Instead of the twenty-sixth week of NXT Redemption, it's time for the special "NXT Graduates" event! The special opening titles roll, showing rookies from all seasons of NXT. Matt Striker is on the PPV pre-show stage and says tonight we're taking a look at the successful rookies on NXT. We get a short look at rookies such as Justin Gabriel, Brodus Clay, and Daniel Bryan.

-The first rookie we look at is Wade Barrett, the season one winner of NXT. There's a recap of last Friday's Smackdown, in which Barrett cut a promo on how he's shaken the foundation of WWE. He sees fighting a local competitor as a personal insult and refuses to fight him. Barrett walks out of the ring and backstage.

-Commercial

-A Brodus Clay promo airs, taking sound bytes from his promo after being eliminated in the NXT Season 4 finale. It was an amazing promo, totally worth checking out if you haven't seen it.

-We get a recap of NXT Season 3, the all-Diva season of NXT. We are reminded of the wedding between Aksana and Goldust. The next rookie we take a look at is AJ. A clip of AJ & Kelly Kelly vs. Natalya & Alicia Fox from Smackdown two weeks ago is shown.

-Natalya is in control for most of the clip, until AJ hits an impressive leg scissors takedown. Natalya quickly takes control again and tags in Alicia Fox. Alicia slams AJ's head against the mat and doesn't allow AJ to get a tag to Kelly, instead dragging her away and tagging in Natalya. The two hit a double suplex and Natalya slaps AJ in the face. Alicia gets tagged back in and chokes AJ in the corner with her foot. AJ quickly fights out of the corner and gets the hot tag to Kelly Kelly, who takes control with a hurricanrana on Alicia. A bulldog and stinkface from Kelly Kelly followed by a roll-up which Natalya breaks up. Kelly then hits her finisher for the win. For a package promoting AJ's success, this may not have been the best choice, since most of it was her getting beaten down.

-Commercial

-NXT Season 1 contestant Justin Gabriel is highlighted next. News footage from South Africa shows how popular Gabriel is in his homeland. Gabriel says he hadn't been home in 3 years before WWE went to South Africa recently. Back to Matt Striker, who says that his sister called him 8 times back during the first season asking who "that gorgeous South African was." Matt then puts over Gabriel's 450 Splash.

-After that, clips from Gabriel's match against Tyson Kidd from two weeks ago is shown. Quick chain wrestling from both men. Tyson takes control, dropping Gabriel face-first into the second turnbuckle, then snapmares him out of the corner. Tyson whips Gabriel and hits a back elbow striker. Tyson then applies a surfboard stretch. Gabriel gets to his feet and hits a big enzuigiri to the back of Tyson's head. A number of kicks to Gabriel's torso knock him back and Gabriel takes him down with a spinning heel kick and a rolling elbow strike. Gabriel hits a springboard splash, which Tyson tries to counter into a half crab, but Gabriel counters into a roll-up attempt and STO of his own. Gabriel goes back to the apron and climbs to the top rope, but Tyson runs up to try a superplex. Gabriel knocks him to the canvas and hits his 450 Splash for the three-count.

-Commercial

-An Alex Riley promo is shown. Riley says there are things he's done that he isn't proud of, while clips of him aiding The Miz are shown. He says that now he's going to earn respect, while clips of him fighting The Miz air, as well as him teaming with Rey Mysterio and John Cena.

-Striker reminds us that Alex Riley isn't the only one who had to put up with The Miz as a pro, as Daniel Bryan had to deal with him on NXT Season 1. Bryan would go on to win the United States Championship from The Miz at Night of Champions last year. The Smackdown Money in the Bank Ladder match from this year is highlighted, as former NXT rookies Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, Daniel Bryan, and Wade Barrett were in it.

