WWE NXT ( Season 5 ) " NXT Redemption " , the fifth season of " NXT " , started on March 8 , 2011 . The season consists of six rookies chosen from all previous non - Diva seasons returning to compete for a spot in the sixth season of " NXT " alongside a WWE Superstar of their choice as their pro for that season . Immunity and the immunity points system have been replaced in this season with a " redemption point " system , where , in the result of a tie at the bottom place between the pros ' poll and the fan vote , the person with the most redemption points avoids elimination . On June 25 , 2011 , Chavo Guerrero was granted a release from the WWE , leaving Darren Young without a pro , unlike Carlito of season one where he was released after his rookie , Michael Tarver , was already eliminated . On June 28 , after Conor O ' Brian was eliminated , Derrick Bateman was brought back . Daniel Bryan also returned as Bateman ' s pro , but weeks after not appearing with Bateman after he turned heel , Bryan said he was disowning Bateman due to the rookie ' s actions . On August 5 , Vladimir Kozlov was also released from the WWE but , similar to Carlito , his rookie was already eliminated . While no divas from season three were part of the competition , since the end of regular eliminations June 28 both AJ Lee & Maxine have returned as the girlfriends of Hornswoggle and Bateman respectively . In later episodes , " NXT Redemption " was devoid of the typical challenges and eliminations while pros have feuded with each other , Young ( later joined by JTG ) with host Matt Striker and announcer William Regal , Yoshi Tatsu with Tyson Kidd and Bateman / Maxine with O ' Neil / Hornswoggle / AJ . On September 27 , Hornswoggle delivered a letter to AJ and O ' Neil claiming he was being anchored to the dead NXT ship and needing to set sail to Smackdown , leaving Titus ( the last rookie being mentored ) without a pro . On October 5 , NXT moved to its new day and time , Wednesday at 4 p . m . EST . " NXT Redemption " also featured lower card superstars signed to the RAW or Smackdown brands , competing not as pros or rookies , like Yoshi Tatsu , Trent Baretta , The Usos , Tyler Reks and Curt Hawkins , as well as former NXT contestants Percy Watson , season 3 winner Kaitlyn , and season 4 winner Johnny Curtis . It was announced on October 6 that Darren Young was suspended by WWE for 30 days for violating of the company ' s wellness policy . On the October 12 edition of " NXT " , O ' Neil and Bateman were referred to as the final two rookies in the competition with no mention whatsoever of Young , implying that he was eliminated from the competition due to his suspension . Young ' s suspension ended on November 5 , and Young returned on the November 16th edition of NXT . The following week , in his return match Young teamed with Tyler Reks to defeat the team of Titus O ' Neil and Percy Watson . On January 11 , 2012 , NXT debuted a new intro which replaced the intro containing only the remaining finalists . The new intro features all the talent from " NXT Redemption " , including WWE Superstars from Raw and Smackdown currently on the show , confirming the end of the rookie competition format . In the weeks leading up to the show ' s 100th episode , stars from Raw and Smackdown who got their start on NXT , including Justin Gabriel , Michael McGillicutty , Alex Riley and Heath Slater , made special appearances . NXT celebrated its 100th episode special on January 18 in Las Vegas with O ' Neil decisively defeating Young in a No Disqualification Match , before going on an anger - fueled tirade in which he insulted his former pro Hornswoggle and berated the fans in attendance , turning heel in the process . Derrick Bateman interrupted the wedding between Maxine and Johnny Curtis with footage of Curtis hacking Bateman ' s iPad to send an email to Smackdown General Manager Teddy Long . The email , sent through Bateman ' s address , contained disparaging remarks about Maxine and ultimately drove her into Curtis ' arms . Upon this revelation Maxine slapped Curtis in the face and kissed Bateman . The following week O ' Neil furthered his heel turn by assaulting his former friend and tag team partner , Percy Watson after O ' Neil defeated Watson . On the February 1 edition of NXT , O ' Neil even further solidified his transformation by aligning himself with his former rival Darren Young as they competed in a tag team match against Percy Watson and Alex Riley . On February 29 , on the " one year anniversary " of season five ( actually over a full week prior to its March 8 anniversary ) , Matt Striker announced that William Regal would take over as the authority figure and match coordinator , with Striker being retained as the show ' s host . On March 14 , William Regal put together a special episode featuring " the lost art " of tag teaming , as the Usos defeated Young and O ' Neil , Hawkins and Reks defeated Riley and Watson and Bateman and Kaitlyn defeated Curtis and Maxine in a mixed tag team match . On April 18 , it was announced that Darren Young and Titus O ' Neil would also compete on the SmackDown brand under orders of the show ' s General Manager , John Laurinaitis . On April 