SEScoops

Category: NXT

  • Finn Balor Reunites With Bullet Club Members (Photos)

    Finn Balor Reunites With Bullet Club Members (Photos)

    WWE Superstar Finn Balor recently reunited with a few friends from New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW).

    The former Universal Champion took some time to catch up with some of his former Bullet Club stablemates for a Sunday BBQ. He joined Tama Tonga and Tonga’s father, Haku, for the event. They were also joined by NXT Superstar KUSHIDA, who made a name for himself in NJPW before signing with WWE.

    Both Balor and Tonga uploaded photos of their reunion to social media to commemorate their day. Balor wrote “Family. @Tama_Tonga & HAKU” to caption the picture of himself, flanked by Tonga and Haku. In the picture, Balor is throwing up the Too Sweet gesture on both hands.

    Tonga uploaded a few photos, including the one Balor uploaded, alongside the caption:

    “Had some friends over for a Sunday BBQ reminiscing about our good times together in [Japanese Flag Emoji]. Surround yourself with good people and keep moving forward.”

    Balor was at one point the leader of Bullet Club in NJPW, back when he was known as Prince Devitt. He recently returned to NXT, announcing that he was once more part of the black-and-gold brand during a confrontation with current NXT Champion Adam Cole. Tama Tonga, meanwhile, is one half of the current IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions in NJPW alongside his brother Tonga Loa.

  • Kushida Suffering From Wrist Injury

    Kushida Suffering From Wrist Injury

    Looks like WWE NXT’s Kushida will have to take a break after having a great match with Walter last week on NXT – which received rave reviews from fans online. The Time Splitter will have to to take some time for himself as he revealed he’s suffering from a wrist injury.

    The Japanese star re-aggravated his wrist injury during the main event match on NXT. The injury was first reported by WWE Now, but was assumed to be part of a storyline.

    However, it looks like the injury is not just a work but a real one – a recent post by Kushida on his social media shows photos of his hand swollen and in a cast. Kushida wrote,
    “Ouch! Rebuild and come back to the ring soon. Thank you everyone.”

    https://twitter.com/KUSHIDA_0904/status/1182766630675369984?s=20

    KUSHIDA announced in early January his plans to leave NJPW. He wrestled his final match for the promotion against Hiroshi Tanahashi on January 29th in Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall.

    Ahead of the April 5th NXT TakeOver: New York event, Triple H and William Regal officially welcomed KUSHIDA to NXT.

    “I was in a state where I didn’t understand the new practice environment, food, housing, English, Matches…but I feel that a little more open time has been created recently,” Kushida wrote in a post talking about adjusting in the US.

    Kushida was challenged to a match by Walter. Speaking with WWE after competing at a EVOLVE event, Walter said, “KUSHIDA made the biggest mistake of his whole career. He needs to understand where his position is in our sport.” You can check out the results of the match here.

  • Shotzi Blackheart Offered NXT Contract At Evolve 137

    Shotzi Blackheart Offered NXT Contract At Evolve 137

    Indie star Shotzi Blackheart will be the newest addition to WWE NXT as she was offered a contract during the EVOLVE 137 event.

    WWE NXT General Manager William Regal appeared on the October 11’s EVOLVE Wrestling event and offered the contract to Blackheart.

    At the event, Blackheart had successfully defended her Shine Nova Championship against Aja Perera.

    WWE had initially announced that NXT GM Regal would be at the EVOLVE event in Atlanta to “conduct a little business.”

    Shotzi has also revealed her remaining indie appearances, after which she would be working with WWE.

    Initially, the news of Shotzi’s signing was reported by Squared Circle Sirens on October 9. At that time, Shotzi denied the report on Twitter, writing in a now-deleted tweet, “Who said? Also im 26 not 28….cant even get my age right.”

    In 2015, Shotzi Blackheart appeared as a contestant on the latest season of WWE Tough Enough, where she used her real name, Ashley Urbanski. She was unable to make it to the final 14 due to a medical issue. She also had a WWE tryout back in 2016.

    The 26-year-old California native has worked with Hoodslam, All Pro Wrestling, and with women’s wrestling promotions like SHIMMER, Shine Wrestling, and RISE Wrestling.

    After working with a number of UK promotions, she made her debut in IMPACT Wrestling and competed for two matches. She is actually going to compete at the company’s October 19 All Glory event, in a triple threat match against Laynie Luck and Kylie Rae for the Zero Pro Women’s Championship.

  • Pete Dunne Comments On Moving To NXT, Names Dream Opponent

    Pete Dunne Comments On Moving To NXT, Names Dream Opponent

    Former NXT UK Champion Pete Dunne recently became a permanent fixture of WWE’s black-and-gold brand in America. In an interview with PWInsider, Dunne addressed this move to NXT as well as who his current dream match would be against.

    Dunne confirmed his move to NXT but stressed that he doesn’t believe it changes his status in the company.

    “I think for the last three years I’ve been an independent wrestler, main roster wrestler, NXT wrestler and NXT UK wrestler. I’m all over the place, and I like the way that it’s opening up. Right? Cesaro can come do NXT UK, and I don’t want to close any door unnecessarily, but as of now the focus is USA every Wednesday.”

    When asked who he’d consider a dream opponent, Dunne was quick to name a fellow NXT Superstar.

    “First name [that] comes to mind would be Velveteen Dream. I just feel like me and him are on two opposite ends of the spectrum, character-wise. Right? And I feel like it’s an interesting dynamic that it’d be fun for me in front of him and obviously hopefully that translates out to the audience. Really, we’ve done a little bit in the past, but on TV at least, never had that singles match. Nothing. That’d be cool.”

    Dunne is currently involved in a feud with Damian Priest, who attacked him from behind during a recent episode of NXT.

    H/T to Wrestlezone for the quotes.

  • Adam Cole On Stables In Pro Wrestling, Not Expanding Undisputed Era

    Adam Cole On Stables In Pro Wrestling, Not Expanding Undisputed Era

    In an interview with GameSpot, current NXT Champion Adam Cole shared his thoughts on stables in pro wrestling and explained why Undisputed Era will probably never add new members to its ranks.

    “When a stable it’s done correctly, it’s so important. It’s so huge. It opens up so many different stories that that roster can tell,” Cole said. “So many different scenarios that guys can go. It just keeps things very fresh and different. Like you can do a million different tag matches, but at the same time, we’re individuals. Obviously, I’m NXT Champion, so I’m going to have a bunch of NXT Championship title defenses, but then the next week we can do a wild eight-man tag team match with all of us.”

    Cole explained how the Undisputed Era’s genuine friendship is the key to their success. He reflected on their ten-year friendship and how he has attended his stablemates weddings in the past. He believes this translates to screen and is a contributing factor behind the fans support of the Undisputed Era.

    “Never Say Never”

    When it comes to expanding the group, however, Cole confessed he thinks it is important the group stays small. Not only that but that their lineup doesn’t change.

    “As far as adding new people, no, I actually think it’s very important. I remember when it was me, Bobby, and Kyle at first. We were convinced it was just going to be the three of us, and then it was brought to us about Roderick Strong joining all of us. At the same time, we’re like, ‘man…’ [but] if anyone’s going to join us, he’s the perfect fit. And now that he’s there, we can’t imagine anyone else being involved either. So I think it’s going to stay with just the four of us. But again, it’s pro wrestling. Never say never.”

    Adam Cole recently successfully defended his NXT Championship against Matt Riddle. He appears to have new competition, however, in the form of both Finn Balor and Tommaso Ciampa.

