Matt Riddle is currently 1/2 of the NXT tag team champions. He won the titles with “Stallion Pete” Pete Dunne but due to travel restrictions, he has taken on a temporary partnership with “Stallion Timothy” Timothy Thatcher. Riddle has been in NXT since 2018 and now is a focal point of the show as it airs Wednesday nights on USA. Someday, however, it is possible, or even likely, that Riddle gets moved to either RAW or Smackdown.
During a recent interview with Pro Wrestling Sheet, Riddle was asked if he wants to move into a big program on RAW or Smackdown.
“I don’t want to push anybody into things or rush anything. But at the same time, I love NXT, I love the product we do, I love the intensity, I love the intimacy, especially when we do have fans at Full Sail. The Takeovers are amazing,” Riddle said. He would continue to say, however, that it is his goal to be a top guy in WWE.
“But yeah, I think everybody knows the main goal is to eventually get to the top, be at the main event of WrestleMania, win the Royal Rumble. Do it all and be the top guy. I fought MMA and I felt like I could have gotten a lot further and I didn’t. Now that I’m in pro wresting, if I have any opportunity, I’m going to seize it and take it. If there’s an opportunity or a spot open, I’m going to take it. I’m going to take the opportunity and run with it as hard and far as I can.”
Riddle was then asked if he would be interested in taking part in the brand-to-brand invitation. It seemed as though Riddle wasn’t too aware of the new initiative but stated he was interested nonetheless.
“Yeah, that’s a great idea. I hope I get a call soon and they let me wrestle up there a little bit.”
Riddle has a big match tonight on NXT. He will team up with “Stallion Timothy” to go up against Imperium’s Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel with the NXT Tag Team titles on the line. It will be Thatcher and Riddle’s second title defense since Pete Dunne has been unable to travel to the US. Their first title defense saw them beat the team of Roderick Strong and Bobby Fish on the April 15th episode.
RAW Superstar Seth Rollins has shared his thoughts on the recent NXT debut of Karrion Kross and Scarlett Bordeaux. The duo made their official in-ring debut last week on NXT. Kross competed against Leon Ruff in a squash match, easily defeating Ruff. Their entrance prior to matchup captured the imaginations of the WWE Universe, and even impressed Rollins.
Speaking with Planeta Wrestling, Seth Rollins divulged how he remembered Bordeaux from the Chicago independent scene. He noted how he is impressed her her notable improvement, highlighting the potential that the pair have to make an impact on the black-and-gold brand.
“Karrion is someone that I’m starting to become familiar with,” Seth Rollins admitted. “Scarlett is from Chicago, she came up in the Chicago indies. I was there before she was even training to be a wrestler. I remember she was this annoying little girl that wouldn’t go away at the shows in Chicago, and now to see what she’s turned into, it’s awesome, man.”
Seth Rollins confessed that it is “inspiring” to see someone he didn’t see much initial potential in flourish. He added how she’s made it to the “big time” and that Kross has all the potential in the world.
Looking back to their captivating entrance from NXT, Seth Rollins stated how it was “something to behold” and is looking forward to see what comes next. According to him, Superstars only have one chance to make a powerful first impression, something that did with “flying colors.”
Charlotte Flair has taken an interesting route in her career in recent months and after winning the Royal Rumble, she decided to challenge for the NXT Championship instead of the Women’s Champion from Raw or SmackDown.
She won the title by beating Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania 36 and The Queen is now in a unique position where she wrestles at both Raw and NXT at the same time.
The current NXT Champion was recently interviewed by Sports Illustrated and when asked if she worries about the competition on Wednesday nights, Charlotte said that she tries not to get caught up in the business side of the things:
“I try not to get caught up in the business side. When I have that opportunity to highlight my opponent and myself, that’s what we’re here to do. Going into this match, we’re trying to raise the bar.”
The interview was done before this week’s episode of NXT where Charlotte Flair defended her title against Io Shirai in a one on one match. The bout ended in a disqualification after the reigning champion introduced a kendo stick into the match.
She continued attacking her opponent after the match but Rhea Ripley made her return to WWE programming for the first time since her WrestleMania loss. She made the save and it appears that the two will be reigniting their rivalry in the coming times.
SmackDown Superstar Otis has revealed he is open to a return to WWE’s black-and-gold brand, NXT. He shared how a return to NXT “cries entertainment” to him, especially when there are new teams such as the Broserweights he and his tag team partner, Tucker Knight, can feud with.
“[…] going back to NXT? I don’t see why not,” Otis said during an interview with SPORTBible. “In my eyes, to get the opportunity in the ring I love it. If we were back in NXT [with the likes of] Matt Riddle with Pete [Dunne], let’s get it on, man.”
He believes a return would be an entertaining avenue for him to explore and that he’d be “more than happy to go NXT, Raw, SmackDown, 205 [Live].” He personally didn’t see a problem with him competing on 205 Live, asking “Is there a weight limit at 205 pounds? 205 pounds. Come on, guys. We need 305 Live here.”
