk hit the GTS on Hardy and Young got the pin.

The Great Khali d. Daniel Bryan by pinfall.

Heath Slater d. Michael Tarver by pinfall.

Wade Barrett d. Skip Sheffield by pinfall.

NXT Shot by Shot

This week, they're adding the records to the Twitter account. I like that. Not that it means anything in a scripted environment, but it adds to the competition feel.

It'll take two more weeks for rookie evaluations. I really wonder how that's going to turn out. Clearly they're pushing Daniel Bryan as the top star, so I'm thinking somebody else will be the actual NXT winner.

I wonder if any NXT guys will show up at WrestleMania. Daniel Bryan said he bought a new suit for the event.

Michael Cole points out the rookies are trying to impress the pros, which is the logical explanation of why the pros weren't in the ring all that match in the opening tag match. That makes sense. It's hard to impress other pros when your pro is doing all the work in the ring.

Kevin Rudolf's "I Made It" just doesn't fit the gravity of the Undertaker/Shawn Michaels feud, or the WrestleMania feel. I guess it's different than the nu-metal garbage they usually use, but at least that fits a little better.

Justin Gabriel needs to watch some more Christpher Daniels matches if he wants to do that leg sweep takedown better.

Nice swerve seeing Young and Punk function as a team, only for Young to get the Gallows Pole (or is it Poll?) I thought maybe Punk and Young had finally come to a working agreement.

We didn't even get a Daniel Bryan entrance? Where's the Miz at?

And the Great Khali looks more and more like a buffoon every time he's on television.

Michael Cole continues his hate campaign on Daniel Bryan and the Internet has a whole. He just sounds like an idiot here.

Bryan goes 0-4 and he's going to get his heat back...well, no. He gets chokeslammed by the Big Show. I really hope he does something sweet next week because he hasn't gotten the best treatment since that first exchange with the Miz and awesome match with Chris Jericho.

With his smug attitude and obvious marketing potential by being a Harvard law student and Hollywood party guy, I think David Otunga might have a future in WWE past NXT.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Heath Slater = douche. That torpedo plancha (or whatever it was) that he did to Michael Tarver looked pretty sweet, though.

Wow, Michael Tarver has some stupid tattoos. Not really in and of themselves, but just their placement. Stupid tattoos or not, I'm digging that he uses the T-bone suplex.

Have I also said Skip Sheffield = douche? That leather vest is too close to Stone Cold Steve Austin's for my tastes.

Jericho yelling at the commentators putting over Wade Barrett is fantastic. This how Ric Flair should be managing AJ Styles - letting him do his own thing and making sure he's the star.

Josh Matthews busts out "vintage?" And for a Skip Sheffield splash? Lame.