WWE NXT – Season 2 Results

6/8/10; Tampa, FL; St. Pete Times Forum
6/8/10 – season 2 premiere – featured an opening video package recapping the assault by the season 1 rookies on Raw the previous night; included an in-ring segment with Matt Striker in which he spoke about the previous night’s incident before introducing the new pros; moments later, Mike Mizanin came out and brought out his new rookie Alex Riley; John Morrison followed, introducing Eli Cottonwood; Cody Rhodes then appeared, bringing out Husky Harris; WWE co-Women’s Champions Michelle McCool & Layla followed, who brought out Kaval and had him carry their title belts to the ring; Mark Henry then brought out Lucky Cannon; WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston then came out, introducing Michael McGillicutty; MVP followed, bringing out Percy Watson; Zack Ryder then came out, introducing Titus O’Neil; with all the pros and rookies in the ring, with Striker saying the pros would help judge the rookies along with input from the WWE Universe via a poll on WWE.com; Striker then said season 2 would last 12 weeks, the first pros poll would take place in 3 weeks, and the first elimination in 6 weeks; Harris then tried to talk on the mic which led to a brief face off between all the rookies; featured an ad promoting The Undertaker’s Deadliest Matches; included a vignette on Riley, who spoke about his fortunate upbringing and athletic background; featured a vignette on McGillicutty in which he spoke about being the grandson of Larry Hennig and the son of Mr. Perfect; included a closing in-ring segment with Striker, the pros, and rookies in which they watched the closing moments of the WWE World Champion John Cena vs. CM Punk match from the previous night’s Raw followed by the attack from the season 1 rookies, in full; moments later, Striker spoke to Kaval, Cannon, Harris, Riley, Watson, Cottonwood, O’Neil, and McGillicutty regarding their thoughts on the incident; moments later, the pros attacked the rookies as a way to welcome them to the WWE following last night’s incident:
John Morrison & Eli Cottonwood defeated Zack Ryder & Titus O’Neil at 5:47 when Morrison pinned O’Neil with Starship Pain; the remaining pros sat at the entrance stage for the bout; after the match, Matt Striker conducted an in-ring interview with Morrison regarding his thoughts on his new rookie; Striker then asked for thoughts from Mike Mizanin, who said he wasn’t entertained (Cottonwood and O’Neil’s in-ring debut)
MVP & Percy Watson defeated Cody Rhodes & Husky Harris at 8:55 when Watson pinned Harris with a modified DDT; during the bout, it was noted Harris was the son of IRS; the other pros sat at the entrance stage for the match; after the contest, Rhodes took the mic from Matt Striker and said he would mold Harris into the next breakout star; MVP then told Striker that Watson did a good job (Watson and Harris’s in-ring debut) 6/15/10; Raleigh, NC; RBC Center
6/15/10 – featured an opening in-ring segment in which Matt Striker introduced the rookies and pros; moments later, MVP took the mic and explained why the pros attacked the rookies the previous week, saying they weren’t just going to hand them a job and that they did – fair or not – have to pay for the actions of the season 1 rookies; MVP then questioned whether the rookies could move past it, with the rookies agreeing and then shaking the hands of their pros; Striker then announced Kaval would face Alex Riley later in the show; included a vignette on Eli Cottonwood in which he spoke about his upbringing, time as a professional basketball player, and in-ring style; featured an ad promoting The Undertaker’s Deadliest Matches; included backstage footage from earlier in the night of Zack Ryder speaking with Titus O’Neil in which they appeared to put their differences behind them; featured a vignette of Husky Harris regarding his being the grandson of Blackjack Mulligan and son of Mike Rotundo and his sports background; included a “Don’t try this at home” PSA:
