Former WWE, TNA and WCW personality Jim Cornette recently discussed NXT’s recent Takeover event on the Drive Thru podcast. Cornette had a number of comments regarding some of the talent on the gold brand, including NXT North American Champion Damian Priest and Johnny Gargano.
Jim Cornette would state that he is huge fan of Damian Priest, saying that he has the right look and skill to be a top guy in WWE. “They started out with one of my favourite talents in the company, Damian Priest. [He was] defending the North American Title against one of my least favourite people in the company, Johnny Sameface (Gargano).”
Jim Cornette on Johnny Gargano
“I wrote down, a new viewer: ‘why is this bad ass fighting this little teenage kid?’” Cornette would continue. “Besides the distraction from the lights? Now we’ve got to look at the the virtual fans? Also the crowd noise and everything that I was getting used to? I’m looking at this, and I’m thinking…when Damian Priest is a top guy on Raw, or SmackDown? There’s going to be footage of him getting the sh*t kicked out of him by this tiny little egg plant.”
Jim Cornette would go further, saying “when did Razor Ramon go 20 minutes on pay per view with Barry Horowitz? Because that’s exactly the situation here. You got a bigger, better looking, better worker with a top guy size, top guy promo, top guy gimmick? Against a guy who’s a very good technical worker and has no other outstanding characteristic whatsoever?”
Cornette would finish by labelling Gargano, one of NXT’s top stars, as the blandest man in wrestling. “He’s got that charisma vacuum going where he sucks charisma from those around him. Johnny Sameface: bland, boring, small, tiny white guy that executes all the moves. I love Damian Priest, I couldn’t believe he went 20 minutes getting his ass kicked by wrestling’s blandest man.”
Do you agree with Jim Cornette on Johnny Gargano and Damien Priest? Let us know in the comments
WWE has provided an injury update on NXT Superstar Ridge Holland. In a video uploaded to its YouTube account, Matt Camp reported that Holland required surgery following an incident on this week’s NXT.
Holland has already undergone the necessary surgery and is not medically cleared to compete. He injured his ankle when he caught Oney Lorcan, who had dived to the outside.
When he caught Lorcan, Holland unfortunately dislocated and fractured his left ankle. He also suffered a right knee patella dislocation and patellar tendon rupture. The knee dislocation was reportedly put back into place while Holland was ringside. The ankle dislocation was put back in the emergency room.
Holland’s injury came after his victory over Danny Burch on this week’s episode of NXT. He continued his beatdown after the match, drawing out Burch’s tag partner, Lorcan. During their brawl, Lorcan would sling himself over the top rope, unfortunately leading to Holland’s injury.
Ridge Holland had been seemingly set for a significant push within NXT. He came out during the end of NXT TakeOver: 31 after Finn Balor successfully defeated Undisputed Era’s Kyle O’Reilly. He carried a badly beaten Adam Cole before dropping him at ringside.
The show ended with O’Reilly, Roderick Strong, and Bobby Fish all checking on the Undisputed Era leader. The stable promised payback against Holland on this week’s show. Given Holland’s injury, however, it may be some time before they get it.
Finn Balor defended his NXT Championship against Kyle O’Reilly in a gruesome match at the NXT Takeover: 31 event where the title holder managed to retain his championship.
Though the champion did not come unhurt out of the bout and WWE announced that he suffered a broken jaw during the fight. However, latest reports suggest that his injury is not as serious as it’s being reported.
Dave Meltzer talked about Balor on the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio. While he revealed that the reports of Finn’s injury are not inaccurate, the wrestling journalist noted that it was “made to be worse than it is.”
There is still no word on how long the current champion will stay out of action but the typical recovery time from a broken jaw is around 6 weeks.
Finn Balor made his return to NXT during the October 2nd episode of the show back in 2019 and he confronted the NXT Champion at the time, Adam Cole, during his return.
He went on to have feuds with the likes of Matt Riddle, Damian Priest and Johnny Gargano in the coming months before finally winning the NXT title back during the NXT: Super Tuesday II event last month.
So far WWE has not announced a time table for his return, but with reports of his injury not being as serious, it doesn’t look likely that Balor will stay out of action for very long. it would be interesting to see who challenges him for the title next when he comes back.
Viewership data is in for the October 7th editions of AEW on TNT and NXT on the USA Network.
