Two more wrestlers in WWE’s developmental system have received new names. The former MLW World Champion Shane Strickland and former X-Division Champion DJZ were both announced by their new gimmick names last night on an NXT house show in Largo, Florida.
Shane Strickland will now go by the name of Isaiah Scott in NXT. His real name is Shane Strickland and he has wrestled under the name Killshot in Lucha Underground as well.
DJZ will now be going by the name Joaquin Wilde in NXT. His real name is Michael Paris and he has wrestled under the names DJZ, DJ Zema, Shima Xion, and Zema Ion.
— The Realest Swerve Strickland (@swerveconfident) June 1, 2019
Strickland has wrestled 4 official matches since signing with NXT. He dropped his first match to Trevor Lee on May 1st, lost to Roderick Strong on May 9th, defeated Trevor Lee on May 10th and then teamed with Brennan Williams and defeated Elliot Sexton and Jonah Rock last night in Largo.
DJZ In NXT
DJZ as Joaquin Wilde wrestled his first match in NXT last night. He defeated Kona Reeves in single’s action.
NXT House Show in Largo, Florida Results
Here are the full results from last night’s house show in Largo, Florida.
Joaquin Wilde defeated Kona Reeves
MJ Jenkins defeated Rachael Evers
Brennan Williams & Isaiah Scott defeated Elliot Sexton & Jonah Rock
Damian Priest defeated Cezar Bononi
WWE NXT Tag Team Title Match: Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) (c) defeated The Forgotten Sons (Steve Cutler & Wesley Blake) (w/Jaxson Ryker)
Albert Hardie Jr. (ACH) defeated Big Boa
Karen Q & Xia Li defeated Aliyah & Vanessa Bourne
WWE NXT Title Match: Adam Cole (c) defeated Keith Lee
Keith Lee squared off against Kona Reeves on this week’s episode of NXT. Reeves locked in an Arm Bar to start off the match. Lee broke free and launched Reeves into the air. Kona landed on his feet and grabbed his knee in pain. Reeves cowered to the ropes and pretended that he was injured as the referee held Lee back.
Kona capitalized with a boot to the face and then a couple of elbows to the back of Lee’s head. Keith battled back with a Clothesline and then leveled Reeves with a Crossbody. Kona connected with a Uranage out of nowhere and went for the cover but Lee kicked out at two. Lee hit a headbutt and then sent Reeves flying with a shoulder tackle. Keith lifted Reeves up onto his shoulders and connected with the Limit Breaker for the pinfall victory.
Bianca Belair once again faced Mia Yim on this week’s show. Belair drove Yim to the cover and then slammed her to the mat. Yim rolled up Belair for a two count and followed it up with a couple of Arm Drags. Mia connected with a Dropkick and went for the cover but Belair kicked out at two.
Belair locked in an Abdominal Stretch in the middle of the ring as the crowd got behind Yim. Mia broke free with a Hip Toss but Belair responded with a Gutbuster for a near fall. Bianca then locked in a Bow and Arrow but Yim quickly escaped. Belair connected with a knee to the face and then stomped on Mia’s midsection.
Mia rolled up Belair for a two count and Bianca quickly connected with an X-Factor. Yim locked in Arm Bar in the middle of the ring but Belair countered into a roll-up for a two count. Mia sent Belair into the steel steps outside the ring and both superstars fell to the floor.
Back in the ring, Mia hit a series of kicks and a Dropkick to Belair’s face. Mia hit Code Blue and went for the cover but Bianca kicked out at the last moment. Belair connected with an awesome German Suplex for another near fall. Bianca went for a Powerbomb but Yim countered into a Guillotine.
Bianca broke free and Yim hit her with a Penalty Kick. Mia hit Belair with the Protect Ya Neck off the second rope for the pinfall victory. This is Yim’s second victory in a row against Bianca Belair.
Several NXT wrestlers are now listed under different names on the WWE Performance Center website. Wrestlers Trevor Lee, Adrian Jaoude, Luke Menzies, Jessie Elaban, and Eric Bugenhagen are now listed by their new WWE ring names.
Trevor Lee is now Cameron Grimes
In St Petersburg FL for @WWENXT. Can’t explain the journey for both of us in a tweet but I’m so proud of @TLee910 for all that he has accomplished. pic.twitter.com/HMS1LcZqV7
Former X-Division champion Trevor Lee Caddell is now Cameron Grimes. It’s possible Grimes took his new first name from the city he’s from, Cameron, North Carolina.
Brazilian-Lebanese wrestler Adrian Jaoude is now known by the name Arturo Ruas. He often teams with Cezar Bonani at NXT live events.
Luke Menzies is now Ridge Holland
Former professional rugby league player Luke Menzies will no longer go by his real name in NXT. Assigned to the NXT UK brand, Menzies will now go by the name Ridge Holland.
Jessie Elaban is now Jessi Kamea
Jessi Kamea competed in the Mae Young Classic last year and most recently lost to Vanessa Borne on an episode of NXT last month.
Eric Bugenhagen is now Rik Bugez
Bugenhagen made a big splash in his NXT debut but will now go under a different name. Rik Bugez will now be the in-ring name for the Superstar. Bugez has wrestled just one match on NXT programming, a loss to Drew Gulak.
This past Saturday, Adam Cole defeated Johnny Gargano in the main event of TakeOver XXV. This victory would see Cole become crowned the new NXT Champion.
Post-TakeOver, Triple H took part in a Facebook Live discussion with Cathy Kelly to discuss the event itself, the bout between Cole and Gargano, and what Cole’s victory means for NXT.
“I think the crowd said it best when they were chanting, ‘fight forever.’ This is one of those things you could see them do this over and over and over again and never get bored with it, never feel like you’ve seen it,” Triple H said.
“They just [have] amazing chemistry. […] Then again, who does Gargano have bad chemistry with? In some ways, you can call him Johnny TakeOver. Almost every time you can make the argument that he’s match of the night. Amazing performance. He walks out of here without a championship, […] but I don’t necessarily think that he lost, I don’t think that he lost any respect from anybody. I think he earned even more tonight.”
“He Is One Of The Hardest Workers Here”
Turning the conversation to the new champion, Triple H said “It was an awesome moment, I’m happy for him. You can say what you want about Adam Cole, he is one of the hardest workers here, much like Gargano, much like so many people here, he puts his heart and soul into everything about this. I’m happy for him.”
Triple H then addressed Gargano’s status after the matchup, revealing that he was seen “hobbling” out of the arena before teasing a potential rubber match between the two NXT Superstars.
“[…] if my math is correct now they’re 2-2 in falls. We’ll see where this goes now. I saw Johnny hobbling out of here. I’m hoping he’s alright. But we will see where this goes, but for now there’s a new champ in town, and his name is Adam Cole.”
TakeOver
NXT isn’t slowing down, and WWE is making efforts to push NXT UK in a similar way.
The company recently announced their NXT UK TakeOver event, which will take place on August 31st from Cardiff, Wales. This date happens to coincide with NJPW’s Royal Quest event in London, as well as All Elite Wrestling’s show, All Out.
Following NXT TakeOver XXV this past Saturday, WWE’s Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events, and Creative, Triple H, took part in a media call. During this call, HHH provided a new update on former NXT Champion, Tommaso Ciampa.
He revealed that Ciampa is ahead of schedule post-neck surgery, and has been cleared for “non-contact” activity. Despite this good news, however, HHH clarified that Ciampa is still far from 100 per cent, and still has a way to go before the WWE Universe can see him return to in-ring action.
“Cleared for non-contact means you can’t do anything in this business,” Triple H explained. “[…] He’s ahead of schedule and doing extremely well. Ahead of schedule on all of it and moving along. But with the type of injury he had and the type of surgery he had, especially in this from a physicality standpoint, you’re not doing anything until you’re 100 per cent. It’s not like you can go in there and lightly take suplexes. You have to be 100 per cent. So, he’s still got a ways to go, but he’s way ahead of the curve and the schedule.”
Triple H added that “He’ll be back soon, and I’m sure when he does, he’ll be ready to claim his spot.”
Tommaso Ciampa suffered a severe neck injury back in February before undergoing surgery back in March. This injury, unfortunately, would see him have to relinquish the NXT championship, which he had lovingly nicknamed “Goldie.”
The NXT UK brand’s second Takeover event will occur on the same day as AEW’s All Out PPV. NJPW’s Royal Quest in London is also set for the same day as All Out and NXT UK Takeover Cardiff.