Alex Riley pinned Kaval (w/ WWE Women’s Champion Michelle McCool & WWE Women’s Champion Layla) at 9:51 with a fireman’s carry into a Diamond Cutter after avoiding Kaval’s double stomp off the top; prior to the bout, McCool & Layla introduced a video package on Kaval in which he spoke about his childhood, international wrestling experience, and his size; McCool & Layla provided guest commentary for the match; the remaining pros sat at the entrance stage for the match; following the contest, Striker conducted an in-ring interview with Riley regarding WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin not being on hand, with Riley saying Miz was celebrating his US title win and he told him he could handle the match by himself; moments later, McCool & Layla congratulated Kaval for his outing; Striker then asked John Morrison about the match with him complimenting both wrestlers; Striker asked Zack Ryder, with Ryder saying he didn’t care but thought the new female ring announcer was hot (Kaval and Riley’s in-ring debuts) WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston & Michael McGillicutty defeated Mark Henry & Lucky Cannon at 11:26 when McGillicutty pinned Cannon with a spinning neckbreaker; after the match, Matt Striker conducted an in-ring interview with the four men in which Henry & Cannon shook McGillicutty’s hand; moments later, Striker asked Cody Rhodes for his thoughts, with Rhodes insulting Cannon by saying he had no substance; Henry interrupted by challenging Rhodes to face Cannon, with Rhodes accepting for the following week; after Striker asked Rhodes what he could expect, Rhodes knocked Striker off the entrance stage to the floor and walked backstage as the four participants, MVP, John Morrison, and officials tended to Striker 6/22/10; Manchester, NH; Verizon Wireless Arena
6/22/10 – featured an opening statement by Ashley Valence regarding the fans’ vote via WWE.com the following week; she then introduced John Morrison, Cody Rhodes, WWE Women’s Champion Michelle McCool & WWE Women’s Champion Layla, Mark Henry, WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston, and Zack Ryder; included a vignette on Titus O’Neil in which he spoke about his football career, upbringing, and two kids; featured an ad promoting The Undertaker’s Deadliest Matches; included a vignette on Lucky Cannon in which he spoke about being in a coma for three weeks; featured a backstage segment with Kaval, McCool & Layla in which they discussed his second straight loss before McCool & Layla gave him a pink T-shirt, which read “Property of LayCool,” that he would have to wear; included Michael Cole reading an e-mail from the new Raw GM, regarding the assault the previous night by the season 1 NXT rookies on Vince McMahon, with the GM saying it would be met with appropriate consequences; featured a closing in-ring segment in which Matt Striker allowed each of the rookies 45 seconds to tell the fans why they were the next breakout star; when it came to Husky Harris, Harris said he didn’t need 45 seconds on the clock, then decked Striker and hit a running senton; moments later, Harris joined Cody Rhodes on the stage with the two then going backstage:
WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin & Alex Riley defeated MVP & Percy Watson at 6:17 when Miz pinned Watson with the Skull Crushing Finale after dropping Watson throat-first across the top rope
Michael McGillicutty (w/ WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston) pinned Titus O’Neil (w/ Zack Ryder) with the neckbreaker at 2:07; prior to the bout, McGillicutty cut an insert promo on his win the previous week, marking his first win in the WWE
Eli Cottonwood (w/ John Morrison) pinned Kaval (w/ WWE Women’s Champion Michelle McCool & WWE Women’s Champion Layla) at 2:45 after catching Kaval attempting a springboard and landing a face-first slam
Cody Rhodes (w/ Husky Harris) pinned Lucky Cannon (w/ Mark Henry) in a 5-minute challenge at 3:59 with Crossroads; prior to the bout, Rhodes took the mic and said Cannon couldn’t last 5 minutes with him 6/29/10; Wilkes-Barre, PA; Mohegan Sun Arena
6/29/10 – featured an opening segment on the stage in which Ashley Valence introduced the rookies before speaking about the first poll which would take place later in the night, then reminding the rookies that the winner of season 1, Wade Barrett, was never ranked below #2; Ashley then said the wrestler placed last in the poll would be eliminated; Matt Striker then introduced the keg carry competition, saying the winner would win immunity from elimination later in the show; during the segment, Kaval opted not to participate, noting it wasn’t a competition in the ring; Lucky Cannon eventually won with 12.7 seconds; included a vignette on Percy watson in which he talked about his NFL and business background; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read NXT has been the #1 show on SyFy each of its 18 weeks; included an ad promoting “Ricky Steamboat: The Life Story of the Dragon;” included highlights from the WrestleMania 21 Money in the Bank match and Edge cashing in his title shot against WWE World Champion John Cena at New Year’s Revolution 06; featured a closing ringside segment in which Striker revealed the results of the Pros Poll: Kaval #1, Watson #2, Michael McGillicutty #3, Alex Riley #4, Cannon #5, Eli Cottonwood #6, Husky Harris #7, and Titus O’Neail #8; moments later, Striker allowed O’Neil to address the fans, with O’Neil telling the fans that life is a game and you must make it what you can and try your best to make it a win; O’Neil then slapped fans’ hands on his way up the stage and then hugged Zack Ryder before going backstage:
MVP (w/ Percy Watson) pinned Husky Harris (w/ Cody Rhodes) at 11:27 with the Play of the Day; the remaining pros, save for Mark Henry, sat at the entrance stage for the bout; the announce team noted Henry was on assignment but had already voted in the Pros Poll; after the bout, Harris refused to shake MVP’s hand, then motioning that he almost had MVP
Kaval, Michael McGillicutty, & Percy Watson defeated Alex Riley, Eli Cottonwood, & Titus O’Neil at 5:54 when Kaval pinned Riley with the Warrior’s Way top after McGillicutty dropped Riley with the neckebreaker 7/6/10; Atlanta, GA; Philips Arena
7/6/10 – featured an opening in-ring segment with Matt Striker in which he introduced the Pros; moments later, Striker asked Zack Ryder his thoughts about Titus O’Neil’s elimination the previous week, with Ryder saying O’Neil was robbed and all the fans knew it; Striker then asked John Morrison about the poll, with Morrison saying he would have kept O’Neil but voted off WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin; Striker then introduced the rookies, during which Alex Riley took a clipboard from WWE Women’s Champion Michelle McCool & WWE Women’s Champion Layla; moments later, Striker questioned Husky Harris, Riley, and Kaval about their respective rankings before giving the rookies 30 seconds apiece to cut a promo, with the winner getting to host their own talk show the following week; Percy Watson eventually won the competition; included highlights from the previous week’s keg competition; featured derogatory comments from MVP, WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston, McCool & Layla, Miz, Morrison, Ryder, and Cody Rhodes regarding O’Neil’s abilities; included O’Neil’s inspirational comments following his elimination the previous week; featured a vignette on Eli Cottonwood with comments from Morrison, McCool & Layla, Miz, Kingston, Mark Henry, and Ryder; included an ad promoting “Ricky Steamboat: The Life Story of the Dragon;” featured a vignette on Harris with comments from Rhodes, Henry, MVP, Miz, Kingston, McCool & Layla, and Ryder; included the announcement that Nexus would appear the following week on NXT:
Michael McGillicutty (w/ WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston) pinned Percy Watson (w/ MVP) with a sunset flip at 2:35
WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin (w/ Alex Riley) pinned Kaval (w/ WWE Women’s Champion Michelle McCool & WWE Women’s Champion Layla) in a non-title match at 8:14 with the Skull Crushing Finale after blocking a move off the top and causing Kaval to fall across the top rope
Cody Rhodes & Husky Harris defeated Mark Henry & Lucky Cannon at 3:03 when Rhodes pinned Cannon with Crossroads 7/13/10; Louisville, KY; Freedom Hall
7/13/10 – included an opening in-ring segment in which Matt Striker & Ashley Valence introduced the WWE pros, save for WWE Women’s Champion Michelle McCool & WWE Women’s Champion Layla, who sat on one side of the entrance stage, and Nexus, who sat on the other side; moments later, Wade Barrett said it was a priviledge to be back on NXT, he was looking forward to seeing the new rookies in action, and told the pros he hoped they weren’t up to something; Darren Young was not among Nexus; featured a video package on Alex Riley with comments from WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston, WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin, Zack Ryder, McCool & WWE Women’s Champion Layla, Cody Rhodes, Mark Henry, John Morrison, and MVP; included a video package recapping Jack Swagger winning the Money in the Bank match at WrestleMania 26 and cashing it in days later to win the World Heavyweight Title from Chris Jericho; featured an ad promoting ‘Satan’s Playground: The Anthology of the Elimination Chamber;’ included Percy Watson hosting his own in-ring talk show in which he brought out MVP as his guest for the night, then thanking MVP for his help and experience being his pro; Watson then said he would seize the moment like MVP tells him to, with Michael McGillicutty, Husky Harris, Eli Cottonwood, Kaval, Alex Riley, and Lucky Cannon then filing into the ring behind Watson; MVP followed by saying he brought his own group, with Kingston, Rhodes, Ryder, Morrison, Miz, and Henry then coming in the ring behind him; Striker then interrupted to suggested a battle royal, with Barrett then interrupting to say Nexus wanted to be part of it and that he would emerge the winner:
Mark Henry & Lucky Cannon defeated WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin & Alex Riley at 11:37 when Henry pulled Riley into the ring and dropped him with the powerslam; after the bout, Henry brought a trash can into the ring and emptied it onto Riley as Miz watched on from the floor
Wade Barrett, Skip Sheffield, Heath Slater, David Otunga, Michael Tarver, & Justin Gabriel co-won a 20-man battle royal at 15:12 by last eliminating Cody Rhodes; order of elimination: Mark Henry by Rhodes, WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin, Michael McGillicutty, Kaval, Husky Harris, & Alex Riley (0:26); after the elimination, Henry was assaulted on the floor by Nexus; Eli Cottonwood by MVP & WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston (0:58); after the elimination, Cottonwood was assaulted on the floor by Nexus; MVP by Miz, Riley, & Rhodes (2:08); after the elimination, Nexus squared off against MVP on the floor until John Morrison & Kingston came to his aid; Percy Watson by Otunga (7:31); McGillicutty by Barrett (8:24); Riley (?); Harris by Sheffield & Otunga (8:48); Kaval by Zack Ryder (8:54); Ryder by Miz (9:44); Miz eliminated himself after failing to form an alliance with Nexus (10:31); Morrison by Gabriel as Morrison tried to hang onto the ring ropes (13:00); Kingston by Barrett (13:48); Rhodes by Sheffield; a crawl at the bottom of the screen advertised WrestleMania travel packages during the bout; after the match, Nexus continued to assault Morrison, Rhodes, and Kingston were assaulted in and out of the ring, with Barrett hitting the fireman’s carry and forward slam on Kingston and Gabriel hitting the 450 splash onto Rhodes; moments later, Matt Striker asked Barrett what he thought of the fans’ opinion of Nexus, with Barrett telling Striker to back up and taking the mic; Barrett then said Nexus returned to NXT as a powerful force; Striker then asked if they were proud of what they did to John Cena on Raw, with Barrett saying he was proud of everything he’s done, including his group 7/20/10; Little Rock, AR; Verizon Arena
7/20/10 – featured opening footage of Matt Striker running the obstacle course earlier in the day in the empty arena as a demonstration for what the rookies would be doing later in the show, during which it was announced polls would open on WWE.com the following day at noon EST for the next fans’ poll and results would be released the following week; included an opening segment of the VIP Lounge in which MVP introduced Percy Watson as his guest, with MVP then saying he was upset with what Watson did the previous week and that the MVP of old would have done the same thing; Watson then apologized and said he learned from the experience, with the two then making up; Striker then interrupted, discussed the upcoming poll, and asked Watson to talk about why he should be ranked #1 in the poll; after Watson cut a promo, Striker eventually cut him off and thanked him for his thoughts; Cody Rhodes & Husky Harris then came out, with Striker giving them the same opportunity to say why Harris should be ranked #1; after Harris spoke, Striker said the four men would be in tag team action next; featured a vignette on Lucky Cannon, with comments from Mark Henry, WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston, WWE Women’s Champion Michelle McCool & WWE Women’s Champion Layla, MVP, John Morrison, Zack Ryder, WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin, and Rhodes; included a vignette on Michael McGillicutty with comments from Ryder, Henry, Kingston, MVP, McCool & Layla, Rhodes, Morrison, and Miz; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read John Cena designed a new 7-Eleven coffee cup and all proceeds will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation; featured an ad promoting ‘Satan’s Prison: The Anthology of the Elimination Chamber;’ included a segment on the entrance stage in which Morrison & Eli Cottonwood and McCool, Layla, & Kaval were given 60 seconds to discuss why Cottonwood and Kaval, respectively, should be ranked #1 in the poll; featured a closing segment of the obstacle course challenge in which the winner would win immunity in the next week’s elimination; prior to the challenge, Kingston & McGillicutty were given 60 seconds to discuss why McGillicutty should be ranked #1; McGillicutty then won the course with 26.7 seconds:
Cody Rhodes & Husky Harris defeated MVP & Percy Watson at 10:55 when Harris pinned MVP with a running senton after Rhodes hit a springboard kick to the face to MVP; the remaining WWE pros – save for an injured Mark Henry – sat on the stage for the match