  • Shayna Baszler On NXT’s Transition To Live Television, Not Holding Back

    Shayna Baszler On NXT’s Transition To Live Television, Not Holding Back

    Current NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler has previously spoken about how now is the perfect time for “no-nonsense realism” in pro wrestling. In an interview with Newsweek, Baszler reiterated her feelings, stressing that she wants to bring realism into the women’s division.

    “I just want to bring back that grimy, no-nonsense realism that the women’s division has been lacking. And as long as I can stay true to that, the rest will take care of itself. I’m from the midwest, so I believe as long as you put your nose in the dirt it all comes out in the wash. It might take you a couple years longer than someone else, but I’m fine with that, and I think I’m finally seeing the fruits of that,” she said.

    Changes

    Baszler shared how NXT’s transition to the USA Network has seen some minor changes she had not anticipated. Now that NXT airs on USA, there are elements she had previously not considered she now has to be aware of.

    “It’s been an interesting thing to have to worry about different TV aspects like watching your mouth or something like a t-shirt you wear,” Baszler said. “I don’t know if this is a story I should tell, but I have a 1969 Mustang, and it’s my prize possession. I have a shirt that says ‘I heart 69 mustangs,’ so I was going to wear it and I put it on social media but just the camera shot showed ‘I heart 69’ and they were like, ‘No we are on TV now, so you can’t.’ It’s stuff I didn’t think of because I’m just all about my car. The point of [the Performance Center] is to groom us for TV, so when it was time to pull the trigger, we found that we were more ready than we thought. It was scary until we got in there, and then it was ‘OK, we got this.’”

    “We Aren’t Holding Back”

    When it comes to the next steps for herself and the NXT locker room, Baszler is confident they will continue to impress. 

    “[…] we aren’t holding back. It’s not like all of a sudden the reins are off. We’ve been doing this. Now everyone gets to see it on a bigger stage,” Baszler explained. “It’s not a case of ‘When we get on TV now we’re really going to have good matches.’ It’s not any different from us. The groundwork was laid out for us, and we are just continuing what we came into.”

    Baszler recently defended her NXT Women’s Championship against Candice LeRae. 

  • WWE NXT Results & Live Coverage (10/9)

    WWE NXT Results & Live Coverage (10/9)

    The October 9th, 2019 edition of WWE NXT on USA Network took place at Full Sail University in Winter Park, FL.

    – Tonight’s broadcast opens with a video package looking at The Undisputed Era, and Finn Balor’s return to NXT. Mauro Ranallo welcomes us to Full Sail, and it looks like we’re starting off the show with the Cruiserweight TItle match.

    – Drew Gulak (c) vs. Lio Rush: The NXT Cruiserweight Title is on the line in this one. Lio starts off strong, but the Gulak is quickly able to take him down and start applying holds. They fight on the turnbuckle, which leads to Gulak kicking Rush off the turnbuckle down to the ringside floor, where Rush lands on some security guards. Back in the ring, Lio tries to mount a comeback, but Gulak keeps shutting him down. Gulak hits the Cyclone Crash on Lio and pins, but Lio gets his foot on the bottom rope to break the count. Gulak takes Rush to the top turnbuckle, but Rush fights back and knocks Gulak off. Rush follows up with a frog splash off the top. Rush bounces off the ropes now and hits the Come Up on Gulak. Rush goes to the top rope and hits the big frog splash. Rush pins for the three count, and we have a new Cruiserweight Champion.

    Winner & new Cruiserweight Champion: Lio Rush

    – After the match, William Regal comes out to present Rush with the Cruiserweight Title. Gulak gets back in the ring and interrupts, and grabs the Title belt. Gulak gives it to Rush personally, and they shake hands. Gulak leaves and Regal puts the belt around Rush’s waist now.

    – Kushida and Walter are shown backstage warming up in their respective locker rooms for their match later tonight.

    – Mauro sends us to a video package looking at Finn Balor’s career in NXT.

    – Tegan Nox is shown backstage helping Dakota Kai warm up for her match tonight.

    – Rhea Ripley vs. Aliyah: Vanessa Borne is at ringside in Aliyah’s corner. The opening bell sounds and Rhea starts off strong. Rhea looks for a suplex, but Aliyah escapes and rakes her back. Rhea fights back with a flurry of strikes now. Rhea applies a standing reverse Texas Cloverleaf, then she swings around and turns it into a facebuster. Ripley pins for the three count after a short match.

    Winner: Rhea Ripley

    – After the match, Rhea cuts a promo on Shayna Baszler and calls her out.

    – Mauro promotes the WWE press conference before SmackDown this Friday. Triple H, Tyson Fury, Cain Velasquez, Braun Strowman, and Brock Lesnar are scheduled to be in attendance.

    – Breezango comes out to the ring with a construction worker themed entrance and costumes. Ever-Rize’s music hits, but it turns the The Forgotton Sons attacked them, and they come out instead.

    – Breezango vs. The Forgotten Sons: Wesley Blake and Steve Cutler will be competing in this one. Riker is at ringside. Cutler immediately brings the fight to Breeze. Breeze starts fighting back, but Cutler shuts him down with a backbreaker. Cutler stomps on Breeze in the corner, then tags in Cutler for the double team. Breeze finally gets the tag to Fandngo, and the fight starts spilling out to ringside. Rieky gets involved, then Fandango hits a dive on him. Back in the ring, Blake and Cutler double team Fandango for the three count.

    Winners: The Forgotten Sons

    – Riker gets in the ring and celebrates with the Sons.

    – We see a video package looking at Keith Lee.

    – Boa vs. Cameron Grimes: This one is over almost immediately, as Grimes drops Boa with the stomp and pins for the three count.

    Winner: Cameron Grimes

    – Immediately after the match, Killian Dain hits the ring, and Grimes leaves. Dain beats down Boa and hits a moonsault on him. Dain takes Boa out into the crowd, and slams him on top of the announce table.

    – We see a video package looking at Damien Priest calling out Pete Dunne.

    – Roderick Strong (c) vs. Isaiah Scott: The North American Championship is on the line in this one. They lock up off the opening bell and trade holds and takedowns on the mat. Scott connects with a kick to the face for a two count. Scott follows up with a flurry of strikes, then a reverse vertical suplex. Scott follows up with a cartwheel splash for another two count. Strong fights back with a shot in the corner, then some chops and elbows. Scott comes back with a hurricanrana and some kicks for a two count. Scott and Strong trade punches, kicks and chops in the middle of the right now. Strong grabs Scott and gives him a backbreaker, then he puts the boots to him. They trade strikes again until Strong hits a leaping knee to the face and then a front face lock. Strong misses a shot in the corner and Scott tries to fight back, but Strong catches him and hits another backbreaker. They trade more strikes until Strong hits another backbreaker for a two count. Scott fights back with a series of strikes now, and then a jawbreaker. Scott hits a flying elbow from the middle rope now. Scott connects with a kick in the corner, followed by a draping DDT for a two count. The rest of the Undisputed Era comes down the ramp to cheer on Strong now. Scott follows up with a flurry of offense now, and after a flying kick to the face, he pins for a two count. Scott goes to the top turnbuckle now, as Strong rolls out to the apron. Scott comes down and hits a superkick on Strong on the apron. Strong hangs from his feet by the ropes on the outside side of the ring, and Scott hits a flying double stomp on him down to the ringside floor. Back in the ring, Scott gets distracted by the Undisputed Era, leading to Strong hitting a kick and running knee to the face. Strong hits a backbreaker followed by the Strong Hold for the win via submission.

