Shawn Michaels, WWE’s Vice President of Talent Development Creative, was quoted in a press release saying, “Given the success of NXT UK, we felt like it was time to expand beyond that.”
WWE recently canceled upcoming NXT UK TV tapings, which understandably created an aura of uneasiness amongst the roster.
As of today I am no longer under contract with WWE. It’s been a wild experience and I’m thankful for everything it’s afforded me – I am excited for what’s next and I am BUZZING to get back in that ring and GO!
L’équipe, je sais que c’est pré enregistré et que des spoilers sont déjà sortis mais malgré l’annonce de la fin d’NXTUK: je vous invite à regarder jusqu’au bout et à donner de la force. On a tous bossé très dur pour vous divertir. RDV ce soir dès 21h sur le WWE Network. ?
Very thankful to @WWE for allowing me to entertain thousands every week. This is just a road bump for me and I solely believe that. I have a chip to prove and I'm going to do everything I can so I can get back to where I belong. I'll be back! ?? pic.twitter.com/mGpPXup97G
Since AEW launched in 2019, the promotion has been at odds with WWE in a fight for viewers.
For over a year, AEW Dynamite went head-to-head with WWE NXT in the Wednesday Night Wars, which Tony Khan’s promotion would ultimately win.
Now, the two companies are set to go head-to-head once more, on a bigger scale.
World’s Collide
During this week’s NXT Heatwave special edition of the show, several stars from NXT UK made their presence felt.
The first surprise appearance came by Gallus, who attacked the Diamond Mine but later attacked fellow NXT UK Superstars Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen.
Blair Davenport later appeared on the show in a segment with Indi Hartwell, while NXT UK Champion Tyler Bate confronted NXT Champion Bron Breakker after the latter’s victory in the main event.
In a statement on WWE’s Corporate website, the company confirmed that this crossover is for World’s Collide, which will take place on September 4, the same day as AEW All Out.
WWE’s statement comes after Dave Meltzer reported on Wrestling Observer Radio that the two shows will face off, and that Triple H will be overseeing things.
“Hunter is all in on this.”
Dave Meltzer on NXT World’s Collide.
No matches have been confirmed for the NXT & NXT UK crossover event.
Possible Card
WWE has not confirmed the crossover event for September 4, so no matches have been confirmed either.
After this week’s NXT 2.0, it’s likely that Tyler Bate will face Bron Breakker are the show.
If WWE goes down the route of Champions Vs Champions (like Survivor Series) then certain matches are expected.
NXT Women’s Champion Mandy Rose would face NXT UK Women’s Champion Meiko Satomura unless either woman loses their titles in the coming weeks.
NXT Tag Team Champions The Creed Brothers are likely to face NXT UK Tag Team Champions Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen.
The development brand presented the Heatwave special this week. What’s notable is that multiple NXT UK stars made their presence felt during the show.
First The Diamond Mine was attacked by longtime UK stable Gallus. The group was arguing that Roderick Strong wanted to end the faction in a segment.
This came after Diamond Mine was defeated by Tony D’Angelo and others during the July 26 episode of the show. Strong cost them the match after he accidentally hit his own team member Julius Creed.
After attacking the NXT faction, the group of Wolfgang, Joe Coffey, and Mark Coffey went to the back. They confronted the current NXT UK tag team champions Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen and challenged them for the title match next week.
Though these three weren’t the only UK stars to show up on the show. The main event of the episode saw Bron Breakker successfully defending his NXT Championship against JD McDonagh.
After the bout, the NXT UK champion Tyler Bate came to the ring and confronted Baker. Both the stars held up their belts high as the episode went off air.
Bate won the vacant NXT UK championship during a match taped on July 7. However, the bout is yet to air and he isn’t officially recognized as the champion as of now.
Former NXT cruiserweight champion Santos Escobar has been ‘banned’ from NXT 2.0 after losing a match on this week’s Heatwave special.
The former King Cuerno had been feuding with Tony D’Angelo and his faction in recent times. The two were set for an All or Nothing Street Fight at the show.
The stipulation for this bout was that if Escobar wins, then Legado Del Fantasma will be free from the D’Angelo family. However, if he loses, then he will have to leave the development brand.
The match featured a lot of interference. The ending of the bout saw D’Angelo accidentally hitting Elektra Lopez.
Both Tony and Santos then grabbed a crowbar and brass knuckles, respectively. Though D’Angelo managed to hit Escobar first and pinned him for victory.
Santos Escobar has been a part of the WWE roster since 2019. He made his official in-ring debut in February 2020 and has been a featured star of the brand ever since.
There is no word yet on what the company is planning for the future of the high-flying star. There is obvious speculation that he could be headed to the main roster now that Triple H has taken over the creative.
Triple H posted a Twitter thread on Tuesday afternoon to hype tonight’s NXT Heatwave special on the USA Network.