25 , it was announced by Matt Striker that new wrestlers will appear on NXT due to Titus O ' Neil and Darren Young leaving the show to go compete on " SmackDown " . This made Derrick Bateman the unofficial winner of " NXT Redemption " . Season five is by far the longest to date . The first season was a distant second at 15 episodes . This is due to the fact that all rookie competition was abandoned during late 2011 and it became a regular television season rather than a shorter competition . On May 17 , NXT began taping episodes from its new home , Full Sail University in Florida . Four episodes of NXT were taped on this night . The new direction of NXT is intended to grant national exposure to stars from WWE ' s developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling , as a way to refine their skills on a grander stage , while being provided the opportunity to compete against or alongside current WWE Superstars before being called up to the main roster . The episodes taped on May 17 are part of a new season with the air date or networks uncertain . Despite the May 17 tapings " NXT Redemption " continued to be taped on Tuesdays , along with " Smackdown " for another four weeks . The final episode of " NXT Redemption " streamed on June 13 , where it was announced that the new season would begin airing the following week . " NXT Redemption " was by far the longest season in the show ' s history , exceeding the total number of episodes for all previous seasons , not just individually but combined . NXT broadcast staff changes . Play - by - play Announcer Todd Grisham left WWE after the August 25 episode , while Maryse had been removed due to injury and eventually she was released by the WWE . Jack Korpela , who serves as the play - by - play commentator for the " Smackdown " portion of WWE Superstars officially replaced Todd Grisham as NXT commentator beginning on September 6 , 2011 and his NXT run as announcer ended on September 2 , 2011 where he would be replaced with Josh Mathews and Matt Striker alternating with William Regal on commentary as Korpela ' s contract with WWE expire and opted to not re - sign . NXT also had a change in ring announcers as Tony Chimel would no longer work the NXT / Smackdown tapings as a ring announcer , As of December 6 , 2011 at the NXT / Smackdown taping he would be replaced on NXT by Eden Stiles and on Smackdown by Lillian Garcia . Eden Stiles would later announce on December 20 , 2011 that she asked for her release from WWE . Eden worked her final WWE appearances for the NXT and Superstars tapings airing December 21 and December 22 respectively . Tony Chimel has seen been named NXT ring announcer and Superstars will no longer use a dual - branded ring announcer . On - air personalities . Authority Figures . ( * ) On August 24 , Maryse underwent surgery for an abdominal hernia and was on medical leave from WWE , therefore Maryse ' s role as co - host ended . She would later be released from WWE on October 28 , 2011 and would not return to NXT . As of November 2011 , there is no official co - host . Commentators . ( * ) – " Friday Night SmackDown " play - by - play commentator and former NXT color commentator , Josh Mathews , was substituting for an absent Todd Grisham . This repeated on the November 16 , 2011 edition of " NXT " , but this time , he was substituting for an absent Jack Korpela , who would later be released from his WWE contract . ( * * ) – Matt Striker became the alternate color commentator on " NXT " beginning May 3 , 2011 due to Regal ' s increased in - ring schedule ( Regal would continue as commentator when he wasn ' t wrestling ) . This ended on the May 17 , 2011 edition of " NXT " when Regal would return to the announce table as normal . ( * * * ) – Michael Cole served as special guest color commentator on " NXT " for the May 31 , 2011 broadcast substituting for an absent William Regal . Cole would also substitute for Regal again on commentary on the September 13 , 2011 broadcast due to Regal and Striker competing in a match that night . ( * * * * ) – Matt Striker and Josh Mathews were guest commentators on " NXT " for the November 9 , 2011 broadcast substituting for the absent William Regal and Jack Korpela . Striker and Mathews returned to commentary the following 2 weeks and have since become the official NXT announce team . This is because Jack Korpela ' s contract with the WWE had expired and he opted not to renew . ( * * * * * ) – Matt Striker and William Regal commentated the November 23 , 2011 edition of " NXT " , due to Mathews being absent . Ring announcers . ( * ) If Chimel was absent from the " NXT / Smackdown " tapings , he would have been substituted as ring announcer by RAW ' s Justin Roberts or WWE Superstars ' Eden Stiles , who would also serve as Smackdown ' s ring announcer for that week ' s episode . Effective December 8 , 2011 , Chimel has been replaced by Lilian Garcia on SmackDown and Eden Stiles has picked up Chimel ' s NXT announcing duties until December 13 , 2011 . On December 21 , prior to NXT to be uploaded on WWE . com , Stiles would announce that she asked for her release from WWE a day after her final Superstars and NXT appearances have been recorded .