Alex Riley (w/ WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin) pinned Lucky Cannon at 1:13 with a fireman’s carry into a Diamond Cutter; prior to the bout, footage was shown of Nexus attacking Mark Henry the previous night on Raw, explaining why Henry couldn’t be in Cannon’s corner for the match; following the ring entrances, Cannon and Riley were given 60 seconds to say why the fans should vote for them in the WWE.com poll, with Miz then taking the mic and saying the fans had no idea what they really wanted and that they should vote for Riley “because the future WWE Champion told you to;” the other pros sat at the stage for the match; after the bout, Miz hit Cannon with the Money in the Bank briefcase before following with the Skull Crushing Finale onto the briefcase 7/27/10; Corpus Christi, TX; American Bank Center
7/27/10 – featured an opening segment in which the WWE pros were shown seated at the entrance stage, with Matt Striker then introducing the rookies and letting them speak on a topic of their choice; during their segments, Kaval noted he was previously known as Low-Ki and Michael McGillicutty called out WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin for his comments against McGillicutty the previous week, with Miz saying he could talk to him when he gets a Raw or Smackdown contract; included a video package on Percy Watson with comments from WWE Women’s Champion Michelle McCool & WWE Women’s Champion Layla, MVP, Mark Henry, WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston, WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin, Cody Rhodes, and Zack Ryder; featured a backstage segment in which John Morrison and Eli Cottonwood, both wearing “Mustache” T-shirts, reviewed footage from the previous week’s obstacle course and Cottonwood being disqualified; moments later, Cottonwood said he had one word for his opponent later in the night, McGillicutty, which was “mustache;” Morrison was shown with shorter hair; included a video package showing how McGillicutty gained immunity from elimination by winning the previous week’s obstacle course; featured a backstage segment in which Ashley Valence introduced a video package on Kaval with comments from MVP, Henry, Miz, Kingston, Rhodes, McCool & Layla, Ryder, and Morrison; included a backstage segment with Kaval, McCool & Layla, with Husky Harris then walking past and bumping into Kaval; moments later, Kaval and Husky talked about facing each other later in the show; featured an ad promoting NBC airing the WrestleMania 26 World Television Premiere on Aug. 7; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s NXT was seen by more people than every program on TBS, The CW, A&E, BET, MSNBC, Spike TV, and TV Land; featured a closing segment in which Striker showed the NXT poll results: McGillicutty #1, Kaval #2, Riley #3, Watson #4, Cannon #5, Harris #6, and Cottonwood #7, with Cottonwood eliminated; Striker then gave Cottonwood the mic to address the fans, with Cottonwood then attacking Harris and fighting off Riley and Cannon before walking off, shoving Morrison out of his way as he went backstage; moments later, Striker then spoke to Harris about his standing, with Harris saying he had stepped up and deserved to win; Striker spoke to McGillicutty about his #1 spot, with McGillicutty saying he would stay undefeated; Striker then spoke to Riley about fighting with Cottonwood; Riley eventually began fighting with McGillicutty, leading to Cottonwood then coming back ringside and brawling with the other rookies:
Percy Watson (w/ MVP) pinned Zack Ryder at 2:48 with a DDT and modified splash; it was noted during the bout that Ryder was suffering from walking pneumonia
Michael McGillicutty (w/ WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston) pinned Eli Cottonwood (w/ John Morrison) at 3:38 with the swinging neckbreaker
Husky Harris (w/ Cody Rhodes) pinned Kaval (w/ WWE Women’s Champion Michelle McCool & WWE Women’s Champion Layla) at 3:13 with a reverse suplex into the ring and running senton after Kaval became distracted by McCool & Layla being knocked off the ring apron to the floor; after the bout, Matt Striker asked for the WWE pros to tally their votes to determine who would be eliminated later in the show 7/28/10; Laredo, TX; Energy Arena