Otis Talks About Heavy Machinery
With Otis currently enjoying so much singles success, it’s unsure whether Heavy Machinery will continue as a team going forward. According to him, however, there are no plans to separate the duo. He described their team as a “long brotherhood” born in NXT. Otis noted how their anniversary is coming up on July 22 and that “There’s no word on that [whether we’ll split] because we’re just doing what we love to do.”
Otis is scheduled to participate in this Sunday’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match. He competes for the briefcase against Daniel Bryan, Rey Mysterio, Aleister Black, King Corbin and AJ Styles.
NXT Superstar Johnny Gargano has shared his thoughts on WWE’s recent cinematic matchups during an interview with Mirror. He also brought up his interest in facing Seth Rollins and how he’s been staving off boredom during the coronavirus pandemic.
WrestleMania 36 featured two cinematic matches in the Boneyard Match and Firefly Fun House matchup. Gargano was a fan of both, calling them “awesome.”
The Firefly Fun House match, in particular, resonated with him. He noted how people could call him weird, but “as a deep dive fan the match was genius. There were so many little deep dives and easter eggs throughout that you can go back and think ‘that was awesome’. They were so different and so cool.”
Johnny Gargano Wants Seth Rollins
Gargano revealed how he had heard Seth Rollins’ promo on RAW, claiming that there wouldn’t be an NXT or Johnny Gargano without him. His words were something Gargano has taken issue with. He admitted he was going to “shoot for the moon” with his challenge, but would love to see Rollins return to NXT and for them to feud.
“So if Seth Rollins is free on any Wednesday and wants to come by, feel free Seth, come on by. I heard his promo from Raw where he said that there wouldn’t be an NXT or Johnny Gargano without him. If he feels that way, he can feel free to come by on Wednesday, anytime.”
Combating Boredom
In an effort to maintain his fitness and combat boredom during self-isolation, Gargano revealed that he now owns a Peloton bike and has become “one of those guys now.”
It’s a purchase made in an effort to adapt to the current self-isolation the world continues to experience. He stressed how you have to “make the best of what you got.” He shared how people are generally good at adapting and that “you just gotta make the best of things.”
Alongside the Peloton, he and his wife Candice LeRae, now own a dog. He explained how they’ve both been wanting a dog for a while but weren’t at home enough as they would want to be. The coronavirus has changed that, allowing them time to train the dog and spend time together.
This week’s episode of NXT saw the return of Mauro Ranallo and Beth Phoenix on commentary and now latest report on the matter has revealed how it was made possible.
According to reports from Pro Wrestling Sheet, both the commentators recorded their portion of the show from their homes as an additional precautionary measure during the coronavirus outbreak.
The production team put together a way for the duo to record the show from home in an effort to keep them on commentary while also limiting the amount of travel they need to do for the time being.
The company was able to make this change because the NXT announcers are not placed on the ringside and they appear on screen less than the Raw and SmackDown commentators.
For those who don’t know both Beth Phoenix and Nigel McGuinness took time off from their schedules because they have young children and they didn’t want to quarantine for two weeks after working WWE shows.
On the other hand, Ranallo had decided not fly from his home in Southern California to the Performance Center in Florida for the shows.
Both Tom Phillips and Byron Saxton have been calling the shows in their absence in recent weeks and it was reported recently that the company was looking for a way to bring the original commentary team back in the mix.
Deonna Purrazzo was released from WWE on April 15th, 2020. She signed with the company in the spring of 2018. Aside from making it to the quarter-finals of the 2018 Mae Young Classic, the 25-year-old never won a match on WWE programming. She rarely won on house shows or live events either.
During a recent interview with Fightful, Purrazzo spoke about the backstage culture in NXT. She said it was one where everyone is expected to just be happy to be there.
“I just feel like NXT is a culture of you’re grateful for what you get and you don’t ask for more, and I wasn’t grateful for what I got,” Deonna said during the interview. “Because I feel like I worked my ass off to get to NXT. I worked my ass off to prove I belonged there when I got there.”
Purrazzo would continue to mention that she pitched ideas for her, Chelsea Green, and Rachel Evers to form a stable.
“[I] thought out character ideas, vignettes for me as a tag team, for vignettes of me, Chelsea (Green), and Rachel (Evers) as a trio, for myself,” she continued. “I just invested a lot of me in different ways that they could use me and use my potential and it did fall on deaf ears. Because when I got opportunities they were given to other people because ‘I wasn’t ready,’ and I didn’t let it slide.”
Purrazzo’s last match for the company was on the April 6th, 2020 edition of RAW. She lost to a returning Nia Jax that night. Before signing with WWE in 2018, she had wrestled with Impact, ROH, and Stardom.
