WWE promised that NXT Season 5 – which debuted Tuesday night – would “be like nothing you’ve seen before.” Well, yes and no. The concept was new, but we’ve seen all the competitors before. The theme of this season is “redemption,” as six WWE rookies from past seasons of NXT are being given another chance. The rookie/pro pairings are as follows: Darren Young and Chavo Guerrero; Conor O’Brian and Vladimir Kozlov; Lucky Cannon and Tyson Kidd; Byron Saxton and Yoshi Tatsu; Jacob Novak and JTG; and Titus O’Neil and Hornswoggle. Yes, Hornswoggle. With the little guy on the show and the fact that we have six rookie retreads paired with enhancement-talent pros, it almost seems as if WWE is intentionally trying to drive viewers away from this show.
• If you thought the reward for winning the previous season of NXT was weak (a tag team title shot), get a load of this: This season’s winner gets ... a guaranteed spot on NXT Season 6!
• NXT Season 5 does have some redeeming qualities, however. The lovely Maryse has joined the show as Matt Striker’s co-host, and William Regal is doing color commentary alongside Todd Grisham. Regal admitted that he was a little nervous, but he actually did OK for it being his first night at the announce table. He was easy to listen to and insightful. And he was way better than Booker T. has been on Smackdown, although that really isn’t saying much.