With NXT premiering this past week on USA Network and All Elite Wrestling (AEW) gearing up for their debut on TNT on October 2nd, some might wonder how closely the two promotions are monitoring one another.
In an interview with talkSPORT, Matt and Nick Jackson spoke about NXT’s debut as well as Triple H’s recent comments regarding NXT’s roster.
Nick admitted that he watched some of the premiere because of the people he knows in the promotion, calling it a “fun show.”
“Matt and I, we have a lot of friends there. Candice LeRae, we have a history with so I was happy for her,” Nick said. “She was in the first match in the four-way and she did great, so I was happy for her.”
Regarding the shows going head-to-head, his brother Matt added, “I’m rooting for them, though. I want them to have a good show. Ours is just going to be better.”
The Young Bucks then turned their attention to a previous interview with Triple H. During that interview,’ The Game’ shared that he wouldn’t want to trade anyone on his NXT roster for anyone else in the world. The Jackson brothers found this statement funny because, as Nick puts it “Like, come on…we know you wanted us.”
Matt then said, “A year ago you were trying to get us all [in The Elite]! A year ago you were trying to get every one of us to come and work for you, so, that’s cool. You can say whatever. Don’t act like there was no interest in us and you wouldn’t trade for us because I know for a fact, you would.”
The Young Bucks are scheduled to face off against Private Party in the AEW Tag Team Tournament on October 9th.
Former NXT Champion Johnny Gargano is considered one of the best wrestlers of the current era and he has delivered a number of 5 Star matches in the past few years while being part of the NXT brand.
Gargano said that he watches GIF’s of his bout on Twitter if he feels good about it but he hates watching his matches in full and he will maybe watch it once:
“I hate watching them, I watch them, maybe if I feel good about it, I’ll watch GIF’s on twitter and think, okay, that looked pretty good, but watching a full match, maybe I’ll watch it once. “
Johnny also talked about his interest outside of wrestling. He revealed that he loves Disney’s and Marvel’s stuff and he is a fan of many sports outside of wrestling as well.
The former NXT Champion went on to claim that he has a passion for acting too. He recalled taking acting classes while he was in high school and said that eventually he would like to go into that direction.
NXT UK is a brand which has been growing at a rapid pace. With its growth, people have been wondering what’s the next development for the show and recently there has been some discussion of a possible mid-card title for the program.
During a recent media call, Triple H who is the in charge of
the brand talked about a number of things and he also commented on the talks of
a possible new title for NXT UK.
The Game first said that he doesn’t like the term mid-card title because it sounds terrible and he then went on to claim that he doesn’t see the need of an additional singles title for the show at the moment:
“I don’t see the need for [an additional singles title] at this time. I know that’s been speculated a lot about because, I don’t know, somebody put the idea on the internet, I think, and then everybody just ran with it.”
Though later the WWE VP explained that he doesn’t see the necessity of it at the time but he is also not opposed to it and he said that there could be an opportunity for the same shortly down the line.
Triple H also talked about the NXT UK brand sitting under
the NXT umbrella and explained that we are going to see a lot of stars from the
show on the USA Network.
WWE has decided to put NXT against AEW’s TV show and being the current NXT Champion means that Adam Cole is one of the top prospects of this competition dubbed as ‘Wednesday Night Wars’.
The NXT Champion recently had an interview with Fox Sports, where he talked about a number of things and also commented on going head to head against the upstart promotion on the same night of the week.
Cole said that he doesn’t mean to speak for the people at AEW but he has a feeling that they also want to make their show the best wrestling program on Wednesdays:
“I don’t mean to speak for them, but I have a strong
feeling this is how they feel, because I know at NXT we have a strong focus on
making sure it is the best possible show that we can make it on Wednesday’s and
that’s all we have the energy to focus on. And I’m sure those guys feel the
exact same way.”
Cole went on to say that this is exciting for the wrestling
fans because they will get to compare and watch both the events. The move to
Wednesday night means more eyes to the product.
Apart from this, Adam Cole also talked about the growth of NXT from being a development territory to a third brand of WWE. You can check out his full interview here.
Dominik Dijakovic will face Keith Lee next week live on NXT. The 32-year-old responded to Kenny Omega’s recent comments regarding NXT “developmental talent” with the following Tweet:
Well I had the second best match that weekend, was extremely hungover, no sold a burning hammer and got yelled at by regal for falling on my head 50 times….. 10 hours late with that response but WHATS UP?
“You can call it a war if you want,” Omega said in a recent interview with Sportskeeda. “It’s like, to me, we’re in a completely different kind of business. I mean what they’re doing is different from what we’re doing. It’s weird, because it’s hard to say you’re going to war with people that I call my friends. And yet, we are going to war.”
Omega continued, “And yet, when I sit back and look at the grand picture, I’m going to war with these dudes that, if we were on the same show together, the same promotion…let’s pretend there were no borders. Let’s pretend there were no promotions. Let’s just pretend there’s just one big promotion. If these guys were in the same show as me, they’d be in the dark match. They’d be in the opening match of my main event match.”
NXT had a successful TV debut with a highly praised show and
impressive TV numbers and it appears that the Boss Vince McMahon is also happy
with how things went down.