Both shows were down this week due to the Vice Presidential debate between Vice President Mike Pence and candidate Kamala Harris. The debate drew over 50 million viewers across various network and cable channels.
Finn Balor will miss ring time due to a fractured jaw. The NXT Champion sustained the injury this past weekend at NXT Takeover 31.
WWE has released a video of Finn Balor and his doctor discussing his condition. According to Dr. Jeffrey Westerfield, Balor fractured his jaw in two places during his match against Kyle O’Reilly.
Dr. Westerfield said it was amazing that either man was able to finish the hard-hitting match. “Finn had two fractures in his jaw,” he said. “Once the swelling goes down in a couple days, Finn’s going to be able to talk very sparingly. Obviously it’s going to have to have him out for a little bit of time.”
Balor said people are questioning if his current NXT title reign will be as good as his last. Referencing his successful title defense at Takeover 31, Balor said, “I think they just got their answer.”
For what it’s worth, Dave Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that Balor’s injury is legitimate, however WWE is making the situation out to be worse than it is.
You can watch the video with comments from Finn Balor and Dr. Westerfield in the Youtube player embedded below.
Triple H tweeted the following regarding Finn Balor’s tenacity in light of this latest setback.
Tonight’s edition of NXT will be the first episode to take place from the new Capitol Wrestling Center arena at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, FL.
Expect to see plenty of fallout from Sunday’s NXT Takeover 31 event. WWE is advertising the following:
Ember Moon will open the show after her surprise return at Takeover. Naturally, Moon has her sights set on NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai.
Kushida will face former NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa. WWE.com notes that this match will be the first match of the night.
We will also get injury updates on Finn Balor, Kyle O’Reilly, Adam Cole and Velveteen Dream – all of whom sustained injuries at Takeover. WWE says Balor received a CAT scan and has potential facial fractures), while O’Reilly cracked some teeth, Velveteen Dream has fractured wrist, and Cole has broken ribs.
In addition to Finn Balor and Kyle O’Reilly, WWE now reports there are two more injuries coming out of Sunday night’s NXT Takeover 31.
NXT newcomer Ridge Holland viciously attacked Adam Cole following the Balor vs O’Reilly main event. WWE.com states that Cole has suffered broken ribs and contusions.
Ridge Holland with Adam Cole’s lifeless body at NXT Takeover 31 (10/4/20)
Velveteen Dream, meanwhile, suffered a fractured wrist during his losing effort against Kushida. Dream submitted to Kushida’s Hoverboard Lock. Kushida continued his attack on the controversial NXT star after the bell, until WWE officials were forced to intervene. Despite this reported injury, WWE says Velveteen Dream is medically cleared to wrestle.
Tune in to this week’s NXT broadcast for injury updates on NXT Champion Finn Balor, Kyle O’Reilly, Adam Cole and Velveteen Dream.
Robert Roode made his return to WWE programming after almost 7 months of absence during the September 28th episode of Raw where he answered the open challenge issued by the WWE Champion Drew McIntyre.
While the former champion was unsuccessful in his quest to win the title, a lot of people have been wondering what’s next for the former NXT star.
With the WWE draft looming around, people have been wondering if we can see Roode changing brands. During his recent interview with ComicBook.com, Robert talked about the possibility of moving back to NXT, saying that he will try to be the guy on whichever brand he ends up in:
“Wherever the job takes me, I’m going to be there and I’m going to do everything I can to be a guy that the brand can lean on, and to be in the mix, and to take every opportunity that is given to me and make the best of it.
So whether that’s on Raw, whether that’s on SmackDown,” said Robert Roode “Or whether that’s on NXT, I’m going to do everything I can to stand out and to work my way towards being a champion again.”
While WWE has not confirmed the participation of NXT in this year’s edition of WWE drafts, there have been a lot of rumours of the Black and Yellow brand being represented in the process.
Though if Robert Roode does end up moving back to NXT, he won’t be the first main roster guy to do so as we have seen people like Finn Balor returning to the brand in recent times.
The WWE draft this year will begin with the October 9th episode of SmackDown and it’s expected to conclude with the following episode of Raw on October 12th.
The Game touched upon many topics, but the one that is getting the most attention involves controversial wrestler Velveteen Dream. Dream was accused of having ‘sexually inappropriate’ communications with a minor earlier this year.
