Author: Steve Russell

NXT recently premiered on USA Network, ending with a mass brawl between the NXT locker room. Speaking with Bill Apter for an episode of Apter Chat, NXT commentator Nigel McGuinness reflected on the day. He also looked to the future, naming who he believes could challenge for Adam Cole’s NXT Championship.

“It was a great day all around,” McGuinness said. “Everybody was so excited to be getting the opportunity, getting all the eyes on the product. I’ve only been there for the last two or three years, and this is something that started eight or nine years ago. […] Just to be part of it was huge, I was excited. I love the team, I love everyone that’s involved.”

When it comes to new talent, McGuinness admitted that being introduced to new Superstars is what’s great about NXT.

“That’s the beauty of NXT, absolutely,” he said, “there’s always people coming in, and it’s always, really arguably for the last four, five years now, bringing in the hottest free agents in the industry, and they’ve found a home in NXT, and they’ve created really a true alternative,” said McGuinness.

McGuinness then named who he believes could challenge for Adam Cole’s Championship: Killian Dain. He explained that if Dain can put away Matt Riddle during their Street Fight rematch, then he would be a serious threat to Adam Cole’s reign.

Matt and Nick Jackson, collectively known as The Young Bucks, aren’t only in-ring talent for All Elite Wrestling (AEW), they’re also the promotions Executive Vice Presidents. In an interview with talkSPORT, the brothers opened up about their storytelling and booking experiences. They also addressed the possibility of bringing AEW overseas to the United Kingdom.

“[…] we’ve been doing this so long,” Matt said. “We basically booked PWG for years with Super Dragon, so the Mount Rushmore stuff was us, the Candice LeRae and Joey Ryan story, that was us. We knew how to write long story arcs. Then we did the Adam Cole joining Bullet Club story and the Marty Scurll joining Bullet Club story.”

“We directed and produced, and we literally got in the ring and mapped out the scene for the cameramen,” he explained. “So we were slowly learning how to do these things without realizing that it was actually going to benefit us one day and here we are. As far as writing and creating stories, I love it, man.”

Nick Jackson admitted that they would love to bring AEW to the United Kingdom, stating that it’s been a conversation they’ve had multiple times. He added that they would want to run multiple shows a year in the UK, though the chances of a pay-per-view rested on the decision of Tony Khan.

Speaking with Lilian Garcia on Garcia’s podcast Chasing Glory, NXT Superstar Candice LeRae opened up about the challenges of training to wrestle as a woman. She also spoke about her time on the independence where she participated in numerous intergender matches.

She recalled being at wrestling training and becoming upset and offended when people wanted to take it easy on her.

“I’d be at training and I would get genuinely upset when it would be my turn, and someone would say, ‘Oh, take it easy on her because…’ or they’d say, ‘Oh no, you don’t have to do this.’ And I’d get offended,” LeRae said. “It was so backhanded, ‘Oh no but you’re a girl, so you don’t have to worry about this,’ or you’re never gonna do this anyway.’ And I was like, but I love wrestling, and I want to be a wrestler, and I want to learn anything that I can learn.”

Intergender Matches

LeRae admitted that she feels she shot herself in the foot during her time wrestling on the independent circuit. This was because of her commitment to participating in a “style of wrestling that’s not necessarily accepted by everybody.”

She continued, “Not that it was bad, but I was a woman wrestling men and that’s not for everybody, and I totally understand both sides of the story here, but I found what I was doing was inspiring and helping other people. I mean, I had men and women coming up to me at shows almost in tears telling me that my wrestling empowered them to get out of horrible situations.”

Candice explained that she approached her matches as a woman who was knowingly putting herself into the situation. Her intention was to be treated “[…] as an equal, as an equal competitor. I’m putting myself in this scenario.”

NXT Superstar Candice LeRae became the number one contender to Shayna Baszler’s NXT Women’s Championship. She earned the right during the black-and-gold brand’s premiere on USA Network. 

H/T to WrestleZone for the transcription.