Triple H addressed the date of the NXT UK Takeover event in his post-event press conference after Takeover XXV last night. According to Triple H, the date for the Cardiff show was booked months ago.
“I will just say this to everybody in here, contrary to, I’m sure, the buzz, the date of August 31st is a date we have had for a long time,” Triple H said. “That building has been booked with us in Cardiff long before WrestleMania, I think.”
“We just hadn’t announced because it wasn’t the right time,” he continued. “You don’t want to announce something for a brand six months out.”
NXT UK Takeover vs AEW All Out – August 31st
Triple H then noted the date has nothing to do with any other event scheduled for that date. He also noted that the UK Takeover event will air in prime time in the UK and in the afternoon in the United States.
“It has nothing to do with anybody else and to be honest, we will take place live in primetime in the U.K. and be on in the afternoon here in the U.S. So it is what it is.”
#NXTUKTakeOver: Cardiff streams LIVE on Saturday, August 31st at 3PM ET / 8PM GT.
NXT Takeover: XXV aired live on the WWE Network from the Webster Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Tommaso Ciampa joined the panel on the Kickoff Show and said that he is well on his way back to getting back into the ring. Ciampa added that he was coming to take back his title when he returns.
Matt Riddle Defeated Roderick Strong In An Excellent Match
Matt Riddle squared off against Roderick Strong to start off NXT TakeOver 25. Strong began the match in control and sent Riddle to the corner. Riddle exploded out of the corner and connected with three Gutwrench Suplexes in a row. Strong tried to regroup on the outside but Riddle chased after him and brought him back into the ring.
Strong rolled out of the ring and Riddle launched himself off the steel steps and hit a flying forearm to Roderick’s face. Strong battled back with a Backbreaker on the apron and both superstars crashed to the floor outside the ring. Back in the ring, Strong went for the cover but Riddle kicked out at two.
Riddle went for another forearm but Strong beautifully countered into a Backbreaker for a near fall. Strong unloaded several punches to Riddle’s face and then locked in a Crossface. Riddle broke free and traded punches with Roderick. Strong got the better of the exchange and went for the cover but Riddle powered out at two.
Roderick planted Riddle with an Olympic Slam for another near fall. Riddle hit Strong with a Brainbuster and the two superstars traded shots again. Riddle hit Strong with a kick to the face and followed it up with an Exploder Suplex. Matt hit the Broton and then a Penalty Kick for a two count.
Matt hit Strong with a series of kicks to his chest and then hit him with a GTS out of nowhere. Riddle followed that up with a German Suplex for a near fall. Strong connected with an Enziguri and perched Riddle up on the top rope. Strong delivered a Superplex and went for the cover but Riddle somehow kicked out at the last second.
Riddle and Strong traded punches again. Riddle went for a Powerbomb but his back gave out. Strong connected with several forearms to the face and then planted him with another Suplex but somehow Riddle kicked out again. The crowd went nuts as Strong couldn’t believe that Riddle kicked out.
Matt booted Roderick out of the ring and then booted him in the face when he got back inside. Riddle hit the Ripcord Knee and then another knee strike but Strong kicked out at two. Riddle climbed up to the top rope and went for a Moonsault but Strong got his knees up. Strong followed that up with a Powerbomb but Riddle kicked out.
Strong transitioned right into a Boston Crab in the middle of the ring. Strong put his knee on Riddle’s injured back but Matt escaped with a few kicks. Riddle then locked in the Bromission in the center of the ring and Strong screamed in pain. Riddle couldn’t maintain the hold due to his injured back and Strong battled to his feet. Riddle then slammed Strong to the canvas for the pinfall victory.
TakeOver started off with an absolutely incredible match from Strong and Riddle. These two had amazing chemistry and there wasn’t a second wasted throughout the entire bout.
Street Profits Captured The Tag Titles In An Epic Ladder Match
Undisputed Era (Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish), The Forgotten Sons (Steve Cutler & Wesley Blake), Street Profits (Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins), and Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan competed in a Ladder Match for the vacant NXT Tag Team Championships.
The match started with a massive brawl that sent several superstars out of the ring. Undisputed Era beat down Montez Ford and then isolated Steve Cutler in the ring. They sent Cutler to the outside and Burch & Lorcan got into the ring. The two teams traded shots until Lorcan unloaded a flurry of chops.
Undisputed Era sent Lorcan and Burch to the outside and then brought a ladder towards the ring. Blake hit a Suicide Dive right into the ladder and Undisputed Era fell on the ramp. Lorcan and Burch attacked Blake and Cutler and beat them down. Dawkins climbed to the top rope and took everyone out with a Splash.
Street Profits set up the ladder and started climbing but Undisputed Era brought them down to the mat. O’Reilly and Fish climbed the ladder but Blake shoved it over. O’Reilly landed right on top of the ladder and tumbled out of the ring in agony. The Forgotten Sons bashed Street Profits and Undisputed Era in the face with the ladder. Burch and Lorcan planted Forgotten Sons with double German Suplexes and the ladder went flying into poor Kyle O’Reilly again.
Dawkins planted Burch with a Spinebuster and Ford followed it up with a ridiculous Frog Splash. Ford and Dawkins set Blake up on a ladder and Ford leaped onto him. Street Profits then hit Cutler with a Flapjack on top of the ladder. Kyle O’Reilly hit Dawkins with a Dropkick off the top rope and once again O’Reilly splatted on top of the ladder as the crowd chanted “this is awesome!”.
Bobby Fish planted Ford with a German Suplex on the ladder as the crowd loudly chanted “NXT!”. O’Reilly started climbing as Fish took out anyone who got in the way. O’Reilly fell to the mat and Fish started climbing. Blake then Powerbombed O’Reilly into the ladder again as Mauro comically shouted: “they killed Kyle!”.
The crowd broke out in a “mama mia!” chant as Forgotten Sons placed a ladder in the corner of the ring. Cutler set up another ladder in the middle of the ring but O’Reilly locked in a Knee Bar in the rungs of the ladder. Blake stomped on Kyle to break it up and then sent him to the outside.
Blake planted Fish with a reverse DDT as Cutler leaped off the ladder and stomped on Fish at the same time. The Forgotten Sons started climbing to a chorus of boos from the crowd. Dawkins and Burch got in the ring and Danny lifted Cutler up in the Electric Chair. Lorcan hit Cutler with an uppercut off the top rope as Dawkins lifted Blake up in the Electric Chair. Montez Ford hit a Blockbuster off the top rope and slammed Cutler to the canvas.
Kyle O’Reilly slowly started climbing but Jaxson Ryker marched down the entrance ramp. Ryker once again Powerbombed O’Reilly into the ladder and then took everyone else out. Dawkins started climbing but Jaxson flipped over the ladder and Angelo fell to the canvas. Ryker bashed the hell out of Dawkins with the ladder in the corner of the ring.
Oney Lorcan charged at Ryker but Jaxson hit him with a Back Body Drop and Lorcan crashed on top of the ladder. Undisputed Era attacked Ryker and beat him down. Street Profits and Oney Lorcan joined in on the attack and stomped the hell out of Ryker. They then hit Ryker with the ladder several times before brawling with each other once again.
Undisputed Era hit Ryker with the ladder once again and Jaxson finally fell to the outside. Ford then flipped onto Ryker and landed hard on his back on the floor outside the ring. Lorcan then hit Ryker with a Suicide Dive as Burch hit a Dropkick into the ladder that sent Undisputed Era to the canvas.
Burch and Lorcan sent Fish shoulder first into the steel ring post. Lorcan planted O’Reilly with a Suplex and then grabbed a ladder. Burch and Lorcan sandwiched the Street Profits with two ladders. They then hurled a ladder onto the Forgotten Sons outside the ring.
Lorcan and Burch started climbing but Fish and O’Reilly brought them back down. Two ladders were then set up in the ring as Burch, Lorcan, and Undisputed Era climbed towards the titles suspended above the ring. The Forgotten Sons tipped over the ladders and the two teams fell to the outside.
Blake and Cutler started their climb up the ladder as the crowd booed. Angelo Dawkins took out Cutler with a Spear as Ford springboarded onto the ladder. Ford then knocked Blake to the canvas and grabbed the titles. The Street Profits are the new NXT Tag Team Champions.