NXT Superstar Keith Lee has previously reflected on being rejected by WWE following unsuccessful tryouts. In a recent interview with Yahoo Sports before last night’s episode of NXT, Lee shared which WWE Legends helped inspire him after being told he wouldn’t be needed. He also addressed his recent feuds with Damien Priest and Dominik Dijakovic and the meaning of being “Limitless.”
After being rejected by WWE, Lee pointed to NXT General Manager William Regal and WWE Hall of Famers Jim Ross and Dusty Rhodes in helping to keep him motivated with his dream of signing with WWE.
He utilized the time after his tryouts to continue to hone his craft on the independent circuit, making a name for himself in the process. During this time, NXT began to change into something that could make use of him. Lee noted how he’s always been a confident person and that all he’s “ever really required is an opportunity.”
Keith Lee Is Limitless
Keith Lee’s nickname “Limitless” ties into this concept. He explained how his character represents his life growing up, but also his experiences in entertainment as a whole.
“Being told no so many times, being denied, turned down, shut down, talked down and never giving up. That’s kind of the premise that ‘Limitless’ was.”
Lee explained how being “Limitless” is more than just his in-ring skills. It’s a lifestyle and mentality to help get through tough times.
Recent NXT Feuds
Turning his attention to his recent highlight feuds on NXT, Lee acknowledged how many people may not expect the athleticism NXT’s big men are capable of. “When you get gents like us in the ring, it’s oftentimes [jaw-dropping] but also mesmerizing for someone who is seeing it for the first time.
To them, it’s an unexpected surprise. For the Superstars, however, their performance is an “expression of who we are.”
Lee shared how their drive to be the greatest and experience the highest level of competition creates a magical experience.
Keith Lee successfully retained his NXT North American Championship against Damien Priest during last night’s episode of NXT.
The April 29, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from the Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University.
The show was headlined by NXT North American Champion Keith Lee defending the title against Damian Priest.
WWE NXT Results (4/29)
Isaiah “Swerve” Scott def. El Hijo del Fantasma – Interim NXT Cruiserweight Title Group B Match.
Candice LeRae def. Kacy Catanzaro.
Charlotte Flair def. Mia Yim
Dexter Lumis def. Shane Thorne
Drake Maverick def. Tony Nese – Interim NXT Cruiserweight Title Group A Match.
NXT North American Champion Keith Lee def. Damian Priest
Here are the 5 takeaways from this week’s show:
Isaiah “Swerve” Scott vs. El Hijo del Fantasma
To open the show, WWE booked Isaiah “Swerve” Scott vs. El Hijo del Fantasma in an Interim NXT Cruiserweight Title Tournament Group B Match.
A solid match with both guys working hard. Fantasma appeared to work a more stiff style in this contest while Scott let his athleticism shine.
In the end, it was Scott winning, which marks his first win in the tournament, with a quick roll up. Post-match, he cut a promo about the challenges of facing Fantasma. He stated that he needed the win more and how he’s the guy when the game is on the line to make the winning shot.
This was an interesting match choice to open the show considering that both guys aren’t proven as big stars. In fact, Fantasma only made his debut recently.
That will be something interesting to see in regards to the ratings as NXT continues to slip in the ratings war with AEW despite having a two-win streak going on for this month.
Thankfully we made some popcorn before this match. ??#WWENXT
Candice LeRae had her first match as a heel on WWE NXT television by taking on Kacy Catanzaro in a singles match.
LeRae got a new entrance and was joined by her husband, Johnny Gargano, who was doing the ring introductions for her.
He praised her for all of her good qualities, how much she means to him, and her foot being a great birth control (this was a reference to her kicking Tommaso Ciampa in the groin during their match a few weeks ago).
The match did get some time but it was all LeRae for the most part. LeRae was the one to go over. It appears that with the married couple now being heels and quite entertaining, LeRae will be getting more of a push going forward.
Why does Cinderella always have all the fun? Well, tonight belongs to the WICKED STEPSISTER. @CandiceLeRae defeats @KacyCatanzaro in ??????? fashion! ?#WWENXTpic.twitter.com/vbkLmzSy3k
NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair faced Mia Yim in a non-title match on this show.
It was a fun back and forth affair. One of the best matches on the whole show. As expected, Flair went over in the contest with her finisher.
WWE set up this match last week after Yim picked up a win in a squash match. Following the contest, Flair came out and gave her a backhanded compliment.
The company is still holding off on Flair giving a rematch to former champion Rhea Ripley, which is still expected. However, there’s still no word yet on when the contest will take place.
After the match, Io Shirai came out and gave a heated promo where she stated that next week, Flair was hers. Mauro Ranallo confirmed on commentary that this title match would take place next week.
NXT North American Champion Keith Lee made his latest title defense against Damian Priest in the biggest match on the show.
WWE saved the match for last and rightfully so. WWE had been building up this contest for quite some time as they have previously wrestled each other.