    Winner & still North American Champion: Roderick Strong

    – The Era gets in the ring after the match to celebrate with Strong. Cole gets on the mic and says to get it up for Scott, he’s good, but he’s nowhere near the level of Strong. Cole says in NXT, everyone wants to see if they can beat the Era, and that’s why Finn Balor and Tomasso Ciampa returned. But he says their dream is unrealistic, because the Undisputed Era will never be beaten. The Velveteen Dream appears on the big screen and asks if somebody just said “Dream.” Dream comes out on the balcony and gets on a mic. Dream says he wants to show Strong his reality, and he shows a picture on the big screen of an embarrassing photo of Strong posing on a couch. Dream says he will strip Strong of his North American Title, an says he won’t measure up to The Dream. The Dream snaps his fingers, and the photo on the big screen switches to show Strong naked with a very small censor bar over his crotch. The Era yells at Dream, and then Ciampa’s music hits and Ciampa comes down the ramp, holding a crutch in his hand like a weapon. He grabs a steel chair from ringside too, then enters the ring. The Undisputed Era members all leave. Ciampa gets on the mic and says “daddy’s home.”

    – Back from the commercial break, we see footage from backstage where they’re waiting for Tomasso Ciampa to arrive for an interview. Angel Garza interrupts as soon as Ciampa arrives, and Ciampa drops him with a right hand.

    – Dakota Kai vs. Bianca Belair: Kai hits a kick and a double stomp early on, and Belair rolls outside for a breather. Kai hits another kick at ringside, then brings Belair back in the ring. Kai misses a shot in the corner and Belair launches her face-first into the turnbuckle. Belair hits a series of shoulder strikes in the corner now, and then a hip toss and a shoulder tackle for a two count. Belair hits a gutbuster for another two count. Kai hits a drop toe hold on Belair in the corner, followed up by a heel kick. More strikes from Kai for a two count. Kai hits a running double knee strike for another two count. Belair dodges a shot and then hits a double chicken wing facebuster. Belair follows up with a standing shooting star press for a two count. They trade a series of reverses and pin attempts now. Kai misses a kick and Belair hits the KOD for the three count.

    Bianca Belair

    – After the match, Bianca gets on the mic and takes issue with Rhea Ripley. Bianca says she will be the one to defeat Shayna Baszler, not Rhea.

    – Mauro introduces a video package looking at the 2016 RAW Draft, when Finn Balor was a top 5 pick, and some of his highlights in WWE including winning the Universal Championship.

    – We see a video package looking at the feud between Pete Dunn and Damien Priest, with Dunne cutting a promo for their match next week.

    – We see footage of other members of the NXT roster congratulating Lio Rush backstage on his Cruiserweight Title win.

    – WALTER vs. Kushida: The opening bell sounds and Kushida starts off throwing kicks, but WALTER is able to take him down to the mat. They both jockey for position on the mat now, trading holds. Walter starts dominating this one after a couple of big shots, and it’s all WALTER now. Kushida tries to fight back and build momentum, but WALTER drops him with a big chop to the chest. WALTER picks him up, but Kushida escapes and hits a DDT. Kushida finally mounts a comeback now and hits a series of strikes on WALTER. WALTER rolls out to the apron, and Kushida wrenches WALTER’s shoulder over the top rope. Kushida looks for a sunset flip powerbomb on WALTER off the apron, but WALTER reverses it and stomps on his face. WALTER pulls Kushida up on to the apron and they trade strikes now. WALTER misses a shot and hits the ring post by himself, then Kushida kicks out his legs. Kushida then hits a rolling DDT off the apron down to the ringside floor. Back in the ring, they trade shots until WALTER catches Kushida in a sleeper. Kushida tries to fight out, but WALTER keeps the hold in. Kushida finally breaks free, and puts WALTER in an arm bar. WALTER fights out, but Kushida rolls him into a small package for a two count. WALTER looks for a suplex, but Kushida breaks free and hits a heel kick. WALTER fires back with a big boot. WALTER hits the pump handle suplex for a two count. WALTER goes up top, but Kushida meets him there with a leaping kick to the face. Kushida joins Walter on the turnbuckle now and they trade strikes. Kushida looks for an arm lock, and he ends up slamming WALTER off the turnbuckle with an arm lock. WALTER gets his foot to the bottom rope to break the hold. Kushida hits a series of kicks to the face now, then looks for the Hoverboard Lock again, but Walter breaks free this time. Walter hits a running dropkick, then a powerbomb for a two count. WALTER hits some slaps to the face, then a big short arm lariat for the three count.

    Winner: WALTER

    – After the match, the other Imperium members come out to the stage to congratulate Walter.

    – Before the end of the show, we go to Cathy Kelley who has breaking news from Regal’s office. Next week, Tommaso Ciampa has a match against Angel Garza, and in two weeks from now Roderick Strong will take on the Velveteen Dream in a North American Title match. We see another shot of WALTER and Imperium on the stage as NXT goes off the air.

  • Roderick Strong vs Isaiah “Swerve” Scott Booked For NXT

    Roderick Strong vs Isaiah “Swerve” Scott Booked For NXT

    Isaiah “Swerve” Scott has a chance to move into contention for the NXT North American championship tonight when he faces champion Roderick Strong in a non-title match. The champion will not want to look past Scott but likely also has Velveteen Dream in the back of his mind. Dream made it clear last week that he is gunning to get the title back.

    “Will ‘Swerve’ continue to show why he’s one of NXT’s fastest rising Superstars and fast-track himself toward a title opportunity, or will Strong smash his speedy foe’s back into pieces and send a message to The Velveteen Dream?” a WWE press release for the match reads.

    Updated Lineup for NXT on USA 10/9:

    • NXT Cruiserweight Championship
      Drew Gulak (c) vs Lio Rush
    • WALTER vs KUSHIDA
    • Roderick Strong vs Isaiah “Swerve” Scott

    Roderick Strong vs Isaiah “Swerve” Scott

    This will be just the second time the two have met in any promotion. The first match between the two took place last month on an NXT live tour. Strong defeated Scott in a match at Minnreg Hall in Largo, Florida on September 5th, 2019.

    This will be just Scott’s second match on NXT programming (i.e not including live events). Scott lost in the first round of the NXT Breakout tournament to eventual finalist, Cameron Grimes.

  • Finn Balor Officially Moved To NXT Roster

    Finn Balor Officially Moved To NXT Roster

    WWE has officially moved Finn Balor from the SmackDown roster to NXT. The popular superstar returned to his former brand last week and faced off with Adam Cole.

    “In 2019, (Balor) returned to WWE NXT on the first-ever two-hour live episode on USA,” Balor’s bio now reads on WWE.com.

    Following his return to NXT last week, Balor spoke with Newsweek about what being back in Full Sail means to him.

    “I just want to continue to evolve,” Bálor said. “Been doing this for a long time, and sometimes when you stay in the same place for too long you get a little stagnant, you rely on your old tricks and old ways and you kind of just skate past. But there’s no skating here in NXT. I have to swim for sure, because It’s going to be a fight.”

    Balor also addressed the influx of new talent to NXT.

    “I have to be honest, it’s a little nerve-wracking. The game has changed a lot in NXT since I was here,” Bálor said. “Seeing the match Cole and Matt Riddle put on tonight, they are two of the absolute best in-ring competitors in the world. So it’s a little nerve-wracking to get into the deep end with those guys. It’s gotta be a challenge for myself in and out of the ring, and personally, to see if i can still go. It’s been awhile since I’ve been here, and the NXT style has evolved incredibly. When I was here it was me and [Samoa] Joe, and back then, I don’t want to say it was a slower pace, but it was definitely more rugged here and there. They are going fast, and it’s going to be a test for me and I’m looking forward to it.”

