It’s time for another NXT Watch! Yours truly is here to bring forth the female action from the black (and pink) roped show emanating from Orlando, Florida. This week, Layla goes one on one with Aksana in what looks to be the first form of Diva competition we’ve seen in a few weeks. And since we’re lucky this week, they also get a backstage segment to set the match up! Now let’s get started.
Up first, we head backstage to see Aksana approaching Layla, and oddly complimenting her by telling her she looks good. She claims that she loves Layla’s hair in particular… because it looks so bad that it makes her own look even better! Aksana adds on that (real talk), a lot of the girls in the back hate what Layla did to her hair as well. Layla doesn’t seem to care about that, but Aksana begins rubbing some sort of lotion on her hands so I’m not sure how much of what Layla’s saying is comprehending well to our Lithuanian Llama God. Nonetheless, Layla calls her an Eastern Euro-trash, before imitating her own former catchphrase, “real talk” and stating that everybody’s really going to be talking when she gives Aksana a makeover in the ring later tonight. She heads off, as Aksana looks startled, intimidated, and somewhat confused all at the same time.
Following the entrances of both Layla and Aksana (as well as Aksana’s full screen titantron), the bell sounds and we start things off. The two lock up, as Layla gets a roll up quickly to a one count. Aksana tells a female fan to shut up, before taking Layla down and shoving her face around. Some taunting now from Aksana, as the referee restrains Layla due to Aksana grabbing the ropes. The Lithuanian beauty takes Layla down and now begins… crawling on the ring apron. Unfortunately for her, Layla gets a dropkick to Aksana that sends her to the outside.
Aksana quickly crawls back into the ring and goes for a slap, but Layla ducks and kick her in the abdomen. The former Divas Champion gets a few roll ups, but nothing attains a three count. Layla with a kick, but as she ascends to the top rope, Aksana shoves her off for a close count. Aksana scores a few elbows, but still just gets a one count. Layla now begins to feel the pain of a choke on the ropes, followed up with a triangle leg lock that is twisted into a repeated facebuster type move. Aksana hits a few kicks to the midsection, before crawling and piefacing Layla to the mat. After a few attempts at a pin, Layla manages to flip it over into a brief catfight that is taken down by a clothesline from Aksana soon after.
Aksana sends Layla into the corner, and continues to crawl towards the former Champion, now grabbing her face and taunting her. Layla now gets a slap in, before making her comeback. Layla leaps off the second rope with her crossbody, but only gets a two count. Aksana hits a kick and looks to attempt something else, but unfortunately for her once again, Layla ducks it and scores with the bombshell kick for the victory!
Thoughts: Maybe it was my low expectations due to the match report, but I actually enjoyed this match a lot more than I thought I would. Honestly, this would probably be Aksana’s best match since she became a more active force in the division for me, and I loved all the crawling around and trying to get in Layla’s head. It’s not something we really see any other Diva do, so it stands out more than just stepping in the ring and going through the moves. We know Aksana isn’t the most skilled in ring Diva (although I still stand by that she was very strong during her reign as FCW Divas Champion), so I think doing these little mind games works in her favor to mask what she may lack in other areas. Layla played into Aksana’s tricks very well too, and I thought the two were pretty funny in the backstage segment earlier on as well. Nice to see the females being given some spotlight on NXT after a few weeks without any.
34 Comments
at 5:31 am
BEST SELL OF THE BOMBSHELL EVER!!!?
at 5:34 am
I love female wrestlers in Kickpads.
at 5:44 am
I heard people call this match the worst, I actually really liked it! I mean it’s not the most technical match but it wasn’t the worst match I’ve seen!!! And I agree with you Bobby on the Aksana crawls during the the match gave her a little attitude!!!
at 7:07 am
Aksana’s movement is still very off and rusty, but for someone with very little experience, I appreciate her trying new things and actually being innovative in the ring, unlike past Diva’s like Maria, Kelly, etc.
Aksana will never be a solid wrestler with great movement, but she can be pretty decent and pull off some good matches with more work.
at 7:21 am
This is the MOST I’ve been proud of Aksana.. I see improvement; not only in her ring ablities but in her her character as well. I still prefer she stay on NXT for a while and Paige gets to make her way up to the main roster.
Layla always impresses in the ring but gets these LAME storylines. I said it before, WWE could really do a career long fued between her & Eve that could match Lita/Trish’s; doesnt necessarily havent always be about the Diva’s title because it wasnt always about the Women’s championship between Trish & Lita. It was about who was better at the time. They’ve been friends/enemies and accomplish so much with and without one another in and outside the ring. Eve and Layla’s careers are almost parallel in way so they could really do something with them…
And I’m BEGGING for Naomi to get back in the ring!!!!
at 7:48 am
Is Aksana suppose to be the new Maryse?
xJonFer12494x Reply:
November 18th, 2012 at 8:57 am
lol. I also felt Maryse-vibes coming off of her, I guess WWE decided to make her into the eastern european version of Maryse. Which isnt entirely bad..considering the maryse like character has been missing from the roster.
Solo Reply:
November 18th, 2012 at 7:13 pm
Yeah I agree, the WWe should portray Aksana as the European version of Maryse, because we honestly didn’t get to see Maryse as a babyface. If Aksana can pull the character off maybe we will get an idea or image of what it would have been like.
Getdownwithachola Reply:
November 18th, 2012 at 10:47 am
Pretty much.
at 8:54 am
I gotta say I hate the backstage more than I hated the match. They both looked really dumb in that segment.The right way imo would be Layla to respond with “I couldn’t care less about what you have to say,but I don’t like your tone,so meet me in the ring later tonight ” or something like that. The “Euro trash” comment was so not right since Layla herself is from Europe…the backstage was a full face palm.
However the match actually surprised me.I expected it to be a lot worse.It was quite entertaining at times.It seems that both ladies do better when they’re not pressed by the pressure of a Live TV show imo. Aksana appeared lost in the end which ruined the finish ,but I knew she would do something stupid like that.She needs more work.
GailKim95 Reply:
November 18th, 2012 at 12:36 pm
Just because your from Europe doesn’t mean your a “euro-trash” so the comment did make sense
charovnica Reply:
November 18th, 2012 at 2:14 pm
It wasn’t tasteful at all.And the way Layla said it make it seem like two little kids are fighting for nothing,so I agree on your point,but it was still not right imo.
SweeneyTodd Reply:
November 18th, 2012 at 2:51 pm
Listen…”EAST euro-trash”
Clarke Reply:
November 18th, 2012 at 9:00 pm
she said EASTERN Eurotrash. there’s a difference.
at 9:51 am
y’know what? I love Aksana.
I feel out of the ring she is the perfect of mix of thoughtless, evil and innocent… it’s great.
Then she gets in the ring, and she’s serious. Love it.
also, I saw a hint of heel Layla? I sure hope so!!
at 10:25 am
Aksana should have won!!
at 2:00 pm
Aksana does not have Maryse’s self-knowing chutzpah, but she does have an endearing gimmick on her hands if she deliberately sells the broken English. I’m not sure about the noir-ish vamp look and the posing, though.
at 3:05 pm
I love Aksana, I just wish we saw some of her randomness; such as the “beat me with shovels” comment.
at 3:45 pm
Was it me or were they talking really quietly during that backstage segment? It seemed like their voices were really hushed. The “Eastern Euro-Trash” comment reminded of the east end of town vs west end of town my city has, particularly in the schools…as for the match itself it was a lot better than I expected. Nothing overly spectacular but better than what I thought I would see.
at 4:25 pm
Love aksana, period
Haha, the match was good, I wish at the end of the backstage segment Aksana screamed out, (like someone else noted) I WILL BEAT U WITH SHUVELS!
at 5:30 pm
Bits of that match had me chuckling. Is it me or was Aksana channelling her inner Madison Rayne at times?
at 5:36 pm
I still stand behind saying this match was terrible live. Luckily, some of the camera angles made it passable for Hulu Plus (and TV for those outside the US)
Adam Reply:
November 18th, 2012 at 6:42 pm
Camera angles can’t change whether it was a bad match or it wasn’t lol.
Jordan Reply:
November 18th, 2012 at 7:34 pm
Obviously, you don’t know much about editing then. And I’ll leave it at that without being anymore snide.
Jordan Reply:
November 18th, 2012 at 7:46 pm
I want to say there’s a part they’ve cut that garnered a lot of heat from the crowd whenever it was being filmed, but I can’t see where it would have been… (shrug)
Adam Reply:
November 19th, 2012 at 4:53 am
um, don’t give me an attitude first of all. I get that camera angles can make a match look better BUT it can’t change it from “bowling shoe ugly” to a pretty good match.
Crazy_J Reply:
November 19th, 2012 at 11:35 pm
I think camera angles play a BIG factor, but whether or not it makes the match better really is more of an opinion than a fact.
at 5:51 pm
This match was really nice and I love that it told a story. The backstage was a little trashy, both divas need to work more on their character because it felt akward.
I don’t really get Layla as face, she is so much more fun as heel, she can trash talk any diva so easy and actually she can use her “mean girl” character that she did really well with McCool.
Aksana is working hard on her character in and out the ring. This is by far her best match since she was added to the main roster of WWE. I get her being sexy but I think she needs some powerful moves so she can be seen as a threat in the WWE divas division. Aksana still need to work on her wrestling skills but she isn’t that bad. (:
at 6:02 pm
I too, was pleasantly surprised w/ the match since I had low expectations after reading the spoiler awhile back. Also, I loved the Laycool “Real Talk” moment in the backstage skit. I still hope Layla turns heel soon and goes back to those kinds of comments.
at 8:19 pm
Well awesome stuff from both girls. Not just Aksana improving but Layla has really outdone her self I think, she’s come such a long way.
at 10:39 pm
This match was not as bad as people say….i actually enjoyed it from aksana’s posing to layla copying aksana after dropkicking her off the apron…..
at 2:52 am
Layla is great. She has improved A LOT and she is very charismatic. I loved the “real talk” moment…good times. And about Aksana, she needs matches like this to continue her improvement as well and she can be as good as an in-ring preformer as she is with her character.
at 4:31 pm
Very entertaining match on both parts.
I love the attitude of both ladies and they both delivered so I really don’t know what was there to dislike in the opinion of the guy that sent in the spoilers back then.
at 11:39 pm
I like Aksana more and more, sometimes it bugs me she is the “attacker” but other than that, I like most of things about her.
As far as Layla goes, I agree with most that she should just turn heel. However she shouldn’t go back and used tired out recycled laycool material because it was annoyingly overdone which is why I stopped watching sd all together at that point in time.