WWE says they conducted an investigation into the matter and “didn’t find anything,” although the accuser says he was never contacted by the organization.
During Sunday’s Q&A, Triple H commented on Velveteen Dream’s match against KUSHIDA. He expressed that Dream is coming off a rough year resulting from “immaturity in his personal life”
“Coming off of what was a bit of a rough year for Velveteen Dream, reorganizing himself,” said Triple H. “You know, Dream is one of those young guys that still hasn’t quite found his way yet of who he wants to be. And I think sometimes that weighs on him. His immaturity in his life presents itself in his professional life and makes it difficult for him sometimes.”
Triple H previously stated that WWE has moved on from the “alleged underaged sexting” situation. Fans revolted when Dream was recently brought back to WWE TV. The hashtag #FireVelveteenDream has been a trending topic on social media on more than one occasion.
KUSHIDA picked up the win over Velveteen Dream at NXT Takeover 31.
WWE has provided injury updates for Finn Balor and Kyle O’Reilly following their hard-hitting match in the main event of Sunday’s NXT Takeover 31.
Balor retained the NXT Championship over the Undisputed Era star, but at a steep cost. According to WWE storylines, Balor was hospitalized after the show. He received CAT scans to determine the extent of the damage he sustained and has ‘potential facial fractures.’
Meanwhile, WWE states that O’Reilly broke several teeth during the match. He was evaluated for additional injuries.
Fans can expect updates on the condition of both men this Wednesday night. This will be the first episode of NXT TV taking place inside the new Capitol Wrestling Center at the Performance Center
Triple H commended both men Sunday night after NXT Takeover.
You can see the look on both @FinnBalor and @KORCombat’s faces… to say that match was physical would be an understatement. THAT. WAS. WAR. Finn backed up everything he said..and Kyle showed everyone he belongs in the main event. #NXTTakeOverhttps://t.co/BTFBuFRSf2
NXT TakeOver 31 aired from the Capitol Wrestling Center (formerly known as the Performance Center) tonight on the WWE Network. It was also announced that NXT Halloween Havoc will take place on October 28th.
The brand new Capitol Wrestling Center – home of tonight’s #NXTTakeover
Damian Priest def. Johnny Gargano to retain the NXT North American Championship
Kushida def. Velveteen Dream
Santos Escobar def. Isaiah “Swerve” Scott to retain the Cruiserweight Championship
Io Shirai def. Candice LeRae to retain the NXT Women’s Championship
Finn Balor def. Kyle O’Reilly to retain the NXT Championship
Here are the takeaways from the show:
Damian Priest Retained The North American Title
Damian Priest defended his NXT North American Championship against Johnny Gargano tonight.
Match Recap: Gargano controlled the action early and beat Damian down in the corner of the ring. Damian battled back and leveled Gargano with a kick to the face. Gargano caught Priest with a kick to the knee and tried to Powerbomb Damian off the apron. Priest blocked it but Gargano rippled Damian to the floor by his arm. Johnny followed it up with a Suicide Dive and then launched Priest into the steel steps outside the ring.
Back in the ring, Gargano connected with a Dropkick and followed it up with a Senton off the second rope for a near fall. Priest planted Gargano with a Flatliner and then a Broken Arrow in the middle of the ring for another two count. Priest went for the Razor’s Edge but Gargano countered into a Sunset Flip Bomb for a two count.
Damian leveled Gargano with a forearm to the face and went for a kick but Gargano was ready and Clotheslined Priest out of the ring. Gargano went for another Suicide Dive but Priest caught him. Johnny escaped but Priest booted him in the leg and Gargano fell to the floor outside the ring.
Priest connected with the Razor’s Edge on the ring apron and went for the cover but Johnny kicked out at the last moment. Gargano hit Standing Sliced Bread and then a forearm to the back of Priest’s head for a two count. Johnny rolled up Priest for another near fall and then made his way to the ring apron.
Damian connected with a massive Clothesline but somehow Johnny was able to kick out at two. Gargano rolled out of the ring and Priest tried to flip on him. Johnny got out of the way and Priest crashed onto two members of the WWE security team. Gargano hit Priest with a low blow while the referee was distracted but the NXT North American Champion was able to kick out at two.