  • Matt Riddle On His Journey To NXT, Connecting With Fans

    Matt Riddle On His Journey To NXT, Connecting With Fans

    NXT Superstar Matt Riddle has become a staple of WWE’s black-and-gold brand since signing with the company in 2018. In an interview with PWInsider.com, ‘The Original Bro’ looked back on his journey to NXT as well as his relationship with the WWE Universe.

    Riddle explained how, despite his career in UFC and MMA, he wasn’t a big enough star within the sport to get an instant “round of publicity.” Because of that, he committed to travelling the world, honing his craft on the indie scene.

    “[…] you’re still going to have to grind through the Indies and just honestly it was years and years on the Indies where I just kept working,” Riddle explained. “UK shows, Canada, Mexico, America, Ireland, Germany, until the point where it was my goal because I knew I needed to do this is, that’s where I had the trial with WWE earlier, they’re like, ‘we can’t sign you because of your past,’ but then I knew I had to become undeniable. I knew I had to make everybody want me or need me to get a job. And that’s what I did until I worked hard enough for every company under the sun was offering me a contract.”

    Relatable Bro

    When it comes to connecting with fans, Riddle credits the fact that fans knew his story coming into pro wrestling. He believes this helped make him more relatable.

    “I think the connection was made and it was organic, just because they know my story. I know a lot of people like you, they might not know. But if one fan knows, he’s probably going to tell another fan and another fan, and I think people can relate to me,” Riddle said.

    “I think a lot of people have had an opportunity or break and something went wrong or they made a mistake and that’s it for them. And there’s never a rebound, there’s never a comeback, there’s never anything. So I think for me, that part of my story is motivating and people like that. Plus, like you said, I’m the kind of guy that would go in the crowd, hang out with everybody. I’m extremely friendly with people and I also think I’m pretty good at pro wrestling so I think all those things help out.”

    Matt Riddle recently competed in a losing effort against current NXT Champion, Adam Cole.

  • Scarlett Bordeaux Reportedly Signs With NXT

    Scarlett Bordeaux Reportedly Signs With NXT

    Scarlett Bordeaux is reported to have signed with NXT and has been at the WWE Performance Center over the last few days in preparation for her debut.

    It was reported this week by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Bordeaux had canceled several independent dates. It was then reported by Squared Circle Sirens that Bordeaux has, in fact, signed with WWE and will be headed to NXT.

    “We’re told that while she will wrestle the current plan is for her to be paired with a male NXT star and that her TV debut is coming ‘soon’,” the report reads.

    Bordeaux was released from her contract with Impact Wrestling earlier this summer. She is reported to have been at the Performance Center for a tryout in early September.

    Bordeaux has previously performed for WWE as well. She dropped a squash match to Nia Jax in 2016. Before the match, Scarlett was interviewed and seemed to imply that Sasha Banks was her hero:

    Scarlett Bordeaux to NXT

    The 28-year-old wrestles out of Chicago and since her release from Impact Wrestling in June has wrestled for promotions such as Joey Ryan’s Bar wrestling, MCW out of Maryland, and she also wrestled for AAA at Triplemania this year in Mexico City. She teamed with Sammy Guevara and challenged for the world mixed tag team titles in a 4-way match won by Lady Maravilla and Villano III Jr.

  • Matt Riddle Reflects On His Time In MMA, Learning To Sell In Pro Wrestling

    Matt Riddle Reflects On His Time In MMA, Learning To Sell In Pro Wrestling

    Matt Riddle recently opened up about his time training and competing in mixed martial arts during an episode of Lilian Garcia’s podcast, Chasing Glory. He also shared what he found most difficult when transitioning into pro wrestling.

    Before his time as an NXT Superstar and pro wrestler, Riddle competed in MMA and the UFC. Looking back on his time competing, he admitted he sometimes can’t believe he chose MMA as a career path:

    “I’ll be honest, I watch some of my old fights, and even when I watch fights now, I’m like, ‘I can’t believe I did that.’ It’s—I can probably do it now, I was training before I came over here and I handled myself quite well. But at the same time, it’s very reckless,” Riddle said. “It’s dangerous, there’s reward at the end but there’s also a high level of risk. I watch it, and like you said, it makes me flinch sometimes. I remember when I was younger I was like, ‘Yeah, nobody can hurt me.’ And now I’m like, why was I so stupid? Then again, it helped me but myself in the position I’m in now. I don’t regret it, because I had a good career.”

    Learning To Sell

    Transitioning from MMA to pro wrestling wasn’t seamless for Riddle. He confessed that he had a hard time learning how to sell after having to shrug everything off during a fight.

    “From MMA to pro wrestling it would have to be selling,” Riddle said. “In MMA you get punched in your face and you go, ‘No, didn’t even faze me.’ But in pro wrestling you’ve got to present it to the audience, the world. But that’s the biggest difference. For me, like I said, I’ve always been a fan, even when I would train MMA and stuff like that, I would play around, say if you get hit – I’ve been working on this for a while.”

    Riddle recently competed in a losing effort against NXT World Champion Adam Cole.

    H/T to Wrestlezone for the transcription.

  • NXT Injury Report: Matt Riddle Injured, Tommaso Ciampa Cleared, more…

    NXT Injury Report: Matt Riddle Injured, Tommaso Ciampa Cleared, more…

    As they have done for the last few weeks, NXT released their weekly injury report recently. According to this week’s report, former NXT champion Tommaso Ciampa has been cleared for action while Matt Riddle looks to be on the shelf for a little bit.

    The report did not state what injury Riddle is suffering from, only that he is not currently medically cleared to compete. The video noted, however, that Riddle was struck in the head Wednesday night by Adam Cole’s cast and he was shown in the video going through concussion protocol testing.

    Co-NXT tag team champion Kyle O’Reilly is listed as day-to-day with an AC sprain stemming from his and Bobby Fish’s title match Wednesday night against the Street Profits.

    Shane Thorne is also listed as day-to-day with an AC sprain as well after losing to Johnny Gargano this week.

    Candice LeRae is listed as day-to-day with a neck contusion stemming from her championship bout with Shayna Baszler in Full Sail on Wednesday night.

    NXT Injury Report

    The full NXT Injury report video can be viewed in the player below:

    In last week’s injury report, NXT noted that champion Adam Cole had suffered a radias fracture in his arm after being locked in a fujiwara armbar by Riddle.

  • Tommaso Ciampa: blackHEART To Premiere On WWE Network Next Week

    Tommaso Ciampa: blackHEART To Premiere On WWE Network Next Week

    Former NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa returned to Full Sail last night during the closing moments of NXT on USA. Ciampa was actually the second former NXT Champion to confront the current champion Adam Cole on the show, as Finn Balor had done the same earlier in the evening.

    WWE has now announced that “Tommaso Ciampa: blackHEART” will debut on the WWE Network next Wednesday at 10 PM following the conclusion of next week’s episode of NXT.

    “Witness the heroic struggle of former NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa as he embarks on a difficult road to recovery from a devastating injury and finds strength from his wife, baby daughter, friends and the NXT Universe,” a description for the documentary reads.

    Tommaso Ciampa Return From Injury

    Ciampa spoke with SI.com recently about NXT’s move to the USA Network. During the conversation, Ciampa noted he would be returning to NXT and not going to either RAW or Smackdown.

    “I don’t know if people think I’m going to Raw or SmackDown, but here’s a spoiler, I’m not,” said Ciampa. “I’m going to NXT. If someone tells me anything else, I’m answering them with a no. I bleed black and gold. NXT is home. And I have unfinished business there.”

  • WWE NXT Results & Live Discussion (10/2)

    WWE NXT Results & Live Discussion (10/2)

    The October 2nd, 2019 edition of WWE’s NXT took place at Full Sail University in Winter Park, FL.