With that said, it was a stiff match that saw Lee hit two back-to-back powerbombs to pick up the victory and successfully retain the title.
The latest angle done was last week when The Velveteen Dream & Dexter Lumis (replacing Lee) defeated Adam Cole & Roderick Strong in a tag team match. Lee was supposed to be the Dream’s partner but Lee was taken out when Priest hit him in the throat with a club.
It appears that WWE will be moving on from this feud.
WWE booked a wacky yet entertaining segment named “The Newly Bro Show” with Bryon Saxton serving as the host and Matt Riddle and Timothy Thatcher being the contestants.
It was like a dating or matchmaking show where Saxton would ask Thatcher a question and Riddle would write down what he thought Thatcher would say. It was all comedy and quite funny.
This led to Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner coming out that led to a brawl with the UK stars standing tall with the titles in hand. Thus, it appears this is the next feud for the NXT Tag Team Titles.
Of course, Thatcher is serving as the replacement for Riddle’s normal tag team partner, Pete Dunne, as Dunne is stuck over in the UK and can’t work NXT TV shows.
WWE NXT Superstar Io Shirai has opened up about the differences between wrestling in Japan and the United States.
Speaking with WWE show The Bump, Shirai detailed how wrestler win/loss records have an impact on how promoters decide on contenders in Japan.
Shirai noted how in the United States, wrestling is “more than the win or the defeat.” She highlighted how the story and process that leads into the matchup is what makes an American audience react.
When she wrestled in Japan, Io Shirai was only focused on winning. After arriving in America, however, “I realized that just winning the match won’t make me supported by the audience. It’s more about the process and the story that leads to the win or the defeat.”
It’s a moment she believes it shared between wrestler and audience. She explained how, upon realizing this, she was able to immerse herself deeper into pro wrestling.
Io Shirai is the current number one contender to Charlotte Flair’s NXT Women’s Championship. She won the right to face off against Flair after winning a #1 Contender’s Ladder Match on the 4/8 episode of NXT. Shirai defeated Mia Yim, Chelsea Green, Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai, and Tegan Nox for the right to challenge Flair.
Chelsea Green is currently a part of the Robert Stone Brand on NXT programming. Green’s WWE career is just getting started but for many their time in the company came to an end earlier this month. Green was recently interviewed by WCSN and commented on the releases which included her partner, Zack Ryder and her friend, Deonna Purrazzo.
“This has been happening all over the world in every profession,” Green said. “It’s really, really unfortunate that two of the people who are closest to me in my life were released, but on the other hand, both of them are going to go on to do so much more, and I would feel terrible if that wasn’t the case, but that’s the case.”
Green continued to talk about how she is looking forward to seeing what both Ryder and Purrazzo do outside of WWE.
“Deonna has so much potential,” Green continued. “She was not used in the capacity she should have been used in. Matt has so much potential and has continued to prove that throughout his entire career. So, whatever Matt does, he’s fine.”
Green also noted during the interview that Lance Storm was a big influence on her career. She trained at the Storm Wrestling Academy in Calgary. Storm shut the school down last year in order to work on the road with WWE as a producer. He was then one of the many producers who were either furloughed or released earlier this month.
“He really is like a dad to me, and to PeytonRoyce, and to Rachael, and everyone who’s gone through his school,” Green said about Storm.
Green last competed in the #1 contenders ladder match for the NXT women’s championship. She almost won the match as well but a knee injury prevented her from climbing the ladder. Highlights of the match can be seen below:
WWE NXT Superstar Dakota Kai believes another Women’s championship could work on the black-and-gold brand. Speaking with Sports Illustrated, Kai argued that adding an additional belt for the women’s division is “so feasible for us.”
Kai explained how their roster is stacked with talented women with additional storylines and narrative opportunities outside of the title picture. She believes that with another title, these storylines could have added meaning as they “would be fighting for something.”
She believes a secondary title could be used well and “isn’t such a crazy idea.” Kai pointed to Io Shirai and Candice LeRae’s match at TakeOver: Toronto and her TakeOver: Portland bout against Tegan Nox as examples where a title could have heightened the matches even more.
Dakota Kai On Moving To RAW Or SmackDown
Having become a fixture of the NXT Women’s division, Kai confessed that, even if RAW or SmackDown came calling, her heart is with NXT. She explained how being on the USA Network makes it more realistic for Superstars to simply stay on NXT.
“That’s not to say that, in the future, Raw or SmackDown are completely off the table to me, but there is a certain family element in NXT that you can’t get anywhere else. That comes back to what I was saying about the NXT women’s division. We all want the best for the brand, and that’s hard to come by. I would love to stay here.”
Dakota Kai competed last night on NXT. She teamed with Raquel Gonzalez, defeating the team of Tegan Nox and Shotzi Blackheart.
NXT Superstar Dakota Kai has shared her thoughts on the recent releases by WWE. Speaking with Sporting News, Kai touched on WWE’s decision and whether she was worried she would be one of them.