WWE’s head of talent relations and creative ran down the full card and explained why fans should invest in the performers and rivalries.
The following has been lightly edited for clarity:
“There has been a lot of excitement around the WWE Universe on Raw and SmackDown, but wanted to share thoughts on the great work the talent and coaches [in] NXT have been doing and the matches at NXT Heatwave tonight on the USA Network.”
Carmelo Hayes vs. Giovanni Vinci
“Consistency is a characteristic of any great performer. Carmelo Hayes has been just that. As NXT North American champion, he’s been equal parts entertaining and impressive in the ring.
He also complimented Hayes’ opponent, Giovanni Vinci, stating that the challenger knows what it takes to win.
Santos Escobar vs. Tony D’Angelo (Street Fight)
“No matter how experienced you are, leading a group of your peers is difficult. You have to be equal parts teammate and visionary. BOTH Santos Escobar and Tony D’Angelo have thrived in that role and have discovered a lot about themselves in this process.”
Cora Jade vs. Roxanne Perez
“You don’t fight with anyone harder than your best friend. (Right, Shawn Michaels?) For both Cora Jade and Roxanne Perez, the sky is the limit and while this match may seem a personal vendetta, I think it is just the beginning of another fabled tale of the NXT Women’s Division.”
NXT Women’s Champion Mandy Rose vs. Zoey Stark
“Zoey Stark’s week is packed. Not only does she tag with Nikkita Lyons in the Women’s tag title tournament on SmackDown, but tonight she faces Mandy Rose for the NXT Women’s Championship.
Another massive step in her growth and development, but since coming to NXT, Mandy Rose has demonstrated to everyone the kind of dedication she has always brought to her career. In what is now a record reign, she has solidified her position at the top of women’s division and for good reason.”
NXT Champion Bron Breakker vs. JD McDonagh
“The list of NXT Champions features competitors throughout the entirety of our industry’s landscape. Bron Breakker, to many, was thrust into his role as ‘top dog’ but has grown immensely as not only the person with the title, but a student of the game.
All the while, Jordan Devlin continues to level up. The audience is familiar with his skill in the ring, his journey through NXT UK and the passion and guts he brings to each performance. He’s entered into a new landscape & embraced it. I’m excited to see these two tonight.”
The next themed episode of NXT 2.0 is NXT Heatwave. The event is scheduled for Tuesday, August 16th and will air live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida.
Five big matches are signed for NXT Heatwave, including three championship bouts.
The following is a preview for the event:
NXT Champion Bron Breakker vs. JD McDonagh
NXT Women’s Champion Mandy Rose vs. Zoey Stark
NXT North American Champion Carmelo Hayes vs. Giovanni Vinci
Street Fight: Santos Escobar vs. Tony D’Angelo (If Escobar wins, Legado is free; if D’Angelo wins, Santos must leave NXT)
Cora Jade vs. Roxanne Perez
Main Event Preview
The main event of NXT Heatwave will see JD McDonagh challenge Bron Breakker for the NXT Championship.
WWE has produced the following video recapping this feud:
Taya Valkyrie of IMPACT Wrestling recently spoke with Steve Fall of NBC Sports Boston about ideas she pitched to WWE that never ended up happening.
Taya’s WWE Tenure
On February 14, 2021, it was reported that Taya signed a contract with WWE. On February 24, Valkyrie officially began working at the WWE Performance Center.
At NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver 2021, a vignette aired promoting Taya’s arrival to the brand with her new ring name revealed to be Franky Monet. On the May 25 episode of NXT, she made her in-ring debut by defeating Cora Jade. She would eventually join the Robert Stone Brand. On the September 28 episode of NXT 2.0, Raquel Gonzalez would defeat Franky Monet to retain the title.
On November 4, Franky Monet was released from her WWE contract as part of the seventh round of layoffs, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that involved administrative staff, plant, and wrestlers.
The current MLW World Women’s Featherweight Championship said:
“I feel like every kind of creative meeting, everyone like listens to you and stuff. If it comes to fruition is a whole other thing. But that’s just kind of the general. No one was ever like, ‘Oh my god, that idea’s stupid, or anything like that.’ It was never like that. It was always quite positive. But I mean, there’s just so many moving parts and so many people that it could be the creative team thinks, ‘Oh, that’s a really cool idea. But let’s put a twist on it.’ Or, you know, the top doesn’t like it at all, and then it never ends up even being spoken of again, you know. It just- it’s there’s so many moving parts in WWE. So it’s very, sometimes it’s very difficult to get your idea to even you know, get a proper look at.”
Taya’s WWE Pitch That Wasn’t Carried Out
Taya then went on to share one of the ideas that she pitched at the end of her WWE tenure.