    – The season premiere of NXT opens up with a video package narrated by Slipknot’s Corey Taylor. He talks about NXT being for wants who want “something more,” and welcomes us to NXT.

    – Mauro Ranallo welcomes us to Full Sail Live in Winter Park, Florida. He’s joined by Nigel McGuinness and Beth Phoenix on commentary. Mauro informs us that the first thirty minutes of tonight’s show will be presented commercial-free.

    – Matt Riddle vs. Adam Cole (c): Cole’s NXT Championship is on the line in this one. Williams Regal is shown backstage before the match. Alicia Taylor does the official ring introductions, and the opening bell sounds. Riddle takes down Cole several times in the opening moments of this one. Riddle looks for an arm bar, but Cole breaks it. Cole starts fighting back until Riddle starts a series of gutwrench suplexes on him. The fight spills out to ringside where Cole starts getting the upper hand.

    Cole controls the next several moments of the match, until Riddle starts hulking up with kicks to the head and running strikes in the corner. Riddle hits a suplex, and then the Bro-ton for a 2 count. Riddle looks for the Alabama Slam, but Cole escapes. Riddle keeps the momentum going with a knee strike and a Fisherman’s buster for a two count. Riddle hits a German for another two.

    Cole fights back now and hits a Backstabber for a two count. They trade srikes in the middle until Riddle hits a German suplex on Cole. Cole comes back with a Ushigoroshi for a two count. Cole hits a bicycle kick and sends Riddle out to ringside. Cole looks for a shot off the apron, but Riddle knocks him out of mid-air. Riddle takes it back in the ring for a Floating Bro, but Cole blocks it with his knees. Cole hits the Panama Sunrise for a two count. Cole takes his knee pad off and looks for a running knee strike on Riddle, but Riddle avoids it. Cole looks for another Sunrise, but Riddle stops him and turns it around into a Bro To Sleep and a powerbomb. Riddle follows up with a knee to the face, then he goes up top. Riddle doesn’t get all of the Floating Bro attempt, and Cole kicks out at two.

    Riddle goes back up top, but Cole drops him and they fight in the corner now. Cole hits a superkick, then gos up top. Cole hits the Sunrise, but Riddle fights back and applies the Bro-mission. Cole counters and rolls up Riddle for a two count. Riddle puts Cole into the Fujiwara armbar, but Cole rolls him into a pin attempt to break the hold. Riddle goes right back for another armbar, but Cole breaks the hold again and hits an elbow strike on Riddle. Cole immediately follows up with The Last Shot, and covers for the three count.

    Winner & still NXT Champion: Adam Cole

    – After the match, Cole celebrates in the ring as The Undisputed Era’s music hits. The music interrupts and Finn Balor comes out to interrupt. Balor gets a huge pop. Balor stares down Cole and exchange words off-mic. Balor enters the ring and Cole backs out. Cole backs up the ramp, and it looks like Balor is back in NXT.

    – They air a video package looking at tonight’s NXT Women’s Title match between Shayna Baszler and and Candice Lerae. They’re both shown backstage warming up.

    – The Velveteen Dream comes out to host “The Velveteen Dream Experience” on the stage. Dream welcomes us, and quickly moves on to the subject of North American Champion Roderick Strong. Dream talks trash about Strong and challenges him to a match, and tells him to step out from the shadows of the Undisputed Era. Dream says it’ll be “dream over” for Strong soon.

    – Lio Rush vs. Cruiserweight Chapion Drew Gulak is announced for next week.

    – Io Shirai vs. Mia Yim: The opening bell sounds and Shirai shoves Yim, then Yim takes her down. Yim hits a big boot in the corner for a two count. They fight out to ringside and Yim throws Shirai into the barricade. Yim delivers some chops to the chest, then takes it back in the ring. Shirai fights back and kicks Yim out into the fan barricade. Back in the ring, Yim tries to mount some offense, but Shirai shuts her down with a flapjack. Yim counters a series of moves from Shirai, then Yim drops her. Fans do dueling chants for both women as they get to their feet and trade strikes in the middle of the ring. Yim hits a lariat and a series of kicks for a two count. Yim follows up with more kicks until Shirai fights back with a hurricanrana for a two count. Shirai hits the 619 next, then then hits a missile dropkick for a two count. Yim comes back with the Code Blue for a two count. Shirai rolls outside for a breather, and Yim hits a big suicide dive on her. Back in the ring, Shirai hits a superplex for a two count. Shirai goes back up top and hits a moonsault for the three count.

    Winner: Io Shirai

    – WWE Hall of Famers Kevin Nash and Scott Hall are shown sitting at ringside.

    – The Street Profits and Bianca Belair are shown arriving at the building.

    – Mauro introduces a video package looking at Tegan Nox.

    – Johnny Gargano vs. Shane Thorne: Gargano starts off strong in the opening moments of this one, until Thorne fires back with some strikes and a slam. Thorne works on keeping Gargano grounded now. Thorne looks for a suplex, but Gargano reverses it and knees him in the head. Gargano mounts a comeback and hits a series of strikes on Thorne. Gargano dumps Thorne out to ringside and looks for a suicide dive, but Thorne meets him at the ropes with an elbow to the face. Gargano runs again and this time he successfully hits the dive on Thorne. Back in the ring, Gargano hits a slingshot spear for a two count. Gargano misses a shot and Thorne starts mounting a comeback now. Thorne hits a kick in the corner and then a cannonball splash. Thorne follows up with a sit-out powerbomb for a two count. Thorne puts the boots to Gargano while he’s down until Gargano finally fights up to his feet. Thorne connects with a kick to the back of the head, then Gargano fights back with a lariat. Thorne misses a kick and Gargano drops him with a reverse hurricanrana. Gargano follows up with a superkick for the three count.

    Winner: Johnny Gargano

    – The broadcast team promotes SmackDown premiering on FOX this Friday.

    – Shayna Baszler (c) vs. Candice LeRae: Shayna’s NXT Women’s Title is on the line in this one. Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke come out with Shayna, but they leave before the match starts. The opening bell sounds and both women fire off strikes at each other. LaRae knocks the champion out to ringside early on, then hits a dive on her. Back in the ring, Shayna corners Candice and works her over with strikes. They fight out to ringside again, where Shayna slams LaRae into the ring steps. Shayna puts Candice’s hand in the grip hole on the steps and stomps on it. Back in the ring, more strikes from Shayna for a two count. Shayna continues the offense until Candice ducks a shot and dumps Shayna outside. Candice follows up with a dive and knocks Shayna into the barricade. LaRae gets back in the ring and hits another dive on Shayna at ringside, and then a third dive. Back in the ring, Shayna comes back with a suplex.

    Shayna continues the offense and applies the Kirifuda Clutch out of nowhere. LaRae turns it around, but Shayna puts her right back in the Clutch in the corner. LaRae escapes and fights back with strikes and a neckbreaker from the top. LaRae pins for a two count. Shayna comes back with another Clutch, but LaRae fights out and drops her. LaRae goes for a moonsault off the top, but misses. Shayna scrambles with LaRae on the mat and locks in the Kirifuda Clutch again. LaRae finally taps out for the finish.

    Winner & still Champion: Shayna Baszler

    – Shayna celebrates her win, and then we see Stephanie McMahon sitting in the front row. WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry and Alundra Blayze are sitting next to her.

    – The broadcast team promotes this Sunday’s WWE Hell In A Cell pay-per-view. Nigel then sends us to a video package looking at the recent angle between Imperium and Kushida.