Dakota Kai admitted that it was a “genuinely heartbreaking” experience to watch the releases be announced. She explained how she discovered the news unfold alongside the rest of the world. Noting how many of those let go were her peers, Kai added how it’s been a tough time. “But it’s tough for every company right now. WWE is in the limelight. All of that stuff was made public.”
The Superstar reflected on how her brother still has a job despite others in his company having been let go. She stressed how everyone is struggling during this “strange, sad time.”
“No matter what your position is in the company, it is always that sort of unknown, right?” Kai argued. “No one’s ever 100 hundred percent safe, so it was terrifying in that sense. I’m super grateful to still be able to do what I’m doing.”
Dakota Kai On Elevating NXT
Turning her attention to NXT and All Elite Wrestling, Dakota Kai reflected on their competition. She noted how if there’s another company out there bringing out a great product, it forces people to want to “elevate your own.”
According to Kai, this Wednesday night war between NXT and Dynamite is “good for the wrestling business.” She shared how she wishes people online could see that. Kai added how she wished people “would just be happy with both and not get into such heated debates about either. Wrestling is for everyone.”
The news of WWE releasing over a dozen superstars made a lot of headlines last week but the company also released a lot of lesser-known names alongside people like Kurt Angle and Rusev as well.
One such name was the long time WWE referee Mike Chioda who had been with the promotion since 1989. He was the longest-tenured referee in the history of the promotion.
Chioda finally broke his silence on his WWE firing on Wednesday and he put out the following tweets, thanking the members of the WWE Universe as well as his co-workers who have reached out to him:
I Want To Say Thanks To the WWE & To All My AMAZING WWE FANS & Universe! 35yrs & 31yrs Refereeing Working for the WWE has been a FANTASTIC RUN!! I Am So PROUD to have Worked with So Many ICONS & AMAZING TALENT IN THIS INDUSTRY!! I THANK YOU ALL!! 1Luv! Mike Chioda @WWE
A Very Special Thanks To All My WWE Co-Workers & WWE FANS for Reaching out to Me! I Really Appreciate The RESPECT & KIND WORDS FROM EVERYONE!! During these Unprecedented times in our lives. Everyone & There Families B Safe & God Bless!! @WWE
This week’s episode of NXT saw the Undisputed Era facing the
team of The Velveteen Dream and Keith Lee in a tag team match. Lee was taken
out of the equation after an attack from Damian Priest.
Dexter Lumis suddenly appeared on the side of Dream towards the ending of the match and the two went on to defeat the Undisputed Era despite the disadvantage of numbers.
After the show, the trio was interviewed backstage where they claimed that the odds were stacked against them from the beginning and warned the NXT roster to be ready for the Undisputed Era. You can check out their interview below:
NXT Superstar Johnny Gargano hates it when people refer to WWE’s black-and-gold brand as developmental. Speaking with Sporting News, Gargano explained why he considers those who do to be wrong and disrespectful.
Gargano argued how the belief that NXT is still WWE’s developmental brand “devalues everything we’re doing in NXT.”
“I believe everything is developmental when you want to look at it that way. I think if you’re going to consider NXT developmental than RAW and SmackDown are developmental as well,” Gargano said. “I believe we are all learning. We’re all growing. I don’t think just because you’re in a certain brand that doesn’t mean you’re progressing or growing any more than any other brand.”
As far as Johnny Gargano is concerned, people should be looking at NXT as WWE’s third brand. He believes their track record and talent pool proves his point. He argued how WWE could put any NXT Superstar on RAW or SmackDown, or have a Superstar come to NXT—much in the way Charlotte Flair has done. He explained how the three brands are “very much intertwined.”
Johnny Gargano stated how “If you’re still using the term developmental to evaluate NXT in any way, shape, or form, I think you need to get over yourself.” He then talked about wrestling should be fun and that people should enjoy it without devaluing people’s hard work and sacrifice.
Killer Kross and Scarlett Bordeaux are now members of the NXT roster. While Kross has not officially debuted with the company, he attacked Tommaso Ciampa in the back to close out the most recent edition of NXT. Based on new merchandise for the Superstar, it appears he will not be going by the name Killer Kross in NXT, however.
Posters and t-shirts for Kross are already available on WWEShop.com. They can be found at this link. The shirts feature the name “Karrion Kross” indicating that he will be moving forward without “Killer” as part of his name.
The word is a noun meaning “the decaying flesh of dead animals.” It is normally spelled with a “C” rather than a “K,” however.
Karrion Kross In NXT
Triple H recently spoke about Kross during an interview with SI.com. During the interview, Triple H noted that Kross was something special.
“The first time you see him, you know right away that he’s something special,” Triple H said about Kross. “It’s been a long path for him to get where he is. He is a unique talent that combines what he does in the ring with his charisma and his intelligence. I’m excited for him to be here.”
