Botched Spot

NXT: Season 2! The season many of us thought might never happen! While I enjoy the show, and I know there are other supporters, I don’t think the ratings have been all that hot last season or for the current one. No matter! I’ve still been enjoying season 2, possibly more than season one, despite the absence of Bryan Danielson, who easily won me over in his short WWE stint.

Season 2 has featured a wider variety of talent, I think, and while last season’s “rookies” only had a few standouts and a bunch of average guys, this season has a few standouts, a some average guys, and some train-wrecks, which I think is important for a reality show. Even though it’s already a month in and there’s already been an elimination, I’m telling my personal rankings of all the season 2 rookies.

Number One: Kaval!

It’s hard to not choose Kaval for number one. He’s so natural with everything and already has a fanbase cheering for him in the month season 2 has been running. And damn, he has a nice voice. He really won me over with his speech about not wanting to do the keg run. Also his Laycool pros add a different element to him that I never expected to see. Their presence would be the albatross around the neck of a lot of other superstars, but Kaval manages to be a badass even with them.

Number Two: Husky Harris!

The army tank with a Ferrari engine may have been number 7 in the last NXT ranking, but I think pretty highly of him so far. He hasn’t cut any career defining promos or had any five star matches, but the little things he does stand out to me. Like the way he slid his arm over Matt Striker’s shoulder when doing an interview. Or the way he leaned over the podium with his whole body during the “Talk the Talk” challenge, or whatever the hell it was called. It’s the little natural touches that make him stand out. He perfectly personifies every fat bully I’ve ever known that makes me wonder where he gets his confidence from.

Number Three: Percy Watson!

My wife hates me for ranking Percy third instead of first. I really like Percy so far, and he’s a hell of a lot more entertaining than a lot of the other superstars out there. He’s just sooo deep in character all the time that it makes me wonder if he’ll ever show other sides to his personality or if he’ll be doing the same dance a year from now. I kind of wish he had a different pro that would clash with him more. I like MVP, but he’s just kind of… there when Percy’s out doing his stuff.

Number Four: Michael McGillicutty!

Speaking of wishing for different pros… I like Michael McGillicutty overall, but his “ruthless aggression” that he spoke so much of has yet to be seen. And I think part of the problem is his mentor being another face, Kofi Kingston. Seeing them jump around and high five each other doesn’t really do a whole lot for him, whereas if he were in a situation like Miz and Daniel Bryan last season, I think he’d stand out a lot more. But I still think he’s very natural when it comes to being in the ring and on the mic.

Number Five: Alex Riley!

Alex Riley seems tied too close to his gimmick to me. He kind of reminds me of WWE around 2006 when they tried using old school-ish gimmicks like The Spirit Squad, Chris Masters (his first run anyway), and the Highlanders. Gimmicks that were entertaining at first, but didn’t really have the legs to go anywhere. Also, he seems a little too old for the letterman’s jacket. He’s talented though, so I can’t rank him too low.

Number Six: Lucky Cannon!

I want to like Lucky, he has some kind of goofy charm, but I don’t think he stands up so well next to the other rookies. He hasn’t done too much that stands out yet, so… on to number seven!

Number Seven: Eli Cottonwood!

Eli’s antisocial gimmick is really awkward in this “reality show” setting, and his in ring work and mic skills don’t seem like they’re nearly ready for this kind of stage. I was surprised to see that he wasn’t seventh in the NXT rankings too. I don’t think John Morrison has been doing him any favors as his pro either. I love Morrison, but introducing Eli just as being “really tall” on the first episode and hiding behind his clipboard when Cottonwood gave his “mustache” talk, he’s not being incredibly supportive.

Number Eight: (who else?)Titus O’Neil!

I’m pretty sure the WWE bumped up the first elimination on NXT season 2 just to get Titus off of TV. He seems like a nice guy, but the only thing he did half way decently was his speech after being eliminated, but even that only sounded like a recycled pep talk for a losing T-ball team.

Well, after writing this little blog, I actually think I like this season less than the first. I dunno… the pros this time with the exception of Laycool and maybe Cody Rhodes seem like placeholders waiting for something more interesting to come along. While this is my personal ranking, I suspect Percy or Alex Riley will win after Kaval gets some Daniel Bryan-esqe storyline screwjob. I just hope Titus doesn’t join the Nexus…