This match was insane and the right team won. Street Profits are a hell of a team and the NXT crowd loves them. I cannot get over how much punishment Kyle O’Reilly took during this match. I don’t know he was able to walk backstage once this match concluded. Once again, NXT does the tag team division right and it is frustrating that it doesn’t translate to the “main roster”.
Dream threw his glove at Breeze before the match as the crowd chanted “Velveteen!”. Breeze went for the Unprettier early but Dream escaped. Tyler then took a seat across the top rope and waved his foot in Dream’s face. Tyler hit a Backbreaker for a two count and then Clotheslined Dream to the outside.
Velveteen caught Breeze with a punch to the face and then a Double Axehandle off the top rope. Breeze escaped to the outside but Dream brought him right back into the ring. Velveteen climbed to the top rope but Tyler got out of the ring. Breeze crotched Dream on the ring post and then slammed his leg into the steel. Breeze followed that up with a flying forearm off the apron and went for another one but Dream countered with a punch to the face.
Back in the ring, Breeze locked in a single-legged Crab on Dream’s injured leg. Velveteen fought through the pain and grabbed the bottom rope to break the hold. Breeze stomped the hell out of Dream in the corner and then Dropkicked him to the outside. Breeze followed him outside and Dream hit him with a Superkick to the face.
Dream told the referee to stop the count and Dream bashed Breeze’s face into the announce table several times. Velveteen grabbed Breeze’s phone and took a selfie with him on the announce table. Dream got distracted by the crowd and turned around into a Superkick from Breeze.
Tyler and Dream got back into the ring and Velveteen connected with a Dream Valley Driver out of nowhere for a two count. Velveteen climbed to the rope but Breeze rolled to the apron. Breeze connected with an Enziguri and both superstars fell to the mat. Breeze climbed to the top rope and hit a Crossbody but Dream rolled through for a two count.
Velveteen lifted Tyler up in the Fireman’s Carry but Breeze escaped. Tyler hit another Superkick and went for the cover but Dream kicked out at the last moment. Dream leaped off the top rope and right into a Dropkick from Breeze. Velveteen battled back with a DDT for a near fall.
Breeze crotched Dream on the top turnbuckle and went for a DDT but Velveteen shoved him to the mat. Breeze exploded off the canvas with a knee to the face and both superstars collapsed to the canvas. Dream connected with the Unprettier on Breeze for a two count. Dream went for the Purple Rainmaker but Dream got his knees up.
Tyler hit another Superkick and then the Unprettier but somehow Dream kicked out at two. Dream rolled up Breeze for a two count and then walked into a Beauty Shot spin kick from Breeze. Tyler went for the cover but Velveteen escaped to the outside. Breeze went after him and dragged Dream towards the ring.
Breeze broke the count and demanded that the referee stop counting. Dream brought the title into the ring and Breeze ripped it away. Dream capitalized on the distraction and hit the Dream Valley Driver. Velveteen Dream then hit the Purple Rainmaker for the pinfall victory. Velveteen Dream is still the NXT North American Champion.
After the match, Dream stood in the ring with Breeze’s phone as Tyler got up. Dream posed with the title and gave Tyler back his phone. Breeze and Dream then took a selfie in the middle of the ring before Dream exited.
Aside from a few clunky moments, Dream and Breeze put on a very solid match tonight. It is great to see Breeze back in NXT because at least he will be featured on the show.
Shayna Baszler Tapped Out Shirai To Retain The NXT Women’s Championship
Shayna Baszler defended her NXT Women’s Championship against Io Shirai tonight at TakeOver. Shayna came down to the ring by herself as Duke and Shafir remained backstage.
Shayna knocked Io the mat to start things off. Io shoved Baszler to the corner and then smacked her in the face. Shirai connected with a Dropkick that sent the champ to the outside. Shirai hit Baszler with a baseball slide and then brought her back into the ring.
Io climbed to the top rope but Shayna slammed her back to the mat. Baszler stomped on Io’s elbow and then posed as the crowd booed her out of the building. Baszler connected with a massive Clothesline and went for the cover but Shirai kicked out at two.
Baszler snapped Io’s shoulder back and Shirai retreated to the corner. Baszler remained on the attack and dropped an elbow onto Io’s injured arm. Shayna tried to stomp on Io’s elbow again but Shirai escaped. Io connected with a German Suplex but couldn’t bridge into a cover due to her injured arm.
Io hit a 619 and followed it up with a springboard Dropkick for a two count. Baszler and Shirai traded shots before Io locked in a Crossface in the middle of the ring. Shayna slammed Io to the canvas to break up the hold and both superstars remained on the mat.
Shayna was the first to her feet and grabbed Io by her hair in the corner. Baszler twisted Io’s elbow on the turnbuckle but Io broke free with a boot to the face. Io then hit another Dropkick that sent Shayna to the outside. Shirai climbed to the top rope and hit Shayna with a Moonsault outside the ring.
Back in the ring, Shirai went to the top again and hit another Dropkick. Io followed it up with Double Knees but Duke and Shafir came down the entrance ramp. Candice LeRae attacked them both with a kendo stick and then hit a Crossbody off the steel steps.
Io got distracted by this and Baszler capitalized with a roll-up for a two count. Shayna went for the Kirifuda Clutch but Io escaped. Shirai went for a Moonsault but Baszler dodged it. Io landed on her feet and booted Baszler in the face. Shirai went for a roll-up but Baszler countered into the Kirifuda Clutch in the middle of the ring. Shirai desperately tried to reach the ropes but couldn’t make it and had no choice but to tap out. Shayna Baszler remains the NXT Women’s Champion.
After the match, Io Shirai attacked Shayna with a kendo stick and then hit her with a Moonsault off the top rope. Io then asked Candice to grab her a chair from under the ring. Shirai delivered another Moonsault with the steel chair before exiting the ring.
Shirai and Baszler put on a very solid match and I’m looking forward to watching this rivalry continue in NXT. Baszler had welts across her back and the crowd chanted “you deserve it!” as she laid in the ring. Shayna hobbled to her feet to a chorus of boos and then shoved away the referee.
Johnny Gargano defended the NXT Championship against Adam Cole in the main event of NXT TakeOver: XXV. The crowd was split down the middle as “Adam Cole!” and “Johnny Wrestling!” chants broke out before the match.
Gargano hit a shoulder tackle but Cole responded with a shoulder tackle of his own. Cole went for the Last Shot but Gargano avoided it. Johnny tried for the Gargano Escape but Cole blocked it and rolled out of the ring.
Back in the ring, Gargano hit a Hurricanrana and Adam once again retreated out of the ring. Gargano connected with a Cannonball off the ring apron as the referee started his count. Johnny rolled Adam into the ring and Cole once again retreated to the outside. Gargano hit Cole with a Double Stomp on his arm before the action finally returned to the ring.
Cole connected with a Superkick to the back of Gargano’s knee and then bounced Johnny’s face off the top turnbuckle. Cole then went to work on Johnny’s leg and applied a Knee Bar in the middle of the ring. Gargano booted Cole in the face to break the hold but Adam remained on the attack.
Adam booted Johnny in the knee and then hit a Dropkick off the second rope. Cole continued to punish Gargano and connected with a Dragon Screw. Gargano grabbed his knee in pain as Adam sent him to the corner. Cole stomped away at Gargano’s knee and Johnny fell to the canvas.
Cole leaped off the second rope but Gargano countered into a Powerbomb. Gargano hit an overhead Belly to Belly Suplex and followed it up with a kick to the side of Cole’s head. Johnny connected with a Flatliner off the second rope for a near fall.
Johnny hit the slingshot Spear and went for the cover but Cole kicked out at the last second. Gargano perched Cole on the top rope and went for a Superplex but Adam blocked it. Cole connected with a Backstabber for another two count. Cole followed it up with an Enziguri and then a Facecrusher for a near fall.
Cole and Gargano traded Superkicks and both superstars fell out of the ring. They then both hit each other with a Superkick at the same time and fell to the floor outside the ring. Back in the ring, Gargano hit the Slingshot DDT for another near fall. Johnny hit a Double Stomp but Cole once again rolled out of the ring.
Adam booted Gargano in the knee and hit an Ushigoroshi on the outside. Cole then hit another Ushigoroshi in the ring for a two count. Johnny locked in the Gargano Escape but Cole countered into the Figure Four. Gargano was able to reverse the hold but Cole quickly grabbed the bottom rope to break it up.