8/3/10 – featured an opening in-ring segment in which Matt Striker introduced the rookies and said they would compete in a kissing contest; Striker then asked for WWE Women’s Champion Michelle McCool & WWE Women’s Champion Layla, sitting at the entrance stage with the other pros, to come down to the ring; McCool & Layla said they would kiss the rookies and determine the winner; but, as Husky Harris prepared to go first, McCool said they weren’t going to kiss the rookies after all and called for a local large woman by the name of Margaret, with a bruise on her mouth, to come to the ring; when it was Kaval’s turn, Layla kissed him to save him from having to kiss Margaret; however, it didn’t count and Kaval had to kiss Margaret anyway; Margaret eventually ruled that Lucky Cannon won the contest, with McCool & Layla then saying all the rookies had all won gingivitis, athlete’s foot, and cooties; included pre-taped comments from WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin in which he said Michael McGillicutty was trying to be too much like his dad and was mediocre; featured Ashley Valence conducting a backstage interview with McGillicutty & WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston regarding Miz’s comments, with McGillicutty challenging Miz to a match; moments later, Lucky Cannon & Mark Henry walked in, with Cannon and McGillicutty then arguing over who should get a match with Miz; Miz then interrupted from the entrance stage and said Cannon should face McGillicutty, with the winner then maybe getting a match with him; Kingston then said the winner of Cannon vs. McGillicutty should face Miz later tonight, with Miz and Kingston arguing until Miz agreed to the stipulations; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read John Cena designed a new 7-Eleven coffee cup and all proceeds will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation; featured a segment on the stage in which Striker asked the pros which pro they thought was doing the worst job on NXT, with Kingston saying LayCool, LayCool saying Kingston, Henry saying Zack Ryder, and Cody Rhodes saying Kingston; as Ryder went to answer, Miz walked out and cut him off; Miz then argued with John Morrison before saying he would lead Alex Riley to victory in the next match; included an ad promoting the WrestleMania 26 World Television Premiere Saturday on NBC; featured the announcement that voting would begin the following day at noon EST for the next week’s elimination:
Husky Harris (w/ Cody Rhodes) pinned Kaval (w/ WWE Women’s Champion Michelle McCool & WWE Women’s Champion Layla) at 3:17 with a uranagi and running senton
Michael McGillicutty (w/ WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston) pinned Lucky Cannon (w/ Mark Henry) at 1:00 with the swinging neckbreaker; stipulations stated the winner would face WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin later in the night
Alex Riley (w/ WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin) pinned Percy Watson (w/ MVP) at 3:32 with the fireman’s carry into the Diamond Cutter after causing Watson to hit his head on the middle turnbuckle; prior to the bout, Watson’s comments from a WWE.com interview were shown in which he said Riley was a “junior Varsity villian”
WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin (w/ Alex Riley) pinned Michael McGillicutty (w/ WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston) in a non-title match at 4:34 with the Skull Crushing Finale after avoiding a dropkick 8/10/10; San Jose, CA; HP Pavilion
8/10/10 – featured an opening pre-taped segment in which Matt Striker, Josh Matthews, and Michael Cole – wearing a Miz T-shirt, title belt, headband and elbow pads – demonstrated the new rookie challenge, the Power of the Punch; Matthews then beat Cole in the challenge, with Cole then walking backstage to symbolize an eliminated rookie; included a segment in which the rookies and pros were introduced, with Striker then noting Mark Henry would not be on hand due to the injury he sustained at the hands of Nexus the night before; the rookies then participated in the Power of the Punch, with Alex Riley winning and, as a result, earning an appearing the following week on Raw; Striker then conducted an interview with Riley in which he bragged about his win; featured an ad promoting Raw: The Best of Seasons 1 & 2; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWEShop.com ships to more than 70 countries worldwide; featured footage from the commercial break of WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin called out John Morrison, saying Team WWE needs him at Summer Slam and he wanted to hear Morrison say he wanted him on the team; moments later, Morrison said he would face Miz later in the show to show why the team didn’t need Miz; included an ad promoting ‘Legendary;’ featured a closing ringside segment in which Striker asked Michael McGillicutty who should be eliminated, with McGillicutty saying Cannon, Kaval agreeing, Percy saying Riley, Cannon saying everyone else, Harris saying Cannon, and Riley saying McGillicutty; the poll was then revealed with Kaval #1, McGillicutty #2, Percy #3, Harris #4, Riley #5, and Cannon eliminated at #6; Striker then asked Cannon about his elimination, with Cannon recapping the season, making fun of Kaval and Watson, and thanking the fans for their support; after Cannon left, Striker asked Riley about his ranking, with Riley saying he wasn’t there to cater to the fans, would win the contest, and would one day become a WWE champion; Striker then announced there would be a double elimination the following week:
Kaval, Lucky Cannon, & Percy Watson defeated Alex Riley, Husky Harris, & Michael McGillicutty at 10:42 when Kaval pinned McGillicutty with the Warrior’s Way after dropkicking McGillicutty into the corner; after the match, Matt Striker had the pros tally their votes for the elimination later in the show
WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin pinned John Morrison in a non-title match at 10:50 with the Skull Crushing Finale after Morrison injured his ankle by missing a Pele Kick 8/17/10; Bakersfield, CA; Rabobank Arena
8/17/10 – featured an opening segment in which Jamie Keyes introduced the rookies before Matt Striker addressed the rookies in the ring and gave them each 1 minute to talk about a topic of their choice; after they had their chance, Striker said the first elimination of the night would then be announced, with Percy Watson getting eliminated; moments later, Striker gave Watson the mic, with Watson thanking the fans and MVP for their support and said he would get better; Watson then shook the hands of Striker and Kaval before leaving the ring; included a backstage segment with Kaval, WWE Women’s Champion Michelle McCool & WWE Women’s Champion Layla in which McCool & Layla cheered Kaval on for his upcoming match; after Kaval left, McCool questioned Layla about the kiss she gave him the previous week and Layla said there was nothing between them; after Layla walked off, Husky Harris walked up to McCool and hit on her while noting he would face Kaval later in the show; featured an ad promoting Raw: The Best of Season 1 & 2; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read “WWE Summerslam” was the #1 search term on Google on Sunday; featured a video package recapping Summer Slam Week in LA, with comments from fans, MVP, Miz, WWE Women’s Champion Michelle McCool & WWE Women’s Champion Layla, the mayor of Los Angeles, Evan Bourne, Matt Hardy, Randy Orton, Carmen Electra, and Eve regarding the festivities, appearances, and volunteer work; included an in-ring segment in which Striker addressed Michael Cole & Josh Matthews about who should win NXT, with Cole saying Alex Riley should win and Kaval should be eliminated and Matthews agreeing; featured an ad promoting ‘Legendary;’ included a closing segment in which Striker spoke with the rookies at ringside before unveiling that Harris was eliminated from the show; Harris then took the mic from Striker, with Cody Rhodes stepping in, making fun of Zack Ryder and Layla as pros and then said the fans shouldn’t have a say in who gets eliminated; Rhodes then said Riley was awful, McGillicutty wasn’t deserving of being called perfect, and then attacked Kaval; MVP and Kofi Kingston then made the save as Kaval was being double teamed by Harris & Rhodes; Kaval followed by coming off the top rope onto Harris on the floor; McCool & Layla then ran out to tend to Kaval as MVP and Kingston prevented Harris from further harm:
Zack Ryder pinned Michael McGillicutty (w/ Kofi Kingston) at 3:46 with the Rough Ryder after dropping McGillicutty throat-first across the top rope
Kaval (w/ WWE Women’s Champion Michelle McCool & WWE Women’s Champion Layla) pinned Husky Harris (w/ Cody Rhodes) with the Warrior’s Way at 3:10 after a reversal into a DDT
Kofi Kingston (w/ Michael McGillicutty) pinned Alex Riley with the spin kick to the face at 1:57 8/18/10; Fresno, CA; Save Mart Center