Johnny locked in the Gargano Escape in the middle of the ring but Damian was able to break the hold by getting his right foot on the bottom rope. Gargano hit two Superkicks and went for a DDT but Priest countered into the Reckoning for the pinfall victory. Damian Priest is still the NXT North American Champion.
Opinion: Gargano and Priest put on a great opening match at NXT TakeOver 31. The Capitol Wrestling Center looks incredible as well.
Match Recap: Kushida went right after Velveteen Dream and unloaded a knee to the face. Dream rolled out of the ring and launched a steel chair inside. The referee ripped the chair away from Kushida and the match officially started.
Velveteen Dream chased Kushida around the ring and wound up running into a Dropkick. Kushida slammed Dream’s shoulder into the canvas and followed it up with an Atomic Drop. Velveteen sent Kushida to the outside and connected with a Flying Clothesline off the top rope.
Back in the ring, Velveteen Dream sent Kushida to the corner and hit him with a Bronco Buster. Dream applied a Sleeper Hold but Kushida was able to escape with an elbow to the face. Kushida stomped away on Velveteen Dream until the referee broke it up.
Kushida drove Dream’s shoulder into the steel post a couple times and then Dropkicked the steel steps into his arm. Kushida locked in an Armbar but Dream escaped out of the ring. Velveteen Dream poked Kushida in the eye and followed it up with a Powerbomb for a two count.
Velveteen connected with the Dream Valley Driver and made his way to the top rope. Dream hit the Purple Rainmaker but he landed on his injured arm and couldn’t go for the cover right away and Kushida kicked out at two. Dream leveled Kushida with a Clothesline and climbed back up to the top rope.
Dream posed on the top rope and didn’t realize that Kushida had gotten up. Kushida took Dream down to the mat and applied the Hoverboard Lock in the middle of the ring. Velveteen almost made it to the ropes but Kushida dragged him back to the center of the ring. Velveteen Dream hit the Dream Valley Driver but Kushida didn’t let go of the Hoverboard Lock and Velveteen had no choice but to tap out.
After the match, Kushida attacked Velveteen Dream and locked in an Armbar on his injured arm. Several referees rushed the ring and were finally able to pull Kushida off of Velveteen dream. Kushida backed away but once again attacked Dream and locked in another submission on his injured arm. A “one more time!” chant broke out as Kushida finally exited the ring.
WWE has provided a first look at the new Capitol Wrestling Center, the newly redesigned live wrestling venue at the Performance Center in Orlando. The name is an homage to the Capitol Wrestling Corporation founded by Jess McMahon in 1953.
“It’s a historic callback to where this all began,” Triple H said to SI.com. “We gutted the Performance Center and it’s now rebuilt, so it feels like we’re going back to the beginning. To me, it feels like we’re going back to 1953. Just like then, we’re doing something different and new, taking the business to a whole new level.”
Much like the WWE Thunderdome, the Capitol Wrestling Center has LED boards surrounding the ring area with virtual fans. WWE is stating the look will be distinct to the NXT brand, however. Some select family and friends will also be permitted attendance to tonight’s show. Groups will be behind plexiglass, will have taken and passed a PCR test, and be wearing masks.
Triple H added that the new-look Performance Center will feature the high-tech bells and whistles of the ThunderDome, but with an edgier, darker look that he equated to the ‘ultimate heavy metal soundstage.’
“The Capitol Wrestling Center captures the feel and the vibe of NXT. We will have all the bells and whistles of the ThunderDome, but we’ll keep that NXT feel. It’s edgier, darker and raw—you’re walking into the ultimate heavy metal soundstage.”
“The building is a throwback to Capitol Wrestling, a business that caused a shift in wrestling. That is exactly what we’re planning on doing again, starting today in NXT.”
Kyle O’Reilly will headline Takeover 31 tomorrow night against NXT champion Finn Balor. The Undisputed Era member lives with Type 1 diabetes and spoke to the NY Post recently about the challenges that come from living with the condition while being a pro-wrestler.
“That’s the thing about Type 1 diabetes, it is a daily grind, a daily challenge,” O’Reilly said. “But it’s a challenge and fight I can win on a daily basis, too. I know it keeps me accountable for my own health, my own well-being. I take it into my own hands. I do what I have to do to be the best performer and the best healthy human being I can possibly be.”