During the interview, the WWE VP also talked about Mr. McMahon’s reaction to the show. He revealed that the Boss watched the whole episode of NXT and sent him massive congratulations after it was over:
“He watched the entire thing. I’m sure he’s at the office, probably at a meeting while he was doing it, but he enjoyed it, he loved it, he thought the talent did a hell of a job, thought they knocked it out of the park. He was excited. He sent me a massive congratulations after it was over and was thrilled with the product,”
Triple H went on to claim that The Boss was texting him throughout the day. He was excited about the show and he wished them luck before the episode went on air.
NXT’s debut on USA Network featured an hour of nonstop action with a new #1 contender being determined for the Women’s title and the crowning of a new champion. You can check out the results of the show here.
With NXT premiering on USA Network, WWE had a major merchandising push for the black-and-gold brand’s Superstars. They released an image on social media featuring brand new t-shirt designs for all 155 NXT Superstars. This revelation, however, hasn’t been taken well by one WWE Superstar: Luke Harper.
Taking to his Instagram account, Harper shared his frustrations with WWE’s advert. He wrote:
“Larry, In over 7 years with @wwe I’ve never had a single Luke Harper tshirt but now all 155 NXT wrestlers each get their own. Got it. Good luck tonight 8e/7c LIVE on USA!!!!! @erickredbeard @wweshop”
Despite the amount of time working for the company, Harper has never had a piece of ‘Luke Harper’ merchandise despite having solo runs as a singles competitor. At one point, he even held the WWE Intercontinental Championship.
After time away from WWE programming, Luke Harper recently returned to WWE television. He assisted Erick Rowan in Rowan’s matchup against Roman Reigns during WWE’s recent Clash of Champions pay-per-view.
Harper’s inclusion into the match sees him once again partnered with Rowan. The two were not only previously stablemates in the Wyatt Family, they also teamed together for a time as The Bludgeon Brothers on SmackDown Live.
WWE has issued an official apology after numerous fans suffered from technical issues using the WWE Network.
After the first hour of NXT aired live on USA Network, fans could continue watching the action on WWE Network. However, some allegedly had problems tuning into NXT’s second hour with the service not accepting their account details.
Acknowledging the issue, WWE apologized to fans who were unable to continue watching, writing:
“You may have experienced a technical issue with WWE Network earlier this evening. The matter has been resolved, and you can now access the Network and watch tonight’s episode of NXT on demand. We apologize for any inconvenience.”
Triple H acknowledged the issues in a post-show conference call. He admitted his team had made him aware of the problems but believed that the issues weren’t as wide-spread as social media implied. He added that it’s something they will be looking into for future broadcasts.
NXT Pride
Despite the issues affecting a certain percentage of the WWE Universe, Triple H was incredibly proud of the show. He mentioned how this first show wasn’t the finish line for them, it was the starting line.
“I just stood in front of talent and said, hard to follow up what they just accomplished without saying anything that doesn’t sound trite other than to say how proud I am of all of this,” he said.
Triple H added that his sentiment extended to all those working behind the scenes, as well as the talent in front of the cameras.
Tommaso Ciampa has been out of action since suffering an unfortunate neck injury. This injury would require surgery, forcing him to vacate the NXT Championship in March 2019. Now, Triple H has given an update on Ciampa’s progress and information regarding his potential in-ring return.
“He is getting very close,” Triple H said following NXT’s debut on USA Network. “When you come down to the end of-unfortunately I’ve been through a lot of these, when you come down to the end there is this point and time when you are just chomping at the bit.”
He continued, explaining that “You’re ready to go, you feel like you can move the world. And yet, the doctors are still like, ‘Give it a bit more, take it slow.’ That last couple of percent to getting to 100% is the most frustrating part for an athlete because you feel like you can take on the world but you can’t just quite yet. He’s ready, he’s as close as he can get. He is the racehorse right now, stomping and pulling at that gate. When that doctor tells him to go, he’s going to come flying out of there.”
With NXT seemingly being treated as WWE’s third brand now, the previous main roster planned for both Ciampa and Johnny Gargano may be shelved in favor of a continued NXT run.
Following NXT’s premiere on USA Network, Triple H took part in a media call to discuss the brand’s first episode on their new network, at one point sharing how proud he was of all the talent involved for the show they just put on.
“I just stood in front of talent and said, hard to follow up what they just accomplished without saying anything that doesn’t sound trite other than to say how proud I am of all of this,” he said.
He continued,” It’s taking a long time to get here. This was a starting line, not the finish line. We went out there tonight on the number one network on cable television, USA, amazing partners for us for years and put on what I feel was an epic hour of programming on USA. Number one trending in the USA the entire time, number one in the world the entire time, and number 4 in the world the entire time. Tough to say more than that other than I thought it was a hell of a night and thought it was an epic performance on everybody’s part.”
Triple H added he is just as proud of the team behind the scenes as he is of the talent in front of the cameras. He thanked WWE’s partners at Full Sail University, stressing that without them, the show doesn’t happen.
Rush Returns
Last night also saw the return of Lio Rush to in-ring competition. When asked about Rush’s return, Triple H admitted that working on his comeback had been in the works for a while.
“This whole thing with NXT on USA, we’ve been talking about doing it for a year and a half, two years, then when it finally happens it’s a recent development. Until it actually happens, it hasn’t happened. Until we knew what was going on there was a bit of a lag there. I’m just really excited, Lio Rush won. He’s just a phenomenal, energetic, and money performer to me. Thrilled that we get to put him on the show and have him showcase what he does. He and Oney tore it up and that’s what it’s about.”
Lio Rush’s victory over Oney Lorcan grants him a championship opportunity against current Cruiserweight champion, Drew Gulak.
Beth Phoenix recently spoke with Prime Time with Sean Mooney discussing her experiences as a commentator for NXT. She also spoke about why she left WWE in 2012.
“It’s been one of those things where I’ve had to just kind of commit myself, and give myself up to the process,” Phoenix admitted. “I fail all the time, and I’m always making mistakes, but we learn each and every week, and I’m learning to find my voice, and my place in the team, because, being a color commentator, adding that analyst role, is really different than being play-by-play.”
She described how the two different commentary roles are “completely different animals.”
“Driving traffic as a play-by-play guy, that is a big responsibility and a lot of work,” she explained. “[…] as an analyst, my job is to take some of the burden off the play-by-play announcer, and try to add a little bit of credibility from somebody that has experience in what is going on in the ring.”
Phoenix confessed commentating wasn’t something she ever thought she would do. She remarked that, if she were told five years ago that she would be calling the action in NXT, she would have laughed out loud.
Glamazon Departure
Regarding her WWE departure in 2012, Phoenix explained that her decision was based on her unhappiness with the direction of women’s wrestling in the company at the time.
“I was really frustrated with where the women were at from a company standpoint and the investment that was being made in us,” Phoenix said. “I felt in my heart I had done my best, and I’d try really hard to change things but, at some point I just got really frustrated.”
Beth Phoenix joins her NXT commentary partners, Mauro Ranallo and Nigel McGuiness every week on USA Network.
At one point in time, NXT’s beloved Johnny Gargano struggled to be a part of the WWE roster. Before his rise through the ranks and reign as NXT Champion, Gargano portrayed an Elf on WWE television in a match against MVP.
In a recent episode of Lilian Garcia’s podcast, Chasing Glory, Gargano reflected on his WWE journey.
Johnny Elf
“I was an extra almost every time they came to Cleveland,” Gargano said. “I had my first extra role when I was 19 or 20 years old and I was Cedrick Von Haussen where I faced MVP; you can find that clip on YouTube.”
He recalled having to get changed into an Elf costume and be approved by Vince McMahon. Their meeting was “like a movie” as Vince sat in a “villain chair with his back turned.” During his match as Cedrick Von Haussen, Gargano would suffer a bloody nose courtesy of MVP.
Rebel Heart Destiny
Despite his early tryouts and rejections, Gargano firmly believed that WWE was his destiny:
“I always believed in my heart I would end up in WWE,” Gargano explained. “Gabe Sapolsky gave me great advice that he once told Daniel Bryan and CM Punk. He said being on the indies is like being a doctor. You can’t just start operating on people and be successful at it. You need to go to school, you need to learn, which is how the indies are. I wanted to do as much as I could do.”
He continued,” Being told no made me work harder, being told no made me want it more. They [WWE] would only sign a certain amount of guys at a certain time. At my tryout, it was me, Tommaso Ciampa, Oney Lorcan, Ember Moon, TM61, Chuck Taylor and Drew Gulak, so it was a pretty indie-heavy. Matt Riddle was there but he wasn’t even an indie guy, he was a random guy from UFC, and they brought him in. They brought us in to do this tryout, but they said they could only sign one of us.”
He was told that if he were 6’7″ then it would be a no-brainer. Gargano, however, didn’t fit into that mold. He recalled that “The stigma was still alive in 2015 where I was too small and didn’t have what it took to be here, I was directly told that there wasn’t a spot for me in NXT. I wasn’t good enough to be in NXT. I was told that there might be a spot for me here and there, now and then, but there isn’t a set spot. I still have my ‘no’ rejection email.”
Cruiserweight Classic
His opportunity finally came during WWE’s Cruiserweight Classic. Gargano attributed that tournament as playing a significant role in changing NXT. He also believes that he and Tommaso Ciampa were instrumental in shifting attitudes towards smaller, indie workers.
Later, the two Superstars would be told they would be teaming together for the Dusty Rhodes Classic. He credited William Regal for doing all he could to help them be seen by management and the WWE Universe. When asked what he thought changed people’s mindsets towards himself, Ciampa, and indie wrestlers, Gargano points to their matchup with The Revival.
“I think we got that shot against The Revival where we blew it out of the park,” Gargano said. “I think that was where people were like, oh, these indie guys can go. I think that really opened the door to what NXT has become now. It has become a part of an all-star roster mindset to tear it up and NXT has really grown from there.”
Reflecting on his legacy in NXT, Gargano is aware that he hasn’t been around since day one. With NXT’s new incarnation, however, he feels like Superstars like himself and Ciampa are “The Godfathers” of NXT.
WWE’s NXT premiere on USA Network ended in a brawl between members of the NXT locker room. This occurred after the Street Fight between Kilian Dain and Matt Riddle spilled out of the ring. They fought into the backstage area before eventually finding themselves back in the ring, surrounded by their fellow Superstars.
After the cameras cut on the WWE Network, NXT General Manager William Regal stormed to the ring. He then set a rematch for next week’s episode. Their rematch, which will also be a Street Fight, comes with an added caveat: the winner will face Adam Cole for the NXT Championship.
Regal got into Killian’s face saying, “This Street Fight will continue next week on USA, and I’m going to give you both some incentive because the winner will face Adam Cole in an NXT Championship match!”
His announcement was met with chants of “Thank you, Regal” from the WWE Universe within Full Sail University.
Both Matt Riddle and Killian Dain nodded, staring at each other after the announcement was made.
Last night saw Adam Cole’s stable, the Undisputed Era, finally fulfil their promise of being draped in NXT gold. No matter who comes out victorious from the Street Fight rematch next week, expect Cole and his stablemates to do everything they can to keep the gold within Undisputed Era.
Here are our takeaways from the first live 2-hour episode of NXT:
Candice LeRae Earned A Shot At The NXT Women’s Championship
Triple H hyped up the NXT crowd at Full Sail University to begin the show.
Io Shirai, Bianca Belair, Mia Yim, and Candice LeRae faced in a Fatal 4-Way match to determine the #1 contender for the NXT Women’s Championship. The match started out with a brawl with Bianca Belair getting the better of the exchange. Belair connected with a Moonsault on Candice but Mia Yim broke up the cover.
Belair hit Yim with a Suplex and went for the cover but Io broke it up. Shirai hit a 619 on Yim and followed it up with a Springboard Dropkick on Belair for a near fall. Yim booted Io to the canvas and planted Belair with a Tornado DDT but LeRae broke up the cover.
LeRae beat Yim down in the corner and then planted Io with a Facebuster on the apron. Belair planted LeRae with a Fallaway Slam and turned around into a Suicide Dive from Mia Yim. Shirai climbed to the top rope and took out Yim and Belair with a Moonsault as NXT went to a commercial break.
When NXT returned, all four superstars crashed to the canvas with a Tower of Doom in the corner of the ring. LeRae planted Io with a German Suplex but was then slammed face-first into the turnbuckle by Belair. Yim connected with Code Blue on Belair but Io was able to break up the cover at the last second.
Belair leveled Io and Mia with a Spear and then planted LeRae with the KOD. Bianca went for the cover but Yim broke it up at two. Yim connected with Protect Ya Neck on Belair but Bianca rolled out of the ring before Mia could attempt a cover. Shirai hit Candice with Double Knees and made her way up to the top rope.
Yim hopped on the apron and shoved Io off the turnbuckle and Shirai went flying into Belair outside the ring. Yim lifted LeRae up in the Electric Chair but Candice countered into a Reverse Hurricanrana. Candice quickly followed it up with a Moonsault on Yim for the pinfall victory. Candice LeRae is the #1 contender for the NXT Women’s Championship.
After the match, NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler, Jessamyn Duke, and Marina Shafir surrounded LeRae on the entrance ramp. Shayna raised the title in Candice’s face and the two started trash-talking with each other to conclude the segment. It was later announced that the match will take place on October 2nd live on the USA Network.
NXT made its debut on the USA Network with a hell of a match. If you haven’t watched NXT before tonight, one of the first things you will notice is that the commentary team actually calls the action in the ring instead of bickering with each other. Nigel McGuinness got in a subtle shot at AEW at the beginning of the broadcast by referring to NXT as “the true alternative”. Baszler has essentially run through the entire NXT women’s division, so LeRae has a tall task in front of her if she wants to capture the title.
Roderick Strong Captured The NXT North American Championship
Velveteen Dream defended his NXT North American Championship against Roderick Strong on this week’s episode of NXT. The match started off back and forth as dueling “Velveteen!” and “Undisputed!” chants broke out in the crowd. Dream Clotheslined Strong to the outside as NXT went to a break.
When NXT returned, Dream was still in control and knocked Strong out of the ring once again. Velveteen connected with a Double Axehandle off the top rope and rolled Roderick back in the ring. Strong shoved Dream off the apron and hit him with a Backbreaker on top of the steel barricade.
Roderick followed it up with a Dropkick and took a break to pose as the crowd booed him. Strong drove Dream into the ring apron and stomped on him a couple of times before the action returned to the ring. Roderick went for the cover but Dream powered out at one.
Stong applied a Sleeper Hold in the middle of the ring but Dream countered into a cover for a two count. Roderick hit Dream with a chop to the chest and the impact echoed throughout the Full Sail Arena. Strong connected with a Backbreaker and went for the cover but the NXT North American Champion kicked out at two.
Roderick hit another Backbreaker and went for the cover once again but Velveteen kicked out at the last moment. Strong booted Dream to the outside and followed him out there. Roderick missed with a Dropkick and Dream shoved him into the steel steps as NXT went to a commercial break.
Back from the break, the action was back in the ring and Strong was in control. Roderick perched Dream up on the top turnbuckle and went for a Superplex but Velveteen blocked it with a couple of shots to the ribs. Dream and Strong traded punches and Dream knocked Roderick to the canvas.
Dream connected with a Clothesline and followed it up with a Superkick for a near fall. Velveteen hit the DreamDT for another near fall as an “NXT!” chant broke out in the crowd. Dream climbed to the top rope but Strong rolled out of the ring. Roderick hit Dream with a knee to the face and tied him up in the ropes.
Strong hit Dream with several forearms to the face and followed it up with a Tiger Bomb for a near fall. Roderick applied the Boston Crab in the middle of the ring but Dream was able to battle through the pain and reached the bottom rope to break the hold. Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, and Bobby Fish made their way down to the ring as Dream and Strong traded punches.
Velveteen Dream hit a Back Body Drop but Strong battled back and shoved Velveteen into the official. Velveteen hit the Dream Valley Driver on Strong but got distracted by Cole and O’Reilly on the apron. Strong capitalized with the End of Heartache and went for the cover but somehow Dream kicked out at two. Velveteen hit the Dream Valley Driver and made his way to the top rope once but O’Reilly hopped on the apron.
Adam Cole hit Dream with a Superkick while the referee was distracted and Strong once again capitalized with the End of Heartache for the pinfall victory. Roderick Strong is the new NXT North American Champion.
Dream and Strong put on a great match tonight. I’m assuming that Velveteen Dream will get a rematch for the NXT North American Championship in the near future. One of the things I am going to miss about NXT on the WWE Network is not having commercial breaks during the matches.
Pete Dunne faced Arturo Ruas in the first match of the second hour of this week’s episode. The second hour aired on the WWE Network. Both superstars went for an Arm Breaker early but neither were able to lock it in.
Dunne leveled Ruas with a Clothesline and started bending back Arturo’s fingers. Dunne stomped on Ruas’ elbow and tried to do it again but Arturo dodged it. Ruas connected with a Dropkick and returned the favor by bending back Dunne’s fingers.
Pete Dunne battled back with a flurry of chops to the chest but Ruas knocked Dunne to the canvas with a kick to the knee. Dunne battled back with a Dragon Screw as the crowd chanted “Bruiserweight!”. Dunne connected with an Enziguri and followed it up with a German Suplex for a near fall.
Dunne hit the X-Plex and went for the cover but Ruas was able to kick out at two. Pete applied a Triangle submission in the middle of the ring but Ruas escaped and hit a German Suplex of his own for a near fall. Dunne hit an Enziguri and snapped back Ruas’ fingers and continued to bend them back for the submission victory.
Kushida Confronted Walter
Imperium (Fabian Aichner, Alexander Wolfe, and Marcel Barthel) surrounded Denzel Dejournette and beat him down as the crowd chanted “where is Walter?”.
UK Champion Walter made his way down to the ring and posed with the rest of Imperium. Walter grabbed a microphone and said “we are Imperium and to us this mat is scared. We are here to restore the honor and tradition of our sport”.
Kushida interrupted and said this was his time. Kushida hopped up on the apron and fought off Wolfe, Aichner, and Barthel. Walter attacked Kushida from behind but Kushida was able to escape. Kushida then booted Walter in the face before escaping out of the ring. The commentary hinted at a future match between Walter and Kushida at the end of the segment.
Lio Rush Is The #1 Contender For The Cruiserweight Title
Lio Rush battled Oney Lorcan tonight on NXT. The winner of the match will earn a shot at the Cruiserweight Championship. The crowd chanted “welcome back!” at Lio Rush before the match.
Once the bell rang, Oney Lorcan sprinted across the ring and leveled Lio with a Blockbuster for a two count. Rush knocked Lorcan to the outside and hit him with three Suicide Dives in a row.
Back in the ring, Rush hit a flurry of kicks and went for the cover but Oney kicked out at two. Lorcan battled back with a Dragon Screw and followed it up with a couple of chops in the corner of the ring.
Lorcan hit Rush with an uppercut that sent Lio tumbling to the outside. Oney brought Rush back into the ring and planted him with a Powerbomb for a near fall. Lio Rush hit a ridiculous Springboard Stunner out of nowhere for a two count. Lorcan planted Rush with another Powerbomb and locked in a submission hold but Lio escaped.
Oney tripped up Rush and locked in a Single-Legged Crab in the middle of the ring. Lorcan transitioned into an STF in the middle of the ring as a “fight Lio fight!” chant broke out. Rush battled through the pain and got his foot on the bottom rope to break the hold.
Rush slapped Oney in the face and Lorcan got pissed off. Lorcan unloaded a series of chops and then charged at Rush but Lio countered into a beautiful Spanish Fly. Rush climbed to the top rope and hit a Frog Splash for the pinfall victory. Lio Rush will face Drew Gulak for the Cruiserweight Championship.
I actually thought this match was better than the NXT North American Championship match earlier in the night. It was great to see Lio Rush back in the ring and showing off his immense talent instead of playing the role of a hype man for Lashley.
Killian Dain battled Matt Riddle in a Street Fight in the main event of this week’s episode of NXT. Dain went right after Riddle to start things off but Matt hit an Exploder Suplex.
Riddle went for the Broton but Dain got his knees up. Killian grabbed a kendo stick from under the ring but Riddle took it from him and bashed him in the midsection. Riddle charged but Dain was ready and sent Matt flying over the barricade with a Back Body Drop.
Dain shouted “you want a Senton?” at Riddle and then promptly hit him with a Senton. Dain and Riddle battled through the crowd and to the backstage area. The Forgotten Sons trash-talked them as Dain launched Riddle into a production truck. They then battled next to Walter and Imperium and Riddle hit Dain with a knee to the face.
Imperium attacked Riddle before a massive brawl broke out with the entire NXT locker room. Dain and Riddle found each other within the brawl and started trading shots once again. The action returned to the ring and the entire locker room joined them at ringside while still throwing punches with each other.
Security rushed the ring but the NXT superstars beat them down. The brawl continued in the ring as the crowd chanted “NXT!”. Killian Dain took out a bunch of superstars with a Suicide Dive as NXT went off the air.
Overall, NXT had a very solid debut on the USA Network for the first hour and picked up right where they left off on the WWE Network for hour two. The only blemish during tonight’s show was the match between Xia Li and Aliyah. It was a botch-fest that did nothing positive for either superstar.
The women’s Fatal 4-Way, NXT North American Championship, and Rush versus Lorcan were all great matches. I was really looking forward to Dain versus Riddle and that a letdown. The brawl was fun but I still wanted to see an ending to the Street Fight. There will definitely be a much better match between those two superstars in the upcoming weeks.
Head trainer at the WWE PC, Matt Bloom, recently spoke to the Orlando Sentinel about NXT’s move to the USA Network. During the interview, Bloom said that Triple H had dropped some hints leading up the announcement.
“He started dropping these hints that everybody would have to raise their game in a few weeks,” said Bloom. “A buzz definitely went through the room, and when he finally told everybody what was going on, everybody was just ecstatic.”
Bloom also spoke about the unique challenges that going live every Wednesday night will present to some on the roster.
“There are a lot of things that our talent aren’t used to, like working through commercial breaks,” Bloom said. “We have some of the best staff in the world when it comes to putting on a live TV show, so they can help us really hammer some of the little things in practice, like cameras or promos.”
Assistant coach Sara Amato was also interviewed for the piece.
“This feels like the next logical step in the juggernaut that is NXT,” Amato said last week. “I know when it gets here on Wednesday, the energy and excitement will really hit me. For right now, though, it doesn’t feel like some big transition.”
The full interview with Matt Bloom and Sara Amato can be read here.
With NXT premiering on the USA Network tonight, several wrestlers on the roster have been promoting the show in the media. One of those wrestlers is Bianca Belair, who will compete in a fatal 4-way match to determine the new number one contender for Shayna Baszler’s NXT women’s championship.
Belair sat down with Channel Guide magazine to talk about the new opportunities NXT’s move to a major major cable network presents.
“Now that NXT is the third brand and not the developmental brand, we are a brand that can stand on its own. We’re ready and will keep doing what we’ve always been doing,” Belair said during the interview.
Bianca Belair Interview Highlights
Belair never wrestled on the independent scene. She reported to the WWE PC in 2016. Belair spoke to Channel Guide about her first impressions of WWE.
“When I first walked into the Performance Center, I had no idea what to expect. I had never been inside a ring other than my two tryouts that I had, I didn’t even know how to do a lockup, headlock, wrist-lock. I didn’t know how to do any of that. Not only that, I didn’t know the business and the history of the business. I didn’t watch wrestling growing up a whole lot, I got a really late start and really behind. I knew that. The thing about me is any time I get an opportunity; I’m going to go full force into it.”
She also spoke about being married to Montez Ford of the Street Profits. Ford and Dawkins are expected to remain in NXT as a tag-team but continue to make appearances on RAW in backstage segments.
“My husband is great. The thing is when he succeeds, I succeed. And when I succeed, he succeeds. I know that sounds cliché, but that’s really how we operate. It’s great to have someone in this business who understands it and I can vent to sometimes. He is the one who encouraged me to wear the braid, which has become a huge part of me. We just really support each other.”
The full interview with Channel Guide magazine can be read here.
Triple H took part in a conference call on Monday ahead of NXT’s debut on USA Network. As well as speaking about NXT’s creative team and whether the black-and-gold brand would be involved in WWE’s October Draft, Triple H also discussed NXT TakeOvers no longer being a part of WWE PPV weekends.
“The TakeOvers will continue, but there’s a schedule shift going on,” he said. “That is an opportunity to better serve our Network subscribers to give them more live content on a more regular basis. So NXT TakeOvers will continue… but there are opportunities to do other content.”
He spoke about putting on a Worlds Collide show in January, calling them “fun and spectacular events’ that create “an opportunity to cross combine and make some interesting content without having to take away from what they’re [RAW/SmackDown/NXT] doing individually.”
Although NXT is getting longer by an hour, Triple H coyly addressed the idea that TakeOver events would become longer, too. He explained that if he’s watching a movie and looks at his watch, then there are obvious cuts that needed to be made. This is something he doesn’t want for NXT.
“It’s about the content and the build, and if you build it right, then it’s not about the length of time, and hopefully you’re not even considering it when the show is over. You’re just like, ‘Man, that was good!’”
NXT makes its debut tonight on USA Network at 8 PM ET.
Ahead of NXT’s debut on USA Network, Triple H took part in a conference call to address the many aspects involved with the black-and-gold brand.
During the call, Triple H addressed NXT’s creative team and whether there would be any significant changes made once NXT is on USA Network.
“From a creative side, [the process] doesn’t change [with the move to USA],” Triple H said. “We’ve had a team that I’ve liked for a long time that is central to doing this. They’ve been our team for a long time, and they oversee NXT and also have some oversight on the UK. That’s been core and part of that core is having guys like [Road Dogg] and Shawn Michaels down there. I can’t say enough of us being able to work together with the writing team and with William Regal, Matt Bloom and Sara Amato.”
Triple H stressed that NXT’s continuity will remain the same, and there are no plans to change what’s already working for the brand. There will, however, apparently be more integration between NXT and the input from USA Network and its sponsors.
NXT makes its debut tonight on USA Network at 8 PM ET.
WWE’s black-and-gold brand NXT debuts on USA Network this week. Ahead of the brand’s move, Triple H took part in an NXT media call. One of the topics brought up was the rumor that Kevin Owens may return to NXT after being fired from SmackDown by Shane McMahon.
During the call, Triple H added to the speculation to the rumor by commenting on how Kevin Owens is a great talent. He stated he would love to have him back on NXT, explaining that he doesn’t see any barriers that would stop him from appearing or moving back. That same media call saw Triple H state there is no up or down progression anymore, just lateral movement between brands.
Owens In Orlando
According to PWInsider.com, it is expected that Owens will be in Orlando this week for September 18th where he will appear for NXT.
It’s not known at this point in time whether his return is a long-term plan or a short stay to help shine main roster talent onto WWE’s development brand. Regardless, Owens is apparently a part of NXT’s plans for their USA Network debut.
Owens teased a return to the brand in a recent social media post. The letters he tweeted corresponded with the alphabet, translating to NXT.
‘The Game’ Triple H recently took part in a media call ahead of NXT’s debut on USA Network. One topic of conversation that came up revolved around NXT’s involvement with WWE’s upcoming draft planned for RAW and SmackDown.
Triple H explained how WWE wants to put on the best show possible every week. According to him, he’s interested in NXT putting on the best show “against RAW, against SmackDown, against anybody.”
He added, “I want to compete against ourselves to have the best show that we can. That competition – that’s what leads to the best stuff in the business. From a product standpoint, when you have competition, it makes everything good. So we create our own.”
NXT Draft Involvement
Regarding NXT’s involvement with October’s WWE draft, Triple H doesn’t foresee much NXT involvement.
“I think that right now, the main focus of the draft itself is RAW and SmackDown as October 4th comes along and moves forward. With FOX broadcast taking SmackDown and staying with our partners at USA and NBCU, those become two very competitive landscapes. I’m of the opinion that the NXT brand will continue to grow and I think that down the line, you will see. As much as I will say right now, NXT has grown to where it shouldn’t be referred to as a developmental brand even though we tend to debut newer stars.”
He explained how the draft is more about creating a subsequent brand split between RAW and SmackDown, giving the shows two distinct rosters once again. His goal for the future is to establish three distinct brands that will all have a “different feel and flavor to them” all underneath WWE’s umbrella, stating that there is no up or down progression anymore, just lateral movement between brands.
NXT debuts on USA Network this week on September 18th.
Prior to his finals clash, Corbin spoke with the Not Sam Wrestling Podcast. He reflected on his time in NXT. Corbin also shared his thoughts on Superstars ansd fans who blame WWE for how they have “misused” talent.
Misused Talent
When it comes to moving from NXT to RAW or SmackDown, Corbin stated that the responsibility is on the talent to make the most of the opportunities available.
“What’s crazy is when people say, ‘I don’t want these guys to get called up so that they can be misused.’ Nobody is being misused. They’re going to be given opportunities; they’re either going to make them successful or not, that is just the way it is. There is a reason why NXT and Triple H has built an amazing thing down there because it gets guys ready to come down here [to the main roster].”
He added that, if an NXT Superstar needs time to rebuild and figure out their new position on the main roster, that’s on them:
“When they get called up it is up to the guys to find success. John Cena is somebody who has always preached that. It’s on you, it’s not on anyone else. If guys are being misused it’s not anybody’s fault but their own. They have to find an avenue to get successful, to get creative, to pitch ideas, and it’s hard because you do get lost in the shuffle here. There are a lot of guys that I think do great things when given the opportunity, but it’s all about fighting and finding that opportunity.”
“It’s A Grind”
Corbin commented on his own ambitions, admitting he “had hoped to be world champion by now; it’s taken me three-and-a-half years. It’ll come, it’s just going to take that grind.
He continued, “Some guys have been doing it for six months and are like well, it’s not going to work out for me because I’m not champion. It’s a grind. Anything worth doing is a grind so it’s that kind of thing where you can’t feel sorry for yourself, and you have to keep pushing.”