It appears as though Kassius Ohno is amongst those recently cut by WWE. It is not clear whether Ohno has been furloughed or if he has been released outright, however. An employee who has been furloughed is still able to receive their benefits and could potentially be brought back in the future. WWE talent are being outright released while employees of the company are being furloughed, though this does not include all producers.
According to a report from the Wrestling Observer, Ohno is part of the recent cuts. The 40-year-old had been with the company since returning in late-2016. Ohno had previously been with NXT from the summer of 2012 until the fall of 2013 as well. His last appearance in WWE was at the NXT UK tapings from Coventry in early March. Ohno also performed for the NXT UK brand on its January tapings as well.
Kassius Ohno in NXT
Real name Chris Spradlin, he has wrestled primarily under the name Chris Hero on the independent scene when outside of WWE. Amongst his accomplishments in wrestling include being a 2x ROH tag team champion along with Cesaro. The team was also awarded the Tag Team of the Year award in 2010 by the voters of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Ohno is also a former PWG World Champion and EVOLVE Champion.
As expected, WWE is continuing to release talent due to budget cuts and now the releases are coming from the NXT brand.
On Wednesday, WWE decided to release or furlough several wrestlers as well as producers from their contracts with the company.
WWE made it publicly known that they had plans to cut back on talent expenses in addition to other areas of business expenses due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.
PWInsider.com reported today that the following NXT stars were released from WWE over the past few days:
Tino Sabbatelli
Cezar Bononi
Mars Wang
Taynara Conti
Nick Ogarelli also revealed that he was released. It should also be noted that there are some wrestlers who have been removed from the Performance Center roster page as well.
As of this writing, there have been no reports as to whether the following talent has been released: Edgar Lopez, Faisal Kurdi, Hussain Aldagal, Jorge Bolly, Marcos Gomes, Mohamed Fahim, and Omari Palmer.
The following talent was let go on Wednesday by WWE:
Viewership data is in for this week’s battle in the WWE NXT vs. AEW Dynamite Wednesday Night War. For the second straight week, NXT won in total viewers, but AEW had the edge in the coveted 18-49 demographic.
Here is the breakdown of the live and same-night DVR viewership, courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily:
WWE NXT Viewership
NXT on the USA Network averaged 692,000 viewers, essentially even with last week’s 693,000 In the 18-49 demo, they drew a 0.17 rating, down from 0.19 last week.
The episode featured Finn Balor vs. Fabian Aichner, Akira Tozawa vs. Isaiah Scott, Tegan Nox vs. Raquel Gonzalez, and NXT Tag Team Champions Matt Riddle & Timothy Thatcher vs. The Undisputed ERA (Bobby Fish & Roderick Strong).
AEW Dynamite on TNT was watched by 683,000 viewers, down from the 692,000 viewers last week. In the 18-49 demo, Dynamite pulled in a 0.25 rating, down slightly from the 0.26 rating that the show did last week.
AEW Dynamite featured such as AEW World Heavyweight Champion Jon Moxley vs. Jake Hager in a No Holds Barred Empty Arena Match, Chuckie T vs. Kip Sabian, Sammy Guevara vs. Pineapple Pete, Lance Archer vs. Colt Cabana in an AEW TNT Title Tournament First Round Match. Britt Baker vs. Cassandra Golden, and Shawn Spears in singles action.
The April 15, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from the Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University.
The show was headlined by Matt Riddle and his new partner defending the NXT Tag Team Titles against The Undisputed Era.
WWE NXT Results (4/15)
Finn Balor def. Fabian Aichner
Xia Li def. Aliyah
Akira Tozawa def. Isaiah “Swerve” Scott
Tegan Nox def. Raquel Gonzalez
Dexter Lumis def. Tehuti Miles
NXT Tag Team Champions Matt Riddle & Timothy Thatcher def. The Undisputed Era
Here are the 6 takeaways from this week’s show:
Finn Balor Back In Action
Finn Balor in NXT
Former WWE NXT Champion Finn Balor battled Imperium’s Fabian Aichner in a singles match on this show.
As expected, it was a stiff back and forth affair with Balor rightfully so going over.
This is the latest development in the build of Balor eventually challenging NXT UK Champion WALTER for the strap. Originally plans had called for this championship bout to take place at NXT TakeOver: Tampa earlier this month.
However, that wasn’t meant to be as the event got canceled due to the coronavirus. WALTER is stuck in the UK and won’t be able to make it to the United States for quite some time.
Thus, it appears that WWE will do a slow build to this match. The only problem is the unknown timetable as to when WALTER will be able to make it to the United States.
Matt Riddle and his new partner defended the NXT Tag Team Titles against The Undisputed Era (Bobby Fish & Roderick Strong).
It turns out that Timothy Thatcher ended up serving as the new tag team partner for Matt Riddle to help him defend the NXT Tag Team Titles while Pete Dunne is on the sidelines.