-Daniel Bryan gets a ladder, but Slater & Gabriel baseball slide the ladder onto Bryan. Slabriel start to fight over who gets the ladder into the ring, and Slater eventually gets it set up. Gabriel scales the ring to the top turnbuckle and climbs on the ladder, but Bryan hits a missile dropkick, knocking Gabriel from the ladder. Sheamus takes out both Heath Slater and Daniel Bryan with double-arm strikes. Kane clears the ring, and Barrett comes in, only to be whipped into a ladder by Kane. Slater gets in the ring, but gets a side walk slam for his troubles. Kane to the top rope, but Sin Cara knocks him off the top with a kick. Gabriel tosses Cara out of the ring, and he starts fighting Bryan, who gets whipped. Bryan hits a suicide dive to Barrett on the outside. Gabriel hits a somersault plancha onto Kane on the outside. Slater gets in the ring and hits a corkscrew tope onto the outside. Sin Cara then hits a top rope splash onto Sheamus, who was outside the ring. Cara and Gabriel go at it until Gabriel gets a hurricanrana, sending him out of the ring. Sin Cara hits his top rope flip bottom onto Daniel Bryan. Sin Cara tries to get a ladder into the ring, but Wade Barrett hits a big boot on Cara and sets the ladder up between the ring apron and the announce table. Cara gets into the ring but gets a Brogue kick from an awaiting Sheamus. Sheamus then moves to the apron and hits the infamous powerbomb through the ladder on Sin Cara. Medical personnel are called out to tend to Sin Cara.

-Commercial

-Sheamus scales the ladder in the ring, but Bryan follows him up the ladder. Sheamus gets Bryan on his shoulders and Kane hits a Doomsday Device on Bryan. Sheamus then takes out Kane with a clothesline. Sheamus sets up a ladder between the ladder in the ring and the second turnbuckle. Kane then takes control with a big boot on Sheamus and a chokeslam on Cody Rhodes. Gabriel tries a double axe handle but gets a chokeslam as well. Kane tries to climb the ladder, but Bryan won't let him. Kane drops to the floor and tries for a chokeslam, but Bryan attempts to apply the LeBell Lock on the ladder. Bryan hits a modified tornado DDT and everyone is down. Slater gets into the ring and climbs the ladder, but yet again, Bryan follows him up the ladder. They both try to climb but Slater hits his Sweetness neckbreaker from halfway up the ladder. Bryan rolls out of the ring and Slater starts the climb. This time, Wade Barrett stops him, pummeling him in the corner. Slater counters and climbs to the top rope, but Barrett trips Slater, making him land where the sun don't shine, so to speak. Sheamus and Barrett duke it out for a moment, before both men grab a ladder and use it to launch Slater from the top rope onto Kane from the outside. Sheamus starts leveling everyone in the ring, Barrett, Gabriel, and Rhodes. Sheamus sets up a ladder on the top rope and grabs Justin Gabriel. He drops Gabriel face-first onto the ladder on the top rope and levels him with a Brogue kick. Sheamus then starts climbing. Kane meets him at the top, but gets knocked off by Sheamus. Kane chokeslams Sheamus onto the ladder connected to the turnbuckle. Kane then starts the climb, but Rhodes, Bryan, and Barrett come in and stop him. Barrett hits Wastleland on Kane, and Gabriel hits a very impressive 450 Splash from the sideways ladder on the top rope. Barrett Wastelands Gabriel to the outside onto Slater, takes out Bryan, then hits a pumphandle slam on Rhodes. Barrett then scales the ladder, only to be stopped by Rhodes. Rhodes clotheslines Barrett out of the ring as Bryan slowly climbs up the ladder. Rhodes climbs up after him, and Barrett climbs up behind him. Bryan applies a guillotine on Rhodes, who falls from atop the ladder. Bryan then gets picked up by Barrett, who attempts a Wasteland from atop the ladder. Bryan counters out with a number of elbows to the temple and kicks Barrett off the ladder. Bryan then unhooks the briefcase and wins the match. Still such a great moment to watch.

-Commercial

-The last rookies we take a look at are the current crop of rookies in NXT Redemption. Darren Young, Conor O'Brian, Jacob Novak, Byron Saxton, Lucky Cannon, Titus O'Neil, and Derrick Bateman are all highlighted. There's a recap of the feud between Jacob Novak and William Regal, as well as Saxton emancipating himself from his pro, Yoshi Tatsu. Lucky Cannon trying to win over Maryse, Conor O'Brian learning from Vladimir Kozlov, and Darren Young announcing that Chavo Guerrero quit on him. Titus winning challenge after challenge is also highlighted.

-The show ends with a promo focusing on the feud between Derrick Bateman, Titus O'Neil, and Darren Young. Who will win NXT Redemption? When will we find out? Hopefully next week. Until then, thanks for reading.