Cole went after Gargano’s knee again and took down his knee pad. Gargano booted Cole out of the ring and then hit him with a DDT when he tried to get back inside the ring. Johnny went for a Suicide Dive and Cole hit him with a Superkick while he was in midair. Cole followed it up with a Panama Sunrise off the ring apron as the crowd chanted “holy sh*t!”.
Cole went for the cover back in the ring but Gargano somehow kicked out at two. Cole took down his own knee pad and went for the Last Shot but Johnny dodged it. Adam Cole locked in the Gargano Escape but Johnny broke free and hit Cole with the Last Shot for another near fall.
The crowd chanted “fight forever!” as Gargano and Cole traded punches in the middle of the ring. Cole connected with a boot to the face but Johnny bounced off the ropes and hit a Clothesline. Gargano and Cole traded Superkicks and Johnny hit a reverse Hurricanrana. Cole bounced to his feet and hit the Last Shot but somehow Gargano kicked out.
Adam couldn’t believe that Johnny kicked out and started arguing with the referee. Cole rolled out of the ring and grabbed a steel chair. The referee tried to rip the chair away and Gargano accidentally hit him with a Suicide Dive. Cole tried to hit Johnny with the chair but Gargano ducked. Johnny hit a Superkick and bounced the chair into Adam’s face.
Gargano went for the cover but the referee was still knocked out. Gargano rolled the referee into the ring as Cole waved for someone to come down to the ring. Nobody emerged from backstage but Cole capitalized on the distraction and spiked Johnny’s head into the mat for a two count.
Cole set up for the Last Shot but Johnny fell to the mat. Johnny then locked in the Gargano Escape and rolled to the middle of the ring. Cole elbowed Johnny several times in the knee to break the hold. Cole connected with Panama Sunrise and then the Last Shot for the pinfall victory. Adam Cole is the new NXT Champion. After the match, Undisputed Era celebrated in the ring as Gargano sat in shock against the steel steps. Bobby Fish had in his arm in a sling during the celebration.
— James Stewart ?? (@IAmJamesStewart) June 2, 2019
Cole and Gargano put on an instant classic tonight at TakeOver: XXV. The match started out slow and built up perfectly to the finish. It will be interesting to see where Gargano goes from here. Cole deserved this moment and I’m looking forward to his title run in NXT. NXT TakeOver: XXV was another phenomenal show for the brand. All five matches delivered and there was not a dull moment during the entire PPV.
Tyler Breeze will challenge Velveteen Dream for the NXT North American title on Saturday. Today, Triple H confirmed that Breeze is once again a full-time member of the NXT roster.
Breeze sent the below message to his former partner Fandango earlier today. The video features highlights of Breeze and Fandango teaming together:
Fandango has been out of action for 11 months after suffering a torn left labrum. His original timeline for return was 6 months and he reported to the WWE PC in December. It’s not clear what has led to Fandango’s extended absence.
Breeze recently joked with his former trainer, Lance Storm, about his position on the main roster in WWE.
Breeze has never won a title in NXT or the WWE main roster. He is a former Florida Championship Wrestling champion and co-held the FCW tag titles along with Roman Reigns.
In 2011, Reigns was wrestling under the name Leakee and Breeze was wrestling as Mike Dalton. They defeated the team of Corey Graves and Jake Carter (Big Van Vader’s son) for the belts. Dalton and Leakee (Breeze and Reigns) would drop the belts to the team of Juice Robinson and Jason Jordan just one month later.
The betting odds for this Saturday night’s NXT TakeOver: XXV live WWE Network special are in.
With only a couple of days remaining before the milestone NXT TakeOver event, the folks at Sky Bet have released their latest betting odds for all five matches on the card.
Currently, Johnny Gargano is the 4/7 betting favorite to retain the NXT Championship in his rematch against Adam Cole in the main event. On the flip side of the coin, Cole is a slight 5/4 betting underdog.
In the co-main event of the show, Shayna Baszler is currently the 4/6 favorite to retain her NXT Women’s Championship. Not at all too far behind “The Queen of Spades” from a betting standpoint is Shirai as the narrow underdog at 11/10.
The Undisputed Era (Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish) are currently the 7/4 favorites to win the Ladder Match for the vacant NXT Tag-Team Championships. The Street Profits are the second favorites at 9/4, followed by The Forgotten Sons at 11/4. The team of Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch are the clear-cut betting underdogs at 11/2.
For the NXT North American Championship, Velveteen Dream is the 1/4 favorite to retain his title against former WWE main roster Superstar Tyler Breeze. Meanwhile, Breeze is the 11/4 underdog.
Matt Riddle is currently the big 3/10 betting favorite to walk out of NXT TakeOver: XXV with the win. Strong is currently a 12/5 underdog.
NXT TakeOver: XXV Results Coverage At SEScoops.com
For more analysis and insight into Saturday night’s NXT TakeOver: XXV live special, check out our SEScoops.com Staff Predictions Roundtable for the show. The feature includes three veteran wrestling reporters breaking down and predicting the winner of each match scheduled for the show.
What do YOU think of the NXT TakeOver: XXV betting odds? Share your thoughts on who the experts are picking to win Saturday night’s matches, and leave your own predictions for the event in the Comments section below!
NXT TakeOver: XXV goes down from the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut on Saturday, June 1st. The show will stream live via the WWE Network. Make sure to join us here at SEScoops.com on Saturday evening for live results coverage of the event.
Bianca Belair once again battled Mia Yim on this week’s episode of NXT. Belair defeated Yim two weeks ago by using her hair for leverage on the ropes to secure a pinfall. Mia Yim started off the match in command and connected with a Dropkick that sent Belair to the corner. Yim followed that up with a Cannonball for a near fall.
Belair took control and leveled Yim with a Clothesline for a two count. Bianca showed off her strength by squatting Yim and then planting her with a Suplex. Yim locked in the Tarantula on the ropes and then transitioned into a roll-up for a two count. Belair knocked Yim to the canvas with a Dropkick and then raked her face along the ropes.
The crowd got behind Yim as Belair hit a few elbows to her face in the corner of the ring. Belair leveled Yim with a forearm to the face for another near fall. Mia sent Bianca to the outside and then hit her with an Overhead Belly to Belly Throw and both superstars fell to the canvas.
Mia hit the Code Yim and went for the cover but Belair kicked out at the last moment. Bianca drove Mia to the corner and drove her shoulder into Yim’s midsection. Belair charged at Mia but Yim got out of the way and Bianca crashed into the ring post. Yim connected with the Eat Defeat but Belair tumbled out of the ring.
Yim chased Belair up the ramp and brought back towards the ring. Bianca slammed Yim’s face into the ring apron and got back in the ring as the referee was counting. Mia got back into the ring at the last second and broke the count. Bianca unloaded a flurry of strikes and sent Mia flying across the ring.
Belair hit a Back Body Drop and lifted her up for a Powerbomb but Yim escaped. Mia then returned the favor by grabbing Bianca’s hair and planted Belair with the Protect Ya Neck for the pinfall victory. This was the first time Belair was pinned in NXT.
Kushida squared off with Drew Gulak on this week’s show. Gulak applied and Arm Bar to start off but Kushida rolled through and escaped. Gulak locked in a single-legged crab but once again Kushida escaped. Kushida went for a Triangle but Gulak threw Kushida down to the canvas.
Kushida locked in a Crossface in the middle of the ring and then transitioned into a Headlock. Gulak escaped but Kushida quickly locked in an Octopus submission. Gulak escaped and applied a submission hold of his own but Kushida quickly reached the bottom rope to break the hold.
Gulak connected with a Body Slam and followed it up with a Gutbuster. Kushida planted Gulak with an Arm Drag and immediately locked in an Arm Bar. Gulak countered into an Ankle Lock in the middle of the ring.
Kushida escaped and leveled Gulak with an Enziguri. Drew hit Kushida with a forearm but Kushida connected with a Flatliner out of nowhere. Kushida then rolled up Gulak for the pinfall victory. After the match, Gulak got pissed off and called Kushida a coward.
Undisputed Era Sent A Message Heading Into TakeOver
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch faced The Forgotten Sons in the main event. Jaxson Ryker was ringside for the match. Burch connected with a Dropkick on Wesley Blake to start things off. Burch went to work on Blake’s left arm but Steve Cutler was able to tag himself in.
Cutler sent Burch to the corner and stomped on him before tagging Blake back in. Blake planted Burch for a one count. Cutler and Lorcan then tagged in. Ryker tripped up Lorcan and Blake capitalized with a Clothesline. The referee booted Ryker from ringside and The Forgotten Sons threw a tantrum.
Street Profits attacked Ryker on the entrance ramp as a brawl broke out in the ring. Street Profits rushed the ring and the match ended in a DQ. The Forgotten Sons brought chairs into the ring and beat the hell out of everyone. Undisputed Era then attacked Ryker and threw him off the stage.
All four members of Undisputed Era ran down to the ring and beat everyone down. They then posed in the ring before turning their attention back to Ryker on the entrance ramp. Undisputed Era grabbed a ladder from under the ring and bashed Jaxson in the face. Cole then climbed the ladder and Roderick Strong handed him a microphone. Cole said “Riddle, Gargano, at TakeOver that is Undisputed” and pointed to Ryker on the floor.
NXT TakeOver 25 airs this Saturday night on the WWE Network. We will have live coverage of the show as well as Takeaways after the event goes off the air. Below is the card for TakeOver:
NXT Championship: Johnny Gargano (c) vs. Adam Cole
NXT North American Championship: Velveteen Dream (c) vs. Tyler Breeze
NXT Women’s Championship: Shayna Baszler vs. Io Shirai
Ladder Match For The Vacant NXT Tag Team Championship: Undisputed Era vs. The Street Profits vs. The Forgotten Sons vs. Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch
“Road Dogg” Brian James is now working for NXT full-time and has reported to the Performance Center in Orlando, FL.
The WWE Hall of Famer made headlines shortly before WrestleMania 35 when he stepped down as the head writer of SmackDown Live. At the time, Dave Meltzer commented on the situation on Wrestling Observer Radio.
“Brian James has – what I was told – stepped down as co-head writer of Smackdown.” Meltzer added, “I don’t know anything more as to why but that happened.”
The following day, Pro Wrestling Sheet reported the decision for James to leave SmackDown was mutual between he and WWE. “We’re told WWE wants to keep his position flexible at this time and use him as a utility player, so they can see where he’d fit best going forward.”
Road Dogg has been working for WWE behind the scenes in a production and creative capacity since 2014.
It’s been reported that current NXT Champion, Johnny Gargano, has been dealing with a knee injury.
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, this is why Gargano has seen minimal in-ring action in recent weeks.
Further details are unknown at this time, but it is speculated that the injury could have been sustained back in March.
Although he has appeared for NXT TV tapings, Gargano was used sparingly, minimizing the amount of time actively grappling.
These precautionary measures have been taken to allow Gargano an opportunity to rest and heal. He is scheduled for a matchup with Adam Cole. The two will clash for the NXT Championship at NXT’s upcoming TakeOver XXV event.
#JohnnyProducing
In recent weeks, Johnny Gargano has been working as a producer at NXT, learning a different side of the product.
In a recent tweet, he highlighted the importance of not becoming complacent. He called it “The #1 killer of success” before signing off with the hashtag “JohnnyProducing.”
“The #1 killer of success is complacency. Especially when it comes to this job.. there’s just so many different sides and intricacies to it, you can always get better and learn something new. I get the chance to wear a different hat this weekend! @WWENXT #JohnnyProducing?”
The #1 killer of success is complacency.
Especially when it comes to this job.. there's just so many different sides and intricacies to it, you can always get better and learn something new.
NXT GM William Regal kicked off this week’s show with a big announcement. Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan, Street Profits, The Forgotten Sons, and Undisputed Era (Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish) will compete in a Ladder Match for the vacant NXT Tag Team Championships.
Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Roderick Strong, Bobby Fish, and Kyle O’Reilly marched down to the ring to a great reaction. Adam Cole claimed that Undisputed Era is stronger than they have ever been and that they are all the same page. Cole claimed that Undisputed Era owned every superstar in the back and that they will not stop until they run this place. Adam added that O’Reilly and Fish will regain the tag titles and that he is going to take the NXT Championship from Johnny Gargano.
NXT Champion Johnny Gargano quickly interrupted and Cole got pissed off. Johnny smirked as he slowly walked to the entrance ramp. Gargano asked Cole to tell the truth for the first time in his career, and claimed that Cole knows that he could never beat him on his own. Cole called Gargano an idiot and boasted about winning the first fall at TakeOver: New York. Johnny stated that Cole doesn’t know how math works and that Adam certainly didn’t shock the school system.
Johnny broke it down for Cole, and said that you actually need to win two falls in a 2 out of 3 Falls. Gargano noted that he won two falls and asked Cole if he understood. Cole shouted that Johnny can be as condescending as he wants, but he knows that it eats Johnny alive that he pinned him at TakeOver.
Matt Riddle crashed the party and attacked Undisputed Era from behind. Johnny rushed to the ring and joined in on the brawl. Cole and Johnny traded shots as Riddle booted Strong out of the ring. Several officials rushed the ring and Undisputed Era retreated. Gargano and Riddle fist-bumped as Johnny’s music played to conclude the segment.
Sean Maluta squared off against Mansoor on this week’s episode of NXT. The match started off back and forth. Mansoor hit a Headscissors and followed it up with an impressive Dropkick. Maluta booted Mansoor in the face and connected with a Samoan Drop.
Mansoor retreated to the corner but Maluta greeted him with a running knee. Maluta followed it up with a Codebreaker off of the second rope and then applied a Headlock. Mansoor battled back with a German Suplex and a running knee in the corner. Mansoor then connected with a beautiful slingshot Neckbreaker. Mansoor hit a spinning Suplex for the pinfall victory.
Riddle Vs. Strong Was Announced For TakeOver
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Undisputed Era was seen angrily exiting William Regal’s office. Cathy Kelley spoke to Regal and he stated that he was informing Undisputed Era their conduct is unacceptable. Regal announced that Riddle will face Roderick Strong in two weeks at NXT TakeOver. He added that Matt Riddle & Gargano will battle Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish later tonight.
Tyler Breeze Confronted Velveteen Dream
Photo Credit: WWE.com
NXT North American Champion Velveteen Dream made his way to the ring. Dream stated that people want feel, touch, and hold the Dream, but he is the NXT North American Champion and is too big to hold. Tyler Breeze interrupted and joined Dream in the ring.
The crowd chanted “Breeze is gorgeous!” as Tyler stared at Dream. The crowd transitioned into a “welcome home!” chant and Breeze responded by saying “Prince Pretty is home”. Tyler added that he had everyone talking about him when he was NXT, and referred to Velveteen as a cheap knockoff.
Breeze stated that there can only be one Prince Pretty in NXT and then took a look at himself with his cellphone. Dream claimed that the spotlight of the NXT Universe wants a real man and not a boy that plays cops and robbers like Tyler Breeze. Velveteen added that Breeze doesn’t get to come to NXT and demand a spotlight because he failed on RAW and SmackDown.
Tyler responded by claiming his main roster run was uninspired, but Dream and the Velveteen Dream inspires him. Breeze added that an inspired Tyler Breeze is too much for Dream to handle. Velveteen joked about Breeze sitting in catering on Monday and Tuesday nights and told him to get at the back of the line.
Dream asked Breeze if he wanted to take a selfie with the champion, and Tyler accepted the offer. Breeze added that when Dream writes his phone number on his trunk and nobody calls you up, it is because nobody is interested. Breeze then punched Dream in the face and exited the ring.
Breeze was then interviewed backstage. Tyler stated that all he wanted to do tonight was introduce Velveteen Dream to an inspired Prince Pretty. It was later announced that Dream will defend the NXT North American Championship against Breeze at TakeOver.
Candice LeRae Picked Up A Win, Io Shirai Fought Off Baszler, Shafir & Duke
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Candice LeRae faced Reina Gonzalez tonight on NXT. Gonzalez overpowered LeRae early and clubbed her to the canvas. Reina stomped on Candice in the corner and shouted at the referee when he tried to break it up. Gonzalez connected with a Powerslam and went for the cover but Candice kicked out at two.
Reina applied a Wrist Lock as the NXT Universe got behind LeRae. Candice escaped and awkwardly sent Gonzalez tumbling out of the ring. LeRae hit a Baseball Slide Dropkick and went for a Crossbody but Reina caught her. LeRae escaped again and shoved Gonzalez into the steel steps.
Back in the ring, Candice made her way to the top rope and connected with a Hurricanrana. LeRae unloaded a flurry of strikes and then an elbow to Reina’s face. Candice went back to the top rope and hit a Dropkick. LeRae followed it up with a Springboard Moonsault for the pinfall victory.
After the match, NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler, Marina Shafir, and Jessamyn Duke attacked LeRae in the ring. Io Shirai sprinted to the ring with a kendo stick and beat the hell out of Duke, Shafir, and Baszler. Io broke the stick over Shayna’s back and sent her running out of the ring. Shayna Baszler will defend her NXT Women’s Championship against Shirai at TakeOver.
Matt Riddle and Johnny Gargano battled Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish of Undisputed Era in the main event of this week’s episode of NXT. Riddle and Gargano argued about who is going to start the match. Johnny wound up starting things off as Riddle was selling a rib injury from Undisputed Era’s attack on him last week.
Gargano and O’Reilly locked up as dueling “lets go Kyle!” and “Johnny Wrestling!” chants broke out. O’Reilly retreated to the corner and had a brief chat with Fish before locking up with Johnny again. O’Reilly went for a Triangle but Gargano escaped. Johnny went for the Gargano Escape but Kyle broke free.
Bobby Fish tagged in and sent Johnny to the mat with an Arm Drag. Fish applied a Headlock but Gargano quickly battled to his feet. Fish tried to hit Riddle on the apron but Matt saw it coming. O’Reilly then tried to attack Riddle but Matt leveled him with a kick. Fish Clotheslined Riddle to the floor and then turned around into a kick to the face from Gargano.
Back in the ring, Riddle tagged in and chopped Fish’s chest several times and Johnny held him up. Riddle then unloaded a series of kicks before bashing O’Reilly off the apron. Matt planted Fish with an Exploder Suplex and then delivered an overhead kick to O’Reilly that sent him to the outside.
Riddle hit two Gutwrench Suplexes in a row on Fish and then hit O’Reilly with one. Matt tried for another Gutwrench Suplex but couldn’t do it due to his injured ribs. Fish hit him with a forearm to the face and brought Riddle to the corner of the ring. Undisputed Era isolated Riddle in the corner and took turns beating him down.
Kyle connected with a knee to Riddle’s ribs for a near fall. The crowd got behind Riddle as Fish tagged in to continue the beatdown. Fish and O’Reilly Suplexed Matt for a two count and then Fish went back to work on Riddle’s ribs. Bobby connected with a Senton for a near fall and tagged Kyle back in.
O’Reilly locked in an Abdominal Stretch and Riddle screamed in agony. The crowd chanted “bro!” as Riddle broke free and traded shots with O’Reilly. Riddle hit the Ripcord Knee and tagged in Gargano. Fish tagged in and Johnny greeted him with a Clothesline.
Gargano planted O’Reilly with a Belly to Belly Suplex and then hit Fish with a Bulldog. Johnny followed that up with a Tornado DDT to Fish and hit O’Reilly with an Enziguri while he was in midair. O’Reilly tagged in and planted Gargano with a Brainbuster for a two count. Kyle pounded the mat out of frustration and then tagged Bobby back in.
O’Reilly hit Riddle with a German Suplex but Riddle got right up. Riddle hit a German Suplex of his own and followed it up with a Penalty Kick to O’Reilly’s face. Riddle tagged in and hit Fish with a Senton. Matt climbed to the top and hit the Floating Bro but O’Reilly broke up the cover at two.
Gargano booted Kyle in the face and then threw O’Reilly into a knee strike from Riddle. Matt planted Fish with a Powerbomb and followed it up with a knee to the face. Riddle went for the cover but O’Reilly dragged Fish to the outside. Adam Cole came down to the entrance ramp and Johnny greeted him with a Suicide Dive. Roderick Strong kneed Riddle in the face and Suplexed him onto the ring apron. O’Reilly and Fish then hit Riddle with the High and Low for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Undisputed Era used the numbers advantage and attacked Riddle and Gargano. Cole hit Gargano with the Last Shot to the back of Johnny’s head and then taunted him to close the show.
WWE taped a few matches for an upcoming episode of NXT TV at Saturday night’s NXT Bel Air live event.
F4WOnline.com is reporting that three matches from Saturday night’s NXT Bel Air house show at the APG Federal Credit Union Arena in Bel Air, Maryland were taped for an episode of the weekly NXT TV show on the WWE Network.
The three matches taped last night for TV included a submission match pitting KUSHIDA against Drew Gulak, a tag-team bout that saw The Undisputed ERA take on the duo of Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan, as well as a women’s tag-team bout.
Below are spoiler results of the matches taped for NXT TV last night:
NXT TV SPOILER RESULTS (Taped On 5/18/2019)
KUSHIDA def. Drew Gulak in a Submission Match
The submission match between KUSHIDA and Gulak was said to be an entertaining contest, and a unique one, as there were none of the traditional near-falls and pin attempts in the match.
In the end, KUSHIDA picked up the win by submission when Gulak tapped out to the Hoverboard Lock.
Up next was a tag-team bout pitting The Undisputed ERA’s Roderick Strong and Kyle O’Reilly against Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan. Bobby Fish came out with Strong and O’Reilly with his arm in a sling. He shook his fellow Undisputed ERA members’ hands and headed to the back.
The match was given some time and the crowd was said to be into a lot of the action. Near the end of the match, Jaxson Ryder ran in to distract Strong, setting up the finish, which saw Lorcan roll O’Reilly up for the pin fall victory.
Winners: Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan
Marina Shafir & Jessamyn Duke vs. Io Shirai & Candice LaRae ended in a No Contest
In the third match taped for television, Ronda Rousey’s Four Horsewomen members Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke took on Io Shirai and Candice LaRae in women’s tag-team action.
This one was kept pretty short and basic. During the match, NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler came out. “The Queen of Spades” simply stood at the top of the entrance ramp and watched the match until getting involved in the finish.
At the end of the contest, Shirai was about to hit her moonsault on Duke for what felt like the finish, until Baszler pulled Duke out of the ring. Shirai then hit her moonsault on Baszler instead.
This led to a big brawl with all five ladies going at it while several NXT officials tried to break things up. Baszler and Shirai ended up battling in the crowd, while LaRae brawled with Duke and Shafir.
Winners: No Contest
After these three matches were taped, the NXT Bel Air main event took place. The match saw Velveteen Dream retain his NXT North American Championship in an excellent Triple-Threat Match that included Matt Riddle and Adam Cole.
Stokely Hathaway has undergone his second name change since joining NXT. At a live event in Tampa recently, it was revealed that Hathaway will now be going by the name Malcolm Bivens.
As Bivens, Hathaway cut a promo and introduced his client Jermaine Haley (Jonah Rock), who was then defeated by Killian Dain. Hathaway has previously used the name Court Moore in NXT as well.
Hathaway performed with Ring of Honor from 2014-2015. He spent from 2016-18 working for indies, EVOLVE, and did a little work with MLW as well. Hathaway was signed to WWE in March. He was part of the class of recruits which started at the Performance Center earlier this year. Robbie E and Cal Bloom are also in his class.
Mauro Ranallo announced that Beth Phoenix has joined the commentary team to start off this week’s episode.
NXT Tag Team Champions The Viking Raiders came down to the ring. Ivar and Erik grabbed a couple of microphones and boasted about raiding the RAW tag team division. They raised the NXT Tag Team Championships in the air and asked NXT GM William Regal to come down to the ring.
Regal came down to the ring and The Viking Raiders said that there was nobody in NXT that can defeat them and relinquished the titles. Street Profits interrupted to a great reaction from the crowd. Ford and Dawkins took offense to The Viking Raiders claiming that there was nobody in NXT that can beat them.
Ford noted that the Street Profits almost beat The Viking Raiders a few weeks back. Dawkins poked fun at The Viking Raiders’ name and challenged them to a match for the titles. Ivar demanded that Regal make the match and The Viking Raiders exited the ring. Regal announced that The Viking Raiders will defend their titles later tonight.
Adam Cole, Bobby Fish, and Kyle O’Reilly were interviewed in the parking lot. Cole was about to go on a rant about Roderick Strong when a commotion went down off camera. Roderick Strong showed up with Matt Riddle’s blood covered flip flop and stated that he solved Cole’s problem with Riddle. Strong added that he wanted to get back on the same page with Cole and stay with Undisputed Era. Cole smiled and agreed that they work best together.
Keith Lee battled Cezar Bononi tonight on NXT. Lee started off the bout with a shoulder tackle and then a chop to Cezar’s chest. Bononi went for a shoulder tackle of his own but Lee didn’t go down. Lee then hit the Spirit Bomb for the pinfall victory.
Kushida squared off against Kona Reeves in his 2nd match in NXT. Kushida brought Reeves to the canvas to start off the match with an Arm Drag. He then locked in an Arm Bar but Kona battled back to his feet. Drew Gulak showed up on the entrance ramp and stared at Kushida. Reeves capitalized on the distraction with a Suplex for a near fall.
Gulak smirked on the entrance ramp as the crowd got behind Kushida. Kushida connected with a Clothesline and a flurry of kicks. He followed it up with a Dropkick to Reeves’ face for a two count. Kushida sent Kona to the outside and flipped onto him off the top rope. Back in the ring, Kushida applied the Hoverboard Lock for the submission victory. Gulak didn’t seem too impressed as he made his way backstage.
Gargano Will Defend His Title Against Adam Cole At TakeOver
Johnny Gargano checked in on Matt Riddle after he was attacked. Gargano was briefly interviewed as he was leaving and made a big announcement. Johnny stated that he had talked to NXT GM William Regal and will defend his NXT Championship against Adam Cole at NXT TakeOver.
Vanessa Borne faced Jessie tonight on NXT. Aliyah was in Borne’s corner for the match. Borne started off the match in control and stomped the hell out of Jessie. Borne unloaded strikes on Jessie in the corner of the ring. Jessie battled back with a kick but Borne shrugged it off. Vanessa connected with a headbutt and then an impressive Neckbreaker for the pinfall victory.
The Viking Raiders put their NXT Tag Team Championships on the line against Street Profits in the main event of tonight’s show. Erik Dropkicked Dawkins across the ring to start off the bout. Dawkins leveled Erik with a Spear as Ford rolled up Ivar for a near fall.
Angelo and Ivar cartwheeled around the ring a couple of times before Dawkins leveled him with a Clothesline. Ford tagged in and connected with a massive Frog Splash but Ivar was able to kick out at two. Erik and and Dawkins traded shots as The Forgotten Sons marched down the entrance ramp. A massive brawl broke out and the match ended in a DQ.
Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch ran down to the ring and traded punches with Cutler, Blake, and Ryker. Ivar took out The Forgotten Sons with a Cannonball off the apron. Ford and Dawkins took out Erik and then Dawkins counted to three as if Street Profits won the match. Street Profits exited as The Viking Raiders beat the hell out of everyone in sight. NXT went off the air as Erik and Ivar laid down the belts in the ring and took a bow.
Bianca Belair battled Mia Yim in the first match of this week’s episode of NXT. Both superstars went for a Dropkick to start off the match and neither connected. Mia offered her hand but Bianca took the opportunity to boot her in the ribs instead. Yim connected with a Dropkick but Belair shrugged it off and bounced Mia’s face off the ring apron.
Bianca bounced Yim’s face off the top turnbuckle and followed it up with a Splash for a near fall. Belair connected with a reverse Powerbomb that sent Yim face first into the turnbuckle for a near fall. Yim applied a Guillotine but Bianca countered into a Suplex for another two count.
Belair went for a Splash but Yim got her knees up in the last second. Belair then rolled up Yim and tried to grab the ropes for leverage but the referee caught it. Bianca then wrapped her hair around the ropes and used that for leverage for the pinfall victory. Mia Yim complained to the referee after the loss as Belair laughed on the entrance ramp.
The Forgotten Sons Ambushed The Viking Raiders
Photo Credit: WWE.com
NXT Tag Team Champions The Viking Raiders were shown making their way to the parking lot. Jaxson Ryker pulled up in front of them in a truck as Cutler and Blake snuck up behind Erik and Ivar. The Forgotten Sons then beat down The Viking Raiders and drove away. The NXT Tag Team Champions will be on the show next week to address the attack.
Riddick Moss came down to the ring with his Riddick Regiment shirt and water bottle. Riddick controlled the majority of the match and showed off his power by curling Raul Mendoza a few times before launching him across the ring with a Fallaway Slam. Moss got pissed off and began to yell at the referee for not counting fast enough.
Moss grabbed his water bottle and took a couple of sips. He then offered some to Mendoza but Raul slapped the bottle away. Mendoza hit Moss with an Enziguri and followed it up with a twisting Splash for the pinfall victory.
Riddle Capitalized On Undisputed Era’s Disfunction
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Adam Cole squared off against Matt Riddle in the main event of this week’s episode of NXT. Riddle went right after Cole to start off the match and slammed Cole to the canvas. Riddle went for the Bromission early but Cole was able to escape outside the ring to try and regroup.
Cole took his time getting back into the ring as the crowd chanted “bro!”. Riddle quickly took back control of the match and hit Cole with three Gutwrench Suplexes in a row.
Adam locked in a Sleeper Hold and started to taunt Riddle by claiming that he was pathetic. Riddle got pissed off and escaped the hold. Matt connected with a flurry of strikes but got caught with an Enziguri from Cole. Riddle shrugged it off and planted Cole with a German Suplex.
Riddle lifted Cole up in the Electric Chair but Cole countered into a Backstabber for a near fall. Cole stomped on Riddle’s foot and went for a Superkick but Matt countered into an Ankle Lock in the middle of the ring.
Riddle hit a Fisherman’s Suplex and went for another one but Cole countered into a Brainbuster for a two count. Cole then connected with the Last Shot and went for the cover but Riddle somehow was able to kick out at the last moment.
Cole went for another Last Shot but Riddle avoided it and connected with a GTS. Riddle followed that up with a Powerbomb and Cole rolled out of the ring. Roderick Strong came down to the ring to help Cole and wound up on the receiving end of a Penalty Kick from Riddle. Cole capitalized with a Superkick for a two count. Riddle immediately locked in the Bromission and Cole quickly tapped out.
After the match, Cole blamed Roderick Strong for the loss and the two started shouting at each other. Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly rushed down to the ring to try and calm them both down. NXT went off the air with Fish bringing Strong to the back as Cole told Kyle that Roderick Strong continues to cost him matches.
According to the report, Ranallo agreed to terms on a new deal approximately one month ago, extending his tenure as the voice of the NXT brand.
The deal will allow “The Bi-Polar Rock ‘N’ Roller” to continue with his outside combat sports commitments. He remains the lead voice for Showtime Championship Boxing, and also does work for the Bellator MMA promotion.
Ranallo first signed with WWE in 2015. He later debuted as the lead Smackdown announcer in early 2016.
After a 14-month run on Smackdown, Ranallo left the main roster commentary team. There was rampant speculation at the time that his departure was related to a personal issue with fellow commentator John “JBL” Layfield.
Ranallo has publicly denied that it was an issue with JBL that lead to him leaving Smackdown.
Rather, he said, it was due to the intense travel schedule that he was locked into at the time.
After a 3-month departure from WWE TV, he returned as the lead commentator for NXT TV, and the voice of NXT TakeOver events in June 2017.
His work on TakeOver events has been widely praised, and he claimed the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reader’s award for Best Announcer in 2017.
His “Mamma Mia” catchphrase has also become a popular chant at NXT, and even independent wrestling events.
The NXT star had been set to feud with Velveteen Dream over the NXT North American title, and a confrontation between the two aired on the May 1 edition of NXT TV.
With Dijakovic suffering an injury, NXT pivoted to Dream feuding with Tyler Breeze in his return to NXT, as Dijakovic missed the last set of television tapings.
A search of leading medical websites, including Duke University Health, and The Cleveland Clinic, reveals that the standard surgical procedure for a torn meniscus is arthroscopic.
Those same sites pinpoint a standard recovery tie from surgery at 4 to 6 weeks.
WWE did not provide a recovery timetable in confirming the news.
Dijakovic promised to return, and says that he does not see his injury as a bad thing.
“I’m happy that I had a tear in my meniscus,” Dijakovic says.
“I had to rip away the weakness, to rebuild it to be stronger than ever, using my blood.”
Big E is also currently on the shelf after suffering the same injury, shortly after WrestleMania.
A number of teams broke up during the Superstar Shakeup this
year but probably the most disappointing of them all was the disbanding of
Sanity.
The team had great potential but were rarely used on WWE TV after their main roster debut on SmackDown Live last year. They were disbanded after their leader Eric Young was moved to Raw.
Shortly after this, another member of the faction in Alexander Wolfe was shifted back to Europe to work on NXT UK and it appears that the last member of the faction won’t be staying around the Blue Branded Show either.
According to reports from Wrestling Observer, Killian Dain, who is also the husband of the group’s former member Nikki Cross is being moved back to NXT and could make an appearance at Full Sail soon.
This is surprising news as WWE went to some length to keep couples together during the Superstar Shakeup and they even backed out from a number of roster moves so couples like Andrade and Charlotte Flair could stay together.
However, reports suggest that Cross will be a part of Raw
roster moving forward and it will be interesting to see how this affects the
relationship of these two stars.
Oney Lorcan, Danny Burch, and Humberto Carrillo squared off against The Forgotten Sons on this week’s episode of NXT. Lorcan and Cutler started off the match. Lorcan connected with a Blockbuster and started trash talking with Ryker on the ring apron.
Humberto connected with a Moonsault onto Cutler’s legs and Steve rolled out of the ring. Back in the ring, Blake tagged in and traded shots with Humberto. Ryker tagged in and planted Humberto with a Spinebuster.
The Forgotten Sons took control of the match and isolated Carrillo in the ring. Ryker connected with a Diving Headbutt off the top rope for a near fall. Rydker applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring as Lorcan and Burch pleaded for a tag.
The NXT Universe rallied behind Carrillo as he finally broke free of the Headlock. Burch tagged in and Dropkicked Ryker to the outside. Burch hit Cutler with a Dropkick off the second rope and locked in a Crossface in the middle of the ring.
Ryker broke up the hold and beat Burch down. Humberto climbed to the top rope and hit Ryker with a Dropkick. Carrillo accidentally hit Lorcan with a Suicide Dive and The Forgotten Sons surrounded Burch in the middle of the ring.
Danny unloaded a flurry of punches but the numbers game caught up to him. Humberto tried to help but Ryker leveled him with a punch. Ryker held up Burch and Carrillo as Blake and Cutler climbed to the top turnbuckle. Blake and Cutler connected with a stomp off the top as Ryker planted Burch and Humberto with a Reverse DDT for the pinfall victory.
Dijakovic Defeated Monsoor
Dominik Dijakovic faced Mansoor on this week’s show. Monsoor hit Dijakovic with a chop in the corner and Dominik shrugged it off. Monsoor climbed to the top rope and went for a Crossbody but Dijakovic caught him.
Dijakovic then hurled Monsoor out of the ring and Monsoor bashed his leg off the barricade. Back in the ring, Dijakovic connected with a Body Slam for a near fall. Dijakovic followed it up with a Backbreaker and then a Splash for another two count. Monsoor desperately went for a Sleeper Hold but Dijakovic broke free.
Monsoor hit a couple of Clotheslines in the corner of the ring as the crowd cheered him on. Monsoor connected with an Enziguri for a near fall and then made his way to the second rope. Dijakovic hit Monsoor with a boot to the face and then leveled him with a Clothesline. Dominik lifted Monsoor up in the Torture Rack and hit a GTS for the pinfall victory.
Dijakovic then threw Monsoor out of the ring after the match. Velveteen Dream interrupted and sang his own version of the National Anthem. Dream then raised the NXT North American Championship and was wheeled backstage on his couch.
Kushida Tapped Out Kassius Ohno
Kushida made his NXT debut against Kassius Ohno in the main event of this week’s NXT.
Ohno and Kushida locked up to start off the match. Kassius slammed Kushida to the canvas and then the two superstars locked up again in the middle of the ring. Kushida took Ohno down to the canvas and applied a Headlock.
Kassius broke free and went for a Leg Drop but Kushida got out of the way. Kushida went for a Standing Moonsault but Ohno countered into a Cravate. Kushida escaped and Ohno said “you’re good” and offered his hand. Kushida shook Ohno’s hand but Kassius blasted him with a boot to the face.
Ohno sent Kushida to the ring apron but Kushida caught him with an Enziguri. Kushida followed it up with a Dropkick but Ohno lifted him up in the Electric Chair. Kassius connected with a Facebuster and went for the cover but Kushida kicked out at two.
Kushida hit a rough looking Hurricanrana for a near fall. Ohno hit Kushida with a massive elbow to the face for a two count. Kassius hit Kushida with a boot to the face and then ran into a wind-up punch from Kushida. Kushida then applied the Hoverboard Lock for the submission victory.
NXT’s newest Japanese Superstar, KUSHIDA, began his time with NXT earlier in the month and continues to adjust to his new life in the United States.
Taking to Twitter, KUSHIDA shared his experiences in America so far, and what it has been like wrestling for a new company—one drastically different from his former employee, New Japan Pro Wrestling.
He comments that, although a month or so has passed since his move to Florida, it feels as though it has been more like a year to him.
“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 shares that on weekdays “practice picked up at the performance center” and also reveals that he has been taking one-on-one English classes in an attempt to better understand and speak the language.
His weekends are dedicated to house shows, and he states that he is “desperate every day to get through a day.” He breaks down his routine as “Driving to the venue yourself, setting the ring, wrestle, and clear the ring. Then drive back to home again … it is the life in NXT.”
These new experiences have allowed him a “series of fresh discovers”, and he feels as though he is becoming more experienced as a performer and person.
With his new life in America starting to settle, he promises that he can “finally put my feet on the pedal and 100% power on my engine. Bring all of this into the ring.”
The former 6-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion will be making his NXT TV debut next on next week’s episode. He will compete against Kassius Ohno.
Though he wasn’t the only one to get injured during the
night and Raul Mendoza, who was signed by the company in 2017, also appeared to
have injured his knee during a bout with Jaxson Ryker.
The referee had to throw up the X sign only a couple minutes after their match began and the bout was then called off. While there is no word yet on how severe his condition is, fans noted that Mendoza was able to walk back with some assistance.
Stars Who Have Beat Brock Lesnar Since His Return
WWE has a new video on their YouTube channel which takes a
look at all the people who have been able to beat the Beast Brock Lesnar since
his return to the company in 2012.
The list starts with John Cena who was able to defeat Lesnar
in his first bout back. It then lists stars like Triple H, Undertaker, Goldberg
and Roman Reigns.
The countdown concludes with the current Universal Champion Seth Rollins who was able to overcome the Beast during this year’s WrestleMania. You can check out the full video WWE posted below:
NXT referee Tom Castor wasn’t about to let a match between Tyler Breeze and Velveteen Dream end prematurely. Despite suffering a broken leg, he soldiered on and counted the 3, waiting until after the match to get medical attention.
The video below does not show the exact moment when Castor broke his leg but it is clear his leg is broken as he goes to count the 3.
*Warning* The following images and video are not for the squeamish:
WWE referee Drake Wuertz Tweeted out words of support for Castor.
“Please say a prayer for my brother @tomcastorWWE. He broke his leg in the line of duty tonight during the main event of #NXTOmaha. When he was on the stretcher he squeezed my hand and proudly said “Drake I Love the Business”. We love you Tom!”
The ever-compassionate Corey Graves only had one concern, however:
Former NXT UK Women’s champion, Rhea Ripley, issued an apology today for using a homophobic slur during a recent live Twitch stream.
Ripley sent the following message on Twitter and said the message was coming from Demi Bennett (her real name).
“I know a lot of you are upset with me after tonight, but I just wanted to publicly say that I am sorry. My brain to mouth filter came down for a second and I forgot that some words are a big no no to a lot of people. I am a firm believer that everyone should be treated equally, whether that be race or sexual orientation. With that said, I just wanted to say how dearly sorry I am to everyone that was offended by my choice of words tonight.”
Ripley was hurling a string of expletives when the slur was used. This was actually a theme of the show. Followers could donate to the stream and Ripley would insult them in response.
A user on Twitter posted a clip of her using the word:
Ripley won the inaugural NXT UK Women’s Championship at NXT UK tapings last summer. After defending the belt twice she lost it to Toni Storm at Takeover: Blackpool in January. Ripley then dropped a subsequent rematch with Storm at the next set of tapings.
Since losing the title, however, Ripley has gone on something of a short winning streak. She defeated Xia Brookside in February and then defeated Kacy Catanzaro in a match which aired yesterday on WWE NXT UK.
