WWE NXT Year In Review Recap: Kane Vs. Rhodes, Rollins Vs. Mahal, The Shield Emerges

This week's edition of NXT from Florida is a best of 2012 edition where a few of the better feuds and matches from the year are showcased. Tony Dawson opens the show and talks about wrestlers that have stood out this year.

The first match shown is the tail end of the NXT Gold Rush Tournament finals between Seth Rollins and Jinder Mahal.

Rollins and Mahal are going back and forth with big strikes. JR mentions that Rollins has a bad knee. Despite that, Rollins hits a few kicks. Mahal comes back and hits Rollins with a sort of spinning sidewalk slam for a near fall.

They tie up and Mahal goes to work on Rollins back. Mahal goes for what looks like a Full Nelson Slam, but Rollins counters it. Rollins heads to the apron and lands a big kick to the head on Mahal. Rollins then bounds off the ropes and hits a knee to the back of his head for a near fall. Rollins goes to work on Mahal in the corner.

Mahal then sinks to his knees in the center of the ring and Rollins hits a big savate kick for a near fall. Rollins then heads up to the top rope and goes for a corkscrew moonsault, but Mahal gets out of the way. Mahal then successfully hits a Full Nelson Slam for a near fall.

Mahal signals for the Camel Clutch, but Rollins fights him off and nails a quick roll up for a near fall. Rollins then picks Mahal up in a power bomb position, but instead throws Mahal into the turnbuckle. He then bounds off the ropes and hits the Blackout for the win to become the first ever NXT Champion. Dusty Rhodes comes out and celebrates with him in the ring.

Tony Dawson then talks about The Shield and how much of an impact Rollins has made.

After that, a sizzle roll is shown that talks about Richie Steamboat, Audrey Marie, CJ Parker, Bo Dallas and Big E. Langston.

Following a commercial break, a longer (to be honest, rather creepy) vignette is shown that focuses on Bray Wyatt, which is followed by a match on July 11, 2012 he had against Aiden English.

It opens with Wyatt walking to the ring, delivering a creepy promo. English is already waiting in the ring for him.

The crowd is firmly in Wyatt's corner as the match starts. William Regal says that Wyatt gives him the collywobbles as he hits English with a few strikes. Wyatt then tosses English to the outside. He throws English back and forth between the barrier and the apron for a few minutes before sending him back in the ring.
Wyatt then picks English up into a Suplex position but throws him across the ring. He then lies down and sticks his head under the bottom rope and rolls around, back and forth, with a weird smile on his face.

English is in the corner, recovering, when Wyatt hits a running senton on him. He then picks up the unconscious looking English and begins waltzing with him around the ring. Wyatt hits a reverse STO and picks up the win. An in person New Years promo by Wyatt follows the match.

After the commercial, a vignette spotlighting Kassius Ohno is shown. It talks about how much pain he inflicts on his opponents, and sheds him in a very dominating light. Afterwards, Ohno is shown in person cutting a very CM Punk-esque New Years promo, where he mentions he will be the NXT Champion in 2013.

Speaking of CM Punk, immediately following the Ohno promo, CM Punk is shown and he talks about how Seth Rollins took his advice to heart the last time he was in NXT. He says that he hopes the rest of the NXT locker room listens to his advice because he knows that NXT is the future of the WWE. Punk then says that the WWE Championship is an attainable goal for anyone, and that the Rock will not defeat him at the Rumble.

Tony Dawson is back, and this time he talks about how much of an impact Big E. Langston has made in NXT since his debut. A vignette is then shown that mostly focuses on his 5 count.

Next up, they show Langston's match from November 21, 2012 where he took on Camacho.

Camacho immediately rushes Langston and tries to mount an offense, but Langston catches him and nails some headbutts. They go back and forth for a few moments, and Camacho locks in a rear naked choke. Langston backs him into the corner and presses the attack.

Camacho breaks free and hits an elbow from the turnbuckle. He then starts showboating and Langston takes advantage, hitting a big clothesline. He then picks Camacho up and hits the Big Ending for the win. Langston then gets angry with the ref for only doing a three count instead of a five count.

Langston picks Camacho up and hits the Big Ending again. He then pins him, and counts to five himself. Langston then makes his way out of the ring, but after staring at the crowd for a few moments, comes back in for one more Big Ending and one more five count.

After the match, Tony Dawson talks about how Langston attacked John Cena on Raw. It then shows him asking Langston after a live event why he attacked Cena, and he says he was just trying to help his friend AJ.
After the commercial break, another sizzle reel is shown that talks about Leo Kruger, Kassius Ohno, Connor O'Brian, Paige and Corey Graves. Tony Dawson then talks about how Rollins will be defending his NXT Championship against Graves next week on NXT.

Up next, is a previously unaired match between Kane and Cody Rhodes on NXT in July.

Kane and Rhodes stare each other down, and Rhodes leaves the ring and gets into the crowd. He heads back towards the ring and begins circling it, staring at Kane.

Rhodes heads back into the ring, and Kane advances towards him again. Rhodes exits the ring again and stares at him from the ramp. Eventually he gets back in the ring. Kane tries to corner Rhodes and Rhodes escapes. They attack each other back and forth in the corner.

Kane then pulls Rhodes to the center of the ring and hits him with a running dropkick to the face for a two count. Kane then whips Rhodes and sets up the chokeslam, but Rhodes rolls out of the ring and takes off up the ramp. Kane follows him and sends him back into the ring.

Rhodes hides behind the ref and mounts a bit of offense, but Kane nails a big boot. Kane goes for his flying lariat from the top rope, but Rhodes dodges it and comes back to attack. Kane however, gets him in position for a chokeslam. Rhodes narrowly escapes into the corner. Kane charges, but Rhodes hits him with a big elbow.

Kane goes to deliver another big boot but Rhodes dodges and Kane gets caught up on the turnbuckle. Rhodes then goes to work on Kane's leg, which culminates in a near fall.

After a commercial, John Cena cuts a promo where he endorses NXT as the future of the WWE.

Back to the match, and Rhodes is still working on Kane's leg. He locks in a leg submission, and gets a couple 1 counts as Kane struggles to escape.

Kane eventually breaks free and they go back and forth. Kane hits an uppercut and whips Rhodes into the corner. Rhodes hits a boot, and charges Kane with a bulldog attempt, but Kane catches him and throws him across the ring.

Rhodes hits a sloppy moonsault on Kane for a near fall. Kane whips Rhodes into the corner and hits a sidewalk slam for a near fall. Kane climbs back up and successfully hits the flying lariat. Kane signals for the chokeslam and grabs his opponent, but Rhodes heads for the ropes. The ref starts the five count and Kane breaks his hold and complains at the ref, which allows Rhodes to hit the Disaster Kick for a near fall. Rhodes signals for a new referee.

Rhodes attempts the Cross Rhodes, but Kane reverses it into a chokeslam for the win.

Tony Dawson says that The Shield has vowed to make an impact on NXT as well, and one of The Shield's video promos interrupts. Rollins talks about how being the only NXT Champion in WWE history has gotten him nowhere. Dean Ambrose then talks about how the WWE is poisoned, and that the WWE is dying due to injustice.

Rollins then talks about how Graves attacked him from behind, and that during their match he will be carried out of the building on a stretcher.

Ambrose says that The Shield will always be the best because they work harder, wrestler harder, train harder and go harder.

Reigns then says that NXT is The Shield's house, and they will come and go as they please. Rollins then states that they will make as big of an impact on NXT as they have on Raw and Smackdown, and it starts next week.

What did you think of NXT this week? Sound off in the comments section below.