The AAA Reinas de Reinas champion said, “Well, towards the end, I was really wanting Taya, ugh, Taya- Frankie to be more serious. And I was really pushing to like, kind of have her be a little bit darker even staying as a heel. But I was, you know, pitching different colors for outfits and different vibes and kind of like kind of someone who loses themselves in the, you know, wanting to be champion or loses themselves as they’re trying to, you know, reach a level of perfection, kind of like the ballerina in Black Swan the movie. So, I was trying to kind of bring this kind of crazy, unhinged version of her through but unfortunately, that didn’t end up happening, but it is what it.”
Taya Explains The Origin Of The Franky Monet Name
Taya clarified that she was the one who picked the heavily criticized name Franky Monet.
The current MLW World Women’s Featherweight Championship and AAA Reinas de Reinas champion said, “Ah, contrary to popular belief, it was actually me that picked that name. And everybody seems to have a massive problem with it. And I’m just like, but I liked it.”
She continued by talking about the process of picking a name in WWE. She explained the lengthy process that she went through to end up with the name Franky Monet.
“Nobody- we- like it’s a long process. They give you lists of ideas, and they want to talk to you about your ideas and stuff. So, there’s a lot of names thrown around. But ultimately, that was the one that won. I like to sound different, be different. I never want to be put in a box or told to you know, don’t want to be called, you know, something that you would expect. So, I definitely went there and yeah, Franky was born.”
Taya’s Upcoming Events
Taya Valkyrie is currently performing in IMPACT Wrestling, AAA, Major League Wrestling, the National Wrestling Alliance, and many others.
On the IMPACT Emergence Countdown show, Taya Valkyrie & Rosemary put their titles on the line against VXT (Deonna Purrazzo & Chelsea Green) in a losing effort.
Taya Valkyrie is set to compete against Kamille at NWA 74 on August 27 for the Women’s World Championship.
AAA also recently announced that Taya Valkyrie vs. Thunder Rosa will be taking place at Triplemania XXX Chapter 3 in Mexico City on October 15.
Solo Sikoa was diagnosed with a sprained PCL on Tuesday’s edition of NXT 2.0. The PCL (Posterior Cruciate Ligament) is a ligament in the knee.
According to the WWE medical professional who examined Sikoa, he’ll be out of action for 4-6 weeks while he heals up. Thankfully, it’s not torn or broken. As a result, he will miss next week’s NXT Heatwave special.
It’s believed that Sikoa tweaked his knee during his Falls Count Anywhere match against Von Wagner next week. On this week’s NXT 2.0, Cameron Grimes visited Sikoa in the trainers room to congratulate him on that match.
Sikoa made it clear that he’s got his sights set on the NXT North American Championship, currently held by Carmelo Hayes.
Solo Sikoa (Joseph Fatu) is a member of the legendary Anoa’i wrestling dynasty. He’s the real-life brother of The Usos and son of Attitude Era star Rikishi.
Below, you can watch highlights of the hard-hitting war between Sikoa and Von Wagner from the August 2nd episode of NXT 2.0:
It appears that with Triple H’s new role as Head of Creative, we will see the old NXT make a return.
Transition To NXT 2.0
In September, WWE changed several things with NXT, from their branding to the on-screen talent. The show was once focused on in-ring action and storylines and featured some of the best wrestlers in the world. However, now NXT 2.0 is focused on promos and character creation while developing young, home-grown talent.
Paul “Triple H” Levesque was away due to his cardiac event when WWE rebranded NXT as NXT 2.0. WWE stopped signing independent wrestlers and focused on younger athletes with no pro wrestling background.
Black & Gold NXT To Return?
Now that Triple H is serving as Head of Creative and Head of Talent Relations, fans may see NXT slowly return to Triple H’s vision.
In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that “in NXT, the belief was that the product will revert back somewhat to Levesque’s previous vision of it.”
Melter also noted the belief was that while they will continue to heavily recruit top-tier athletes, WWE would be open to using more experienced wrestling talent, and going forward, “the door would be more open to better wrestlers who weren’t as big or as good looking as [Vince] McMahon wanted on the roster.”
Since Triple H’s heart issues, Shawn Michaels has been in charge of the day-to-day running of NXT. However, Vince McMahon and Bruce Prichard had the final say on NXT’s booking.
Earlier this month, it was reported by PWInsider that an NXT tag team would be undergoing a major change. This team, in particular, was due for name changes.
While it wasn’t confirmed at the time, the speculation was that both men would also be receiving significant adjustments to their character as a duo.
There was also speculation that they would be joining a faction.
As it turns out, the report and speculation were correct.
Grizzled Young Veterans The Dyad
(via WWE)
During the July 19 episode of WWE NXT, Joe Gacy revealed members of The Dyad for his new stable. Gacy had long been teasing this formation with two druids.
