Cue the NXT opening without any shots from inside the arena. Eight NXT rookies, eight WWE pros - one dream. The cameras cut to inside the Staples Center with CM Punk's music blaring on the speakers.
Tag Team Match
CM Punk & Darren Young w/Luke Gallows & Serena vs. Matt Hardy & Justin Gabriel
We cut backstage to host Matt Striker. He says in two weeks time the first round of votes will be calculated. He announces people will be taken off the show and questions who will stick around. It'll be a total of eight votes but pros cannot vote for their rookie. Gabriel comes out with a matching Matt Hardy shirt as his pro.
Darren Young and Justin Gabriel start things off. They lockup and Young applies a side headlock. Gabriel tries to counter but Young maintains opening control and takes Gabriel down to the mat. Arm lock from Young on Gabriel but he counters into a wristlock of his own. Young backs him off with right hands. Loud Hardy chants as Gabriel hits an armdrag takedown on Young and follows it with a tag.
Splash in the corner followed by a clothesline by Hardy onto Young. Gabriel tags himself in and gets a quick cover on Young. Young gets up and bounces Gabriel's head off the top turnbuckle. Young takes Gabriel to his corner and CM Punk makes the tag. They double team Gabriel as Punk hits a scoop slam followed by a cover for a two count.
CM Punk works on Gabriel in the corner, the referee backs him out. Punk tags in Young. Young stomps away at Gabriel then whips him off the ropes. Gabriel counters with a spin kick. Gabriel whips Young into the corner. Gabriel works on the apron with a right hand and jumps at Young but misses.
Young goes for an aggressive cover for a two count. Young buries his head into the midsection of Justin Gabriel in the corner. Young kicks Gabriel in the midsection with Gabriel tries to counter. Gabriel goes for the tag but Young won't let him and kicks him to the outside. Young throws Gabriel off the steel ring steps on the outside.
Back from commercial CM Punk gets a two count on Gabriel. Michael Cole announces tonight's attendance as 15,788. Punk mounts a little more offense before getting another two count. Punk sets Gabriel up in the corner and tags in his partner. Young hits an upper cut on Gabriel and kicks him around on the mat with a pompous arrogant attitude.
Gabriel gets back to his feet and fights back with kicks. Gabriel hits a snap mere takeover and gets a two count. More offense from Gabriel with a take down and he goes for the 450 splash. He misses. Young tags in Punk and he comes in and goes directly for the cover.
Punk applies a submission hold on the youngster from South Africa. The referee checks for submission as the fans chant Hardy. Punk wrenches back on his hold and Gabriel tries to fight out with elbows. He breaks the hold and gets a jackknife cover for a two count. Punk works on Gabriel and takes Hardy out off the apron. He tags in Young.
Young hits a belly-to-back suplex and gets a two count. Young puts Gabriel in the corner and Punk tags in. Punk works over Gabriel with the Straight Edge Society looking on. Punk whips Young off the ropes and lands a big kick. Punk goes to the apron where he springboards off. Gabriel counters with a dropkick out of nowhere.
Gabriel makes the tag. Matt Hardy hits a clothesline on Punk and goes on the offensive. Punk counters with a bulldog and gets a two count. Side Effect from Hardy for a two count. Hardy gets on the middle rope but Punk makes a tag.
Hardy grabs Young from the apron and hits a neckbreaker on him in the center of the ring. Another near fall as Hardy whips Young off the ropes. Hardy clotheslines Young to the outside and follows. Luke Gallows hits offense on Young with the referee distracted by Serena. Hardy makes Gallows pay and rolls Young back into the ring.
Hardy pumps the crowd but he takes too long. The referee is distracted by Gallows as Punk hits GTS for Young to get the cover for the three count.
Winners - Darren Young & CM Punk
After the match Gallows takes out Hardy and Gabriel. Gallows surprises Darren Young with an attack, taking him out. He poses with Punk and Serena in the ring as Punk's music blares.
Daniel Bryan vs. The Great Khali.
Richard Reacts: Really good match but I'm still distracted by the fact John Cena didn't open the show as advertised. It seems like Punk and Hardy legitimately stepped it up tonight to show the rookies show talented they are.
"Rookie" vs. "Pro" Singles Match
Daniel Bryan vs. The Great Khali w/Ranjin Singh
Daniel Bryan comes out without The Miz. Cole and Mathews go over the fact that in two weeks the pros will vote for the first time. The Great Khali comes out next with Ranjin Singh. The Great Khali picks Daniel Bryan up and sets him in the corner.
The referee calls for the bell as The Great Khali begins to manhandle the rookie. Khali hits hard slaps to his chest. Khali picks him up but Daniel Bryan applies a guillotine to try and slow him down. He brings Khali down to his knees and follows it with his kicks. Off the ropes Bryan hits Khali. It walks into Khali's hand but he knocks him down then goes off the top rope with a missile dropkick followed by a cover.
Daniel Bryan goes off the top rope but Khali counters with a badly timed chop. Khali picks Bryan up and slams him down to the mat.
Khali puts a foot over Bryan and gets the three count.
Winner - The Great Khali
Big Show's music hits and he comes out without his tag team championship belt. Big Show gets in the ring and chokeslams Daniel and leaves. Khali just looks on.
Richard Reacts: The Great Khali is terrible. It never ceases to amaze me how he never gets any better. Bryan went off the top rope and Khali was supposed to hit a chop but he missed badly. Daniel still sold but the humbling process continues.
We're back with shots outside the Staples Center. The Raw Rebound airs. They show the "contract signing" for Bret Hart vs. Vince McMahon that took place last night. Cole and Mathews plug the No Holds Barred match between Hart and McMahon then rundown the Wrestlemania XXVI lineup.
They roll a "get to know" video of David Otunga. The video recaps Otunga's Hollywood fame from his fiancee Jennifer Hudson. On a side note, a lot of the boys call him Mr. Jennifer Hudson backstage.
We see a shot of Michael Tarver making his way to the ring for a bout against Christian's rookie Heath Slater up next.
The Wrestlemania Recall is from Wrestlemania in 1998 with Pete Rose talking and being interrupted by Kane w/Paul Bearer.
"Rookie" vs. "Rookie" Singles Match
Heath Slater vs. Michael Tarver
Heath Slater comes out to Christian's music without Christian. Likewise, Michael Tarver comes out to Carlito's music without Carlito.
The bell rings and Slater applies a side headlock on Tarver. He brings Tarver down with an armdrag take down. Tarver pushes Slater into the corner and hits a knee to the gut. Slater ends up throwing Tarver out of the ring. High-risk, Heath Slater jumps out of the ring, over the top rope onto his opponent. Back in the ring Slater misses on a splash and Tarver hits offense in the corner. Tarver gets a quick cover for a two count. We see Carlito and Christian watching the monitor from the back as Tarver gets another cover and another near fall. Tarver applies a submission hold on the head of Heath Slater. Slater gets back to his feet. Tarver throws Slater down. Slater props himself up in the corner and ends up hitting offense on his opponent. Slater quickly hooks Tarver's leg and gets a two count. The crowd is dead but the ring work is pretty good.
After a sequence in the corner, Slater catches Tarver in a rollup and pins him for the three count.
Winner - Heath Slater
Tarver beats up Slater after the match with a t-bone suplex. Carlito smirks at the monitor as Christian asks "what was that?" Slater is 3-0.
Skip Sheffield and William Regal are talking. Sheffield says he wants to learn to listen to Regal but he won't let Regal get a word in. Regal, clearly frustrated, walks off.
"Rookie" vs. "Rookie" Singles Match
Wade Barrett w/World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho vs. Skip Sheffield w/William Regal
Wade Barrett comes out with World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho. Jericho is dressed in his full suit. Barrett is out with his pro - William Regal.
Wade Barrett lands a knee to the midsection of Sheffield. Sheffield goes off the top rope with a double axe handle. Sheffield smacks the back of Barrett. Barrett goes to the outside to regroup. Sheffield follows and ends up eating offense from Barrett.Wade Barrett rolls Sheffield back into the ring. He pounds away at his opponent. A knee to the spine of Sheffield, Barrett wrenches back with Jericho shouting instructions. Barrett applies the hold in the middle of the ring on Sheffield. The referee checks for submission. Jericho pounds on the apron, telling Barrett to "push it". Sheffield gets to his feet and backs Barrett down with elbows. Barrett goes for a snap suplex but Sheffield blocks and hits a suplex of his own. Barrett tries a splash in the corner but misses. Sheffield takes Barrett down to the mat with a huge clothesline off the ropes. He doesn't go for a cover but hits a scoop and a slam. Sheffield goes off the ropes and lands on Barrett. He gets a two count. Barrett whips Sheffield into the ropes but Sheffield hits an elbow to his face. Sheffield sets up on the top turnbuckle but Barrett counters and puts Sheffield above his head and drops him for the cover and the three count.
Winner - Wade Barrett
Jericho is very happy with Barrett while Regal looks disappointed in Sheffield
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