    – WWE UK Champion WALTER is scheduled to be on NXT next week.

    – Pete Dunne vs. Danny Burch: They lock up off the opening bell and trade holds. Dunne takes Burch own and starts working on his fingers now. Dunne looks for an armbar, but Burch fights out and applies a crossface. They fight up to their feet and trade strikes again. Burch connects with some forearm strikes to the face, then Dunne fights back with a kick and a German suplex. Dunne stomps on the fingers and boots Burch in the face. Dunne follows up with a sit-out powerbomb for a two count.

    Burch rolls Dunne up now for a two count of his own. They brawl in the middle of the ring again until Burch hits a pop-up powerbomb. Burch keeps control with some knee strikes, then pins for a two count. Dunne starts fighting back again with kicks, and starts working on the fingers again. Dunne hits the Bitter End in the middle of the ring for the three count.

    Winner: Pete Dunne

    – After the match, the lights go out and Damian Priest hits the ring. Priest blindsides Dunne with a right hand, and then hits a spinning neckbreaker. Priest points to his name on the big screen and talks trash to Dunne.

    – NXT Champion Adam Cole is backstage for an interview. Cole talks about his cast, which he is required to wear by WWE Doctors, and whether it helped him in his match earlier or not. Cole says “screw Finn Balor,” and says he’s not worried about Balor. He says tonight he’s focused on helping The Undisputed Era keep their Titles.

    – The broadcast team hypes up tonight’s main event, and sends us to a video package looking at the NXT Titles.

    – The Street Profits are shown backstage with rapper Wale. Wale says a few words before they enter the arena and celebrate with the fans. The Street Profits head to the ring now for tonight’s main event.

    – The Undisputed Era (c) vs. The Street Profits: Dawkins and O’Reilly start this one off, and Dawkins takes control early on. O’Reilly rolls outside to regroup. Back in the ring, Fish and Ford tag in. Fish drops Ford with a big right hand and works him over in the corner now. O’Reilly tags back in and continues the beat down on Ford. O’Reilly takes Ford down and then lays into him with knee drops. Ford starts fighting back, but O’Reilly drops him with more strikes. Fish tags back in and hits a senton for a two count.

    Fish takes Ford back into the Era’s corner, and the Champions hit a double suplex on Ford for a two count. O’Reilly pounds on Ford now until Ford finally fights him off. Fish tags in and hits a suplex for a two count. O’Reilly tags back in for a double team kick on Ford for another two count. Ford fights off another double team attempt and sends Fish out to the floor, then he hits an Uranage on O’Reilly. Fish knocks Dawkins off the apron so he can’t get the hot tag. O’Reilly turns it around on Ford now with rolling suplexes, then Fish tags in for the double team.

    Ford finally breaks free and tags in Dawkins. Dawkins cleans house now and drops both Champions. Dawkins hits a spear on Fish and sends him out to ringside. Dawkins hits a big suplex on O’Reilly for a two count. O’Reilly fights back with a knee strike, and then Fish hits a cheap shot from outside. O’Reilly hits a flying knee on Dawkins, then Fish and Ford start going at it, as all four men are in the ring now. When the dust settles, Fish and Ford are the legal men. The Street Profits look for a double team, but The Era avoids it. Dawkins brawls with both Champions at ringside now until Ford runs and leaps out of the ring with a dive on all three. Roderick Strong interferes now, but Dawkins hits a spear on him. This leads to the Champions hitting the High Low on Ford back in the ring, and O’Reilly covers for the three count.

    Winners & still Champions: Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish

    – The Undisputed Era celebrates in the ring after the match. Adam Cole comes out and raises his Title belt towards his partners in the ring. Tommaso Ciampa’s music hits and Ciampa comes out to interrupt. Ciampa comes out to the stage and stares down Cole. NXT goes off the air with Ciampa and Cole face-to-face on the stage.

  • The Street Profits Discuss Their Time In NXT, Team Dynamics

    The Street Profits Discuss Their Time In NXT, Team Dynamics

    Former WWE NXT Tag Team Champions, The Street Profits, recently featured on an episode of Lilian Garcia’s podcast, Chasing Glory. The team, comprised of Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins, spoke about their WWE journey so far as well as their team dynamics.

    Before teaming with Ford, Dawkins had been a part of the NXT roster for some time. He recounted watching people leave the black-and-gold brand over the years for WWE’s main roster. He explained how these Superstars had experience honing their craft, competing in promotions across the world. Although he suffered minor envy at their move to RAW or SmackDown, he tried to put everything in perspective:

    “They’ve travelled the world, they’ve wrestled countless, like a bunch of matches, they have all this experience and everything, they already kind of got it figured out, so when they got here, they were like, ‘oh yeah, y’all are ready to go up.’ It was like, they have that experience for a reason and they see that in them for a reason,” Dawkins said. “Me, anytime that happened and I saw it, there would be people who would get mad but me, it kinda sucked but at the same time I was like, yo, they did all that. The furthest I ever travelled was like Arizona for a bowl game so…I always had to put things in perspective because if you don’t, it’ll drive you crazy around here.”

    He continued, “Granted, I’ve been here longer than everybody here at the PC, going on seven years…the day before we go live. Crazy part about it was, I didn’t really start actually doing mediocre okay until [my] fifth year here because I was still learning and I’m still learning now, but I’m a lot more comfortable doing everything than I was when I first walked in.”

    Reflecting on his partnership with teammate Ford, Dawkins spoke about their dynamic as a duo. 

    “It’s just the rapport, we’ve already been cool for so long that it was pretty easy just to mesh. Now, finding moves that correlate, that’s a little bit different. But us talking, very easy. But our movements are very different, I’m athletic but he can out-jump me in any aspect possible.”

    The Street Profits attempt to reclaim the WWE NXT Tag Team Championships from Undisputed Era this Wednesday on NXT. 

    H/T to Wrestlezone for the transcription.

  • Matt Riddle Rips UFC President Dana White

    Matt Riddle Rips UFC President Dana White

    Matt Riddle was fired from the UFC in 2013 despite being on a 4-fight winning streak. 2 of his 4 victories from that time were changed to no-contests after Riddle tested positive for cannabis, however. UFC President Dana White made several derogatory comments regarding Riddle after his release as well.

    “Everybody’s going to have an excuse of why they were cut. Matt Riddle did an interview before that fight where he said ‘I smoke weed so that I don’t beat my children’ then he tests positive for it. He’s a f—king moron,” White said following the UFC 158 pre-fight press conference.

    The UFC has since entered into a research agreement with Aurora Cannabis to look into the medical benefits it can provide for athletes.

    Riddle has since signed with WWE and is now a major player on the NXT brand with a scheduled title shot against Adam Cole next Wednesday.

    White recently said that he is happy for Riddle and his success in pro wrestling. Riddle offered up the following response to White’s comments on his Instagram page:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B27Bkmgnp4I/?utm_source=ig_embed

    Matt Riddle Sends Message To Dana White

    “Dana I’m not mad that you fired me I’m mad because you’re a heartless moron with to much money and power and felt the need to call me a loser after you fired me when I was on a 4 fight win streak and had my 3rd child almost bankrupting me. Also to say it was the right call to fire me is the dumbest thing ever, you literally tried to ruin my career/life because your a little bald bitch that couldn’t control me, so stop lying it’s sad bro”

  • Keith Lee Comments On Win Over Dominik Dijakovic

    Keith Lee Comments On Win Over Dominik Dijakovic

    Keith Lee picked up a big win over Dominik Dijakovic to kick-off NXT this week. The win avenges a loss Lee suffered at the hands of Dijakovic earlier this summer. The heavyweight spoke with WWE correspondents following the match.