The team is indeed the former Grizzled Young Veterans. The Dyad consists of Jagger Reid (formerly known as James Drake) and Rip Fowler (formerly known as Zack Gibson).
Gacy revealed the new gimmick during a backstage segment.
What this new faction will have in store for the NXT roster remains to be seen but it won’t be long before fans get the answer.
One WWE NXT star was scheduled to be in action on July 19 but it didn’t happen.
As they say in the wrestling business, “card subject to change.” The recent episode of NXT 2.0 certainly took that approach as a talent had been advertised for the main event but never appeared.
This week’s edition of the developmental show featured a 20-women battle royal match. The winner, who ended up being the returning Zoey Stark, receives an NXT Women’s Championship match down the road.
Fans who expected Sarray to be a part of the match were left disappointed.
Sarray Doesn’t Make Advertised Appearance
(via WWE)
WWE had advertised many participants in the battle royal. Zoey Stark wasn’t revealed ahead of the match as she was the big surprise entrant.
One talent who had been advertised but never showed up was Sarray.
There’s no word on whether or not something happened to Sarray at the last minute or if WWE simply changed plans before the match took place.
Sarray has been a key part of the NXT brand. While many have questioned her current character on the show, she is crucial given that her in-ring skills far exceeded that of most of the talent on NXT.
She is vital in helping her fellow prospects get better inside the ring given her experience working at a high level in Japan.
One WWE superstar is back in action and has punched her ticket to a big title match.
Injuries have been pelting the wrestling industry over the past few months. We’ve seen the likes of Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton go down with injuries that’ll put them out of action for a lengthy period of time.
Injuries didn’t just happen on the main roster as the NXT brand was also hit with a few ailments. One of the key talents who had been shelved was Zoey Stark.
The good news is, Zoey is back.
Zoey Stark Returns
(via WWE)
For weeks, WWE was teasing a mystery with a QR code for fans to speculate on who would arrive (or return) to NXT.
Zoey Stark made her return for the 20-women battle royal match. She ended up winning the whole thing, which has earned her a shot at Mandy Rose’s NXT Women’s Championship.
Stark had been out of action due to injury.
There has been a lot of talk over what Zoey’s tag team partner, Io Shirai, will do with her WWE future. Her contract is coming due and it’s been said that she could leave the company if she doesn’t get a main roster spot.
After her triumphant return, Zoey Stark was interviewed for a WWE Digital exclusive.
It’s been a long road to recovery for @ZoeyStarkWWE, but after winning the 20-Woman Battle Royal she is ready to take the #WWENXT Women’s Title off @WWE_MandyRose’s waist. pic.twitter.com/E06kKbLTe6
There’s been plenty of rumblings on the future of Io Shirai and a new update has surfaced.
It was recently reported by Dave Meltzer that Shirai was “pretty much gone” from WWE. The Japanese star has been on the NXT brand since Nov. 2018.
Despite being considered one of the premier female talents in the world regardless of promotion, she simply has not been given a chance on the main roster. This is said to have caused frustration with Io.
For what it’s worth, Shirai did seemingly respond to Dave’s report with the following Tweet:
In a follow-up, Dave Meltzer took to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter to provide an update on the situation between Io Shirai and WWE.
The report notes that those within NXT were under the impression that Shirai would be leaving WWE to return to STARDOM in Japan. With that said, those close to Shirai are led to believe that she would sign a new WWE contract if she’s brought up to the main roster.
The report also noted that Io has been training at the WWE Performance Center as she’s ready to return to the ring soon following an injury.
It’s been said that WWE has an offer for Io Shirai on the table but whether or not that’s for the main roster is unknown at this time.
We’ll keep you posted on the latest updates involving Io Shirai and WWE.
For years, Triple H was in charge of WWE NXT, and brought the brand to it’s arguable peak of popularity.
It was under the watchful eye of “The Game” that the brand became to many fans, the best part of WWE, with Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and Finn Balor all getting their WWE starts in NXT.
It was believed that Triple H was alluding to a return to NXT, which was taken over by his father-in-law in late 2021.
Since then though, reports have come out that Triple H is not set to take control of NXT again as fans had hoped.
Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that Triple H’s speech to those at the Performance Center was not about his NXT work at all.
“It appears that when Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque was talking to the folks at NXT and said he was back, and nobody knew what that meant, it appeared just to mean he’s back working in the office. He has not been doing anything direct with NXT, which is still being run by Shawn Michaels with a small creative staff for television. Levesque has not been at the Tuesday night tapings.”
“He has not been doing anything direct with NXT, which is still being run by Shawn Michaels.”
Dave Meltzer on Triple H being ‘back.’
Triple H’s wife Stephanie McMahon is the interim WWE CEO and Chairman, having replaced her father Vince McMahon due to the ongoing investigation into him.