For him, there’s no point crying about missed opportunities. He explained if he is overlooked, he’ll simply focus on his next route to get to where he wants to go.
It’s no secret that Undisputed Era wants to drape themselves in NXT gold. Adam Cole is the current NXT Champion, Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly hold the NXT tag team championships, and Roderick Strong has an opportunity to claim the NXT North American Championship on the black-and-gold brand’s debut on USA Network.
Speaking with ComicBook.com, Adam Cole recalled starting Undisputed Era on their path towards NXT domination.
“I think that was just something that I just said at one point where I talked about how I wanted Undisputed Era to have all the gold, and it was something that kind of just stuck, so it’s something that we’ve gone with kind of ever since then,” Cole said. “We’ve been adamant about saying, ‘Undisputed Era needs to get all the championships,’ and it just fits for our group. You know the tagline ‘Shock the system?’ Now, that’s evolved into wanting to have all the championship gold. I just feel like it’s a natural progression for the Undisputed Era and the next thing that we would say that we’re going to do.”
“If We’re Going To Add One Guy, It Needs To Be Roddy”
Cole continued, explaining how Undisputed Era was originally only ever going to be comprised of himself, Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish. When Roderick Strong debuted for NXT, however, their mindset changed.
“I remember the three of us talking and saying, ‘Gosh, if we’re going to add one guy, it needs to be Roddy.’ He just fits so incredibly well in the group. I feel like the group was good. The group was really good with the three of us, but I feel like it’s perfect with Roderick in there, just the four of us, the way we play off each other. Many people know the four of us have known each other literally for 10 years. We’re all incredibly close. We talk every single day. We’re legitimate close friends. We travel all the time, so to have him added to the group I really feel like took the group of the Undisputed Era to the next level, for sure.”
Roderick Strong gets his chance to claim gold when he faces off against current NXT North American Champion Velveteen Dream. The two clash on September 18th when NXT debuts on USA Network.
WWE NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler has described NXT’s move to USA Network as the most important day in NXT history.
During an interview with Muscle & Fitness, the champion was asked about changes she has noticed within the black-and-gold brand since signing to the company.
“There’s a lot of things,” Baszler responded. “I think I got into NXT at a very historic time. And I don’t mean just the USA [Network] stuff. NXT on USA is probably the most important day in our history. We’ll look back on it as the key day, but even going back to the first-ever Mae Young Classic, I’ve been such a huge part of these historic moments with NXT and WWE that I’m so excited to see what’s next.”
Baszler made her WWE debut during the Mae Young Classic in 2017. She lost in the finals to Kairi Sane before officially signing with WWE in October of that year. She has since gone on to make NXT history by becoming the first-ever two-time NXT Women’s Champion.
“In my opinion, the NXT Women’s title is a very prestigious title to have,” Baszler said. “So, the fact that I’m the only person to have ever held it twice is a huge thing that I definitely add to my list of accomplishments and I am very, very proud of it.”
There are changes coming to how WWE presents NXT’s big Takeover events. As previously reported, there will be no Takeover Royal Rumble weekend in January as it will instead be replaced by a Worlds Collide event. According to the Wrestling Observer, Takeover events will no longer be paired with WWE’s big pay-per-view weekends moving forward.
“Right now the plan is for Takeovers not to be the same weekend as the big shows and WWE has said that the new Takeover schedule will be out soon,” wrote Dave Meltzer. The report would continue to speculate if WWE would put Takeover events head-to-head against AEW PPVs.
NXT Events in 2020
While the schedule for Takeover events in 2020 has yet to be finalized, WWE and Full Sail University have announced that NXT’s weekly show will remain in the venue. The school and WWE sent out a press release recently which highlighted the benefit NXT provides to the school and its students.
“In addition, the partnership has resulted in hundreds of hours of practical production experience for more than 1,200 students, multiple career networking opportunities for students and grads, and WWE has granted more than $400,000 in scholarships to Full Sail University students, which are applied toward the recipient’s areas of study within the university. The partnership will continue to deliver real-world experience to students in all facets of broadcasting and television.”
In recent weeks, WWE Superstars have been jumping across brands. Cesaro recently appeared on NXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff; Kassius Ohno has become a mainstay on NXT UK, and both NXT UK’s Pete Dunne and Rhea Ripley have been featured on WWE’s NXT brand.
According to PWInsider, there could be some permanent changes ahead once NXT has moved to USA Network as two NXT UK names are reportedly moving to NXT full-time.
The first is ‘The Bruiserweight’ Pete Dunne. Dunne is apparently in the process of attaining the necessary visas that would allow him to live in the United States, becoming a full-time member of the black-and-gold brand in the process.
He recently came back to NXT and competed in a triple-threat matchup against The Velveteen Dream and Roderick Strong at NXT TakeOver: Toronto in August. Velveteen Dream would successfully defend his NXT North American Championship. Dunne holds the record as NXT UK’s longest-running NXT UK Champion.
The second name is the former NXT UK Women’s Champion, Toni Storm. There are reportedly big plans in place for Storm if and when she becomes a permanent fixture on NXT. Storm recently dropped the championship to Kay Lee Ray at NXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff.
NXT moves to USA Network on September 18th, extending to a new two-hour time slot.