    “I’ll be honest with you, I can’t tell you about the match importance but what I can tell you is that for awhile now Jordan Myles and I have been talking back and forth and the first thing he said to me was ‘you just got to keep going Keith’ or as he would say ‘you just got to go the distance, put in the miles,’ no pun intended. And so today I proved that and sir, the grind continues.”

    As for Lee’s opponent from Wednesday night, Dijakovic was listed as day-to-day in the latest NXT injury report with a cervical strain.

    Keith Lee and Dominik Dijakovic are now 1-1-1 against each other on NXT programming. The two went to a double count-out against each other in February and Dijakovic won an early match they had which was taped in August.

    A full recap of this Wednesday’s edition of NXT is available in the player below:

  • Adam Cole Listed As Questionable For NXT Next Week

    Adam Cole Listed As Questionable For NXT Next Week

    WWE is stating than NXT champion Adam Cole is currently listed as questionable for next week’s show on the USA Network. For the second straight week, the promotion released an injury report following their live show. This week’s report says that there is concern Cole’s arm was fractured by Matt Riddle on Wednesday night.

    “It is suspected that Cole has a radius fracture of his right arm and was sent to the emergency room for X-Rays,” WWE digital correspondent Matt Camp stated in the update. “Cole is scheduled to defend the NXT championship against Riddle live on the first 2-hour edition of NXT on USA Network next Wednesday at 8pm/7 central but will Cole be able to compete in his questionable condition?”

    NXT Injury Report

    Raul Mendoza suffered a rib injury via the double foot stomp from Cameron Grimes this week. He’s listed as questionable for upcoming weeks and will also be going for X-Rays.

    After dropping the opening match Wednesday night to Keith Lee, Dominic Dijakovic is listed as day-to-day with a cervical strain.

    KUSHIDA is also listed as questionable for future shows with a wrist injury.

    A recap of NXT on USA from 9/25 is below:

  • Shayna Baszler Talks Up About Thriving Under Pressure

    Shayna Baszler Talks Up About Thriving Under Pressure

    Current WWE NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler has confessed that she is a pressure player—a fact that she believes will help her thrive as WWE and AEW prime for the Wednesday Night Wars.

    Speaking with Sports Illustrated, Baszler explained “I’m a pressure player. Put me in the game at the critical time and I’ll get the job done. It’s something I’ve always done, and that won’t change when I’m wrestling on live TV.”

    Despite NXT going to head-to-head with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) on Wednesday nights from next week, Baszler isn’t focused on what AEW is doing. Instead, she is concentrating on delivering performances to the best of her ability every week on WWE’s black-and-gold brand. She believes that by continuing to strive to compete at their high standards, everyone on the NXT roster can continue to be proud of their work.

    Baszler added, “Our locker room at NXT is very proud of the work we do. Going into Wednesdays on USA, you’ll see us outdo ourselves every week.”

    Baszler is scheduled to defend her NXT Women’s Championship against number one contender Candice LeRae next Wednesday night. That night will also see the premiere episode of All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite on TNT.

  • Matt Riddle Comments On Facing Adam Cole Next Week (Video)

    Matt Riddle Comments On Facing Adam Cole Next Week (Video)

    Last night on NXT, Matt Riddle defeated Killian Dain in a street fight. The win earned Riddle an NXT championship match against Adam Cole next week. After his win over Dain, Riddle locked in a Fujiwara armbar on Cole after the champion came to the ring to confront his upcoming challenger.

    WWE correspondents spoke with Riddle backstage after his match last night to get his comments on challenging for the NXT championship next week.

    Matt Riddle Comments On Facing Adam Cole

    Cole remarked after Riddle’s match last night that the Original Bro isn’t in his league. Riddle was asked about Cole’s comments backstage.

    “I’ve already beaten Adam Cole before he was champion, and you know I’m going to beat him next week and become the new NXT champion,” Riddle said. “So it’s ludicrous for him to even say those things and I think I made him tap out tonight. And I think I heard something snap or crackle, or pop in his wrist or arm or somewhere. He’s not as big as me so once I get a hold of him, I snap him like a twig. So, I don’t know, I think those were bold statements and I think he’s going to eat his words.”

  • NXT UK Moving Time Slot From Next Week

    NXT UK Moving Time Slot From Next Week

    Starting from next week, WWE’s NXT UK show will be airing in a different time slot. The news was announced during last night’s episode that the show will begin airing on Thursdays at 3PM ET and 8PM BST.

    NXT UK has been aired on Wednesdays at 3PM ET/8PM BST since the brand launched in October 2018. The brand gave WWE an opportunity to expand its NXT efforts, utilizing talent from all across Europe and the United Kingdom. The company even opened a UK based NXT Performance Center for Superstars to train in.

    The main NXT brand recently moved to USA Network away from the WWE’s own streaming service, the WWE Network. The premiere episode was last week on September 18th. The show is currently split into two halves: the first hour is shown on USA Network; the second on WWE Network. With NXT being shown live on Wednesdays, a replay of the show is scheduled to be added to the WWE Network 24 hours after initial airing. This would see WWE NXT UK join NXT in new dedicated time slots on Thursdays.

    Beginning from next week, NXT UK episodes will be available at 3 PM ET on Thursdays. NXT will then provided on the WWE Network at 10PM ET.

  • 5 Takeaways From WWE NXT (9/25)

    5 Takeaways From WWE NXT (9/25)

    WWE NXT aired live from Full Sail University tonight. Both hours of NXT will be moving to the USA Network starting next week. Here are 5 takeaways from the show:

    Keith Lee Defeated Dominik Dijakovic In A Great Match

    Keith Lee squared off with Dominik Dijakovic in the first match on this week’s episode of NXT. Lee dominated the match early and leveled Dijakovic with a shoulder tackle. Lee went for a Suplex but Dijakovic broke it up with a knee strike. Keith shrugged it off and hit Dijakovic with a headbutt. Dijakovic connected with a Chokeslam onto the ring apron as NXT went to a commercial break.

    When NXT returned, Lee was back in control and slammed Dominik to the canvas. Keith knocked Dominik to the outside and flipped onto him. Back in the ring, Lee connected with a ridiculous Moonsault off the second rope for a near fall.

    https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1177014100381130752?s=20

    Dijakovic and Lee battled on the turnbuckle and Dominik connected with a Canadian Destroyer for a two count. The crowd chanted “holy sh*t!” as Dijakovic hit a Moonsault of his own for a two count. Lee deadlifted Dijakovic and planted him with a Jackhammer for the pinfall victory.

    https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1177014547670077441?s=20

    The commentary team pointed out that the series is now tied 1-1. Lee and Dijakovic work incredibly well together and I am already looking forward to their next match.

    https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1177014998608044038?s=20

    Dakota Kai Made Her Return

    Dakota Kai made her return tonight and got a great reaction from the crowd. Kai battled Taynara on tonight’s show. Taynara started trash-talking Kai and got a kick to the face from Dakota.

    https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1177017181340688384?s=20

    Kai climbed to the top rope but Taynara tripped her up. Taynara connected with a kick to the back of Kai’s head for a near fall. Kai battled back with a flurry of kicks and followed it up with the Facewash Kick in the corner. Dakota then hit the GTK for the pinfall victory.

    Matt Riddle Will Face Adam Cole Next Week For The NXT Championship

    Matt Riddle and Killian Dain once again battled in a Street Fight tonight on the show. NXT GM William Regal announced that the winner of this match will get the opportunity to face Adam Cole for the NXT Championship.