8/24/10 – featured an opening segment in which Jamie Keyes introduced the NXT pros and rookies; moments later, Matt Striker asked Kaval, Alex Riley, and Michael McGillicutty individually about how it felt to be in the finals; during the segment, Kaval called out Cody Rhodes for attacking him the previous week alongside Husky Harris, then said Cody was only in the company because he was the son of Dusty Rhodes; Kaval then said he was one of the last of his breed in that he earned his way to perform in front of the WWE Universe, then called out Rhodes to face him in the ring; Rhodes replied by calling Kaval ‘Napoleon’ and said he was but the gum stuck to the bottom of his boots; WWE Women’s Champion Michelle McCool & WWE Women’s Champion Layla took exception to the comments, with MVP stepping in and saying if Rhodes wouldn’t face Kaval, maybe he would face him in the ring; Rhodes then accepted; included an ad promoting ‘Legendary;’ featured a segment at the entrance stage in which Striker hosted a WWE Trivia contest between the finalists, which Kaval won; after the contest, Striker said Kaval would be heavily promoted on WWE.com as a result of the win; included an ad promoting the 900th episode of Raw; featured photos from the WWE’s recent debut in China:
Cody Rhodes pinned MVP with a reversal into Crossroads at 23:59 8/31/10; Albany, NY; Union Times Center
8/31/10 – featured an opening video recapping the highlights of season 2, followed by comments from finalists Kaval, Michael McGillicutty, and Alex Riley about their chances of winning; included Ashley Valence introducing the pros – MVP, Zack Ryder, John Morrison, Mark Henry, and Cody Rhodes; moments later, WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin introduced Riley, Kofi Kingston introduced McGillicutty, and WWE Women’s Champion Michelle McCool & WWE Women’s Champion Layla introduced Kaval; Matt Striker introduced the eliminated contestants who were sitting ringside before saying the finalists would have a triple threat match; a brawl then ensued, during which Miz and Riley were knocked to the floor; featured backstage comments from Kelly Kelly in which she introduced a vigentte on Naomi, her rookie for season 3; included an ad promoting Smackdown! moving to SyFy Oct. 8; featured backstage comments from Alicia Fox in which she introduced a vignette on Maxine, her rookie for season 3; included an ad promoting ‘Legendary,’ staring John Cena; featured backstage comments from Goldust in which he introduced a vignette on Aksana, his rookie for season 3; included Striker asking the eliminated rookies who they picked to win, with Titus O’Neil picking Riley, Eli Cottonwood picking Riley, Lucky Cannon picking no one and saying the show sucked since he was eliminated, Percy Watson picking McGillicutty, and Husky Harris picking McGillicutty; moments later, it was announced Riley had been eliminated; Riley then cut an in-ring promo saying he didn’t have an Internet following and wasn’t born into the business but was still a finalist because the fans knew how good he was and that the WWE’s future would include him; featured backstage comments from Brie & Nikki Bella in which they introduced a vignette on Jamie, former NXT ring announcer, as their rookie for season 3; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE’s Facebook page has more fans than ESPN, NHL, MLB, and the NFL; featured footage from the recent debut in China to the tune of ‘Soul Survivor (2012)’ by Angels & Airwaves, with comments from Randy Orton, WWE World Champion Sheamus, WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin, Chris Jericho, Cena, Rey Mysterio Jr., the Big Show, Jui Li – the Chinese WWE host, and Mark Henry; included backstage comments from Primo Colon in which he introduced a vignette on AJ, his rookie for season 3; featured an in-ring segment with Striker in which he gave McGillicutty and Kaval a chance on the mic to explain why the fans should choose them over the other; included backstage comments from Vickie Guerrero in which she introduced a vignette on Aloisia, her rookie for season 3; featured an in-ring segment with Striker, Kaval, and McGillicutty in which it was announced McGillicutty had been eliminated and Kaval won; moments later, McCool & Layla ran into the ring to congratulate him; Striker then handed McGillicutty the mic, as Kingston watched on from the stage, and told Kaval he was nowhere near McGillicutty’s level and that he was the future of the company; after McGillicutty left the ring, Kaval thanked the crowd before the eliminated rookies sitting ringside jumped into the ring and ganged up on Kaval; moments later, the pros ran in the ring and brawled with the eliminated wrestlers; Riley and McGillicutty then ran out and aided the eliminated wrestlers as referees tried to break up the right; included a closing video package recapping the highlights of the season:
Alex Riley (w/ WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin) defeated Michael McGillicutty (w/ Kofi Kingston) and Kaval (w/ WWE Women’s Champion Michelle McCool & WWE Women’s Champion Layla) at 10:25 by pinning McGillicutty after Kaval hit a running Liger Kick, with McGillicutty then knocking Kaval off the top to the floor as he attempted the Warrior’s Way