An NXT Star has not only undergone a name change but an entirely new look as well.
The NXT brand allows WWE to experiment with different character ideas to see what works and what doesn’t. It is very much a developmental brand these days rather than its own competing show with big names from the indies and internationally.
NXT now has mostly green talent with some veterans sprinkled in to help guide the stars of tomorrow. It’s the newer talent that is typically given fresh gimmicks and names.
That’s exactly what has happened with Axiom, formerly known as “A-Kid.”
Axiom Character is Quite The Change
Earlier this month, WWE revealed a name change for A-Kid. He’ll now be referred to as Axiom but not much else was known about his appearance.
The attire was partially revealed on the July 12 episode of NXT and it’s a doozy. Axiom will be rocking a mask it seems for his matches.
During the latest vignette, it was announced that the fresh character will be debuting on the July 19 episode of NXT 2.0.
Axiom had competed on the NXT UK brand before making the move to the United States to be a part of NXT 2.0.
During last week’s Great American Bash special of WWE NXT 2.0, a QR code appeared on the screen and was scanned by fans.
The code sent fans to a web page, containing the sequence 8:10:11, leaving fans to try and figure out what these numbers mean.
Now, a new code has been shared by WWE, giving fans more clues as to what the paint-splattered brand is working towards.
The New Code
On last night’s episode of WWE NXT 2.0, a new QR code was shared on-screen immediately after Solo Sikoa dumped Mr. Robert Stone into a huge trash can.
Fans were quick to scan the code which brought them to a grid of words similar to the popular game ‘Wordle.’
The guesses made are Quinn, Becky, Crews, Trick, Brock, and Toxic, which all relate to current WWE programming.
Fans immediately connected the guesses to Xyon Quinn, Becky Lynch, Apollo Crews, Trick Williams, Brock Lesnar and Toxic Attraction, the stable led by NXT Women’s Champion Mandy Rose.
— Gritty Urban Saga (@GrittyUrbanSaga) July 13, 2022
Deciphering the Code
Per the rules of Wordle, we know that the answer contains the letter O, and that the last letter in the five-letter sequence is C.
If the Wordle connection is completely accurate, it means that whatever the answer is, does not contain the letters Q, U, I, N, B, E, K, Y, R, W, S, T, I, and X.
That leaves the letters A, C, D, F, G, H, J, L, M, O, P, V and Z.
WWE has given no indication as to when the answer to this latest code will be revealed in full.
The July 12 episode of NXT didn’t end on a happy note. The main event featured an NXT Women’s Championship match between titleholder Mandy Rose and Roxanne Perez.
Perez was accompanied to the ring by Cora Jade. Perez thought she could trust her good friend and tag team partner.
After all, they currently hold the NXT Women’s Tag Team Titles. Jealousy eventually won out, however.
Cora Jade Turns on Roxanne Perez
With the referee distracted during the title match, Jade took her tag title and nailed Perez in the injured ribs. Mandy Rose capitalized and pinned Perez to successfully retain the NXT Women’s Championship.
Perez had been selling the injured ribs as she was attacked in the infamous NXT parking lot earlier in the night.
It had been reported that WWE was planning on turning Cora Jade heel ahead of the recent NXT episode.
The news came as a surprise to many as Jade comes across as a natural babyface. Time will tell if she can find her groove as a rotten apple.
After the match, Cora attacked Perez with her skateboard and even broke it in half.
One WWE superstar is on her way out of the company.
Departures are nothing new in the wrestling industry. Talents come and go all the time.
In some cases, the departure is due to a release or the company wouldn’t renew a contract. In others, the star in question simply wanted to move on.
It appears to be the latter in this situation.
Io Shirai Likely Done With WWE
(via WWE)
There’s been a lot of rumblings about the future of Io Shirai. Reports had claimed that Shirai’s WWE deal is set to expire and she wants to return home to Japan.
In an update, Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio noted that Io is “pretty much gone” from WWE.
It isn’t hard to see what Io would be in store for if she returns to Japan. She had been a top star under the Stardom promotion and would be welcomed back with open arms if that’s the path she chooses.
Shirai addressed this latest report about her future on Tuesday afternoon:
Io Shirai was last seen in action at the NXT Stand & Deliver show back in April. She’s been out due to an injury but is expected to be back in the ring soon.
The question is, can she been written off WWE TV, or was Stand and Deliver her last appearance with the company?
In an interview with SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston, former WWE star Killer Kross, who wrestled as Karrion Kross for the promotion, opened up about an infamous segment between himself and Adam Cole that took place in June 2021.
The segment was set up to have Adam Cole, who is now in AEW, run down and tear apart Killer Kross in a worked shoot-style promo. Cole would later repeat statements similar on other WWE programming. At the time, Kross was the undefeated NXT Champion, but he didn’t even address Cole’s comments.
According to Kross, the whole segment was scripted by WWE and was intended to help get Cole where he needed to be for their upcoming matchup.
Kross On The Infamous Promo
Killer Kross spoke with SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston before competing on the Ric Flair’s Last Match pay-per-view. Kross spoke about how the segment came together and his reaction to all of the blowback.
The former two-time NXT Champion said (Edited for clarity):
“No. In his [Adam Cole’s} defense, because I’ve been asked this a lot, that was scripted. He was told to say that. It wasn’t him having a meltdown to be a d*ck. It wasn’t like that at all. He was told to say that.
This has become a very popular discussion amongst fans and stuff like that because our job is to make that stuff, it’s the intention. We’re told by producers and writers, ‘We want this to feel as real as possible so this is the direction we can go in.’ But, very much like you said, and a lot of people have said to me afterward, it seemed really counterproductive to have a fourth wall promo where only one guy was breaking the fourth wall. It’s like, it’s just one of those weird, weird days.
Some matches are constructed for one guy to get over, and that’s just the way it is. Then, sometimes, some promos are constructed for one guy to get over. At the time, I was told that they felt like he needed that, and I was not one to really fight anybody on that. I’ve always been very easy to deal with and get along with.
They put me on a course to just absolutely ruin everybody. So, the way I saw it at the time was like, ‘He’s gonna be doing the job for me at the end of the month on the pay-per-view. Everyone else has exchanged equity, their own equity, in putting me over for a year and a half. I think I can handle the promo where this is going to be happening.’
Functionally, as an investment, the construction of that promo did not make any sense at all. I thought it was weird that they wanted to go in that direction because– I’ve even said this previously before, it’s their money to get people to believe and invest in this type of thing. This is the time and energy they’re putting into character presentation and they kind of shot in the head, which I thought was just so unusual. It was very weird.
NXT Didn’t Want Kross To Rebuttal
Like, even Adam [Cole] was asking like, he’s like, ‘Are you okay with me saying all this to you?’ Yeah, of course, dude. He’s always been very cool. It was odd, and then there was like follow-up stuff the weeks after too. They kept writing the character into this place where they didn’t want me to rebuttal.
And I, prior to that promo and interview, I’d always have some flexibility to kind of like, ‘Here’s the endgame of the promo, you can say whatever you want. Whatever you think your character would say on the way there to get us from point A to B.’ They didn’t want that. And then after that, I kept getting chopped off in promos later on. They were just kind of, in a manner, putting me under in the promos, which I thought was weird. But also, in all fairness man, it’s not advantageous of the talent that’s going under to have me run them over for four weeks in promos and then for them to get killed clean on the match.
But, to your point, I think that there’s so many– in a universe full of fiction, an unlimited amount of possibilities, there are many different ways to make talents look strong and get over. I’ve always thought, me personally, it’s why I haven’t really practiced it, tearing a talent down and not letting them get anything back, and hoping they’re gonna keep their momentum and their equity in the eyes of the audience when they go over in the match is not the best way to do things. But again, I’m just a wrestler.”
Kross On The Online Reaction To The Promo
Kross went on to speak about the reaction online and how it’s influenced his career.
He said, “Yeah, it is unfortunate. It’s a weird twilight zone type of thing. I wanted to, until that angle was totally dead and gone, I wanted to protect the legitimacy of that [promo] even though it was kind of working against me. Like I even told Adam, when I see him at media events, ‘Don’t f*cking talk to anybody. Sorry. Like, don’t tell anybody.’ I’m not gonna tell anybody either. My friends are asking me about it. Only the people that I trust, I’ll let them know that it’s a work because the conflict and the heat is what’s going to create the interest in seeing the match.
It got very toxic, very negative, and very weird. That’s social media for you. Some people want to drum things up and make them. They want to put them in another context then they actually really are in. So, you just do the best you can with what you have.”
Ric Flair’s Last Match
Killer Kross will be competing against Harry Smith on the Ric Flair’s Last Match card. Ric Flair’s Last Match takes place on Sunday, July 31th at the Nashville Fairgrounds in Nashville, TN. This is just one of the live wrestling shows scheduled for Starrcast V during WWESummerSlam weekend. However, it is set to headline the whole convention.
As of right now, the card is as follows:
Impact World Championship Match: Josh Alexander (c) vs Jacob Faty
Rachael Ellering vs Deonna Purrazzo vs Jordynne Grace
Clark Connors vs Ren Narita
Killer Kross (w/ Scarlett Bordeaux) vs Harry Smith
The Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards) vs Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin)
Rey Fenix vs Taurus vs Laredo Kid vs Bandido
The Von Erich (Marshall & Ross) vs The Briscoes
If you use the quotes above, please credit the original course with a h/t and link back to SEScoops for the transcription.
During a recent discussion with SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston, Killer Kross talked about his experience being in the NXT locker room during the period where NXT and AEW went head to head.
Kross, NXT & Wednesday Night Wars
(Credit: WWE)
Killer Kross, as Karrion Kross, made his NXT debut in April of 2020 with Scarlett Bordeaux by his side. Later that year, at NXT TakeOver: XXX in August, he defeated Keith Lee to win the NXT Championship for the first time. The following day, WWE announced that Kross had suffered a separated shoulder during the match, and on the next episode of NXT, he vacated the title.
Kross would return in December 2020 by attacking Damian Priest. In April, Kross would defeat Finn Balor at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver to win the NXT Championship for the second time. Kross only took one loss in NXT, and that was when he lost the NXT Championship to Samoa Joe at NXT TakeOver 36 before moving up to Raw.
WWE’s NXT and AEW’s Dynamite went head to head in the ‘Wednesday Night Wars’ from October 2, 2019, to April 7, 2021. They were both live on air at the same time, on different stations, competing for Nielsen ratings each week. Most weeks, AEW would win the battle for rankings. On April 13, 2021, NXT moved to Tuesday nights, ending the Wednesday Night Wars. During this time, Kross had 14 matches under the NXT banner.
Competition Between NXT & AEW Wrestlers
Killer Kross spoke with SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston prior to competing on the Ric Flair’s Last Match pay-per-view. Kross spoke about how the locker room viewed the ‘Wednesday Night Wars’ and his perception of the discourse.
When Kross was asked if there were any feelings of being in competition with AEW between NXT Superstars, he initially responded:
“If there was little pockets of people that really thought that or felt that way, I wasn’t really engaging with them.”
When Steve Fall asked if that feeling of competition truly existed, Kross had more to say.
The former two-time NXT Champion said, “Probably. I don’t think anyone would’ve come to me with that though. The reason being is I’m pretty even keel. My focus is always on producing the best of the time that’s given to me for the show. So, to give an example, I was just most interested in being as entertaining as possible with the time that was given in the show, in the vignettes, and stuff like that. I would get with teams of people and I would just focus on that.
I do know that there are some people who focus way too much on what other people are being paid, and their quartelys, and what the demographics are, and stuff like that. At the end of the day, I hate to say it, it’s true though, as a wrestler, you can only be accountable for so much. So, if you’re going to concern yourself with details that are completely out of your control, you’re not going to enjoy this anymore. I’ve seen it. I’ve seen people drive themselves insane.
Kross: You’re Stressing Yourself Out Like You’re The Chairman of the Company
It’s like, ‘You don’t write your own stuff. You do what you’re told, you only had so many options for music; you only had so many options for your entrance. You don’t control who’s going over in your matches.’ The way people are reacting to the overall arch of this has very little to do with you and you’re stressing yourself out like you’re the chairman of the company. It’s like, if you just focus your energy on the things that you can control versus the things that you can’t, I think your work will come off better. That energy will be more enthusiastic, it’ll be better there.
I just see people dragging themselves over things that– they’re burning their own energy off in the wrong direction that’s not gonna provide a healthy return. That’s just always been something that’s been clear to me even before I got into wrestling. Just being careful what direction you’re putting your energy to. You always wanna make sure if you put your energy into something you get a healthy return. That doesn’t necessarily mean monetarily. Just means, do you feel good doing this? Are you gonna feel good about it afterward? If not, why are you doing it? If you can’t answer that question, don’t do it.”
Ric Flair’s Last Match
Killer Kross will be competing against Harry Smith, the son of the British Bulldog, on the Ric Flair’s Last Match pay-per-view. Ric Flair’s Last Match takes place on Sunday, July 31th at the Nashville Fairgrounds in Nashville, TN. This is just one of the live wrestling shows scheduled for Starrcast V during WWESummerSlam weekend, but it is set to headline the whole convention.
As of right now, the card is as follows:
Impact World Championship Match: Josh Alexander (c) vs Jacob Faty
Rachael Ellering vs Deonna Purrazzo vs Jordynne Grace
Clark Connors vs Ren Narita
Killer Kross (w/ Scarlett Bordeaux) vs Harry Smith
The Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards) vs Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin)
Rey Fenix vs Taurus vs Laredo Kid vs Bandido
The Von Erich (Marshall & Ross) vs The Briscoes
If you use the quotes above, please credit the original course with a h/t and link back to SEScoops for the transcription.
Ava Raine appeared at Saturday night’s NXT 2.0 live event from Orlando, Florida and cut her first promo in front of a live crowd.
Raine, the daughter of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, impressed fans who were in attendance for this historic moment in her young career.
Raine came to the ring exuding confidence and immediately put the NXT women’s roster on notice. She dubbed herself “The Final Girl” and ran down Cora Jade and the other female competitors in WWE’s developmental program.
Here are some photos from Ava Raine’s first live promo in NXT 2.0:
The Rock is considered one of the best trash talkers in wrestling history, so it should come as no surprise that Raine can hold her own on the mic.
We will update this article if video from Ava Raine’s first promo gets posted online.
In addition to cutting her first live promo on Saturday night, Raine also appeared at Friday’s NXT show from Citrus Springs, FL. She came down to ringside during one of the women’s matches, apparently scouting her competition.
Raine is a 4th generation Superstar and has big shoes to fill. It will be interesting to track her progress in the months ahead.
The debut of a long-awaited NXT wrestler was teased at the July 8 NXT house show.
Debut Teased
During Friday’s NXT live event, Ava Raine, aka Simone Johnson, daughter of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, made an appearance. The show took place in Citrus Springs, Florida.
Ava was spotted scouting out the talent during a women’s match. She emerged from the bak, walked around the ring, and promptly left. It wasn’t specified or revealed what match Raine was scouting or the talent involved.
Ava has not yet made her WWE in-ring debut. She received her new WWE ring name in late May. Last month, she showed off a new look that led to fans speculating about her wrestling debut.
Two women’s matches took place at the Citrus Springs live event. Tiffany Stratton defeated Amari Miller in a singles match. The NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Roxanne Perez & Cora Jade got a win over Jacy Jayne & Gigi Dolin of Toxic Attraction.
Last September, WWE NXT underwent its biggest change in close to a decade, being revamped into NXT 2.0.
The revamp saw a huge change to the roster, with stars like Bron Breakker and Joe Gacy thrust into the spotlight, while established names including Bronson Reed and Bobby Fish were cut.
It wasn’t just the roster that was changed however, as the power dynamics behind the scenes altered drastically.
Vince McMahon took over the reins of the brand from his son-in-law Triple H, a decision that fans were vehemently opposed to.
The Current Creative Team
It was recently reported that Triple H has returned to full-time duties with WWE, following his cardiac event last September that forced him to retire as an in-ring Superstar.
Given Triple H’s association with WWE NXT, many believed that this is a sign that the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion is back in charge of the revamped brand.
According to PW Insider, that isn’t the case, as the creative team still reports to Bruce Prichard, who was brought to NXT by Vince McMahon during the September relaunch.
Johnny Russo is serving as head writer, working with others including Nick Bonnano.
George Carroll has also returned to WWE to serve as part of the creative team for NXT, after being released from the company in January this year.
The company is known for switching things up with its performers. Whether it’s on Raw, SmackDown, or NXT, WWE will make changes to its characters in an attempt to shake things up.
For better or worse, the company is not afraid to switch up entrance music, gimmicks, attire, and of course the names of the performers.
In this situation, it is an NXT star who will be going by a new name.
Goodbye A-Kid, Hello Axiom
(via WWE)
During NXT’s The Great American Bash show, a vignette aired promoting a “new” superstar who goes by the name of “Axiom.”
As it turns out, this is a name change for A-Kid. The man now known as Axiom had been competing on the NXT UK brand but has made the move to NXT 2.0.
It’s unknown if this re-debut has anything to do with the mysterious QR code that aired earlier in the show.
SEScoops had you covered with results and video highlights from NXT’s The Great American Bash. There was also a major title change on the show.
Peep the homepage if you missed any of the action.
Cameron Grimes has been on a roll as of late in WWE NXT 2.0 and is a former NXT North American Champion.
Grimes has proven himself to be one of the biggest stars of NXT 2.0 right now, but he is ready to step into the ring with arguably WWE’s biggest ever name.
Grimes lays out the Challenge
Cameron Grimes has faced plenty of names in WWE NXT 2.0 so far in his career, but he now has his sights on John Cena.
Speaking to Sportskeeda, Grimes was asked about his future plans in WWE and laid out the challenge to the 16-time WWE World Champion.
“When I win the NXT Championship, I would love to defend that against John Cena. I feel like anyone that’s in this business would love the opportunity to be against John Cena in any type of light. You can book it in a Coconut show in Largo. I don’t care if it’s on television. You can just do it in the Performance Center, and we won’t even have to turn the cameras on and I would love that opportunity.”
“Anyone that’s in this business would love the opportunity to be against John Cena.”
Cameron Grimes explains why he wants to face John Cena.
What’s next for Big Match John?
It may be a while before fans see John Cena Vs. Cameron Grimes, but Cena did recently return to WWE.
On last week’s Raw, Cena returned to the show to mark the 20th anniversary of his main roster debut and had a backstage confrontation with Theory.
While many believed this would set up a match between the two at Summerslam 2022 that no longer appears to be the case.
Theory will instead face United States Champion Bobby Lashley at the July 30 Premium Live Event.