    Riddle and Dain traded shots to start the match off. Dain sent Riddle out of the ring but Matt got right back in and took Killian down. Both superstars got back up and had a staredown as the crowd cheered.

    Killian lifted Riddle up in the Fireman’s Carry but Matt escaped and hit a kick to the face. Riddle connected with a German Suplex and went for the cover but Killian was able to kick out at two. Dain rolled out of the ring but Riddle chased after him and hit a forearm to the face as NXT went to a commercial break.

    When NXT returned, Riddle was still in control and hit an Exploder Suplex in the ring. Riddle followed it up with two Brotons and then a Penalty Kick for a near fall. Dain slammed Riddle to the canvas and connected with a Senton.

    Dain followed it up with a Powerbomb and then an Elbow Drop for a two count. Riddle planted Killian with an Alabama Slam and a Moonsault for another near fall. Killian Dain knocked Riddle out of the ring and hit him with a Suicide Dive as the crowd chanted “NXT!”.

    Killian Dain threw a steel chair at Riddle and then hit him in the midsection with it. The action spilled into the crowd as Dain and Riddle traded shots. Riddle connected with three kicks to the chest and Killian fell to the floor. Matt then returned the favor and threw a chair at Dain. Killian then hit Riddle with a Crossbody that sent both superstars through a clearly gimmicked wall as NXT went to a break.

    Riddle hit Dain with a Broton through a table as NXT returned from the break. Back in the ring, Riddle grabbed a chair but turned around into a Crossbody from Killian. Dain hit three Vader Bombs in a row and went for the cover but Riddle kicked out at two.

    Killian placed the chair on top of Riddle and hit it with a kendo stick. Dain made his way back to the second rope but Riddle got up and hit Killian with the chair. Riddle followed it up with a Powerbomb and then a knee to the face for a two count.

    Matt Riddle placed the chair on top of Killian and hit it with the kendo stick. Riddle hit Dain with the kendo stick once again and then went for the Bromission but Dain blocked it. Dain and Riddle traded shots but Matt locked in an Arm Bar in the middle of the ring and Killian tapped out.

    NXT Champion Adam Cole made his way down to the ring with the title. Cole told Riddle that he isn’t in his league and he will never be the NXT Champion. Riddle locked Cole in an Arm Bar and Cole tapped out. Undisputed Era rushed the ring but Riddle was able to escape to end the first hour of NXT.

    https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1177024886335791109?s=20

    Riddle and Dain put on a solid Street Fight and the right superstar won. Riddle versus Adam Cole is a great main event next week when NXT goes to two hours on the USA Network.

    Rhea Ripley Picked Up A Win

    Rhea Ripley faced Kayden Carter tonight on NXT. Carter connected with a DDT to start things off but Rhea responded with a massive Dropkick of her own. Ripley went for the cover but Kayden kicked out at two.

    Ripley beat Carter down in the corner and connected with a Vertical Suplex for a near fall. Rhea unloaded a few forearms to Carter’s face and stood over her. Ripley went for a kick but Kayden dodged it and rolled up Ripley for a two count.

    Carter hit a Hurricanrana and followed it up with a kick to the face for a near fall. Rhea battled back and planted Carter with the Riptide for the pinfall victory.

    https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1177027652160544771?s=20

    Walter Attacked Kushida

    Imperium (Alexander Wolfe, Marcel Barthel, and Fabian Aichner) faced Kushida and Breezango in the main event of this week’s NXT.

    Aichner and Kushida started things off and Fabian beat him down in the corner. Kushida battled back with a Hip Toss and then a Dropkick for a two count. Wolfe tagged in and connected with a German Suplex for a near fall.

    Fandango tagged in and leveled Alexander with a Dropkick. Tyler Breeze tagged in and hit a Suplex and followed it up with a Leg Drop for a two count. Imperium battled back and isolated Tyler Breeze in the ring.

    Aichner and Barthel tied up Breeze in the Tree of Woe and hit him with Stereo Dropkicks. Aichner planted Tyler with a Back Body Drop for a near fall and tagged Barthel back into the match.

    https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1177035793522679814?s=20

    Breeze finally battled back and sent Barthel out of the ring. Marcel got back into the ring before Tyler could tag out and brought him back to Imperium’s corner. Aichner tagged in and Tyler connected with an Enziguri.

    Fandango tagged in and lit up Wolfe’s chest with a couple of chops. Fandango did the same to Aichner and planted him with a Falcon Arrow. Fandango connected with a DDT on Wolfe and then launched Marcel to the outside. Fandango flipped onto Imperium outside the ring and Kushida tagged in.

    Kushida locked in an Arm Breaker but it was broken up and then a brawl broke out. Kushida rolled up Barthel for the victory and celebrated on the entrance ramp. Walter showed up and leveled Kushida with a boot to the face. Imperium then posed on the entrance ramp to close the show.

    NXT was another solid show tonight but the first hour was far more entertaining. Next week’s episode is setting up to be a huge show with multiple title matches. NXT is going all out to try and counterprogram the debut of AEW Dynamite on TNT.

  • WALTER Challenges KUSHIDA To A Match On NXT

    WALTER Challenges KUSHIDA To A Match On NXT

    Speaking with WWE after competing at EVOLVE, WWE NXT United Kingdom Champion WALTER lobbied a challenge for KUSHIDA. His challenge follows their altercation on last week’s NXT.

    “KUSHIDA made the biggest mistake of his whole career. He needs to understand where his position is in our sport,” WALTER stated.

    He continued, “So let’s consider this a challenge. Why doesn’t KUSHIDA find two guys that are foolish enough to stand by him, to step up against Imperium this Wednesday on NXT live. Because KUSHIDA and everyone else in NXT will soon realize that Imperium controls the time, and most importantly, we own the ring.”

    Imperium On NXT

    Imperium made a surprise appearance during NXT’s premiere on USA Network. Alexander Wolfe, Fabian Aichner, and Marcel Barthel were in the ring following an assault on Denzel Dejournette. Dejournette was scheduled to compete against KUSHIDA. The trio was shortly joined by their leader, WALTER.

    KUSHIDA would interrupt them, using his speed to get in some offence before leaving them frustrated in the ring.

    WALTER has previously stated that he has no interest in moving to America to join NXT. Triple H’s attitude towards the WWE landscape is that any move between brands is “lateral movement” rather than being a move up or promotion. With this in mind, WALTER’s current involvement with the black-and-gold brand is most probably temporary, unless he has changed his thoughts on immigrating.

  • NXT Star Shares Recovery Update, Ric Flair Backstage At SmackDown (Video)

    NXT Star Shares Recovery Update, Ric Flair Backstage At SmackDown (Video)

    NXT Star Karen Q underwent surgery to repair fractured lateral malleolus back in July. The news was broken by her boyfriend and she has been out of action ever since.

    The NXT Star provided some update on her recovery recently. She revealed that she has reached a post-surgery milestone and allowed to ride a bike for the first time since her operation:

    Karen Q suffered the injury while working at a WWE Live Event from GA Theatre in Atlanta. She had teamed up with Bianca Belair at the show and the duo lost a tag team match to the team of Rhea Ripley and Reina Gonzalez.

    Ric Flair Backstage At SmackDown

    Ric Flair made a brief appearance at this week’s episode of SmackDown Live. He was seen meeting his daughter Charlotte in a backstage segment and the nature boy gave her a pep talk during the show.

    The show also saw rapper Offset making an appearance in the ‘Nature Boy’ robe. He wore it while making his way to the ring and went on to introduce Charlotte for her match against Sasha Banks on the SmackDown episode.

    WWE later posted a video of Ric meeting with the rap star backstage at the event and the two talking before Offset came out. You can check out the video below: