With their ultimate intent being to create developmental systems worldwide that can then feed into their main roster programming, WWE have continued their global expansion efforts, launching new iterations of their NXT brand globally. The first of these was WWE NXT UK.
One thing these international versions lacked compared to Florida, however, was an equivalent to their beautiful state-of-the-art Performance Center.
This morning on British morning television, the WWE NXT UK team of British Strong Style (NXT UK Champion, Pete Dunne, Tyler Bate, Trent Seven) appeared on the show, Good Morning Britain, and officially announced that the UK now has one to call their own.
The trio was there in order to speak about this Saturday’s upcoming NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool event.
When speaking on the upcoming show, one of GMB’s hosts likened WWE’s UK effort as a set-up “training camp” for the UK. Seven then divulged that NXT UK now has their own PC, stating, “[…] we’re going to be able to go straight from here to our secret location, our new NXT UK Performance Center just after this.”
“The fact that we get to go back, the fact that we’ve had this investment, […] it’s pretty exciting,” Seven said.
You can watch the video in the tweet below, which has already been re-tweeted by Triple H.
British wrestling superstars from @NXTUK have exclusively announced the launch of a WWE performance centre right here in the UK! @TripleHpic.twitter.com/Fvr2ItBZZF
NXT UK’s first Takeover event will be taking place this Saturday from Blackpool, England. The NXT UK brand has seen a fairly slow start with not much buzz being generated. The company are hoping that this live special will re-ignite the interest in the UK scene and provide fans on the WWE Network with some spectacular in-ring action.
One of the more underrated bouts confirmed will see Travis Banks take on Jordan Devlin. Banks is a former PROGRESS World Champion and Devlin has held the OTT Championship. Both men are at the top of their game and could produce an absolute classic.
United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne will also be defending his title against ICW star Joe Coffey. The Coffey brothers have been tearing up the NXT UK scene and now might be the time for the title to finally change hands, Dunne is only the second man to hold the title behind Tyler Bate.
NXT UK Women’s Championship Match – Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Toni Storm
NXT UK Tag Team Championship Match – Moustache Mountain (Trent Seven and Tyler Bate) vs. Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson and James Drake)
WWE United Kingdom Championship Match – Pete Dunne (c) vs. Joe Coffey
No Disqualification Match – Dave Mastiff vs. Eddie Dennis
On this week’s episode of WWE NXT, both Nikki Cross and EC3 wrestled their final matches for the black and yellow brand prior to their imminent main roster debuts.
The two were named in a hype video that WWE released, highlighting a number of NXT superstars that had been called up to appear on either Monday Night Raw or SmackDown Live.
Taking to her Twitter account, Nikki Cross reminisced on her time with the company, saying, “See you down the road @WWENXT This isn’t goodbye…we caused far too much mischief and had too much fun doing it for this to be it…”
Nikki Cross would compete in a losing effort against rising NXT superstar, Bianca Belair. EC3 would wrestle later that night against Undisputed Era member, Adam Cole. He would also come up short during their match, thanks to outside interference from the rest of UE.
There is still no official word as to which brand Cross and EC3 will end up on. It is rumored that EC3 may end up on Raw, with Nikki Cross joining her Sanity cohorts on SmackDown Live.
Other NXT wrestlers that have been called up include Lars Sullivan, Lacey Evans, and Heavy Machinery.
Which brand do you think suits each superstar? Do you think they’ll debut soon? Who would you want to see them feud with?
A documentary on NXT commentator, Nigel McGuinness, will premiere after this Saturday’s WWE NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool event. The documentary will stream via the WWE Network at the shows conclusion at 4:30 PM ET.
Entitled “Chasing The Magic: The Nigel McGuinness Story,” the hour-long documentary will tell the story of McGuinness’ ambitions of becoming a pro wrestler, his dreams of wrestling for WWE, and the sad reasons as to why that never came to be.
The official synopsis for Chasing The Magic can be read below:
“The story of Nigel McGuinness, a man with lifelong aspirations of becoming a WWE Superstar, whose career was unceremoniously cut short.”
Nigel McGuinness had a storied career on the independent circuit prior to signing with WWE in 2016. Wrestling for companies such as Ring Of Honor (ROH) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), he feuded with many top names in the industry including Chris Hero, Bryan Danielson (WWE’s Daniel Bryan), Samoa Joe, and Kurt Angle, to name just a few.
WWE NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool
WWE UK Title Match
Pete Dunne (c) vs Joe Coffey
NXT UK Women’s Title Match
Rhea Ripley (c) vs Toni Storm
NXT UK Tag Team Title Tournament Finals
Trent Seven and Tyler Bate vs. James Drake and Zack Gibson
No DQ Match
Eddie Dennis vs. Dave Mastiff
Travis Banks vs. Jordan Devlin
Will you be watching the documentary? Were you a fan of Nigel’s during his time wrestling for these promotions?
The Lady of NXT is about to become the Lady of the WWE main roster. Lacey Evans was recently announced as one of several call-ups expected on the main roster shortly. She wrestled her last match in NXT this weekend at a house show in Durham.
The 5ft 8 former member of the US Marine Corps began training in 2014 and was offered a WWE contract in 2016. In 2017, ESPN did a piece on the up and coming prospect. Evans told ESPN she is motivated to succeed because she came from a home which had little.
“I had nothing, I come from nothing, but I am something and I will continue to be something,” Evans said in reference to coming from a home torn by drug and alcohol abuse.
“The way that I’ve been raised and the things I’ve had to do has given me grit that is unmatchable unless you were beside me. I don’t give up, I go down fighting in everything I do — being a mother, being a wife, being a wrestler, being a Marine, being a sister. I wouldn’t want to get in the ring with me, I can promise you that.”
Popular NXT commentator, and all round good guy, Mauro Ranallo recently took to his Twitter account in order to vent his personal frustration with his own performance at last night’s NXT TV tapings.
Ranallo, who was unfortunately recently involved in a car accident on December 23rd, wrote the following:
“Like me or loathe me, I pride myself on performing my job at the highest level possible. Tonight, I failed. I know it will come across as an excuse to some but the car accident and other personal issues affected me more than I thought. I apologize to @WWENXT I WILL BE BETTER.”