WWE had NXT William Regal go on the Bump on Wednesday to announce the news. He also booked a title match that saw Riddle put up the titles to defend against The Undisputed Era.
This was a fun match and probably the best contest on the show from a work standpoint despite having no fans.
With The Undisputed Era dropping yet another loss to Riddle, it’s likely that WWE will be moving forward with a new program involving the NXT Tag Team Titles.
It will also be interesting to see where The Undisputed Era goes from here considering they’re not holding the straps anymore.
For the first time in years, Charlotte Flair made an appearance on NXT TV as the NXT Women’s Champion. She did so by doing a promo that was pre-taped instead of being live.
Flair talked about how it feels good to call her shot and beat Rhea Ripley to win the title. She praised Rhea for being the future but she won’t apologize for her greatness.
She thinks this title win will complete her legacy because she is going to do something that no one else has done, which is to dominate three different eras – the past, the present, and the future.
Flair brought up beating Natalya for the NXT Title before then dethroning Nikki Bella as the Divas Champion and beat Paige and Trish Stratus as well.
Flair stated that for the past five years, she has been the most dominant star in the women’s division. She bragged about beating Sasha Banks, Bayley, and Becky Lynch among others. She talked about snapping Asuka’s undefeated streak and leaving Ronda Rousey a broken woman.
Now, we’re in the present and how she’s heard how great the NXT women’s division is. Flair vowed to run through the NXT stars.
This was an excellent promo by Flair and we should hope to see more of this.
The Interim NXT Cruiserweight Championship Tournament began when Akira Tozawa took on Isiah Scott in a singles match. This contest was part of the Group B section of the tournament.
WWE didn’t give them a ton of time but for what they were able to show off, it was fun. There were some near falls but in the end, Tozawa managed to pull off the win after hitting a backsplash off the top rope.
Some fans could argue that this was an upset win considering that Scott has been used more heavily on NXT television compared to Tozawa.
However, fans must remember that the Cruiserweight Title is more showcased on 205 Live despite the NXT tag in the name of the title.
The Velveteen Dream was waiting throughout the whole show for NXT Champion Adam Cole. However, the champ didn’t join him but rather made an appearance once again by his poolside.
This led to Dream getting on a podium where he cut a promo about how it was typical for Cole to no show, to leave him in the arena by himself. Dream said that Cole thinks he’s stupid. He said that Cole fancies himself as the leader of the Undisputed Era but all he sees him as is the last champion within the faction.
He praised Cole for being a dominant champion but he told him that Cole’s dream is over.
This led to Finn Balor coming out and telling him that he doesn’t know or like Dream. Balor said that the greatest NXT Champion is him and Dream needs to be careful because ignorant comments will get a date with the prince.
Great promos all around by the three men. With WWE holding off Cole defending the title against Dream, perhaps WWE is starting a feud with Balor and Dream for now. They have a match set for next week.
After a few weeks of airing teasers for the impending debut of former Impact Wrestling star Killer Kross, he has made another sighting.
WWE had Tommaso Ciampa cut a backstage promo while sitting on a production box about how he’s done with Johnny Gargano and Candie LeRae following last week’s match.
This is when Ciampa was knocked over from behind and attacked. We saw a boot then Kross entered the frame over Ciampa, who was laid out. Kross said tick tock and the show then faded to black.
So there you have it. Kross is getting a big push by facing one of the biggest stars in NXT going forward.
NXT General Manager William Regal is set to once again appear on WWE show The Bump. Last time Regal appeared, he announced that NXT would be hosting a tournament to crown an Interim NXT Cruiserweight Championship. This is something current Champion Jordan Devlin took issue with. Regal’s upcoming appearance on The Bump will once again regard the state of NXT gold as he will be addressing the NXT Tag Team Championship scene.
William Regal Addresses The NXT Tag Team Championship Landscape
The current NXT Tag Team Champions are Matt Riddle and Pete Dunne. The duo, collectively known as the Broserweights, won the belts during NXT TakeOver: Portland earlier this year. They defeated Undisputed Era’s Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish to claim the gold, having earned the right by winning the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament.
It’s worth noting that The Bump’s official Twitter account wrote:
“The #WWENXT GM stops by #WWETheBump to address the @WWENXT Tag Team Championship picture, this Wednesday at 10am ET!”
Having won the NXT Women’s Championship during WrestleMania 36, Charlotte Flair is set to return to the black-and-gold brand. And she’ll be doing it sooner rather than later. According to reports, Flair will be returning to her old stomping grounds on Wednesday’s episode of NXT. It will air live on the USA Network.
This marks Charlotte Flair’s first appearance on the brand since winning the gold from Rhea Ripley. The episode will reportedly air live from Full Sail University. Having previously pre-recorded episodes in the run-up to WrestleMania 36, WWE has been given the greenlight to air live episodes. This comes in the wake of Mayor of Orange County, Jerry Demings, declaring that WWE is considered to be an essential business.
It was initially reported that WWE’s decision to have Charlotte Flair reclaim the title was done to help bolster their Wednesday night ratings war. They go head-to-head each Wednesday with All Elite Wrestling’s Dynamite on TNT.
It remains to be seen whether Flair’s move back to the black-and-gold brand will have the impact WWE intends.
NXT Card 4/15
Finn Balor vs Fabian Aichner
NXT Cruiserweight Championship Tournament Begins
Participants include:
KUSHIDA, Jack Gallagher, Isaiah “Swerve” Scott, Akira Tozawa, El Hijo del Fantasma, Jake Atlas, Tony Nese, and Drake Maverick
NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair returns to NXT
Former NXT Cruiserweight Champion Lio Rush has taken issue with WWE’s recently announced Cruiserweight Tournament. The round-robin tournament will be held to determine an Interim NXT Cruiserweight Champion while current champion Jordan Devlin is stuck in the United Kingdom due to the coronavirus pandemic. This renders him unable to defend his title, hence the decision to crown an Interim.
Taking to his Twitter account, Lio Rush wrote: “Is this still April fools!? Face with tears of joy. No Man Of The Hour? No 25-year-old piece of gold? No Versace Doctor? No Former Cruiserweight Champion? No LIO MF RUSH!?”
Rush followed up with another message. This tweet highlighted how he hasn’t been featured in a WWE video game, doesn’t have an action figure, and has been excluded from the Cruiserweight Championship Tournament. He ended it by asking, “@WWE y’all want to tell me something?”
Lio Rush previously held the NXT Cruiserweight Championship for 63 days. He lost the belt to Angel Garza last year on the December 11 episode of NXT.
Eight men have been announced to vie for the title. They include KUSHIDA, Tony Nese, Jake Atlas, Isaiah “Swerve” Scott, El Hijo del Fantasma, Akira Tozawa, Gentlemen Jake Gallagher and a returning Drake Maverick. The tournament begins this Wednesday night on NXT.
Former WWE 24/7 Champion Drake Maverick is gearing up for an in-ring return. Maverick will be taking part in WWE’s recently announced Cruiserweight Tournament. The tournament will crown an Interim NXT Cruiserweight Champion. This decision was made as the current champion Jordan Devlin is unable to travel due to the coronavirus virus.
Taking to his Twitter account, Maverick uploaded a video reflecting on his impending return to action. He shared how, after his matchup with Mike Kanellis on 205 Live, he promised himself he wouldn’t compete in a WWE ring again. However, he “got the bug” to wrestle, admitting there’s no other feeling than the support of the WWE Universe.
Maverick revealed how “[…] since then, I’ve been knocking on the doors about being an in-ring competitor…and that wasn’t working out for me.” This lack of progress caused him to suffer from self-doubt before finally being announced for the upcoming Tournament.
Notably, Drake Maverick shared that NXT General Manager William Regal will be taking over the WWE Cruiserweight division going forward. He took the opportunity to thank Regal for taking the reins as he attempts to capture the Interim NXT Cruiserweight Championship.
“There’s a lot of hunger in here that I don’t think I’ve been able to express or show the WWE Universe, and I’m not taking this opportunity lightly,” he said. “And that’s all it is: It’s an opportunity. But I’m not coming here underconfident. I’m not entering the tournament with anything on my mind but being a winner. I’m gonna be the Interim NXT Cruiserweight Champion.”
If you use any quotes from this article, please provide a H/T to SEScoops.
WWE’s NXT brand will be holding a tournament to declare an interim NXT cruiserweight champion. This is due to the current champion Jordan Devlin being unable to participate in upcoming WWE tapings due to travel restrictions.
The promotion released the names of the 8 superstars who will participate in the tournament today. Below are the groups for the tournament:
Group A:
KUSHIDA
Jake Atlas
Tony Nese
Drake Maverick
Group B:
Isiah “Swerve” Scott
El Hijo del Fantasma
Akira Tozawa
“Gentleman” Jack Gallagher
This tournament will not be single elimination as many WWE tournaments are. Instead, WWE will be utilizing a round-robin format to declare an interim cruiserweight champion.
The eight wrestlers will be split into two groups and will each face the other wrestlers in their group once. The wrestlers with the best record in each group will then face off in the finals. The tie-breaker will be head-to-head records of the tied participants. The winner will then be declared the new interim cruiserweight champion.
205 Live General Manager Drake Maverick recently commented on his participation:
Jordan Devlin has also offered his thoughts on the tournament:
.@Jordan_Devlin1 shares his thoughts on @RealKingRegal's announcement of the tournament to crown an Interim #WWENXT Cruiserweight Champion and issues a warning to all of the FRAUDS! pic.twitter.com/eApiLW8A1w