O’Reilly continued to talk about the challenges associated with having Type 1 diabetes and being a professional athlete.
“It’s not without its challenges, but it’s something I’ve dealt with my entire career since I was 18 years old. It’s something I’ve dealt with for a long time. I’ve always had a good grasp of it. I’ve looked at it as a blessing in disguise because it does sort of keep me accountable for my own health. I have no excuse to let things slide or to get lazy with my own health.”
It also appears as though some members of the UE are turning babyface. O’Reilly spoke about this as well during the interview.
“Pretty much all of my singles success in the past has come with me being a babyface, so it’s something I’m comfortable doing. It’s something I think I can be good at.”
O’Reilly won a gauntlet elimination match on NXT recently to earn the right to face Balor. The full interview can be read here.
AEW and NXT both saw viewership increases this week, despite stiff competition from Game 1 of the NBA finals, MLB playoff games and a South Park ‘pandemic special’ that topped the night in the Adults 18-49 demographic.
AEW: 866,000 viewers, 0.33 rating (12th on cable for the night)
NXT: 732,000 viewers, 0.19 rating (50th on cable for the night)
For comparison, Monday’s WWE Raw averaged 1.82 million viewers with a 0.54 rating in the key demo.
Dynamite viewership was up 31,000 from last week, while NXT saw an increase in 36,000 viewers. You can find full results and our takeaways from both shows below:
Undisputed Era leader Adam Cole faced off against Austin Theory during last night’s episode of NXT in a bout that reportedly signified the beginning of a major babyface push for Cole.
According to PWInsider, Cole is now being positioned into a babyface position within the black-and-gold brand. WWE began to drop hints it may be turning him after his significant NXT Championship loss to Finn Balor. The two clashed at NXT Super Tuesday II in early September. Last night’s victory over Theory was Cole’s first in-ring appearance since that notable loss.
Cole isn’t the only member of the Undisputed Era to be primed for a babyface push. Kyle O’Reilly has also been positioned recently for a positive turn. He recently won the opportunity to face off against Balor for the NXT Championship. O’Reilly called his upcoming bout the “biggest moment” of his life. He will face off against Balor at NXT TakeOver: 31.
The other members of Undisputed Era, Bobby Fish and Roderick Strong, are reportedly not in line for a character turn.
The two are scheduled to face Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch in a matchup to decide the number one contenders to Breezango’s NXT Tag Team Championships.
NXT TakeOver: 31 takes place on October 4 from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida.
Tegan Nox has suffered an ACL tear once again. WWE announced the news Wednesday afternoon on social media.
During the media conference call to promote Sunday’s NXT Takeover 31 event, Triple H confirmed that Tegan Nox has already undergone knee surgery and is recovering.
This is the third time Nox will miss extended ring time due to this same injury. The first ACL tear came just prior to 2017’s inaugural Mae Young Classic tournament. She missed nearly a year of ring time.
It happened again the following year during the quarterfinals of the Mae Young Classic. She missed another 10 months with a torn ACL, MCL, meniscus and lateral collateral ligament.
WWE is running a storyline that Nox tore her ACL last week on NXT, when Candice LaRae attacked her before the women’s battle royal. However, it is believed the suffered the injury prior to that match.
WWE presents NXT Takeover: 31 this Sunday night live on the WWE Network.
The following items are confirmed for tonight’s NXT broadcast on the USA Newtork:
Undisputed Era vs Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan in a match to determine the #1 Contenders to NXT tag team champions, Breezango.
Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae vs Io Shirai and Damian Priest
In addition to these matches, WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels will host a special face-to-face meeting between NXT Champion Finn Balor and his challenger this weekend, Kyle O’Reilly.
Below, you can catch up on the Top 10 moments from last week’s NXT.
NXT North American Championship Damien Priest recently appeared on the Gorilla Position podcast. The former Ring of Honor star discussed a number of topics during his time on the show, including Pat McAfee’s debut match against Adam Cole at NXT TakeOver: XXX.
“Absolutely outstanding performance, I mean he excelled” Damien Priest began on the podcast. “I’ve seen people wrestle for years that can’t put on a match like that. I’m just being honest, I have wrestled around the indies. And in the end? These guys can’t do what he can do.”
Damien Priest on Pat McAfee
“He [McAfee] actually telling a story and wrestling a good match? And then doing some high risk manoeuvres that are just outstanding? I mean like i said, I was surprised. I mean, I knew he had been training, I knew he trained with Rip Rogers. There was no way a professional athlete was going to come into this unprepared.”
Damien Priest would then praise McAfee further, saying how he dedicated himself to the match. “He’s a perfectionist. Like he has to be good at everything he does. He doesn’t do something just for views you know? Just because it’s cool? He’ll do it for that reason…but he has to do it well. He can’t just walk, he has to run across it.”
“I wasn’t surprised that he took it as seriously as he did” Damien Priest would continue. “But just because you take it seriously? It doesn’t mean you’re going to get to THAT level of performance, especially without a track record.”
Do you agree with Damien Priest? Would you like to see another Pat McAfee match in WWE? Let us know in the comments
AEW Dynamite has secured another decisive win over WWE NXT in the Wednesday night war. Dynamite topped NXT in total viewers and the coveted Adults 18-49 demographic, but the gap in viewership narrowed from 197,000 viewers last week to just 139,000 this week. Here’s the breakdown, courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily:
AEW: 835,000 viewers, 0.32 rating (9th on cable for the night)
NXT: 696,000 viewers, 0.18 rating (30th on cable for the night)
For comparison, Monday’s edition of WWE Raw averaged 1.667 million viewers with a 0.49 in the 18-49 demo.
AEW viewership was down 5.6% from 886,000 for last Wednesday. Dynamite saw Jon Moxley defend the AEW World Championship against Eddie Kingston, the surprise return of Cody, Hangman Page in singles action, Miro’s in-ring debut, the AEW & NWA Womens’ champions team up and Brodie Lee defend the TNT Championship against Orange Cassidy. (AEW Results & Takeaways)
NXT viewership was up 1% from last week, which averaged 689,000 viewers. This week’s NXT saw Candice LaRae win a #1 contender’s battle royal, Tommaso Ciampa in action, Ridge Holland pick up another win and Kyle O’Reily win the Gauntlet Eliminator to earn a shot at NXT Champion Finn Balor at the next Takeover special. (NXT Results & Takeaways)
Undisputed Era’s Kyle O’Reilly has commented on his momentous win from last night’s episode of NXT. O’Reilly bested Cameron Grimes, Timothy Thatcher, Bronson Reed, and Kushida to win the first-ever NXT Gauntlet Eliminator match. This victory has propelled O’Reilly into an NXT Championship match against Finn Balor at NXT TakeOver: 31.
Speaking with Sarah Schreiber backstage in a WWE Network Exclusive, O’Reilly reflected on his win calling his championship match the “biggest moment” of his life.
“[…] I came into this match on relatively short notice, but we make the most of these opportunities. TakeOver isn’t just the biggest match for Kyle O’Reilly’s career, which it is, it’s not just a huge match for The Undisputed Era as a whole, which it is, this is the biggest moment of my life.”
When asked if he was nervous about facing off against Finn Balor, O’Reilly confessed he has been experiencing some “butterflies.” He opened up, admitting how the idea of competing at TakeOver against Balor gives him “goosebumps” before stressing how this opportunity is “huge for me.”
“I thrive under high presser situations. I mean, it really drives me, Sarah. Can you think of a higher pressure situation than the main event of TakeOver for the NXT Championship? Please, tell me if there is one, because I don’t think there is. So, Finn Balor, NXT, the world, is gonna see just what Kyle O’Reilly can do when he’s under pressure.”
O’Reilly Praised by Hall of Famers
Following his main event win, both Triple H and Shawn Michaels commented on O’Reilly’s achievement.
Triple H stressed how O’Reilly’s success “shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone” before praising his dedication to pro wrestling. He noted how O’Reilly versus Balor “has the ability to steal the show.”
Current NXT Champion Finn Balor has shared why he believes the ‘Demon’ didn’t work on WWE’s main roster. Speaking with Vicente Beltrán of ViBe & Wrestling, Balor explained how the character had been “designed as something special,” but ultimately fell flat due to WWE’s overadvertising.
“The ‘Demon’ was designed as something special. It was one of those things that should have been saved for breathtaking occasions, but it ended up being advertised in the media and that was one of the main reasons why it didn’t work,” Balor stated. “The surprise factor was completely gone and the ‘Demon’ became Finn Balor’s savior, which was also to my detriment because I could not develop my own character separate from the ‘Demon’. I think it hurt both of us, Finn Balor and the ‘Demon’.”
When asked if the ‘Demon’ could be utilized in a cinematic matchup, Balor seemed open to the idea. He stressed how people have to evolve alongside the business, which is something the ‘Demon’ may be able to do within a cinematic feud. However, Balor remains adamant that the ‘Demon’ resonates best with an excited WWE audience and that a live experience is what he and the fans would enjoy most.
Finn Balor recently defeated Adam Cole during NXT Super Tuesday II. His victory saw him become a two time NXT World Champion.
The Wednesday Night War resumed this week after a one month hiatus due to preemptions. AEW Dynamite once again scored a big victory over NXT in average overnight viewers and the Adults 18-49 demographic. Courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily:
AEW: 886,000 viewers, 0.34 rating (3rd cable for the night)
NXT: 689,000 viewers, 0.18 rating (31st on cable for the night)
For comparison, Monday’s edition of WWE Raw averaged 1.689 million viewers with a 0.50 demo. Naturally, AEW and NXT were down a bit from last week’s unopposed shows, but 3rd for the night is the best AEW has done since the first episode of Dynamite last October.
AEW viewership was down 12.6% from 1,014,000 for last Wednesday. Dynamite featured a wild parking lot brawl between Santana & Ortiz and Best Friends, Hangman Page returning to singles action (with snarky commentary from Kenny Omega), FTR picking up a non-title victory over Jurassic Express and much more. (Results & Takeaways)
NXT viewership was down 17.8% from last week’s Super Tuesday II episode, which averaged 838,000 viewers. This week’s NXT saw several of the brand’s champions in action, including Damien Priest retaining the North American Championship over Timothy Thatcher, Breezango fending off Imperium and Io Shirai besting Shotzi Blackhart. NXT General Manager William Regal also made some big announcements about the next Takeover special. (Results & Takeaways)
Chris Jericho has claimed it is “embarrassing” for WWE to continue to air its black-and-gold brand NXT against AEW Dynamite every Wednesday night. Jericho made his proclamation during a recent interview with Inside the Ropes.
The Inner Circle leader explained how WWE decided to air on Wednesday nights opposite Dynamite, “just to mess with us.” Jericho argued how WWE should switch nights to broadcast NXT, suggesting that WWE should look to Tuesday nights instead.
“Don’t worry about our company. We’re not worried about you. We don’t have a screen up that shows what’s going on every moment on NXT, like they do watching Dynamite,” Jericho stated.
Jericho stressed how his recent Demo God character “is not a gimmick” before reiterating how WWE should switch NXT to another night away from Wednesdays. He highlighted how WWE could “[…] go to any other day you want, but don’t exist just to mess with us because we’re beating you every week. It’s kind of embarrassing for NXT at this point.”
Chris Jericho continued to recommend Tuesday nights for WWE’s black-and-gold brand, explaining that by committing to a schedule change, WWE would be able to “make more money” and “get more viewers.”
“I think you should throw the red flag, retreat, go to Tuesday, make Tuesday your night, make more money, get more viewers, get more guys over and don’t worry about what we’re doing because we’re going to continue on either way, and we’re winning every week anyways, so just go your own way. That’s the best way to do it.”
You can listen to Chris Jericho’s full rant about NXT in the player embedded below:
The former Nexus Leader spoke to Sports Illustrated about his new contract with the company after the news broke out and he claimed that their aim is to be different than the rest of the WWE programming.
Barrett also revealed that he has signed a one-year deal with WWE which has the option to extend their partnership, before claiming that NXT is not a developmental brand:
“This isn’t a developmental brand, I’ve followed the careers of The Undisputed Era, Tommaso Ciampa, Johnny Gargano, and Rhea Ripley for a long time. There are so many up-and-comers, and NXT is a destination where you can see people turn into stars.”
Before rejoining WWE, Wade Barrett was doing commentary for NWA and he revealed that he was actually planning to sign a long term deal with the company.
Though he noted that the coronavirus pandemic made them change their plans and the former Intercontinental Champion claimed that he has nothing but great things to say about Billy Corgan.