Following the initial car accident, the NXT commentator broke the news himself via his Instagram account.
“An Angel was looking over me last night. A car lost control and smashed into me at full speed. Happy to report that no one was seriously injured. I’m still in shock. I guess my work here isn’t done yet. #ChristmasMiracle”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BryWh7ZgO03/
Mauro Ranallo is an outspoken advocate for mental health, often taking to his social media in order to share his own experiences with others. Given the responses he tends to receive, his frank openness has seemingly helped others worldwide.
We wish Mauro the best as he continues to recover from the horrible accident from 12/23 and look forward to him continuing his journey as one of the best commentators in not only WWE but the world.
NXT announced their 2018 Year-End Awards nominees during tonight’s episode on the WWE Network. There are 9 categories this year and the winners will be announced during the Pre-Show at NXT TakeOver: Phoenix. You can vote by using the hashtags on social media. Here are the categories and nominees for the NXT 2018 Year-End Awards:
#NXTAwardMatch #WarGames – WarGames Match (TakeOver: WarGames) #GarganoAlmas – Johnny Gargano vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas (NXT Championship Match, TakeOver: Philadelphia) #NXTTags – Moustache Mountain vs. Undisputed ERA (NXT Tag Team Championship Match, NXT TV, July 11, 2018) #GarganoCiampa – Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa (Unsanctioned Match, TakeOver: New Orleans) #NATitle – NXT North American Championship Ladder Match (TakeOver: New Orleans) #SaneBaszler – Kairi Sane vs. Shayna Baszler (NXT Women’s Championship Match, TakeOver: Brooklyn IV) #RicochetDream – Ricochet vs. Velveteen Dream (TakeOver: Chicago) #CiampaBlack – Aleister Black vs. Tommaso Ciampa (NXT Championship Match, NXT TV, July 25) #DunneGibson – Pete Dunne vs. Zack Gibson (WWE U.K. Championship Match, NXT TV, Aug. 22) #ColeBlack – Aleister Black vs. Adam Cole (Extreme Rules Match, TakeOver: Philadelphia) #DunneOReilly – Pete Dunne vs. Kyle O’Reilly (WWE U.K. Championship Match, NXT TV, June 13) #ERABurchLorcan – Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan vs. Undisputed ERA (TakeOver: Chicago) #CrossBelair – Nikki Cross vs. Bianca Belair (NXT TV, Sept. 12) #ChampvsChamp – Ricochet vs. Pete Dunne (NXT North American Champion vs. WWE U.K. Champion Match, NXT TV, Sept. 19) #NATitleTripleThreat – Ricochet vs. Pete Dunne vs. Adam Cole (NXT North American Championship Triple Threat Match, NXT TV, Oct. 10)
NXT Rivalry of the Year:
#NXTAwardRivalry #GarganoCiampa – Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa #SaneBaszler – Kairi Sane vs. Shayna Baszler #AleisterAttack – Aleister Black/Johnny Gargano/Tommaso Ciampa/Nikki Cross #GarganoAlmas – Johnny Gargano vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas #ERAMoustache – Moustache Mountain vs. Undisputed ERA #MoonBaszler – Ember Moon vs. Shayna Baszler #RicochetDream – Ricochet vs. Velveteen Dream
#NXTAwardFuture
#MattRiddle
#KeithLee
#MiaYim
#ForgottenSons – Forgotten Sons (Jaxson Ryker, Steve Cutler & Wesley Blake)
#DominikDijakovic
#IoShirai
#CandiceLeRae
#DukeShafir – Jessamyn Duke & Marina Shafir
#KonaReeves
Discussion: NXT had an incredible 2018 and things are likely going to get even better in 2019. Here are my votes for the 2018 NXT Year-End Awards:
Female Competitor of the Year: Shayna Baszler
Male Competitor of the Year: Tommaso Ciampa
Overall Competitor of the Year: Tommaso Ciampa
NXT Tag Team of the Year: Undisputed Era
NXT TakeOver of the Year: New Orleans
Match of the Year: Gargano vs. Almas (TakeOver: Philadelphia)
Rivalry of the Year: Ciampa vs. Gargano
Breakout Star of the Year: Ricochet
Future Star of the Year: Matt Riddle
Many of these categories were difficult to pick because there are so many great options. Ember Moon and Shayna Baszler had a terrific rivalry in 2018, as did Ricochet and Velveteen Dream. If there was a “Moment of the Year” category, it would be hard not to vote for Ricochet flipping out of the ring and getting right in Velveteen Dream’s face.
WWE will present a 2-hour NXT tonight featuring the best moments from 2018 as well as a big main event featuring Matt Riddle once again taking on Kassius Ohno. On 205 Live, qualifying matches for the Royal Rumble fatal 4-way cruiserweight title match will take place.
NXT 1/2 Preview
Matt Riddle vs Kassius Ohno
Matt Riddle defeated Kassius Ohno at Takeover with just one clean shot. Ohno got some revenge on Riddle, however, by attacking him after he defeated Punishment Martinez in December. Tonight, Riddle and Ohno will go one-on-one once again.
NXT 2018 Award Nominees Announced
WWE is advertising that the 2018 NXT award nominees will be announced tonight. Those nominated and not nominated could lead to some future storylines as well.
2018 Re-Visited
Other than the announcing of the 2018 award nominees and the rematch between Ohno and Riddle, the rest of tonight’s special two-hour episode will feature the best NXT had to offer over the last calendar year.
205 Live 1/2 Preview
Royal Rumble Fatal 4-Way Qualifier: Drew Gulak vs The Brian Kendrick
Two cruiserweight matches will take place on 205 live tonight. Both will serve as qualifiers for the fatal four-way cruiserweight championship match scheduled for the Royal Rumble. In the first qualifying match tonight, former allies turned rivals will clash when Drew Gulak meets the Brian Kendrick.
Royal Rumble Fatal 4-Way Qualifier: Lio Rush vs Kalisto
Lio Rush could be someone WWE has their eye on. He is regularly featured on Monday Night Raw as the hype man for Bobby Lashley. It’s possible WWE sees him as a potential star in the making on 205 Live as well. Rush can book his ticket to the Royal Rumble with a win over former cruiserweight champion, Kalisto, tonight.
New Japan Pro Wrestling recently interviewed Jay White for the upcoming Wrestle Kingdom 13 event where he was in character, obviously, and looked back on his 2018 and explained the difference between being a member of the Bullet Club faction and CHAOS.
Jay was asked by the interviewer whether meeting Bad Luck Fale was the reason he joined Bullet Club. Jay said that the history between him and Fale made it easier to work together. “It made a lot easier for us to talk about and come up with what we did at King of Pro-Wrestling. You know, none of this was because of that, but it certainly made it a lot easier because we knew each other prior to coming to New Japan.”
Next, Jay was asked which group he prefers the most. According to him, Bullet Club is more comfortable as there were a lot of conflicting ideas in CHAOS:
“The way Okada thought things should be done conflicted with how I thought things should be done. In BULLET CLUB, we are all on the same page. We showed that in our matches. I don’t think we’ve lost, I have never lost to anybody especially on the last tour. 7 win in a row against Okada and Tanahashi that shows we are on the same page. There’s no conflicting idea. Before, in CHAOS things were falling apart. You had Yoshi-Hashi getting hit verbally by myself and Okada getting hit sometimes in matches, people colliding. We were on the different page. I had to go through the whole G1 CLIMAX tour in those tag matches having YOH just not listen so he kept paying the price every single time. He just needed to listen to me. BULLET CLUB doesn’t need to be told like CHAOS guys did because we are on the same page, we have the same ideas so everything happens very naturally and easily.”
Jay White’s History With Bullet Club And CHAOS
Jay White had made his return to NJPW in 2017 at the Power Struggle event and teased that he will be joining Bullet Club before betraying Kenny Omega and aligning himself with CHAOS.
After losing by the hands of Hiroshi Tanahashi at King of Pro Wrestling in October, White attacked Tanahashi with the help of Jado and Gedo. When Kazuchika Okada tried to interfere, he was also attacked in what turned out to be a set up by White and associates to deflect into the Bullet Club.
wXw has announced the next name for 2019’s 16 Carat Gold tournament. The company has confirmed that NXT Superstar Axel Dieter Jr/Marcel Barthel will be making his way home to Germany. The former wXw and PROGRESS star will be in Oberhausen March 8th-10th to take part in the prestigious event. Other names confirmed for the tournament include Deisuke Sekimoto, Chris Brookes, Jurn Simmons, FENIX and Pentagon Jr.
Dieter Jr recently appeared as part of the company’s Anniversary event. The NXT Superstar took part in a six-man tag team match alongside Ringkampf members Timothy Thatcher and WALTER. The team faced NXT UK Superstars Pete Dunne, Trent Seven and Tyler Bate.
wXw’s 16 Carat Gold tournament is currently regarded as one of the most prestigious in European wrestling. Several top WWE/NXT stars have appeared in and won the event. These include Aleister Black, Sami Zayn and Kassius Ohno. WALTER and Zack Sabre Jr are also synonymous with the event.
The 2017 and 2018 iterations of the tournament are widely regarded as two of the greatest in European wrestling history, you can check them out now on wXw’s on demand service, it certainly matches up to the annual New Japan G1 and PROGRESS Super Strong 16 tournaments on quality.
Bianca Belair Earned A Shot At The NXT Women’s Championship
Io Shirai, Mia Yim, Lacey Evans, and Bianca Belair competed in a Fatal 4-Way match to determine the #1 contender for the NXT Women’s Championship. Io and Mia teamed up and hit Bianca Belair with a series of chops as Lacey Evans rolled out of the ring.
Mia Yim connected with a Suicide Dive onto Belair outside the ring. Shirai followed it up with a ridiculous Crossbody onto Belair on the entrance ramp. Yim and Shirai teamed up on Lacey Evans in the ring and beat her down in the corner. Yim accidentally booted Io in the face and sent her tumbling out of the ring.
Evans connected with a slingshot Elbow Drop on Shirai for a two count. Lacey then hit Io and Mia with a Bronco Buster in the corner. Belair got back into the ring and lifted Io up in the Torture Rack. Evans broke it up and started trash talking with Bianca.
Lacey and Belair teamed up for a bit to beat down Io and Mia. Shirai connected with a Dropkick on Evans and turned around into a Spear from Belair. Io followed it up with a Double Stomp and then a 619. Shirai climbed to the top rope and hit Belair with a Dropkick but Evans broke up the cover.
Yim hit Evans with a couple of chops but Lacey responded with the Woman’s Right. Lacey went for the cover but Io broke up the cover at two. Shirai hit Evans with a Moonsault but Belair broke it up with the hair whip. Bianca sent Io out of the ring and planted Evans with the Belair Driver for the pinfall victory. Belair will face Shayna Baszler for the NXT Women’s Championship at NXT TakeOver: Phoenix.
Ciampa Suggested That Gargano Should Get A Shot At The NXT North American Championship
NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa
Tommaso Ciampa cut a backstage promo about what happened last week on NXT. Ciampa claimed that Johnny Gargano followed his lead and it resulted in him pinning Aleister Black last week. Tommaso suggested that Johnny should get an opportunity at the NXT North American Championship.
Ciampa said that he knows Johnny is listening and that this was what they always talked about. Tommaso stated that NXT TakeOver: Phoenix should end with Ciampa as the NXT Champion and Gargano the NXT North American Championship. Tommaso added that it would be two kids taking over the world and the possibilities would be endless.
Undisputed Era Retained The NXT Tag Team Championships
Undisputed Era (Roderick Strong & Kyle O’Reilly) defended the NXT Tag Team Championships against Heavy Machinery (Otis Dozovic & Tucker Knight) in the main event of this week’s NXT.
Knight and Strong started off the match. Knight took Strong down to the canvas and rolled him up for a two count. Strong battled to his feet and O’Reilly tagged himself in. Kyle booted Knight in the leg a few times and shoved him to the corner.
Strong tagged in as Knight leveled both of them with a Clothesline and tagged in Dozovic. Otis splatted Strong with a Splash in the corner and then punched O’Reilly off the apron. Dozovic launched Strong across the ring and then followed it up with a massive Body Slam.
Tucker Knight tagged back in and hit Roderick with a Splash for a two count. Heavy Machinery planted Undisputed Era with dueling overhead Belly to Belly Suplexes and then isolated O’Reilly in the ring. Kyle quickly retreated out of the ring and Tucker chased him around.
Strong snuck up behind Knight on the apron and planted him with a painful looking Belly to Back Suplex that sent the two Superstars crashing to the floor outside the ring. Back in the ring, O’Reilly hit Knight with a knee to the face and Roderick tagged back in.
Strong hit Knight with a series of chops in the corner of the ring and then beat him down to the canvas. Strong wrapped Knight’s left knee around the rope and tagged O’Reilly in. Kyle connected with a Dragon Screw to Knight’s left knee and then went for the cover but Tucker powered out at two.
Roderick tagged back in and connected with an Olympic Slam but once again Knight kicked out at two. Knight finally was able to battle back with a Clothesline and then tagged in Dozovic. Otis came into the ring and beat the hell out of O’Reilly and Strong.
Otis hit Strong with an Elbow Drop and tagged Knight back in. Dozovic catapulted O’Reilly into Knight and then Tucker slammed him down for a two count. Knight climbed up to the top rope and went for a Moonsault but O’Reilly got out of the way.
Dozovic and Strong tagged in and traded shots in the middle of the ring. Otis got the better of the exchange with a massive Clothesline for a near fall. Otis then made his way up to the top rope but Strong hit him with an Enziguri to the face.
Strong joined Otis on the top rope and went for a Superplex but Dozovic blocked it. O’Reilly joined in and they planted Otis with a Superplex for a two count. O’Reilly tagged in and hit Knight off the apron with a boot to the face.
O’Reilly and Strong hit Dozovic with a couple of knees to the head for another two count. Strong tagged in and teamed up with O’reily to hir the High-Low on Otis for the pinfall victory.
One of NXT’s newest and brightest stars, Matt Riddle, was a guest on Edge and Christian’s “Pod of Awesomeness” this week. The 32-year-old spoke on having to earn over the respect of fans at EVOLVE and other independent wrestling events early in his wrestling career.
At first, Riddle said, the fans taunted him for coming from an MMA background.
“I remember my first match for EVOLVE, at EVOLVE 49, when I came out, the crowd chanted ‘Baby Lesnar’,” Riddle said. “And then the next night in Long Island the crowd chanted ‘You Can’t Wrestle.’”
Over time, however, Riddle won over the respect of not only fans of EVOLVE but fans from all over the independent scene.
“So I wrestled all over and by the time I got back to where they said I couldn’t wrestle, all they kept chanting was ‘Bro.’”
Matt Riddle will be wrestling on a WWE house show in Madison Square Garden on December 26th. Several members of the NXT roster are in a multi-person tag-team match on the show.
Riddle recently Tweeted out, “Wow I just can’t stop! If you haven’t heard my year isn’t over and I get to wrestle in the Legendary MSG in NYC on the RAW brand, which makes this my biggest DeButt of 2018 and it’s gonna be the DeButts of all DeButts!”
Kassius Ohno recently took to Twitter to deny rumors of his alleged upcoming release from NXT. BodySlam.net reported that Ohno was “rumored to have told multiple independent wrestling promoters he may soon be available for independent bookings and appearances.”
Ohno sent out a message saying that “You couldn’t be more wrong. Get better sources! First time I’m hearing of @BodyslamNet & I presume it will be the last.” Kassius has been performing for several independent promotions whilst under his NXT contract. These include some of the bigger indies such as PROGRESS, ICW and EVOLVE.
In other Ohno news: EVOLVE Wrestling has announced the opponents for Kassius Ohno at two upcoming events. Ohno will wrestle EVOLVE Champion Fabian Aichner at EVOLVE 115 while he’ll take on Shane Strickland at EVOLVE 116.
EVOLVE 115 goes down on December 15th in Queens, NY while EVOLVE 116 takes place on December 16th in Deer Park, NY. The promotion sent out the announcement on Twitter by writing the following, JUST SIGNED: NXT star and ex-EVOLVE Champ Kassius Ohno will challenge EVOLVE Champion Fabian Aichner at EVOLVE 115 on Nov. 9th in the Detroit area! JUST SIGNED: Kassius Ohno vs. Shane Strickland at EVOLVE 116 on Nov. 10th in the Chicago area! http://Ticketfly.com for info.”
This week’s Monday Night Raw saw the McMahon Family/Triple H promise to shake things up and make their product fresh once again.
Since then, both Raw and SmackDown have been playing a certain video package. The package highlights the NXT superstars that are heading to the main roster.
Although there is still storyline speculation over which brand ‘The Freak’ Lars Sullivan ends up on, an aura of mystery also remains as to where the rest of the chosen superstars will call home.
Except for Heavy Machinery.
Turns out that Tucker Knight and Otis Dozovic will be representing the blue brand going forward as they become a part of WWE SmackDown Live.
Bound For The Blue Brand
Dozovic took to his Twitter account in order to share the news, saying:
“#TUCKy We’re COMINNNNNNN’ to Tuesday Night #SDLive
The other names that have been called up from NXT include Lars Sullivan, Lacey Evans, EC3, Sanity’s Nikki Cross, and Heavy Machinery. They are scheduled to begin main roster duties in January.
It’s interesting that Dozovic has been able to share where they are going, whilst the rest remain quiet on the subject.
Do you think SmackDown Live is the right place for Heavy Machinery? Do you think they’ll thrive on the main roster? Are we looking at future tag team champions?
Io Shirai & Dakota Kai battled Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir tonight on NXT. Duke started off the match by shoving Kai to the corner of the ring. Dakota exploded off the ropes and hit a Dropkick and then followed it up with a Double Stomp for a near fall.
Duke beat Kai down in the corner and tagged Shafir into the match. Marina connected with a few punches to Dakota’s face and then went for the cover but Kai kicked out at two. Duke tagged back in and Kai greeted her with a boot to the face.
Shirai and Shafir tagged in and Io hit her with a couple of forearms to the face. Shirai followed it up with a springboard Dropkick and then Double Knees in the corner of the ring. Shirai climbed to the top rope as Kai blasted Duke off the ring apron with a running kick to the face. Io hit Shafir with a Moonsault off the top rope for the pinfall victory.
Congratulations on tonight’s victory @shirai_io. Let’s see if you can keep that momentum going, because you’ve qualified for next week’s #1 Contender Fatal 4-Way Match!
Dominik Dijakovic faced Aaron Mackey tonight on NXT. Dijakovic absolutely dominated this match right from the start. Dominik shouted “time to fly!” and launched Mackey across the ring. Dijakovic lifted Mackey up in a Torture Rack and then slammed him face first into his knee for the pinfall victory.
Heavy Machinery Picked Up A Win
Heavy Machinery beat the hell out of a jobber team tonight on NXT. Otis and Tucker will face Undisputed Era next week for the NXT Tag Team Championships. Heavy Machinery will also be joining the main roster in the near future. Undisputed Era came down to the entrance ramp during the match and trash talked with Dozovic and Knight.
Tommaso Ciampa Helped Johnny Gargano Defeat Aleister Black
Aleister Black squared off against Johnny Gargano in a Steel Cage Match in the main event of this week’s NXT. Gargano attacked Black from behind during his entrance and beat him down against the barricade surrounding the ring.
Black battled back with an elbow to the face and then a series of kicks to Johnny’s chest. Gargano slammed Aleister into the steel steps and then the action finally entered the ring. Gargano immediately tried to escape but Black dragged him down to the canvas.
Aleister hit an elbow to the face and followed it up with a Suplex for a near fall. Johnny tripped up Black as he climbed the cage and crotched him on the top rope. Gargano then bashed Black’s face into the steel cage and unloaded a flurry of punches to Aleister’s head.
Johnny bounced Aleister’s face off the top turnbuckle and then connected with a chop that echoed throughout the building. Gargano catapulted Black towards the cage but Aleister caught himself and hit Johnny with a ridiculous Moonsault.
Black slammed Gargano face first into the steel cage several times and followed it up with a running knee to the face for a two count. Aleister climbed to the top of the cage but decided to get back down and the match continued.
Gargano launched Aleister into the steel cage and then tied his arms up in the ropes. Gargano hit him with a Superkick and started climbing the cage. Black broke free and brought Johnny back down. Gargano planted Aleister with a Powerbomb off the ropes as the crowd chanted “holy sh*t!”.
Johnny went for the cover but Aleister Black somehow kicked out at two. Gargano connected with another Superkick but Black shrugged it off and hit Johnny in the face with a jumping knee. Aleister followed it up with two big boots to Johnny’s face.
Gargano tried to escape through the steel cage door but Aleister dragged Johnny back into the ring. Gargano hit Black with an Enziguri and tried to escape once again but Aleister brought him back to the middle of the ring. Johnny hit Black with a Russian Leg Sweep and then quickly transitioned into the Gargano Escape in the middle of the ring.
Aleister battled through the pain and tried to break the hold by ramming Johnny’s head into the cage but Gargano wouldn’t let go. Aleister slammed Johnny into the cage once again to break the hold but Gargano quickly climbed to the top of the steel cage.
Black joined him up there and Gargano went for a move off the top but Black held onto the cage as Johnny crashed to the canvas. Aleister then hit Double Knees off the top rope and went for the cover but Gargano kicked out at the last second.
Gargano crotched Black on the middle rope and kicked the rope several times. Johnny then launched Aleister face first into the steel cage. Gargano lifted Black up and said that he absolves him of his sins. Aleister hit Gargano with the Black Mass out of nowhere and both Superstars fell to the canvas.
Johnny was the first one to get up and started climbing up the cage once again. Black crawled towards the cage door at the same time but NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa interfered and slammed the door into Black’s face.
Ciampa stomped on Black a few times as Johnny climbed back into the ring. The crowd chanted “DIY!” as Ciampa and Gargano connected with dueling kicks to Black’s face. Ciampa smiled and left the ring and Johnny pinned Aleister for the victory.
In the wake of the McMahon/Triple H announcement from this past week’s Monday Night Raw, it was revealed that a number of NXT superstars would be making their way to the main roster to help shake things up.
WWE unveiled an official image and has since been playing video vignettes that tease each NXT superstar that will soon call Raw or SmackDown their home.
One NXT superstar that wasn’t included in that line up was The Velveteen Dream, and he certainly made his thoughts on the matter known.
Since his initial Tweetstorm, however, the Dream has since rescinded on his call to arms from the WWE Universe and has deleted all the tweets he hoped would grab managements attention.
Perhaps it did, but not in the way he had hoped for.
It’s unclear whether Dream deleted these Tweets by his own volition, or whether management intervened.
The Velveteen Dream has been blatant with his attempts to move to the main roster in the past — most notably sporting a pair of custom tights emblazoned with ‘Call Me Up Vince’ on them.
Velveteen Tweetstorm
The Tweets, if you missed them, encouraged fans to “spam” WWE over calling him up, and read:
“It’s Not His (Vince’s)
Call 2 Make
It’s URs,
So let ur voices B heard….#CallDREAMUp@WWE Universe pic.twitter.com/9ZecWpWJQl”
— The DREAM (@VelveteenWWE) December 18, 2018
“#CallDREAMUp
SPAM @wwe @wwenxt
And let’s see if they’re really listening!!”
— The DREAM (@VelveteenWWE) December 18, 2018
“RAW
SmackDown
NXT
NXTUK
Seasame Street
Doesn’t matter,
if UR entertaining ur entertaining.
I don’t need writers and I don’t need a lot of time. A superstar should bleed through ur TV. And not when someone’s producing it.
Give Me The Red Light ?
And It’s #DREAMOn
Any Night”
— The DREAM (@VelveteenWWE) December 18, 2018
The WWE Network will present two previously unaired shows in primetime tonight. 205 Live will get going at 7 PM followed by NXT at 8. Tonight’s episode of NXT features a steel cage match main event as well.
NXT 12/19 Preview
Johnny Gargano vs Aleister Black – Steel Cage Match
Johnny Gargano was responsible for putting former NXT Champion, Aleister Black, on the injured list for months earlier this year. Tonight, Black will have his chance at revenge when he and Gargano are locked inside an unforgiving steel cage.
Io Shirai & Dakota Kai vs Marina Shafir & Jessamyn Duke
The 4 Horsewomen of MMA, Jessamyn Duke & Marina Shafir, will make their NXT debuts tonight. They will take on the team of Io Shirai and Dakota Kai. No doubt Shayna Baszler and Kairi Sane will both be watching this match closely as their allies go two-on-two with their rivals.
Dominik Dijakovic Arrives In NXT
Former ROH star, Dominik Dijakovic, will make his NXT debut tonight. The tag-line the promotion is attaching to him appears to be “Feast Your Eyes”. His opponent for tonight has yet to be named, likely meaning they are enhancement talent.
Heavy Machinery In Action
Otis Dozovic and Tucker Knight will face the NXT Champions, Roderick Strong & Kyle O’Reilly, next week. Tonight, however, the recently announced call-ups to the main roster will be in tag action against opponents to be determined.
205 Live 12/19 Preview
Lio Rush in Action
Although Rush is busy working as the hype man for Bobby Lashley on Raw these days, he will be returning to the 205 Live ring tonight. His opponent has yet to be named, however.
The Brian Kendrick & Akira Tozawa vs Gentleman Jack Gallagher and Drew Gulak
A tag-team grudge match will take place tonight under street fight rules. Gulak and Gallagher kicked Kendrick out of their group earlier this year and tonight, Kendrick will have a chance for revenge.
EVOLVE has announced that Johnny Gargano will be returning to the company for “one weekend only.” The company held their 117 event yesterday and announced that they would be returning to New York in 2019. You can check out the full results for the event here.
There will be a show held in Brooklyn on 01/18 followed by a show in Queens on 01/19. The NXT Superstar appeared for both Dragon Gate USA and EVOLVE between 2009 and 2016 before signing with WWE. Gargano was a one-time EVOLVE tag team champion alongside RAW Superstar Drew McIntyre (known as Galloway at the time).
EVOLVE formed a working relationship with WWE in around 2015. The company has seen many of their top stars move on to NXT and 205 Live, including Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa. The company also held qualifying matches for the 2016 Cruiserweight Classic event on the WWE Network.
EVOLVE 117 took place last night from New York’s La Boom venue. The show featured many NXT Superstars and it appears as though the company will continue to do so going forward.
Here are the full results from the show (
Harlem Bravado b. Joe Bailey – Bravado took the win after hitting the Angel’s Wings
BSHP KNG b. Joe Gacy – KNG took the win with a Swanton Bomb
Josh Briggs b.Leon Ruff (w/ AR Fox, Ayla Fox, and The Skulk) – Briggs took the win after hitting two consecutive Chokeslam/Lumbar Check moves
AR Fox (w/ Ayla Fox and The Skulk) b. Curt Stallion – Fox took the win with the Foxcatcher
Kassius Ohno b. Darby Allin – Ohno took the win after hitting a Discus Forearm to the back of Allin’s neck
EVOLVE Tag Team Champions The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) vs. WWN Champion JD Drake & Anthony Henry – This bout ended in a no contest after Eddie Kingston interfered and attacked both teams
EVOLVE Championship Match – Austin Theory b. Fabian Aichner and NXT Tag Team Champion Roderick Strong – Theory pinned Aichner after hitting the Ataxia. Theory took to the mic after the match and declared that “EVOLVE is Theory.” The new champion also fired Priscilla Kelly as his manager. Darby Allin appeared and brawled with Theory until he escaped to the back
One-half of the Mighty has been released from WWE. According to a report from Squared Circle Sirens, WWE has parted ways with Nick Miller but are keeping Shane Thorne, who will be repackaged as a single’s wrestler. The roster move breaks up a tag-team which had been together since 2010.
The Mighty most recently competed on NXT this week, in a losing effort Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch. The 33-year-old Australian had been with the company since 2015. He also competed for Pro Wrestling NOAH from 2011 to 2015.
The Mighty/The Mighty Don’t Kneel
Thorne and Miller were a popular tag-team known as the Mighty Don’t Kneel before being signed to WWE. Upon debuting in NXT, they ultimately changed their names to TM-61 and later to just the Mighty.
They were awarded the Tokyo Sports “Tag Team of the Year” award in 2013. They are also 2x former GHC Heavyweight Tag Team Champions with Pro Wrestling NOAH.
Earlier this year, Miller spoke to WWE.com about the frustrations the team has felt dealing with injuries since they debuted in NXT.
“In NXT, both of us have been injured at times where it cost us some major momentum,” Miller said.“While frustrating, you really learn a lot about yourself and your partner when you are standing still and unable to compete.”
Shawn Michaels has accomplished pretty much all a person can hope to achieve during his legendary career. From captivating the WWE Universe with his in-ring work to entertaining fans with his promos, the man has accrued an unquestionable amount of experience about the business.
That knowledge is something he has been sharing recently with those training at WWE’s Performance Center in Florida, where he now works as a coach.
Speaking with ESPN, The Heartbreak Kid reflects on his time at the Performance Center, discussing what he enjoys most about coaching the newest crop of talent currently working hard to debut for the company.
“I Still Do Not Have To Grow Up”
“For me to have a huge influence or impact on anybody is probably not a healthy thing. It’s 30 years later and I still have no idea why this company still has me employed or is letting me talk or instruct or coach younger talent because it’s obvious that it’s not good for the wrestling business in any way shape or form,” he jokes. “They’re all going to be incredibly bad influences — and hopefully, that’ll all be because of me.”
“I always wondered,” he continued, “after wrestling for 30 years, and in a sense never having to have a real job or really have to work a day in my life, what I would do after I was done doing that,” Michaels confessed. “Then I get to stumble into this job at the PC, and clearly I still do not have to grow up, which is phenomenal. You get to coach a bunch of other young men who you are encouraging not to ever have to grow up, and you can’t beat it.”
Shawn Michaels recently returned to action for WWE’s event in Saudi Arabia, Crown Jewel. He teamed up with HHH in a winning effort against The Brothers Of Destruction, Kane and The Undertaker.
The former Ring of Honor star Donovan Dijak is going to make his debut on WWE NXT under a new ring name: Dominik Dijakovic.
WWE had signed Donovan last year in September where he made a few appearances in NXT under the name Chris Dijak, where he was mostly used as an enhancement talent.
WWE aired a vignette on the 28 November edition of NXT introducing Chris Dijak as Dominik Dijak and on the vignette aired this week WWE has revealed that he would be making his debut on the very next episode.
The 270 pounder was a force to be reckoned with in ROH where he went on to win the Top Prospect Tournament in 2015. If you want to see his performance in the WWE, just check out this clip of his televised match on NXT with Ricochet:
Not only is his agility impressive for his 6 ft 7 in height and size, he is pretty athletic as his moonsault showed. The point is, he has a lot of potential and it looks like WWE wants to give him a chance with this new character.
EC3 & Heavy Machinery Sent A Message To Undisputed Era
Bobby Fish squared off against EC3 tonight on NXT. Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, and Roderick Strong accompanied Fish to the ring. Cole cut a promo before the match and claimed that Bobby Fish was about to embarrass EC3. Cole added that NXT is Undisputed Era’s world and everything revolves around them. Adam promised that the four members of Undisputed Era will be draped in championship gold in 2019.
Fish rolled out of the ring to start off the match and took his time getting back inside. Fish hopped up onto the ring apron and EC3 brought him into the ring with a Hip Toss. EC3 planted Fish with a massive Powerbomb and then followed it up by Clotheslining Bobby to the outside.
The crowd chanted “NX3!” as Fish tried to regroup on the floor outside the ring. Back in the ring, EC3 connected with a couple of loud chops and then another Hip Toss. Strong and O’Reilly hopped on the ring apron for a distraction and Fish capitalized with a chop block to EC3’s injured knee.
Fish connected with an Exploder Suplex and went for the cover but EC3 kicked out at the last moment. EC3 battled back with a Suplex and both Superstars crashed to the canvas. EC3 sent Fish to the ropes and Bobby’s neck bounced off the top rope. Strong and O’Reilly once again distracted EC3 and Fish capitalized with another chop block. EC3 shrugged it off and rolled up Fish for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Undisputed Era attacked EC3 and Heavy Machinery ran down to the ring for the save. Otis Dozovic and Tucker Knight cleaned house and isolated O’Reilly in the ring. EC3 hit O’Reilly with the One Percenter. Otis did the worm across the ring and hit O’Reilly with a giant Elbow Drop.
The Mighty (Nick Miller & Shane Thorne) battled Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch on this week’s show. Lorcan and Burch defeated The Mighty two weeks ago but Miller and Thorne attacked them from behind following the match.
Burch and Lorcan started off the match in control. Lorcan hit Thorne with a couple of uppercuts and then a Powerbomb. Thorne battled back with a Belly to Back Suplex and tagged Miller into the match. Miller hit a Spinebuster and went for the cover but Lorcan kicked out at two.
Burch tagged in and connected with a Dropkick off the top rope. Lorcan tagged in as Burch and then turned around into a Clothesline from Thorne. The Mighty hit Lorcan with a Superplex/ Powerbomb and went for the cover but Burch broke it up at two.
Miller planted Lorcan with a Powerslam and then Thorne hit Burch with a Cannonball in the corner of the ring. Lorcan hit The Mighty with a double DDT and tagged Burch back in. Lorcan and Burch connected with a DDT to Thorne for the pinfall victory.
Mia Yim Earned A Spot In The #1 Contender Fatal 4-Way Match
Reina Gonzalez and Mia Yim battled to earn a spot in the Fatal 4-Way #1 Contenders match. Gonzalez controlled the match early and hit a big boot to the face for a two count. Reina lifted Yim up in the Torture Rack but Mia broke free with a couple elbows to the face. Mia followed it up with a flurry of chops and then the Eat Defeat for the pinfall victory. Yim now joins Bianca Belair and Lacey Evans in the Fatal 4-Way match.
Ricochet Retained The North American Championship Against Tyler Breeze
Ricochet defended his NXT North American Championship against in a mystery opponent in the main event of this week’s NXT. Tyler Breeze was revealed to be the opponent and he got a great reaction from the crowd.
Breeze and Ricochet locked up to start off the match. Tyler shoved Ricochet away and took a break to pose in the corner of the ring. Ricochet responded with a Dropkick that sent Breeze out of the ring.
Tyler got back into the ring and connected with a boot to Ricochet’s midsection. Ricochet Clotheslined Breeze out of the ring and went for a Crossbody off the ring apron but Tyler countered with a Dropkick.
Breeze brought Ricochet back inside the ring and stopped on him in the corner. The referee broke it up as Breeze shouted: “don’t touch me!”. Breeze perched Ricochet up on the top rope and joined him up there.
Ricochet hit Tyler with a punch to the and followed it up with a Dropkick. Ricochet hit an awesome springboard uppercut and then a standing Shooting Star Press for a near fall. Breeze and Ricochet traded shots and then both hit a Crossbody on each other at the same time.
Breeze hit the Supermodel Kick and then a reverse Hurricanrana for a two count as the crowd chanted “this is gorgeous!”. Breeze hit a knee to Ricochet’s face and then an Enziguri but Ricochet wouldn’t go down. Ricochet then lifted Breeze up in a Fireman’s Carry and connected with a Michinoku Drive for the pinfall victory. After the match, Ricochet and Breeze shook hands in the middle of the ring.
Announced for next week’s show:
Jessamyn Duke & Marina Shafir vs. Io Shirai & Dakota Kai
There’s no denying that Tomasso Ciampa has been tearing it up as NXT Champion. He’s been instrumental in helping to craft deeper, subtler stories and feuds that seem totally foreign compared with how main roster narratives tend to play out.
It’s a fact that isn’t lost on Ciampa, who has been vocal in the past via his social media accounts about how highly he regards himself.
At a recent NXT live event in St. Paul (12/8), he once again defeated rising superstar, The Velveteen Dream. After earning the victory, however, Ciampa took to the mic in order to remind the people in attendance just how good he actually is. During this promo, he would call himself a “god of pro wrestling.” He also credits himself as the sole reason that NXT ticket sales have gone up.
“I Am What I Say I am”
Tomasso stated that every time he shares the ring with the Velveteen Dream, he’s reminded of just how good Dream is. That, in turn, reinfoces a more important personal truth: “[…] it reminds me I am what I say I am. I’m the greatest damn sports entertainer of all time.”
“But that really doesn’t matter,” he continued, “because what matters is numbers. Last year, when I was on the shelf and NXT came to this very building, they had 600 less people paying for tickets [and] that says the damn champ is a draw!”
“[…] I’ve been only back for eight months and think of everything that Tommaso Ciampa has accomplished. I am a god of professional wrestling,” he proclaimed. “You should worship every step I take and every word that comes out of my mouth. I am what carries this brand. I single-handedly turned NXT into the ‘A Show.’”
Ciampa ended his tirade by passionately claiming that “[…] everybody back there likes to go around and hashtag ‘We Are NXT,’ newsflash – uh uh – I am NXT!”
Matt Riddle squared off against the debuting Punishment Martinez on tonight’s episode of NXT. Dueling “let’s go Riddle!” and “Punishment!” as the two Superstars locked up to start off the bout. Riddle locked in a Sleeper Hold but Martinez broke it by slamming Riddle to the canvas.
Punishment followed it up with a big right hand and went for a Splash in the corner but Riddle got out of the way. Riddle delivered a flurry of kicks but Punishment responded with a Cyclone Kick of his own for a two count.
Martinez grabbed Riddle by the throat but Riddle escaped and leveled him with a kick to the head. Riddle clubbed Punishment in the chest several times and then applied the Bromission for the submission victory.
Humberto Carrillo & Raul Mendoza faced The Forgotten Sons (Steve Cutler & Wesley Blake) tonight on NXT. Jaxson Ryker of The Forgotten Sons was ringside for the match. Cutler and Mendoza started off the match. Cutler brought Mendoza to the canvas and applied a Headlock.
Mendoza escaped and dropped Cutler with an Enziguri. Humberto tagged in and hit a Splash for a one count. Cutler drove Carrillo to the corner and Blake tagged in. Wesley lit up Mendoza with a loud chop to his chest in the corner of the ring.
Carrillo battled back with an Enziguri and Mendoza tagged in. Mendoza hit Cutler with a springboard Hurricanrana and was then promptly launched across the ring by Blake. Cutler tagged back in and connected with a Backbreaker on Mendoza.
Cutler hit another Backbreaker and went for the cover but Raul kicked out at the last second. Mendoza hit a Belly to Back Suplex and leaped across the ring to tag in Carrillo. Humberto hit Blake with a Crossbody and followed it up with an awesome Dropkick off the top rope.
Humberto hit a Moonsault and went for the cover but Blake broke it up. Mendoza went for a Suicide Dive but Blake caught him and slammed him on the entrance ramp. Cutler and Blake then hit Carrillo with a Stomp/Scorpion Death Drop for the pinfall victory.
Velveteen Dream Addressed His Loss To Ciampa At TakeOver
Velveteen Dream was interviewed backstage about what is next for him following his loss to Tommaso Ciampa at NXT TakeOver. Dream said that the people are still talking about him and that he has even heard Triple H talking about him. Thus, he didn’t feel like he lost anything at TakeOver: WarGames.
Dakota Kai and Shayna Baszler battled tonight on NXT. Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir accompanied Baszler down to the ring for the match. Shayna drove Kai to the corner to start off the match. Dakota escaped and knocked Shayna out of the ring with a kick to the face.
Baszler grabbed Kai by the leg and slammed her into the ring post. Back in the ring, Shayna tried to stomp on Kai’s elbow but Dakota got out of the way. Kai went for a roll-up but Shayna kicked out at one and then stomped on Kai’s arm.
Dakota battled back with a flurry of kicks to Shayna’s head and then hit the Facewash Kick in the corner of the ring. Dakota went for another Facewash but Baszler dodged it and hit a running knee to her face for a near fall.
Kai leveled Shayna with a kick to the face and then made her way to the top rope. Kai connected with a Stomp for a near fall. Baszler and Kai traded shots on the top rope. Dakota hit a Headbutt but Shayna responded with an Enziguri.
Shayna followed it up with a Gutrench Superplex and both Superstars crashed to the canvas. Kai went for another kick but Baszler countered into the Kirifuda Clutch. Kai reached for the ropes but couldn’t get there and passed out from the pain to end the match.
After the match, Baszler, Duke, and Shafir surrounded Kai and started stomping on her. Io Shirai rushed down to the ring for the save. Io knocked Duke and Shafir out of the ring and sent Baszler to the corner. Kai went for the Facewash Kick but Duke and Shafir pulled Shayna out of the ring at the last moment.
Ciampa Suggested A Steel Cage Match To Gargano & Black
NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa and boasted about his victory over Velveteen Dream at NXT TakeOver: WarGames II. Ciampa blasted the crowd for still refusing to believe in him, Tommaso then pointed directly at Mauro Ranallo and shouted: “you don’t believe in me but mamma mia here I stand!”.
Ciampa declared himself the sports entertainer of the year but was then interrupted by Aleister Black. Aleister made his way to the ring as the crowd chanted his name. Aleister stated that he absolved Gargano of his sins at TakeOver and accused Ciampa of creating those sins.
Black said that Ciampa is not a real champion, he is another sin that he be absolved. Black announced that he will invoke his rematch clause at NXT TakeOver: Pheonix. Johnny Gargano joined the party and said that he wasn’t finished with Aleister Black.
Gargano added that it is over when he says it is over and got right in Aleister’s face. Ciampa jokingly called Gargano “Johnny Badass” and said that Gargano gets fixated on things and refuses to let things go.
Tommaso suggested that Black and Gargano finish their rivalry inside of a steel cage. Ciampa asked the crowd if they wanted to see that and the crowd responded with a “yes!” chant. Gargano wanted the match and Black shouted that he would fight him back in the parking lot.
Johnny asked Black how that worked out for him last time and Aleister went for the Black Mass but Gargano got out of the way. Aleister then hit Ciampa with a Black Mass to end the show.
If @JohnnyGargano & @WWEAleister want to settle things the right way, they'll need to do so inside of a steel cage.
