The Balor/Devitt package actually tilted me. First I couldn't tell if it was about him or Lynch or both. Second, this was like airing a documentary of an actor playing a main character in a movie during the movie. Why go through all the trouble of making up this new name for him if you're just going to say during the show "hey, he's not really this guy, he's this other guy".

I guess I just really want to know what they hope to accomplish there? Could you see them doing that with Austin during his peak? No, he's not really Stone Cold, he's this guy.

I've posted before about an actual hour documentary on him that's on DM. It's great.

I found it interesting how they actually acknowledged that he wrestled in other place prior to WWE and actually used his other names. That is very un WWE like, and if that is the direction the company will go when Vince steps down, I like it.

I also think that doing one of those on RAW every week or every other week would freshen up the show a bit

I'm really surprised that someone could be that negative about the segment.

In other news, Dana Brooke is still terrible at everything. Who or what the hell was she looking at?

Also, I'm just not into the Owens/Joe feud that much. Maybe it's because Owens has been knocking it out of the park with Cena that I feel like fighting Joe is beneath him right now.

And in conclusion,

Sami was at the recent tapings and said he will be out for the rest of 2015.

That sucks.

Royal Rumble 2016 is in NXT-land. Hopefully he can make it and be a surprise entrant.

My problem with it is not that it was poorly done, but done in the middle of a show where they're trying to push him as this mystic character. Put a doc on the network and that's fine, but don't pull the curtain back during the show. I guess there is no separation anymore though. But then why bother calling him "Finn Balor" and trying to create this persona?

I see your point now.

I guess it just doesn't bother me.

Leave it to Vince to take one of the most over wrestlers since the 70's and put a stupid gimmick on him.

I guess everyone is different, but I really liked it as a fresh way of presenting wrestling.

As kayfabe has disintegrated over the years, a large part of wrestling fandom has become about supporting the performers behind the characters. So I'm totally cool with NXT playing to their audience and producing "origin stories" for their characters. I can watch this package and be heartwarmed at the real guy's story and then suspend my disbelief for a Demon Balor match back-to-back, no problem.

It would be slightly weirder if he was Demon Balor all the time, but he's not and the Demon is portrayed as just one part of his personality. He's 90% regular Finn Balor so the video package wasn't weird at all as we know and recognise his regular persona anyway.

Zack Ryder and Mojo Rawly are in a tag team called The Hype Bros

I laughed when i saw that too. Ryder's full time NXT now?

Possibly unpopular opinion:

The pairing of Zack Ryder and Mojo Rawley is a very good use of both of them right now. I imagine a decent heel run once the NXT crowd sours on them (which I imagine will happen sooner rather than later).

The way I would use Zack Ryder is just to put him on-screen on WWE TV once every 3-4 months and have it always be some sort of out-of-nowhere spot with somebody shoving him off the top of the ramp in a wheelchair. Just a running gag where that's literally all he does.

Just watched the most recent episode. Really enjoyed it quite a bit. Definitely seemed like Charlotte's last appearance.

Bump.

Turned on NXT for the first time in forever and I see that the next NXT Takeover on 22 August will have a Finn Balor/Kevin Owens ladder match for the NXT championship.

Seems like I picked a good time to start watching again.

NXT is still good; it's just not as good as it used to be.

It's no one's fault really. They've just had A LOT of turnover and a few injuries in the past 18 months.

Anyone else watch the most recent NXT episode?

There's like 0% chance that was the planned finish to the main event, right?

4 way women's match? Most likely Becky was flash KO'ed after Emma got her in the corner and forgot to kick out.

I'm not entirely sure that was on Becky.

The ref really didn't hesitate when counting three. Maybe he could see that whoever was supposed to break it up (my guess is Dana because of the ref's positioning, but it could have been Charlotte) was too far away.

At 2:23, as he raises Emma's hand, the ref asks "What happened?"

Despite the botch, I think this actually going to work out well. A victory for Charlotte (who I'm guessing was supposed to win) would have done nothing for anybody. Now Emma instantly has enough credibility to be fighting for Bayley's title.

I think you're right about the ref's positioning. He went out of his way to make sure there was room for someone to stop the cover. Emma didn't know how to react with the victory and everyone in the ring had a "wtf just happened" expression on them. Dana being awful and not being shown after the cover(I haven't watched the ep just the video) makes her the likely culprit.

Hm... everything I'm hearing is the opposite. Ref was telling Emma 'Be happy, you won.'

Emma's initial shock was obvious, though she did collect herself a lot faster than Mickie James a few years ago.