SEScoops

Category: NXT

  • NXT Preview 7/4/18: Johnny Gargano vs EC3

    NXT Preview 7/4/18: Johnny Gargano vs EC3

    NXT is back tonight with a show from Full Sail University in Florida. The main event for the night is scheduled to be Johnny Wrestling taking on EC3.

    Several other matches and segments have been confirmed for tonight’s show.

    NXT Preview 7/4/18

    Johnny Gargano vs ECIII

    • NXT General Manager, William Regal, has told Gargano he needs to move on from his rivalry with Tommaso Ciampa. This is why Regal has scheduled him in a match tonight with EC3. If Gargano can’t get his mind off what Ciampa did to him, he will be in tough against the top one percenter tonight.

    Shayna Baszler Has Defeated All Challengers

    • Recently, NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler has defeated Dakota Kai, Nikki Cross, and most recently Toni Storm (at the UK tapings).
    • Bianca Belair and Candice LeRae are two members of the division who seem to be winning matches a lot lately. Either of them could potentially come out to challenge the champion tonight.

    Heavy Machinery vs The Mighty

    • TM-61 are now known just as the Mighty and they use any under-handed techniques they can to defeat their opponents. They have already used such tactics once to defeat the powerhouse team of Heavy Machinery.
    • After their recent loss to the Mighty, Heavy Machinery indicated that playtime was over. They get a chance at revenge tonight.

    Chris Dijak vs Velveteen Dream

    • After dropping a tough loss to Ricochet at Takeover, the Dream could use a win here.
    • The 31-year-old former ROH wrestler, Dijak, dropped his first match on NXT television in May to Ricochet.
  • Io Shirai Appears At WWE Event In Tokyo (Video)

    Io Shirai Appears At WWE Event In Tokyo (Video)

    WWE’s newest signee, Io Shirai, was on hand at the WWE live event in Tokyo this morning. She was officially unveiled as the newest addition to the roster. Shirai will be assigned to the NXT brand.

    Shirai is a former 2x Wonder of Stardom champion. She has been voted as Tokyo Sports’ Joshi Puroresu Grand Prize winner (the equivalent of woman’s wrestler of the year award) the last 3 years in a row.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BkpvJjzgX3S/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1qqoted9k7qzi

    Io Shirai

    Shirai was rumored to be heading to WWE last year but failed medical evaluations prevented this from happening. It was reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that neck and heart problems caused WWE to back away from signing her. She continued to compete for Stardom the following year after not signing with WWE.

    Pro Wrestling Illustrated ranked Shirai #6 in their female top-50 rankings in 2017.

    Shirai confirmed her departure from Stardom back in late May with many speculating she would be headed to WWE.

    Parts of Shirai’s blog in late May revealing her departure from Stardom were run through Google Translate.

    “I’m going to leave Stardom with me aiming for a further leap of pro-wrestling life in the future.

    The Korakuen Hall show on June 17 will be the last for Stardom.”

    World of Stardom also Tweeted out the following facts about Shirai’s time with the promotion:

    “Io Shirai’s done it all in Stardom.
    World of Stardom champion twice, 1014 days.
    Wonder of Stardom champion twice, 375 days.
    Tag champion 407 days.
    High Speed champion.
    Artist of Stardom champion 6 times.
    SWA champion.
    5 Star Grand Prix champion.
    Now she will show it to the world.”

  • WWE NXT Recap & Results (6/27)

    WWE NXT Recap & Results (6/27)

    Tommaso Ciampa Interrupted Aleister Black

    NXT Champion Aleister Black kicked off this week’s episode of NXT. Black stated that how you deal with adversity defines you as a champion. Aleister said that his adversity was Lars Sullivan at NXT TakeOver and he made it fade to black.

    Tommaso Ciampa interrupted and came down to the entrance ramp. Ciampa said that it was now time for Aleister to stand face to face with the devil. He claimed that he can see right through Aleister and just doesn’t buy it. Ciampa said that Black barely got by Lars Sullivan, but on the same night he beat Johnny Wrestling in the main event at TakeOver.

    Ciampa boasted about defeating Gargano and claimed that was all in the past now. Tommaso added that when he gets in the ring with Black and takes his title, Aleister’s mystique goes away as well.

    Ciampa then sat down like Aleister on the entrance ramp and vowed to make Aleister’s title reign fade to black. Ciampa then waved goodbye to Black as he was about to charge up the ramp towards him.

    https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1012125767734611974

    Kona Reeves Dominated

    Photo Credit: @PrinceWatercres on Twitter

    Kona Reeves faced Max Humberto tonight on NXT. Reeves started off the match in control and quickly launched Humberto out of the ring. Reeves followed him out there and bounced Humberto’s face off the ring apron. Back in the ring, Reeves connected with an Elbow Drop off the second rope and then a big boot to the face. Kona followed it up with the Hawaiian Drop for the quick victory.

    https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1012128115974340608

    Candice LeRae Picked Up A Big Victory

    Candice LeRae battled Lacey Evans on tonight’s episode of NXT. LeRae connected with three Arm Drags and a Dropkick for a two count to start off the match. Evans quickly got back up and shoved LeRae into the turnbuckle. Evans then grabbed Candice’s arm and wrapped it around the steel ring post for a near fall.

    Evans continued to target LeRae’s arm by slamming it into the canvas. Lacey locked in the Cobra Crutch in the middle of the ring. LeRae broke free and knocked Evans to the mat with a Dropkick. Candice connected with a few punches and chops that sent Evans to the corner.

    Lerae leaped off the second rope and connected with a Bulldog. Candice then followed it up with a Neckbreaker and followed it up with a springboard Moonsault off the second rope for the pinfall victory.

    Candice LeRae was then interviewed backstage after her victory. LeRae said that she is concerned for her husband, Johnny Gargano, mentally and physically, but it is time for her to focus on her career. Candice said that her goal is to become NXT Women’s Champion.

    https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1012131921655226368

    Gargano Wants To Fight Ciampa Again

    After the victory by LeRae, Johnny Gargano was interviewed backstage. Gargano said that he watched his loss at NXT TakeOver: Chicago to Ciampa and that this is far from over. Gargano added that he has beaten Tommaso once and he has beaten him once. Gargano said that he was going to go talk to NXT GM William Regal to get another match with Ciampa. Gargano said that he doesn’t care when or where the match takes place.

    NXT GM William announced in a tweet that Gargano will face EC3 next week and that he needs to move on from Ciampa:

    https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1012130983838146562

    Undisputed Era Defeated Mustache Mountain & Ricochet

    New NXT Tag Team Champions Mustache Mountain (Tyler Bate & Trent Seven) made their way down to the ring to a great reaction from the crowd. They were set to face Dave Dixon & Carl Axelrod in a match, but Undisputed Era attacked them from behind on the entrance ramp.

    https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1012132637866119168

    Strong and O’Reilly called Mustache Mountain phonies. They surrounded Bate and Seven on the ring apron but Ricochet sprinted down to the ring to even the odds. A 6-man tag match was then made official for the main event of this week’s episode of NXT.

    Bate trapped O’Reilly in the corner of the ring and tagged in Trent Seven. O’Reilly quickly brought Seven to the corner and Adam Cole tagged in. Seven connected with a chop that echoed throughout the arena and followed it up with a DDT for a two count.

    Ricochet tagged in and springboarded off of Bate and Moonsaulted onto Cole and O’Reilly. Bate and Strong then tagged in and Tyler punched him in the face. Bate did the same to O’Reilly and Strong before posing in the ring.

    Cole hit Bate with a cheap shot and Strong planted Tyler with a Backbreaker. Cole tagged in and stomped on Bate in the corner. O’Reilly quickly tagged in and continued to beatdown Bate in the corner. Strong tagged in and delivered a loud chop to Bate’s chest and then applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring.

    https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1012133972539822081

    Tyler broke free but Strong knocked him back to the mat with a Dropkick. Cole tagged in and connected with a Suplex for a near fall. Cole dragged Bate back to the corner and tagged O’Reilly back in. Kyle connected with a sliding knee to Bate’s midsection and then tugged on his mustache.

    Roderick got back in and connected with a Shoulderbreaker for a two count. Tyler battled back with a headbutt and then an Exploder Suplex that sent Strong flying across the ring. Bate leaped across the ring to tag in Ricochet as O’Reilly tagged in at the same time.

    Ricochet took out every member of Undisputed Era before launching O’Reilly into the turnbuckle. Ricochet then bounced off the second rope and connected with an uppercut for a two count. Ricochet hit a Northern Lights Suplex but O’Reilly was quickly able to lock in a Guillotine in the middle of the ring.

    Ricochet was able to tag in Trent Seven who walked into a forearm from O’Reilly. Seven shrugged it off and connected with a Side Slam for a two count. Adam Cole pulled Bate off the ring apron as O’Reilly booted Seven in the leg.

    Cole tagged in and took down his knee pad to expose right knee. Cole charged at Seven but Trent was ready and connected with a ridiculous Clothesline. Ricochet tagged back in and slammed Cole to the canvas for a two count. All hell broke loose and it ended with Cole and Ricochet trading kicks to the face as the rest of the Superstars were all taken out.

    Everyone was trading punches now as Cole and Ricochet were the two legal men in the match. Ricochet connected with a Clothesline and then somehow avoided both Strong and O’Reilly’s high and low attempt by flipping over and under them at the same time. Ricochet then hit Cole with the 640 Splash and went for the cover but O’Reilly pulled Cole to the ring apron to break up the cover.

    Ricochet got pissed off and hit O’Reilly with a Crossbody. Roderick Strong then grabbed Ricochet and connected with the End of Heartache on the ring apron. Strong threw Ricochet back into the ring and Cole pinned him for the victory.

    https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1012137419603357702

    https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1012138011100958720

    https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1012139111484940288

    Announced for next week’s episode of NXT:

    • Johnny Gargano vs. EC3

    Vanessa Borne also called out Kairi Sane during tonight’s show.

  • NXT Star Suffered Injury During Takeover, Why The Bar Has Been Off TV

    NXT Star Suffered Injury During Takeover, Why The Bar Has Been Off TV

    NXT Star Suffered Injury During Takeover

    Both Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan gave everything they had during the NXT Tag Team Championship match at Takeover: Chicago II but they still failed to defeat the Undisputed Era for the titles.

    However, now it appears that this loss was not the only bad news for the duo coming out of the special event as Pwinsider reports that Lorcan suffered an injury, during the same bout.

    The site reveals that Oney suffered a broken orbital bone and he is set to have surgery to repair the damage. No word yet on when the surgery will take place or how long he will be out of action but we’ll keep you posted.

    Why The Bar Has Been Off TV

    Former Raw Tag Team Champions The Bar Sheamus and Cesaro were moved to SmackDown Live during the Superstar Shakeup earlier this year, however, the duo hasn’t been featured much on the Blue Brand.

    Since the Greatest Royal Rumble event in April, the two have appeared on only three episodes of the Blue Branded Show, making many wonder about their status.

    Now in an update, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer revealed the reason for their absence and killing the rumors about them on Twitter, Meltzer stated that the only reason why the former Champs have been away from TV is because the creatives don’t have anything planned for them.

  • Adam Cole Comments On Wrestling For EVOLVE Tonight

    Adam Cole Comments On Wrestling For EVOLVE Tonight

    Adam Cole will defend the NXT North American Championship tonight. He will face the powerhouse Austrian, Walter at EVOLVE 107 from Melrose, MA.

    “I’m not just the best in NXT, I’m not just the best in the WWE, I’m the best on the freaking planet,” Cole said to Sports Illustrated recently. “Part of backing that statement up is competing outside of WWE, and the North American championship has given me the opportunity to do that. I can go to a company like EVOLVE and wrestle a talent as good, as big, and as strong as WALTER and defend my championship on a non-WWE show. That’s the epitome of making the North American title a world championship, one I can defend all over the world.”

    “Who’s to say I won’t defend the North American championship later this year in the U.K. or Australia or Japan?” Cole continued. “My goal is to make the North American championship the most important championship in NXT, and I feel like I’m on the path to doing that by taking on all challengers around the world.”

    Adam Cole at EVOLVE 107

    EVOLVE 107
    Sunday, June 24th, 2018
    Melrose Memorial Hall
    Melrose, MA

    • NXT North American Championship
      Adam Cole (c) vs. WALTER
    • EVOLVE Championship Match (If Riddle Retains At EVOLVE 106 against Shane Strickland)
      Matt Riddle (c) vs. AR Fox with Ayla & The Skulk
    • FIP World Heavyweight Championship
      Austin Theory w/ Priscilla Kelly vs. DJZ
    • Tracy Williams vs. Chris Dickinson with Stokely Hathaway
    • Darby Allin vs. Jarek 1:20 with Candy Cartwright
    • Dominic Garrini with Stokely Hathaway vs. Josh Briggs

    “Kyle O’Reilly, Roderick Strong, and Bobby Fish all share that exact same mentality,” Cole said on the Undisputed Era. “We said we’re going to take WWE and NXT over. Actions have to speak louder than words, and our actions have spoken much louder than our words.”

  • Velveteen Dream Responds To Hulk Hogan’s Offer To Manage Him

    Velveteen Dream Responds To Hulk Hogan’s Offer To Manage Him

    At NXT Takeover: Chicago II on Saturday, Velveteen Dream had a very Hulk Hogan-esque look to him. This led the Hulkster to comment that he should play the role of Dream’s manager.

    Unfortunately for Hogan, it appears Velveteen Dream is not going to be his ticket back to WWE.

    https://twitter.com/VelveteenWWE/status/1009972953960853504

    Hulk Hogan’s Possible Return to WWE

    Speculation regarding Hogan’s possible return to the company increased earlier this year when Hogan attended the premiere for HBO’s documentary on Andre the Giant. Just before the screening, WWE made a public statement regarding Hogan. They said they had reached out to him in order to discuss how others could learn from mistakes he’s made. WWE insisted Hogan was not under contract, however.

    In March, it was revealed by Mark Henry that there is a delegation of wrestlers who don’t believe Hogan is ready to return.

    ”The delegation is pretty much all of the more established African-American wrestlers in the country and in the world, for that matter. Every promotion… there’s not a wrestling promotion that doesn’t house someone from the delegation,” Henry explained.

    ”I believe that everybody should be given a second chance but I also believe that you have to own your issue, whatever that issue is. You gotta try to make closure on everybody else’s behalf, not just yours.”

    Booker T on Hogan Returning to WWE

    Booker T has also commented on Hogan’s possible return to the company. While both Henry and Booker agree that people should be given second chances, Booker is more forgiving of Hulk than Henry is.

    He made the following statements on his Heated Conversations show:

    “The only thing Hogan can do is apologize, atone for it, and we move forward,” Booker said. “Everyone deserves a second chance that’s just the way I am.”

    Booker also explained that he believes Hogan was responsible for Harlem Heat receiving a push in WCW.

    “I talk about Hulk Hogan being in my corner, back in the day and a lot of the boys they may look at me and say, ‘Why is Booker T talking to [Hogan]?’ Back in the day, if it wasn’t for Hulk Hogan, I don’t know if Booker T and Stevie Ray would have got the push that we got,” Booker said. “Back in the day, Sister Sherri was an intricate detail to Harlem Heat, and our success, and it was all because of Hulk Hogan. Saying ‘Hey man, those are the guys you need to put your money behind.’”

    Transcriptions courtesy of Wrestling Inc

  • Spoilers: NXT TV Tapings Results, Top Matches For Takeover

    Spoilers: NXT TV Tapings Results, Top Matches For Takeover

    On Thursday night, NXT returned to Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. The following are results from the tapings, which will air over the next several weeks and take us through mid-July.

    – Fabian Aichner def. Raul Mendoza in a dark match.

    Week 1 (Airing June 27th):

    – NXT Champion Aleister Black came out for a promo. He spoke about battling Lars Sullivan at Takeover, but was interrupted by Tomasso Ciampa, who referred to himself as the devil. Now that Johnny Gargano is out of the picture, he’s focused on the title and will make Black’s reign fade to Black.

    – Kona Reeves def. Max Humberto.

    – Candice LeRae def. Lacey Evans.

    – Moustache Mountain vs. Dave Dixon and Carl Axelrod never began, as the Undisputed Era came out and attacked Dixon and Axelrod before the match. They called Moustache Mountain’s title win in the UK a fluke. Undisputed Era surrounded the ring, but Ricochet ran out to even the odds, setting up a 6-man tag match.

    – Undisputed Era def. Ricochet and Moustache Mountain

    Week 2 (Airing July 4th):

    – Dakota Kai def. Santana Garret

    – NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler kicks off the show, saying she proved herself at Takeover and is the most dominant champion in NXT.

    – The Mighty def. Otis Dozovic of Heavy Machinery in a handicap match. It was explained that Tucker Knight was out due to an “accident” which was actually the birth of his daughter.

    – Kairi Sane def. Vanessa Borne. After the match, Kairi says she beat Shayna Baszler before and will do it again to become the next NXT Women’s Championship.

    – Velveteen Dream def. Chris Dijak. EC3 came out for his entrance while Dream was still in the ring after his match.

    – Johnny Gargano def. EC3 in what was described as one of the best matches of the night.

    Week 3 (Airing July 11th)

    – NXT North American Champion Adam Cole def. Danny Burch

    – Lacey Evans def. Dakota Kai

    – Kassius Ohno squashed an enhancement talent.

    – Kairi Sane def. Candice LeRae and Nikki Cross in a triple threat match to become the #1 contender to NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler.

    – Undisputed Era def. Moustache Mountain to win back the NXT Tag Team Championships. The finish came when Bate threw in the towel when Seven wouldn’t tap to O’Reilly.

    NXT Takeover: Brooklyn

    Based on the matches that will air on NXT television through mid-July, the following appear to be the top two matches for NXT Takeover: Brooklyn during SummerSlam weekend:

    • NXT Champion Aleister Black vs. Tomasso Ciampa
    • NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Bazsler vs. Kairi Sane
  • NXT Star Missed TV Taping

    NXT Star Missed TV Taping

    NXT star Tucker Knight of the Heavy Machinery tag team missed Thursday’s TV tapings from Full Sail University in Winter Park, FL – but he had a good reason.

    Knight (real name Levi Cooper) posted a photo on Twitter of his newborn baby girl, Kenzi Lovie Cooper.

    Congratulations to the Cooper family and their newest addition.

  • Dakota Kai Comments On Recent Loss, Beefs With Lacey Evans and Bianca Belair

    Dakota Kai Comments On Recent Loss, Beefs With Lacey Evans and Bianca Belair

    The captain of Team Kick has been on something of a losing skid as of late. She’s dropped her last two matches in NXT.

    Kai was defeated by Shayna Baszler on the May 9th episode of NXT. She had been portrayed as having been scared of the NXT Women’s Champion but finally did overcome her character arc and learned she can compete with the best the brand has to offer.

    This week on NXT, Kai lost to Bianca Belair in a match taped from Chicago’s All-State Arena before Takeover: Chicago II. The 30-year-old from New Zealand recently commented on her loss.

    https://twitter.com/DakotaKai_WWE/status/1009594515123064833

    https://twitter.com/DakotaKai_WWE/status/1009636249974530048

    Bianca Belair and Lacey Evans Comment on Dakota Kai

    Kai’s loss to Bianca Belair on NXT this week will likely move Belair closer to a title shot. The former track and field star has been moving up the rankings steadily the last few months. Since WrestleMania, Belair has defeated Candice LeRae, Aliyah, and now Dakota Kai.

    Belair took to Twitter to claim that after defeating Kai, she is the new captain of Team Kick.

    Another member of NXT’s women’s division, Lacey Evans, also took to Twitter in response to Kai’s recent loss.

    Evans might be on quite a winning streak but she has lost to Dakota Kai in the past. Kai defeated her earlier this year on the February 8th, 2018 edition of NXT. Evans also lost to Belair on a show which aired last August. The First Lady of NXT recently defeated Kairi Sane, however, seemingly indicating she is in line for a push.

    Toni Storm will be the next in line to challenge for Shayna Baszler’s championship. The two will meet next week on the WWE UK Tournament shows. Depending on what happens between Baszler and Storm, Belair or Evans could be the next in line for a title shot.

    NXT Women’s Roster:

    Champion: Shayna Baszler

    • Nikki Cross
    • Bianca Belair
    • Lacey Evans
    • Kairi Sane
    • Dakota Kai
    • Candice LeRae
    • Vanessa Borne
    • Taynara Conti
    • Aliyah
  • WWE NXT Recap & Results (6/20)

    WWE NXT Recap & Results (6/20)

    Bianca Belair Defeated Dakota Kai

    Dakota Kai faced Bianca Belair on this week’s episode of NXT. Kai connected with a boot to the face to start off the match and then went for a roll-up but Belair kicked out at one. Dakota followed it up with a running kick for a two count.

    Bianca battled back and launched Kai into the top turnbuckle. Belair lifted Kai up, bounced her off the ropes and planted her with a Suplex. Belair followed it up with a Splash and then posed in the ring. Belair clubbed Kai in the midsection and locked in an Abdominal Stretch in the middle of the ring.

    Belair broke the hold and connected with a Backbreaker. Bianca taunted Kai as she tried to get up and then clubbed her across the back. Belair showed off her incredible strength and took Kai on a tour around the ring while holding her up for a Vertical Suplex. Kai escaped the Suplex and then got her knees up when Belair went for a Splash.

    Dakota hit an Enziguri that knocked Bianca to the canvas. Kai connected with a few more kicks to Belair’s face and followed it up with two running kicks in the corner for a near fall. Dakota dodged the hair whip but turned around into a forearm from Belair. Bianca then lifted Kai up in the Torture Rack and planted her face-first to the mat for the pinfall victory.

    https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1009589670362132480

    https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1009590056007413760

    https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1009590437236084737

    War Raiders Dominated TM61

    War Raiders (Hanson & Rowe) faced TM61 (Nick Miller & Shane Thorne) tonight on NXT. TM61 attacked War Raiders before the match started. The match started and Rowe leveled Thorne with a Dropkick. Rowe then connected with a Belly to Belly Suplex on Miller.

    Hanson tagged in and launched Rowe into Thorne in the corner of the ring. Rowe got back in and Miller shoved Hanson off the ring apron. Thorne booted Rowe in the face and tagged in Nick Miller. Miller raked at Rowe’s eyes and shoulder tackled him out of the ring. Thorne booted Rowe in the chest while he was against the barricade and threw him back into the ring.

    Thorne tagged in and planted Rowe with a Neckbreaker for a two count. Shane hit Rowe with a few uppercuts in the corner and followed it up with a Dropkick. Thorne went for a Cannonball but Rowe got out of the way and tagged in Hanson.

    Hanson beatdown both Thorne and Miller. Hanson even cartwheeled across the ring and Clotheslined Thorne during the beatdown. Rowe tagged in and launched Thorne in the air. Hanson caught him and planted him for a two count. Rowe launched Miller out of the ring and then kneed Thorne in the face. Hanson sprinted across the ring and dropped Miller with a Suicide Dive. Rowe tagged Hanson in and lifted Thorne in the air. Hanson climbed to the top rope and connected with a Leg Drop for the pinfall victory.

    https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1009598724589412352

    The majority of this week’s episode of NXT was devoted to recapping what went down at NXT TakeOver: Chicago this past Saturday. NXT Champion Aleister Black will be on next week’s episode.

    The following interviews were shown during this week’s episode of NXT:

  • Top UK Independent Star Revealed for NXT UK

    Top UK Independent Star Revealed for NXT UK

    Top UK independent star Eddie Dennis has been revealed as one of the new NXT UK roster members. The Welsh Superstar appeared on the entrance ramp during last night’s taping at the Royal Albert Hall to the shock of many eagle-eyed fans of the UK independent scene.

    Dennis had not been made official for the NXT UK division however he was one of the names heavily rumored for a move to the new WWE project, he now appears to be set for the upcoming tapings starting at Cambridge in July.

    Some of the more prominent promotions that Dennis has appeared for in the past few years include Revolution Pro (Rev Pro), ATTACK!, RIPTIDE and of course PROGRESS. One of the most gripping and talked about feuds in the UK scene right now features Dennis against his longtime tag team partner and 205 Live Superstar Mark Andrews. Eddie has been following Andrews across the world demanding that he face him in the ring and Andrews has refused to accept the challenge and fight his former friend; it is expected that the match will eventually be taking place at PROGRESS’ upcoming show in Wembley Arena (September) however PROGRESS has not yet made this official in any capacity.

  • NXT Preview (6/20/18) Takeover: Chicago II Aftermath

    NXT Preview (6/20/18) Takeover: Chicago II Aftermath

    Matches for tonight’s episode of NXT were taped before Takeover: Chicago II inside All-State Arena. WWE is teasing they will show what happened after Takeover: Chicago II went off-air on Saturday night as well, however.

    NXT Preview 6/20/18

    At Takeover: Chicago II, it looked as though Johnny Gargano had defeated his rival. As medical personnel was taking Ciampa away on a stretcher, however, Gargano let his anger get the best of him. He continued the attack on Ciampa while security and others attempted to get him to stop. Somehow, the match continued on while this was all ongoing. Ciampa took advantage of Gargano being distracted by security and landed a draping DDT onto an exposed ring canvass. He then covered Gargano for a 3-count and the victory.

    Now, Ciampa is saying his feud with Gargano is over and he is moving on to new goals.

    https://twitter.com/ProjectCiampa/status/1009159800595386369

    Two matches are confirmed for tonight’s show:

    1) Bianca Belair vs Dakota Kai

    This is an important match tonight for both Superstars. Belair has been coming on as of late and looks as though she could be the next to graduate into the NXT Women’s Championship picture.

    As for Dakota Kai, she was beaten soundly by Shayna Baszler in her last match but finally stopped being intimidated by the champion, which is a moral victory of sorts for her.

    Belair defeated Aliyah fairly soundly last week and then was involved in a dispute backstage with Kai, leading to this match tonight. Kai was being interviewed about her match with Baszler when Belair interrupted, upset she wasn’t being interviewed after her decisive win over Aliyah.

    2) The War Raiders vs TM-61

    TM-61 have been taking shortcuts to win matches as of late. They will need to find plenty of shortcuts to beat the surging War Raiders, however. With the Authors of Pain having been called up to the main roster (that did happen, right?), NXT’s tag division is wide open.

    Currently, the Undisputed Era and teams for the UK division have been feuding over the titles.

    TM-61 named the War Raiders as a team they believe they can beat in a recent interview. This upset Hanson and Ray Rowe, who will look to prove them wrong tonight.

  • JR Praises NXT Takeover Match, Plus Keith Lee Reacts to Appearance

    JR Praises NXT Takeover Match, Plus Keith Lee Reacts to Appearance

    WWE Hall of Famer and one of the greatest play by play commentators in the history of the game has some high praise for the bout between Ricochet and Velveteen Dream from last night’s NXT Takeover: Chicago event.

    Jim Ross took to Twitter to express his love for the match between the two NXT Superstars, stating that “It’s any announcers dream to broadcast a match the level of @KingRicochet & @VelveteenWWE at #NXTChicago.” Good Ol’ JR went on to give extra special mention to the potential of the Velveteen Dream, claiming that “Considering his lack of experience, Dream can be truly spectacular for years to come.“

    Opinion: There are persistent rumors that Velveteen Dream is due for a call up to the main roster of WWE in the near future. Dream’s stellar bouts in his short time for NXT has gained him some proponents in the company’s top brass and his bout against Ricochet will do him no harm at all.

    ‘Limitless’ Keith Lee appeared during last night’s NXT Takeover: Chicago broadcast and was seen in the crowd during the event. The former EVOLVE/PROGRESS star took to Twitter to offer some comments following his appearance, you can check these out below:

  • 5 Takeaways From NXT TakeOver: Chicago (6/16)

    5 Takeaways From NXT TakeOver: Chicago (6/16)

    NXT Takeover: Chicago aired live on June 16th from the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, IL. Here are 5 takeaways from the show:

    Undisputed Era Retained 

    Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong defended their NXT Tag Team Championships against Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch. Adam Cole was ringside for the match. Strong and Lorcan started off the match as the crowd chanted “Undisputed!”. Lorcan leveled Strong with an uppercut and tagged Burch in.

    Strong brought Burch to the corner and O’Reilly tagged in. Kyle brought Burch to the canvas and applied a Headlock. Burch battled back with a forearm to the face and Lorcan quickly got back in the match. Lorcan and Burch Suplexed Strong onto O’Reilly and then Clotheslines Kyle out of the ring.

    Undisputed Era gathered on the outside to regroup as the crowd continued to chant “Undisputed!”. Back in the ring, Lorcan and O’Reilly traded chops in the corner. Oney hit a knee to the ribs and Burch got back in. Burch leveled Strong with a Dropkick off the second rope. Roderick threw Danny out of the ring and connected with a Dropkick through the ropes.

    Roderick launched Burch into the ring apron and tagged O’Reilly back in. O’Reilly and Strong beatdown Burch in the corner for a few seconds before O’Reilly applied a Knee Bar in the middle of the ring. Strong tagged in and stomped on Burch and then taunted Oney in the corner.

    Strong planted Burch with a Backbreaker for a two count. Kyle tagged back in and continued to beatdown Burch in the corner. O’Reilly delivered a knee to the midsection and then went for the Arm Bar but Burch quickly reached the bottom rope to break the hold.

    Roderick tagged himself back in and hit Burch with a massive Dropkick to the face for a two count. Strong missed with a knee to the corner and Burch dropped him with a Back Body Drop. O’Reilly tagged in and booted Lorcan off the apron. Burch hit O’Reilly with a headbutt and both Superstars fell to the canvas.

    Lorcan and Strong tagged in at the same time. Lorcan hit Roderick with a Clothesline and then an uppercut that sent Strong out of the ring. Lorcan then sent O’Reilly to the outside and flipped onto both of them.

    Back in the ring, Lorcan hit Strong with a massive uppercut for a two count. Oney connected with chops to both of the tag champs and then planted them both with a double Blockbuster. Burch tagged in and planted Strong with a DDT for a two count.

    O’Reilly shoved Lorcan off the top rope and he landed back-first off the ring apron. O’Reilly hit Burch with a knee to the ribs and then a Suplex for a two count. O’Reilly was able to lock in the Arm Bar in the middle of the ring. Burch fought through the pain and reached the bottom rope to break up the hold.

    Strong planted Burch face-first to the mat and O’Reilly booted Danny in the face. Burch hit Strong with a headbutt and then launched O’Reilly out of the ring. Lorcan hit another double Blockbuster off the apron and threw O’Reilly into the ring. Burch lifted O’Reilly onto his shoulders and Lorcan hit him with an uppercut off the top. Lorcan went for the cover but Cole dragged O’Reilly out of the ring.

    The referee kicked Adam Cole out and Cole went backstage. Strong threw Burch into the announce outside the ring as O’Reilly applied the Guillotine in the middle of the ring. Lorcan countered into a Suplex to break the hold. Strong tagged in and hit Lorcan with a knee to the ribs.

    Lorcan planted Strong with a Powerbomb and quickly applied the Half Crab. O’Reilly tried to break it up but Burch snuck up behind Kyle and locked him in the Crossface. O’Reilly somehow was able to still kick Lorcan in the face to break the hold on Strong. Both teams got back up as the crowd chanted “NXT!”.

    A brawl broke out and O’Reilly decked Burch with a knee to the face. Lorcan slapped O’Reilly in the face, but Strong and O’Reilly teamed up on him and knocked him to the canvas with a chop block/Clothesline for the pinfall victory. O’Reilly and Strong are still the NXT Tag Team Champions. After the match, Burch and Lorcan got a standing ovation even though the crowd didn’t want them to win the match at all.

    Opinion: This match was so well done. I’ve always been a fan of tag team wrestling and this was a great example of how awesome it can be. There hasn’t been a tag match on the main roster as entertaining as this one in some time. If you looked away for a second during this match you missed something. There wasn’t a dull moment in the entire twenty-minute match and I would have had no problem if it went another twenty.

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    Ricochet Outlasted Velveteen Dream

    Velveteen Dream battled Ricochet tonight at NXT TakeOver: Chicago. Velveteen Dream laid on the announce table and watched Ricochet’s entrance before the match. Both Superstars had a stare down in the ring when the bell rang. The crowd chanted “Velveteen!” as they then circled each other.

    They locked up in the middle of the ring and Dream drove Ricochet to the corner. Velveteen was in red and yellow attire and took a break to flex in the middle of the ring. Ricochet applied a Headlock and brought Dream to the canvas.

    Dream battled to his feet and leveled Ricochet with a shoulder tackle. Dream connected with a Headscissors but Ricochet landed on his feet. Ricochet flipped across the ring and avoided a strike by Dream. Ricochet and Dream had another staredown as the crowd cheered.

    They traded slaps and Ricochet went for a roll-up for a one count. Ricochet hit a Dropkick and then a jab from the ring apron. Dream battled back and knocked Ricochet to the floor outside. Back in the ring, Dream stomped on Ricochet in the corner of the ring and hit a flurry of jabs to the face.

    Dream connected with a Senton and posed in the ring. Velveteen danced a bit before dropping Ricochet with a Neckbreaker for a two count. Dream shoved Ricochet out of the ring and springboarded off the middle rope and flipped onto Ricochet.

    Back in the ring, Dream went for a cover but Ricochet was able to kick out at two. Dream applied a Headlock and started taunting Ricochet. Ricochet battled to his feet but was knocked down with a forearm to the face. Ricochet connected with a boot to the face and then threw Dream to the outside.

    Dream quickly got back into the ring and ducked an Enziguri attempt from Ricochet. Ricochet then connected with a Dropkick and tossed Velveteen to the outside. Ricochet hit a Suicide Dive and then flipped onto him. The action quickly returned to the ring and Ricochet an uppercut off the second rope for a two count.

    Ricochet hit a Neckbreaker and followed it up with a standing Shooting Star Press for a two count. Ricochet made his way to the top rope but Dream pulled down the rope and crotched Ricochet on the turnbuckle. Dream joined him up there but was knocked back to the canvas with a punch to the face.

    Ricochet hopped down to the apron and slapped Dream in the face. Velveteen hit a rolling Death Valley Driver off the second rope and went for the cover but Ricochet was somehow able to kick out at two. Dream climbed back up to the top but hopped to the apron when Ricochet got back up.

    Ricochet slapped Dream in the face, but Velveteen responded with a Suplex off the ring apron and to the floor outside the ring. The crowd chanted “holy shi*t!” as the referee started his count. Both Superstars were able to get back into the ring at the count of nine.

    Dream and Ricochet slowly got back up to their feet. Velveteen hit another Death Valley Driver out of nowhere for a two count. Ricochet and Dream then traded shots in the center of the ring. Ricochet went for a Suplex but his back gave out. The two then traded Superkicks. Dream hit an elbow to the face but was then turned inside out by a Clothesline from Ricochet.

    Velveteen responded with a ridiculous DDT for another two count as the crowd got on their feet and cheered. Dream slapped Ricochet in the face and shouted: “you belong in a bingo hall and I’m awesome”. Ricochet hit a Death Valley Driver of his own on Dream and made his way to the top. Ricochet posed like Dream and connected with the Purple Rainmaker Elbow Drop for a two count.

    Ricochet dragged Dream to the corner and made his way back to the top rope. Dream rolled away and Ricochet went for a Shooting Star Press anyway. Dream got his knees up and went for the cover but Ricochet somehow kicked out at two. Dream climbed to the top as Ricochet was on the other side of the ring. Velveteen went for the Purple Rainmaker but Ricochet was able to get out of the way. Ricochet climbed to the top rope and hit the 630 for the pinfall victory.

    Opinion: I had high hopes for this match and Ricochet and Velveteen Dream blew those away. The first hour of this show has had two matches that were simply excellent. Hopefully, this feud continues because I’m already looking forward to the rematch.

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    Nikki Cross Went Out With A Smile On Her Face

    Shayna Baszler defended her NXT Women’s Championship against Nikki Cross tonight at NXT TakeOver: Chicago. Nikki Cross stood in the ring and dared Shayna to punch her in the face. Baszler tripped Nikki instead and Cross laughed like a maniac. Nikki then crawled towards Shayna and Baszler retreated to the ropes.

    Cross turned her back on Baszler and then turned around to laugh in her face. Cross locked in a Sleeper Hold but Baszler escaped. Cross beatdown Shayna in the corner and Baszler rolled out of the ring. Cross then trapped Baszler in the ring apron and beat the hell out of her.

    Nikki once again leaped on Shayna’s back but this time Baszler fell backward and Cross slammed onto the steel entrance ramp. Baszler bought Nikki back into the ring and connected with a knee to the face for a two count. Shayna connected with a flurry of punches as the crowd was completely distracted by something going on in the arena.

    Baszler hit another knee to the face and followed it up with another which brought a smile to Cross’ face. Nikki started slapping herself and then grabbed Shayna’s knee. Nikki hit a couple forearms to the face and then planted Baszler with a Belly to Back Suplex.

    Nikki unloaded with a series of punches and then a Clothesline. Cross stomped on Shayna’s face in the corner of the ring and then climbed to the top rope. Cross connected with a Crossbody for a two count as the crowd chanted “Nikki is gonna kill you!”. Nikki slammed Baszler on the ring apron and brought her back into the ring. Cross went for the cover but Shayna kicked out at two.

    Shanya got right back up and hit another knee to the face for a two count. Cross escaped the Kirifuda Clutch and slammed Baszler to the mat. Nikki went for the cover but Shayna was able to get her foot on the bottom rope to break it up. Baszler locked in the Kirifuda Clutch in the middle of the ring.

    Cross tried to escape as the crowd cheered her on. Nikki had a smile on her face as she slowly started to fade. Cross then passed out and Shayna Baszler retained the NXT Women’s Championship.

    Opinion: This match was good but suffered from having to follow two incredible matches. I really liked the ending of the match because it fit Nikki Cross’ character perfectly. She is too insane/tough to tap out, so she decided to pass out with a smile on her face. I’m hoping Cross now joins SAnitY when they finally arrive on SmackDown.

    Aleister Black Overcame Lars Sullivan

    Aleister Black defended the NXT Championship against Lars Sullivan tonight at NXT TakeOver: Chicago. The two had a staredown before the match. Sullivan caught Black Mass again but Aleister knocked Lars to the outside. Aleister hit a knee to the face and then the action returned to the ring.

    Black hit another knee to the face for a one count. Sullivan launched Black tot he apron and then lifted him on his shoulders with ease. Black escaped but was knocked out of the ring by a shoulder tackle. The crowd booed as Lars took some time to pose in the ring.

    Sullivan joined Aleister on the outside and was thrown into the ring post for his troubles. Aleister tried to flip onto Sullivan but Lars showed off his strength and caught him with one arm. Sullivan then launched Black into the barricade before bringing him back into the ring.

    Lars connected with a Splash in the corner for a two count. Sullivan clubbed Black across the face for another near fall. Lars applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring. Aleister battled to his feet to break the hold but Lars kneed him in the ribs. Aleister went for a roll-up but Sullivan blocked it and planted Black with a Powerslam for a two count.

    Sullivan taunted Black as he slowly made his way back to his feet. Aleister hit a couple of forearms to the face but Lars lifted him onto his shoulders for another Powerslam for a two count. Lars made his way to the top rope but Black got up and booted him in the face.

    Aleister joined Lars on the top rope and elbowed in the back of the head a few times. Lars fell to the ring apron but managed to crotch Black on the top rope. Sullivan knocked Aleister to the canvas with a Clothesline and then climbed back up to the top rope.

    Lars leaped off the top but Aleister got his knees up just in time to block the headbutt. Black connected with a few strikes but Sullivan wouldn’t go down. Aleister tripped him up and then kneed Sullivan in the face. Aleister connected with a springboard Moonsault for a two count.

    Sullivan grabbed Aleister’s leg and flipped him face-first to the mat. Lars followed it up with a chop block but Black quickly got back up. Sullivan wrapped Black’s leg around his own neck for a Horse Collar submission in the middle of the ring. Black countered into a pin for a two count.

    Both Superstars got back up and Lars went for the Freak Accident but Black reversed into a DDT. Sullivan blasted Black with a forearm to the face and then the two Superstars battled on the ring apron. Lars then planted Black with another Powerslam on the apron. Lars climbed to the top and hit the Headbutt this time for another two count.

    Black avoided a chop block and stomped on Sullivan’s back. Aleister barely connected with the Black Mass for a two count. Aleister made his way back to his feet and went for it again but Sullivan caught it. Lars hit a Clothesline and went for Freak Accident but Aleister escaped. Aleister hit Black Mass but Sullivan didn’t go all the way down. Aleister once again hit Black Mass and this time Lars stayed down. Black then covered Sullivan and retained his NXT Championship.

    Opinion: I thought this match was very good. Sullivan put up a great fight and the future is bright as hell for Lars. It would have been far too soon to take the title off of Aleister and I’m looking forward to what is next for Black.

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    Ciampa Defeated Gargano In An Epic Street Fight

    Johnny Gargano battled Tommaso Ciampa in a Street Fight in the main event of NXT TakeOver: Chicago. Before the match, Candice LeRae handed Gargano a crutch and told Johnny to kick Ciampa’s ass. Ciampa came down to the ring with a crutch of his own for the Street Fight.

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    Gargano knocked Ciampa out of the ring and booted him in the face to start off the match. Gargano then hit a Cannonball of the apron and followed it up by launching Tommaso over the announce table. The battle then went into the crowd and Tommaso knocked Johnny to the floor with a kick to the face.

    Gargano hit Ciampa with a stop sign several times. The sign was hidden in a Gargano sign in the crowd. Gargano hit an insane Crossbody on Ciampa and then bashed him in the face with a few right hands. The crowd chanted “Johnny Wrestling!” as Gargano threw Ciampa over the barricade and back towards the ring.

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    Johnny brought a few weapons in the ring and then swung a trash can lid at Ciampa. Tommaso ducked and planted Gargano with a Belly to Back Suplex. Ciampa planted Gargano with a few more as the crowd chanted “Suplex City!”. Gargano countered into a Suplex of his own and then followed it up with a Suicide Dive outside the ring.

    Gargano threw Ciampa into the steel steps but Tommaso quickly got up and connected with a knee to the face. Tommaso brought the steps over the ring apron and booted Gargano in the face. Tommaso grabbed a chair and trash can from under the ring.

    Ciampa hit Gargano in the midsection with the chair and then placed Johnny’s head inside of hit. Tommaso hit a few punches and then launched Gargano neck-first with the chair wrapped around his head into the steel steps. Ciampa took a break to admire his destruction while laying on the ring apron. Ciampa then hit Gargano in the back with the trash can and then pressed his face on the steps. Ciampa then hurled the trash can at Gargano’s face and Johnny fell back to the floor.

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    Back in the ring, Ciampa took off his shirt and choked Gargano with it. Ciampa stomped on Johnny as the crowd chanted “you suck!”. Tommaso beatdown Johnny in the corner and then catapulted him face-first into the turnbuckle. Ciampa grabbed handcuffs from under the ring and brought them back into the ring with him.

    Tommaso elbowed Gargano in the face but Johnny responded with a boot to the face. Gargano connected with a Spear through the ropes and both Superstars fell to the mat. Gargano was the first Superstar up and he took off his belt and whipped Ciampa in the back with it several times.

    Gargano continued to strike Ciampa with the belt as the crowd chanted “you deserve it!”. Johnny wrapped the belt around his fist and then punched Ciampa in the face. Gargano placed the trash can over Ciampa and booted it. Johnny then set up the trash can in between the middle and top turnbuckle. Tommaso raked Gargano in the eyes and planted him with the Project Ciampa for a two count.

    Tommaso hit Gargano in the face with the trash can lid and then traded shots with him on the ring apron. Johnny elbowed Ciampa in the back of the head several times but Tommaso shrugged them all off. Tommaso lifted Gargano up and slammed him onto the steel steps next to the ring. Back in the ring, Ciampa went for the cover but Gargano was able to kick out at the last second.

    Ciampa then cut the ropes under the ring and took off the ring mat in the corner to expose the boards. Tommaso then struck Johnny in the back with a steel chair and waved goodbye to him.

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    Ciampa perched Gargano on the top rope and then bit the back of his head. Tommaso lifted Gargano up but Johnny escaped and went for a Powerbomb. Ciampa blocked it up but Gargano was able to hit him with a Superkick to the face. Gargano and Ciampa then traded punches to the face while on their knees.

    They battled back to their feet while still trading shots. Gargano hit a few in a row and then booted Ciampa in the back of the head. Johnny hit a Superkick and then swung a trash lid at Ciampa’s face. Gargano connected but Tommaso hit him with a crutch at the same time. Johnny fell on top of Ciampa for a cover but Tommaso was able to kick out at two.

    Johnny tried to leap onto Ciampa outside the ring but Tommaso was ready and hit him in the face with a trash lid. Ciampa missed with a knee and slammed right into the steel steps. Tommaso got back into the ring and started to loosen up his knee brace. Gargano sensed an opportunity and started bashing Ciampa in the knee with a steel chair.

    Ciampa launched Johnny into the trash can set up in between the ropes and then locked Johnny in the Gargano Escape in the middle of the ring. Johnny grabbed onto a crutch but Ciampa struck him in the back of the neck with a series of punches. Ciampa reattached his knee brace and got back up as Gargano supported himself on the crutch. Tommaso connected with a knee to the face and then grabbed the crutch.

    Tommaso struck Gargano in the back of the head with the crutch and for the cover but Johnny kicked out at two. Gargano rolled out of the ring and Ciampa followed him. Johnny started crawling up the ramp as Ciampa sat and watched from the ring apron. Ciampa shook his head and then started limping towards him.

    Ciampa brought up Gargano up the ramp and shouted that Gargano was his family and that he did this to himself. Ciampa threw Gargano into the screen at the top of the ramp and then hit another knee to the face. Tommaso shouted “it is not enough” at the referee who was asking him to stop.

    Ciampa brought Gargano to the top of some electrical equipment as two tables were set up below it. Tommaso took off Gargano’s wedding ring and spit on it before launching it into the crowd. Gargano then planted Ciampa through the two tables below as the crowd chanted “holy sh*t!”. The chant transitioned into “mama mia!” as the medical staff came out to check on them both.

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    Gargano took a seat above Tommaso as Ciampa was placed in a neck brace and a stretcher was brought out.

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    Ciampa was loaded onto the stretcher as Gargano still watched on. Tommaso screamed in pain as he was strapped to the stretcher. The crowd chanted “jump!” as Gargano looked at the finger his wedding ring was on. They started to wheel Ciampa away but Gargano got pissed off and started chasing after him.

    Johnny threw away the medical staff and started wheeling Ciampa on the stretcher back towards the ring. Gargano took off the straps and started punching Tommaso in the face. Gargano threw Ciampa into the ring while the neck brace was still on. Gargano took it off and locked in the Gargano Escape. Ciampa quickly tapped out as officials broke up the hold.

    Gargano punched them both in the face and handcuffed Ciampa in the ring. Gargano hit him with six Superkicks to the face in a row. Johnny then locked in the Gargano Escape in the middle of the ring as Ciampa tapped out again. More officials rushed the ring and pulled Gargano off of Ciampa.

    Johnny fought them all off and made his way back to the ring apron. Ciampa caught him in the ropes while handcuffed and delivered a DDT onto the exposed boards in the ring. Ciampa then covered Gargano for the pinfall victory as everyone was shocked.

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    Ciampa then had his handcuffed hands raised and smiled before limping up the ramp while leaning on the stretcher. Ciampa waved goodbye at the top of the ramp as the crowd chanted “fu** you Ciampa!” to close out the show.

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    Opinion: The storytelling in this match was phenomenal. Gargano became his own worst enemy and it cost him. He had the match won several times but his emotions got the better of him and couldn’t resist attacking Ciampa again. In the end, Tommaso got the last laugh tonight and won the match. This storyline isn’t over and I cannot wait to see what happens next. You know you are doing something right when a show ends with the crowd chanting “fu** you!” to the heel.

    NXT has once again put on an unbelievable show before WWE has a PPV the following night. It is impossible to expect Money in the Bank to even come close to this event. NXT continues to nail every major event they put on, while WWE continues to fail to create an engaging storyline on the main roster. There may be some exciting moments tomorrow night but it won’t rival what we just saw at NXT TakeOver: Chicago. It was the payoff of great storytelling on NXT every week and the best part is that some of those stories will continue in the coming weeks.

    What did you think of NXT TakeOver: Chicago? Let us know in the comments below.

  • NXT Takeover: Chicago Results & Live Discussion (6/16)

    NXT Takeover: Chicago Results & Live Discussion (6/16)

    WWE’s NXT Takeover: Chicago took place on June 16th at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, IL.

    Kickoff Show results:

    – The pre-show for tonight’s pay-per-view kicks off with Charly Caruso, Sam Roberts, and Pat McAfee welcoming us to the Allstate Arena. We see Lars Sullivan arriving at the building earlier today, and then we see NXT Champion Aleister Black backstage getting ready. Charly sends us to a video package looking at the Sullivan-Black main event tonight, and then back to the Kickoff Show table for their predictions.

    – We see fans entering the Allstate Arena, then we go to a promo video for tonight’s NXT Women’s Title match.

    – EC3 joins the Kickoff Show panel as fans chant “One Percent.” EC3 says he’s happy to be on the panel, but he’s not done for tonight.

    – Mike Rome and Sarah Schreiber are in the crowd and they promote some of tonight’s matches.

    – We go back to the panel, where Adam Cole interrupts and talks about The Undisputed Era defending their titles tonight.

    – We see a promo video for Ciampa vs. Gargano, and then we get some predictions from the Kickoff Show panel before going to the pay-per-view.

    NXT Takeover: Chicago results (6/16):

    – Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph and Percy Watkins are on the broadcast team for tonight’s show. Mauro Ranallo has the night off due to commitments to Showtime Boxing.

    – NXT Tag Team Titles: Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch vs. Roderick Strong and Kyle O’Reilly (c): The Undisputed Era starts off strong against Lorcan, but Burch gets the tag and he helps take control of the match. Lorcan comes back in and O’Reilly backs him into the corner off the distraction from Strong. Lorcan and O’Reilly brawl back and forth in the corner until Burch tags back in and continues the offense. Strong tags in and O’Reilly causes a distraction, allowing Strong to kick Burch off the apron. Back in the ring, The Era trades tags and double teams Burch. Burch finally fires back with some strikes on O’Reilly, but O’Reilly takes him down and keeps him grounded with knee drops and punches. Strong misses a shot in the corner, and Burch sends him flying with a back body drop. O’Reilly tags in and immediately boots Lorcan off the apron, and then he turns his attention to Burch. Burch hits a headbutt and both men are down. Lorcan gets back up on the apron and he wants the hot tag. Lorcan and Strong get the tags, and Lorcan cleans house. Lorcan drops Strong with a lariat and then an uppercut. Kyle runs in and Lorcan beats him down next. Lorcan hits a big suicide dive on both Era members at ringside, and then he takes the legal man Strong back in the ring. Lorcan hits a full nelson suplex and then a running uppercut for a near-fall. Lorcan hits a series of shots in the corner, and then a double blockbuster on Strong and O’Reilly. Burch tags in and they double team Strong, but Kyle breaks up the pin. They look for the Doomsday Device on Strong, but Kyle breaks it up. Strong and Burch brawl in the ring now, but O’Reilly gets the tag and stuns Burch with a knee to the body. O’Reilly hits a suplex for a two count. Kyle goes for an armbar, but Burch reaches the ropes to break it. Strong tags in and they double team Burch with a suplex and a running knee to the face for a two count. Kyle tags back in for another double team, but Burch fights them off and dumps them outside. Lorcan gets up on the apron and hits a double blockbuster on both Era members down on the floor. Back in the ring, Lorcan and Burch hit the Doomsday Device on O’Reilly, but Adam Cole breaks up the pin. The ref ejects Cole from ringside for his interference, which prompts the crowd to chant “bullshit.” Lorcan and Burch go for a double team on Kyle, but Strong breaks it up. Kyle puts a guillotine choke on Lorcan, but Lorcan fights out and slams him down. Strong tags in and starts brawling with Lorcan now. Lorcan hits a powerbomb on Strong for a two count, so he turns it into a single leg Boston crab. Kyle runs in and breaks it up. Kyle boots Lorcan in the face once and Lorcan no-sells it, so he puts Lorcan in another guillotine choke. Burch breaks that up and puts Kyle in the Crossface while Lorcan still has Strong in the crab. The two submission holds finally get broken up and now all four men are down. This leads to Strong and O’Reilly double teaming Lorcan with the Total Elimintion for the three count.

    Winners: The Undisputed Era

    – Lars Sullivan is shown backstage warming up for his match tonight. Kairi Sane is also shown in the crowd.

    – We see a promo video for Ricochet vs. The Velveteen Dream, and that’s up next.

    – Velveteen Dream vs. Ricochet: The opening bell sounds and they come face to face in the middle of the ring. They lock up, and Dream backs Ricochet into the corner and taunts him. They lock up again and wrestle down to the mat, trading holds. They fight back up to their feet, where Dream levels Ricochet with a running shoulder bock. Ricochet escapes a headscissor takedown, leaps over Dream, then stares him down. They both slap each other across their faces, then Ricochet hits a headscissor takedown and a dropkick. Ricochet goes up top, but Dream pushes him off and Ricochet falls down to the floor. Back in the ring, Dream works over Ricochet in the corner and stomps a mud hole in him. Dream continues the offense and hits a senton bomb from the top rope. Dream follows up with a neckbreaker for a two count. Ricochet starts to mount a comeback, but Dream shoves him down to the floor and follows up with a suicide dive out of the ring. Back in the ring, they brawl back and forth until Ricochet stuns Dream with a big dropkick. Dream falls outside, and Ricochet hits a suicide dive on him down on the floor. Ricochet goes back in the ring and comes flying back out with a corkscrew moonsault on Dream on the floor. Ricochet continues the offense back in the ring with some kicks and then a springboard flying elbow for a two count. Ricochet hits a neckbreaker and a standing shooting star press for another two count. Ricochet goes up top, but Dream bumps him down. They fight up on the turnbuckle, which leads to Dream hitting a Death Valley Driver on Ricochet off the middle rope for a two count. They fight on the turnbuckle again, which this time leads to Dream hitting a vertical suplex on Ricochet off the apron down to the ringside floor. Dream and Ricochet both get back in the ring at the referee’s 9 count. Back in the ring, Dream hits the Death Valley bomb for a two count. Back on their feet, both men trade punches to the face back and forth now. Dream looks for the DDT, but Ricochet reverses into a Northern Lights suplex. Ricochet is selling a back injury from the suplex to the floor earlier, and Dream starts fighting back. Ricochet misses a shot and Dream hits the DDT for a two count. Dream gets frustrated and starts talking trash to Ricochet. This leads to Ricochet hitting the Death Valley bomb, and then he goes up top, but he’s wasting some time. Ricochet leaps and connects with the flying elbow drop for a two count. Ricochet goes back up top, but Dream rolls away out of range. Ricochet leaps and goes for a long distance shooting star press, but Dream blocks it with his knees and covers for a two count. Dream goes up top now and goes for a long distance flying elbow, but Ricochet rolls out of the way, and Dream is hurt. Ricochet goes up top and hits the 630 for the three count.

    Winner: Ricochet

    – The crowd gives a big ovation for this one as the ref rises Ricochet’s hand. We go to replays as Ricochet makes his way backstage and Dream struggles to get to his feet.

    – We see a video package looking at Nikki Cross and Shayna Baszler, who are up next.

    – NXT Women’s Championship: Shayna Baszler (c) vs. Nikki Cross: The opening bell sounds and they come face to face, and Nikki appears to dare Shayna to hit her. Shayna hits her and she goes down. Nikki jumps up and no-sells it, then starts taunting Shayna and baiting her in. Nikki dodges and shot and applies a sleeper, but Shayna fights out and applies one of her own. Nikki fights out and stomps on Shayna in the corner until Shayna rolls outside for a breather. Nikki drops Shayna on the apron next and beats her down outside. Nikki jumps on the Champion’s back for a sleeper hold at ringside, but Shayna drops her on the entrance ramp. Back in the ring, Shayna continues to beat on Nikki and she controls the next few moments of this one. Nikki starts to fight back, but Shayna shuts her down with a knee to the face. Shayna hits some more knees to the face, but Nikki no-sells them and tells her to bring it. Nikki blocks the next knee and starts beating on Shayna. Nikki unloads with offense now and stomps on Shayna in the corner. Nikki goes up top and hits a flying cross body for a two count. Nikki hits a reverse DDT on the apron for another two count. Shayna comes back with a knee to the face for a two count of her own. Shayna looks for a choke hold, but Nikki fights out and slams Shayna down for a two count. Nikki goes for another pin, but Shayna reverses into a sleeper. Nikki struggles but then goes unconscious and the ref calls for the bell.

    Winner: Shayna Baszler

    – Shayna is slow to get to her feet after the match as the ref hands her the Title belt and raises her hand.

    – EC3 is shown standing in the crowd in the front row. Keith Lee is also shown in the crowd.

    – We see a video package looking at Aleister Black and Lars Sullivan.

    – NXT Championship: Aleister Black (c) vs. Lars Sullivan: The opening bell sounds and they stare each other down for a moment in the middle of the ring. Black strikes first and looks for the spinning heel kick early, but Lars blocks it. Black comes back with more strikes and he knocks Lars out to outside. Black takes the tight to Lars at ringside and hits a knee to the face. Back in the ring, Lars stats fighting back with strikes, but Black shuts him down with another knee to the face. Lars starts fighting back and he no-sells a clothesline, then knocks Black out to the ringside floor. Black nails Lars and then the Champion looks for a moonsault off the middle rope to the outside, but Lars catches him on the floor. Lars slams Black into the fan barricade, then he takes the fight to Black back in the ring. It’s all Sullivan in the next moments as he keeps the Champion grounded. Lars looks for a running powerslam, but Black escapes. Lars grabs him again and hits a slam for a two count. Black struggles to get to his feet and throw some elbows to the face, but Lars no-sells them and hits a big running powerslam on Black for another two count. Lars climbs the turnbuckle, but Black stuns him with a boot to the face. Black climbs up, but Lars fights him off and drops him down to the mat. Lars climbs back up top and goes for a splash, but Black appears to partially block it with one knee. Both men get to their feet and trade strikes. Black fires up and drops Lars then boots him in the head. Black hits a kick to the head and then a springboard moonsault for a two count. Black looks for another kick, but Lars catches it and flips Black over. Lars starts targeting Black’s bad knee now and the challenger takes control of the match once again. Black fights away from Lars and hits a DDT, and both men are down. Lars and Black trade strikes and they fight out of the apron. Lars blocks a shot and hits a running powerlam on Black on the corner of the apron. Lars throws Black back in the ring and goes up top. Lars connects with the flying headbutt off the top for a near-fall. Lars misses a spear and Black comes back with a double foot stomp. Black is still selling the injured knee and he partially hits the Black Mass for a two count. Black goes for the Black Mass a second time, but Lars catches it and clotheslines Black inside out. Black escapes from Lars’ grasp and hits a knee to the face, and then another Black Mass. Lars is still on his knees and appears to be bleeding from the mouth. Black hits a second Black Mass to Lars on his knees, and pins for the three count.

    Winner: Aleister Black

    – The ref has gloves on due to the blood from Sullivan. Black raises his NXT Title Belt in the air as Lars rolls outside to recover.

    – We see a video package looking at the history between Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa.

    – Gargano is seen walking towards the gorilla position. His wife appears and hands him a crutch to use as a weapon, and tells him to kick Ciampa’s ass.

    – Tommaso Ciampa vs. Johnny Gargano: This one is a “Chicago Street Fight.” The opening bell sounds and both men swing at each other with crutches. They drop them and start trading punches as Gargano takes Ciampa down. They fight out to ringside where Gargano drops Ciampa off the apron. Gargano throws Ciampa into the broadcast table and he wipes out the English announcers. Gargano beats Ciapa down around ringside, and then they brawl out into the crowd. A fan’s sign is revealed to have a stop sign hidden inside it, and Gargano uses it to beat down Ciampa on the floor. Gargano climbs on a platform that appears to be about 7 feet high, and he goes flying with a cross body on Ciampa on the floor. Gargano takes Ciampa back to the ringside area. Ciampa rolls back in the ring and Gargano grabs some weapons from under the ring. Gargano misses a shot in the ring and Ciampa answers with a German suplex. Ciampa follows up with more German suplexes on the mat. Gargano comes back with a German suplex of his own. Ciampa rolls outside and Gargano hits him with a suicide dive through the ropes. Gargano whips Ciampa into the ring steps, but Ciampa comes back with a running knee to the face. Ciampa beats down Gargano around ringside now, then he pulls out some weapons from under the ring. Ciampa hits Gargano in the midsection with a steel chair, then he unfolts the chair round Gargano’s head and throws him into the ring steps. Gargano starts selling a neck injury. Ciampa follows up with some garbage can shots on Gargano on the ringside floor and up against the ring steps. Back in the ring, Ciampa continues to beat on Gargano. Ciampa rolls outside and grabs handcuffs from under the ring. Ciampa rolls back in the ring, but Gargano fights him off and the handcuffs fall down. Gargano takes his belt off and whips Ciampa across the back with it. Gargano puts a garbage can over Ciampa’s head and then kicks it in. Gargano looks for a slam, but Ciampa gauges the eyes and hits a backbreaker. Ciampa comes back with a running knee to the face for a two count. Ciampa hits another one, with a trash can lid in between his knee and Gargano’s face. They fight on the apron and Ciampa slams Gargano onto the ring steps. Ciampa goes under the ring again and he grabs bolt cutters. He cuts the apron around the side of eh ring and starts dismantling the mat. Ciampa pulls away the canvas and padding off a portion of the ring, exposing the wood. Ciampa sets up Gargano in the corner near the exposed part o the ring. Gargano escapes and kicks Ciampa down. They trade punches and kicks, and then weapon shots, and both men are down. Gargano lands on Ciampa for a near-fall. Ciampa rolls outside and Gargano looks for a suicide dive, but Ciampa knocks him out of mid-air with a garbage can lid. Back in the ring. Gargano fires up and goes after Ciampa’s bad knee. Gargano repeatedly bashes Ciampa’s bad knee with a steel chair. Ciampa kicks Gargano away into a trash can, and then he locks in the crossface. Gargano grabs a crutch, but Ciampa moves and elbows Gargano in the back of the head while he’s down. Ciampa follows up with a knee to the head, then he takes the crutch. Ciampa hits Gargano in the back of the head with the crutch for another two count. They fight up the ramp and Ciampa wastes time talking trash to Gargano. He throws Gargano into the screen on the stage, then knees him in the head. Ciampa drags Gargano up on top of some production equipment, and he appears to take off Gargano’s wedding ring and throw it away. Ciampa picks up Gargano, but Gargano escapes and picks up Ciampa, then slams him all the way down through a table on the floor. Both men are down and the ref calls for help for Ciampa. Medics come and put a neck brace on Ciampa as Gargano recovers. They load Ciampa on to a stretcher as we go to replays of the big spot through the table. As they wheel off Ciampa, Gargano follows them and shoves aside a medic and referee. Gergano hauls Ciampa back down to the ring and beats him up some more. Gargano locks in the Gargano Escape. Officials run in the ring to break it up, but Gargano lays them out, then he handcuffs Ciampa behind his back. Gargano hits some kicks to the head and then locks in the Crossface while Ciampa is still cuffed. More people run in the ring to haul Gargano off of Ciampa. Gargano fights them off and hits the ring again. As Gargano is stepping in the ring, Ciampa is able to hook his head in a front face lock, and then he hits a DDT on Gargano on the exposed wood part o the ring. Ciampa lays on Gargano and the ref counts three.

    Winner: Tommaso Ciampa

    – One of the announcers points out that Ciampa had tapped out earler while in the Gargano Escape, but there was no ref to call it. We go to replays as Ciampa and Gargano recover in the ring. Ciampa’s hand gets raised at ringside, and he is helped to the back. Gargano is still down in the ring being checked on by referees and his wife.

  • Triple H On Pete Dunne As Future World Champion, More NXT Conference Call Notes

    Triple H On Pete Dunne As Future World Champion, More NXT Conference Call Notes

    In anticipation of this weekend’s NXT Takeover in Chicago, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events and Creative, Triple H held a conference call for the pro wrestling media on Wednesday.

    The conversation turned quickly to the upcoming WWE UK Tournament, and Triple H was asked who of the UK-based talent he sees as a possible future WWE World Champion.

    “Obviously a guy that stands out the most to me is Pete Dunne” Triple H said. “I think his ability to take a style from years ago, in a classic wrestling sense, a joint manipulation sense, and bring that classic UK style back style back, but to do it in a modern form which kind of blends the two, his ability to be comfortable in what he says and what he does… he’s one of those guys that just eats, sleeps, breathes [wrestling] and is constantly learning, he’s like a sponge every time that I see him. So that to me is impressive. If I had to pick one guy, it would be Pete, but there’s a lot of talent out there.”

    The call moved on to a variety of topics, including:

    • Triple H brought up the idea of WWE main roster talent “guest starring”  for a run in NXT. He also noted that this would be tough because the NXT roster is so deep right now.
    • Triple H provided an update on a rumoured injury to Ricochet. Triple H said that the high-flyer tweaked his shoulders in Paris, but he should be fine for TakeOver.
    • Triple H shot down the rumour that WWE has plans to expand the current WWE Performance Center or build a new one.
    • The upcoming UK tournament had to be pre-recorded, because they wanted to host it at Royal Albert Hall and the venue’s best available dates were on a Monday and Tuesday.
    • Though he hasn’t been seen since splitting from the Authors of Pain, Triple H mentioned that WWE are still looking for a way to use Paul Ellering in some role with the company
    • Triple H revealed the WWE doesn’t really spend that much on marketing and most of their buzz comes from social media

    You can hear the full call with Triple H here:

  • WWE NXT Recap & Results (6/13)

    WWE NXT Recap & Results (6/13)

    War Raiders Called Out TM61

    Photo Credit: @WWENXT on Twitter

    War Raiders (Hanson and Rowe) battled Ricky Martinez and Justin Storm tonight on NXT. Storm and Hanson started off the match by locking up in the middle of the ring. Hanson launched Storm across the ring and then decked him with a Clothesline.

    Rowe tagged in and sent Storm back to the canvas with a shoulder tackle. Rowe brought Storm to the corner and dared Martinez to tag in. Ricky tagged in and promptly got destroyed. Rowe connected with a knee to the face and then a Leg Drop off the top rope for the easy pinfall victory. After the match, War Raiders issued a warning to TM61.

    EC3 Defeated Kassius Ohno

    Photo Credit: @WWENXT on Twitter

    EC3 faced Kassius Ohno on this week’s episode of NXT. Kassius shoved EC3 to start off the match and then the action quickly spilled to the outside. Ohno connected with a series of chops to EC3’s chest and then hurled EC3 back inside. Kassius continued to dominate and planted EC3 with a Body Slam.

    Ohno went for a Senton but EC3 was able to get his knees up in time to counter the move. EC3 missed with a kick and Ohno capitalized with a knee to the face. Kassius followed it up with a Cyclone Kick and then connected with the Senton this time. Ohno hit another Senton on the floor outside the ring. EC3 snapped Ohno against the top rope and then planted him with the One Percenter for the pinfall victory.

    https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1007055986434236416

    Bianca Belair Dominated

    Bianca Belair and Aliyah squared off on tonight’s episode of NXT. Belair immediately started out the match on the offensive and connected with a Spear. Bianca followed it up with a Suplex. Aliyah tried to battle back but Belair was too much for her. Belair deadlifted Aliyah, locked in the Torture Rack before hitting a Facebuster for the quick pinfall victory.

    https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1007057459574386689

    Bianca Belair then interrupted a backstage interview with Cathy Kelley and Dakota Kai. Dakota was in the middle of saying that she was proud of how she stood up to NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler and that she believed that the next time she faced her the outcome would be different. Belair told Kai to get to the back of the line and poked fun at her for being scared. Kai stated that mind games from Belair won’t work on her and challenged Bianca to a match next week. Bianca accepted the challenge and warned Dakota that she won’t like the result of the match.

    Pete Dunne Retained The United Kingdom Championship

    Pete Dunne defended the United Kingdom Championship against Kyle O’Reilly in the main event of this week’s NXT. The crowd was into this match right from the start. O’Reilly went after Dunne’s injured leg to start off the match. Dunne fought him off and went to work on O’Reilly’s fingers.

    Dunne connected with a massive Clothesline that sent O’Reilly out of the ring to try and regroup. Dunne didn’t give him any time at all and planted him with an awesome X-Plex on the floor outside the ring. The action returned to the ring with Dunne still in complete control of the match.

    O’Reilly booted Dunne in his injured leg to slow him down. Dunne battled back to his feet and hit an Enziguri and followed it up with a Powerbomb. O’Reilly locked in a Triangle submission as Dunne went for the cover. O’Reilly then connected with a Brainbuster but Dunne wouldn’t stay down.

    Dunne went for the Bitter End but O’Reilly was able to block it. Both Superstars traded shots but O’Reilly wound up getting the upper hand. O’Reilly clubbed away at Dunne’s face and pulled out his mouthguard. Dunne snapped O’Reilly’s finger back and then planted him with the Bitter End to retain the UK Championship.

    Immediately following the match, Roderick Strong and Adam Cole rushed to the ring to attack Dunne. Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan joined the party and a brawl broke out. Cole and Dunne battled to the outside of the ring. Burch and Lorcan then beat the hell out of O’Reilly and Strong before tossing them out of the ring. O’Reilly and Strong then grabbed their NXT Tag Team Championships and retreated up the entrance ramp.

    https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1007063677915291648

    Lars Sullivan Got The Better Of Aleister Black Again

    NXT Champion Aleister Black cut a promo and admitted that he was rattled when Lars Sullivan caught Black Mass. Black said that Sullivan will feel the full force of the Black Mass at NXT TakeOver: Chicago this Saturday night.

    Lars Sullivan came down to the ring and went after Aleister. Black was able to get in a few kicks before getting leveled by a Clothesline from Sullivan. Lars then lifted up Black like he was nothing and planted him with the Freak Accident. Sullivan then hit Black with two more Freak Accidents before carrying him over to the announce table. Sullivan placed Black on the table and raised the title in the air. NXT went off the air with Sullivan shouting “this is your reality in Chicago!”.

    Announced for next week’s episode of NXT:

    • Dakota Kai vs. Bianca Belair
    • War Raiders vs. TM61

    The following video was shown during tonight’s show to promote the Street Fight between Gargano and Ciampa at NXT TakeOver: Chicago:

    We will be covering NXT TakeOver: Chicago and WWE Money in the Bank over the weekend. Check back here on SEScoops for updates and live coverage of the events this weekend.

  • WWE NXT Recap & Results (6/6)

    WWE NXT Recap & Results (6/6)

    Nikki Cross Got The Better Of Shayna Baszler Once Again

    Photo Credit: @WWENXT on Twitter

    NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler came down to the ring and said that she showed that she runs the locker room by defeating Dakota Kai last week. Baszler said that she is tougher and smarter than everyone.

    Baszler then brought up Nikki Cross and stated that there is always one person in the group that thinks the laws don’t apply to them. Shayna added that if Cross ever got in her face again, it will be the last thing she ever does.

    Nikki Cross interrupted and made her way down to the ring as Baszler waited for her. Cross had a grin on her face as she hopped on the ring apron and started bouncing around. Nikki got into the ring as the crowd cheered “Nikki is gonna kill you!”.

    Shayna once again threatened Cross and poked fun at her for being crazy. Baszler stated that she could put Cross to sleep in a heartbeat and threw her microphone at her. Nikki picked it up and dared Shayna to do it. Nikki begged her to do it and started laughing wildly into the microphone.

    Baszler raised the title in her face and then Nikki moved towards her. Shayna backed away in fear and Nikki laughed. Baszler then shoved Nikki and Cross bounced off the ropes and attacked Shayna. Cross beat the hell out of Baszler and stomped on her in the corner. Nikki went to grab the title but Baszler got up and punched Nikki in the face.

    Cross battled back with a forearm to the face and connected with a Crossbody off the top rope that sent Baszler to the outside of the ring. Baszler was busted open as Cross slid the NXT Women’s Championship out of the ring. Baszler slowly backed up the entrance ramp and retreated backstage as Cross stared at her with a menacing look on her face in the ring. Baszler will defend the NXT Women’s Championship against Nikki Cross at NXT TakeOver: Chicago.

    https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1004516093912895499

    TM61 Dominated

    Photo Credit: @WWENXT on Twitter

    TM61 faced a jobber team tonight on NXT. Miller and Thorne dominated the entire match and showed disrespect to their opponents while doing so. The crowd chanted “let’s go jobbers!” during the match but TM61 wound up winning the match with ease.

    After the match, Miller and Thorne stated that they have proven that they are the best team in NXT. TM61 added that every team in NXT should kneel down and call them “The Mighty”.

    Roderick Strong Defeated Danny Burch

    Roderick Strong battled Danny Burch on tonight’s episode of NXT. Burch and Strong locked up to start off the match. Strong took Burch down to the canvas and applied a side Headlock. Burch quickly broke free and locked in an Arm Bar. Strong escaped to the ropes and told Burch to back up.

    The two locked up once again and Danny got the better of the exchange once again. Strong connected with a boot to the face as Burch was hung up between the ropes. Roderick locked in a Crossface and then raked at Burch’s face.

    Roderick hit Burch with a couple of loud chops that echoed throughout the arena. Strong followed it up with a Backbreaker for a two count. Strong applied a front Facelock in the middle of the ring. Danny broke free but walked into a Dropkick to the face from Strong for a two count.

    Strong got Burch in the Abdominal Stretch in the middle of the ring as the crowd got behind Burch. Danny broke free and threw Strong out of the ring. Roderick got right back in there and went for a knee in the corner but Burch got out of the way. Strong slammed knee-first into the turnbuckle but was able to deck Burch with a headbutt.

    Burch shook it off and delivered an uppercut in the corner. Danny hit a Dropkick off the turnbuckle and followed it up with a German Suplex. Burch then leveled Strong with a Clothesline as Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly rushed the ring.

    Pete Dunne and Oney Lorcan came down for the save and a brawl broke out. Back in the ring, Danny Burch applied the Crossface but Cole hopped back up on the ring apron. Burch was distracted and charged at Cole. Strong capitalized and planted Burch with a Backbreaker for the pinfall victory.

    After the match, Pete Dunne attacked Strong in the ring. Dunne leveled him with a forearm to the face as the crowd chanted “Bruiserweight!”. Kyle O’Reilly hit Dunne in the back with a tag title, which allowed Strong to hit Dunne with a Backbreaker. Undisputed Era then exited in the ring and posed on the entrance ramp.

    Kairi Sane Defeated Lacey Evans

    Photo Credit: @WWENXT on Twitter

    Lacey Evans once again faced Kairi Sane on this week’s episode of NXT. Evans had Kairi’s name written on her right hand and vowed to hit her with the Women’s Right. Evans and Sane locked up to start off the match. Sane planted Evans on the mat and stomped on Lacey’s right hand.

    Lacey dragged Sane to the mat by her hair and followed it up with a springboard Elbow Drop for a two count. Evans then punched Sane in the stomach and started to taunt her. Evans applied the Cobra Clutch in the middle of the ring. Sane battled to her feet but Evans maintained the hold while spinning Sane around. Evans dropped her in the corner and connected with a Bronco Buster for a two count.

    Sane ducked under a kick but wound up running into a knee to the midsection. Evans planted Sane with a Body Slam for another two count. Evans did a pushup on Sane while covering her. Lacey climbed to the second rope and missed with a springboard Moonsault.

    Sane connected with three Interceptor Spears in a row. Kairi fired herself up and stomped her way to the corner. Sane connected with a sliding elbow and then hit a forearm to the face off the top rope for a two count. Kairi applied an Arm Bar but Evans quickly escaped.

    Kairi planted Evans with an Alabama Slam and then made her way to the top rope. Kairi hit the Insane Elbow for the pinfall victory.

    https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1004525350402043904

    Johnny Wrestling Is Now Johnny Badass

    Photo Credit: WWE.com

    Tommaso Ciampa made his way to the ring as the crowd chanted “you suck!”. Ciampa took his time getting into the ring as the crowd continued to chant “you suck!” in his face. Tommaso posed on the ring apron without a care in the world as the crowd booed as loud as they could.

    Ciampa got in the ring and a “Johnny Wrestling!” chant broke out. Tommaso took a seat on the top turnbuckle as the crowd shouted “you tapped out!”. Ciampa shook his head and said that the crowd all gave up on him long before he gave up on them. Tommaso said that the crowd disgusted him and the “you suck!” chants started again.

    The crowd transitioned into chants of “a**hole!” as Ciampa stated that he doesn’t care what they have to say. Tommaso hopped down back to the mat and started ranting about Gargano. Ciampa bitched about Gargano interrupting a match last week on NXT to announce their Street Fight and said that things always have to be about Johnny Gargano.

    Ciampa joked that Johnny Wrestling has become Johnny Badass and the crowd chanted along. Tommaso called it adorable and then brought up Gargano almost crippling his wife two weeks ago. Ciampa blamed Gargano for bringing his wife to the ring and insisting for a fight.

    Tommaso claimed that all he did two weeks ago was simply defend himself. He called Gargano “boy” and scolded him for not listening to his wife. Ciampa warned Gargano to not show up at NXT TakeOver: Chicago. Ciampa vowed to put the Gargano fairytale to an end. Gargano then shoved security away from him and sprinted to the ring. Johnny attacked Ciampa and then hit him with a Suicide Dive that sent Tommaso over the barricade.

    Gargano threw a security guard into the steel steps as Ciampa got back to his feet. The brawl continued through the crowd and Gargano leaped onto Ciampa and a bunch of security guards. Ciampa retreated to the ring but Gargano caught up to him again. A couple of security guards got in Johnny’s way and Tommaso capitalized. Ciampa leveled Johnny with a Clothesline and added insult to injury by applying the Gargano Lock to Johnny in the middle of the ring.

    Ciampa finally let go of the hold and waved to Gargano with a smile on his face on the entrance ramp. Gargano got back up and ran after Ciampa on the entrance ramp. Johnny caught him once again and slammed him into the screens on the stage. Ciampa’s face was busted open but Gargano couldn’t resist attacking him once again. NXT went off the air as Johnny had Ciampa in the Gargano Lock on the stage. The final moments were Ciampa screaming in pain and tapping out as security tried to drag Gargano off of him.

    https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1004529215872602112

    https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1004528539444695042

    https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1004529222357078016

    Announced for next week’s episode of NXT:

    • EC3 vs. Kassius Ohno

    https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1004521651147608064

    • NXT Champion Aleister Black will be on next week’s show

    The following video package was shown during this week’s show to promote Velveteen Dream vs. Ricochet at NXT TakeOver: Chicago on June 16th:

  • NXT 6/6/18 Preview: Tommaso Ciampa Addresses Street Fight With Johnny Gargano

    NXT 6/6/18 Preview: Tommaso Ciampa Addresses Street Fight With Johnny Gargano

    NXT will present a taped show from Full Sail University tonight. The brand is building towards the upcoming Takeover event in 10 days from Chicago’s All-State Arena.

    4 matches have been confirmed already for Takeover but more could be announced on tonight’s show.

    NXT 6/6/18 Preview

    Tommaso Ciampa Addresses His Street Fight with Johnny Gargano

    • At Takeover Chicago the epic rivalry between Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano will continue. They will meet in a street fight in Chicago in a match which might finally bring this long-running blood feud to an end. Tonight, Ciampa plans to address his match at Takeover: Chicago with the fans at Full Sail University.

    Nikki Cross Segment

    • Last week, Nikki Cross saved Dakota Kai from a post-match beatdown by Shayna Baszler. Cross then challenged the champion to an impromptu match and won after Kai counted the 3-count. The match was unofficial, of course, and Cross did not actually win the championship.
    • The NXT Women’s Championship still doesn’t have an official match at Takeover: Chicago, perhaps Cross’ segment tonight could lead to such a match being confirmed.

    Roderick Strong vs Danny Burch

    • Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch will challenge the Undisputed Era at Takeover: Chicago for the NXT tag-team championships. This week, Danny Burch will face Roderick Strong in one-on-one action. Burch scored the win for his team (with Lorcan and Pete Dunne) over the 3 healthy members of Undisputed Era (O’Reilly, Strong, and Cole) recently on NXT.

    Kairi Sane vs Lacey Evans

    • Evans pulled off a huge upset the last time these two met in single’s action back in May. Sane had defeated Evans back in April, however. As the two are 1-and-1 with each other, this match here will be the rubber match. The winner likely moves into the title picture following Takeover: Chicago and the loser does not.

    Matches Already Confirmed for Takeover: Chicago:

    1. NXT Tag Team Championships
      Undisputed Era (c) vs Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch
    2. NXT Championship
      Aleister Black (c) vs Lars Sullivan
    3. Street Fight
      Johnny Gargano vs Tommaso Ciampa
    4. Ricochet vs Velveteen Dream
  • Another NXT Star Released

    Another NXT Star Released

    We noted before how WWE Mae Young Classic competitor and former NXT Star Zeda had confirmed the news of her release on Instagram, though it appears she is not the only star the company has let go in the past week or so.

    Pro Wrestling Sheet reports that one half of the NXT tag team The Ealy Brothers, Uriel Ealy has also been released sometime in the last week.

    The Ealy Brothers signed with WWE back in 2015. They made their debut for the company in May in the same year where the duo competed in a 6 men tag match.

    The Milwaukee-born siblings teamed up with Angelo Dawkins to face the team of Rich Swann, Kenneth Crawford, and the Velveteen Dream who was then dubbed as Patrick Clark during their debut, in a losing effort.

    Uriel’s last on-screen appearance was in January earlier this year where he had teamed up with his brother to wrestle in a match against TM-61. He then wrestled at several house shows but has been out of action since late March.

    It’s unusual for WWE to let go only one of the two brothers, though so far there are not many details available about his release and it’s hard to assume the reason behind this decision. We’ll keep you posted if any other details come to light.

  • The Rock Offers Advice To Dakota Kai

    The Rock Offers Advice To Dakota Kai

    In an interview with WWE.com, NXT Superstar Dakota Kai recently mentioned the Rock as one of her early influences.

    “My brother was the one who actually got me into WWE,” Kai said when asked about first getting into wrestling. “He watched it all the time, and I started to watch with him. I was hooked on The Rock and his ability to captivate an audience. From there, one of my friends I used to do athletics with told me about a local company that needed more girls. That was in 2007, and I haven’t looked back since.”

    The Rock responded to the article and Kai on Twitter.

    The Rock Offers Advice to Dakota Kai

    “Very cool and flattering @DakotaKai_WWE,” Rock Tweeted. “Thank you! Look forward to following your career. Work extremely hard, have FUN in the ring performing for the fans and always stay above bullshit backstage politics”

    Kai and the Rock are both half-Samoan. Kai was also asked if she feels any pressure because of the rich lineage of Samoan wrestlers.

    “I never felt any pressure about that,” she explained. “I’ve simply always embraced being ‘afakasi. Mum would make sure us kids would grow up with a strong sense of who we are and where we came from. I’ve visited Samoa twice and visited my mum’s home village of Lepea. She would always make traditional Samoan dishes for us, and we would have family get togethers somewhat regularly. Family is priority within the Samoan community, which means the support system I get from them is amazing.”

    Dakota Kai was recently defeated by NXT Women’s Champion, Shayna Baszler, on NXT. The 30-year-old has now been in WWE developmental since April 2017. Before signing with WWE, she wrestled as Evie for promotions such as Shimmer and Stardom. Kai defeated Rhea Ripley as the NXT house show from Fort Pierce, Florida last night.

  • What Is The Secret Behind The Bar’s Success?; Velveteen Dream Takes Shot At Ricochet

    What Is The Secret Behind The Bar’s Success?; Velveteen Dream Takes Shot At Ricochet

    What Is The Secret Behind The Bar’s Success?

    Cesaro replied to a photo uploaded by Sheamus of himself on Twitter, revealing what the secret to The Bar’s success is:

    Velveteen Dream Takes Shot At Ricochet

    Velveteen Dream took a shot at Ricochet on how he used to get low pay after matches in the indies.

    https://twitter.com/VelveteenWWE/status/1003102327950249985

    Ricochet vs Velveteen Dream

    Ricochet and Velveteen Dream both failed to capture the NXT North American Championship to become the inaugural champions at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans. On May 9 Dream confronted Ricochet which led to a match the next week which ended in a no contest as Lars Sullivan attacked them both. The two then teamed up to take on Sullivan in a handicap match a week later but Dream back-stabbed his partner Ricochet during the match and they lost. On last week’s episode of NXT Dream challenged Ricochet for a match at NXT TakeOver: Chicago which Ricochet accepted.

    The two will face off each other at WWE NXT TakeOver: Chicago II which will take place on June 16 at the Allstate Arena in Chicago.

  • Kimber Lee Talks NXT, Inter-Gender Matches, the Northern Tournament, more…

    Kimber Lee Talks NXT, Inter-Gender Matches, the Northern Tournament, more…

    27-year-old Kimberly Frankele is better known to wrestling fans as Kimber Lee. The former Chikara Grand Champion was released from her WWE contract earlier this year and has since returned to the independent scene.

    Ahead of her participation in this weekend’s “the Northern” tournament with Smash Wrestling in Toronto, Kimber Lee spoke with Slam! Sports. During the interview, Kimber Lee spoke about her time in WWE developmental and her career on the independents.

    Kimber Lee Interview Highlights

    Kimber Lee was asked about the difference between the independent circuit and the year she spent in WWE developmental.

    “When you’re on the independent circuit your schedule really depends on yourself,” she said. “If there are three [NXT] shows on the weekend you can work one or none at all.”

    “When I first started at NXT I didn’t get to travel as much, I mainly stayed in Florida and trained a lot,” Kimber Lee continued. “I got to work with trainers like Robbie Brookside and Norman Smiley.”

    https://twitter.com/Kimber_Lee90/status/998994532837584898

    Abbey Laith in NXT

    Kimber Lee wrestled under the name Abbey Laith while in NXT. She only appeared on 3 episodes of NXT television. She lost to Ruby Riot on the April 5th, 2017 episode and also participated in two battle royals, neither of which she won. Abbey Laith did regularly compete at NXT house shows, however. She lost most of her matches but did have a good showing in the inaugural Mae Young Classic. Laith made it to the quarter-finals of the tournament before losing to Mercedes Martinez. She had defeated Jazzy Gabert and Rachael Evers to reach that point in the tournament.

    Kimber Lee was also asked about her experiences being a woman in the business and what her experience has been like with inter-gender matches.

    Lee will wrestle in an inter-gender match in the 1st round of this weekend’s Northern tournament. She takes on Wheeler Yuta. Both Yuta and Lee were trained by 205 Live Superstar, Drew Gulak. Here is what Lee had to say about her upcoming opponent.

    “He’s going to have a strong technical base because Drew is such a technical mat wrestler,” she said. “It’s going to be more of a grappling battle than people think.”

    More information on Smash Wrestling’s tournament this weekend can be found here.

    In addition to Lee, Matt Riddle, Joey Mercury, Joe Hendry, Joey Janela, and Mia Yim are also entered into the tournament.

    Lee concluded the interview by stating, “The Crown Jewel is very much alive, so never count me out.”

  • Main Event For NXT Takeover: Chicago II Officially Announced

    Main Event For NXT Takeover: Chicago II Officially Announced

    We noted before how the NXT Champion Aleister Black was expected to defend his title against Lars Sullivan at the upcoming NXT Takeover: Chicago II event.

    This match was made official during the latest episode of NXT when Lars interrupted the title holder during a promo.

    Sullivan went on to hit him with a Freak Accident after revealing that the General Manager William Regal has announced him as the new #1 Contender for the title.

    The show also saw Johnny Gargano submitting his signed contract for the upcoming street fight against former partner Tommaso Ciampa at the upcoming special.

    While Ciampa didn’t do the same publicly, WWE.com later confirmed that this match is now official for the upcoming event from Chicago next month.

    Several other matches like Ricochet vs. Velveteen Dream and Nikki Cross vs. Shayna Baszler for the NXT Women’s Championship were also teased but they are yet to be announced officially.

    After the latest episode of NXT, here is the updated match card for the upcoming show:

    NXT Championship Match: Lars Sullivan vs. Aleister Black

    NXT Tag Team Championship Match: Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan vs. Roderick Strong and Kyle O’Reilly

    Street Fight: Tommaso Ciampa vs. Johnny Gargano

    NXT TakeOver: Chicago II will take place on June 16th, a day before Money In The Bank. You can check out a full review of the NXT episode here.

  • WWE NXT Recap & Results (5/30)

    WWE NXT Recap & Results (5/30)

    Lars Sullivan Caught Black Mass & Sent A Message To Aleister Black

    Photo Credit: @WWE on Twitter

    NXT Champion Aleister Black came down to the ring and said that winning the title has been life changing. Black stated that he only needs one shot to make his opponents fade to black. Lars Sullivan interrupted and joined Black in the ring.

    Lars announced that NXT GM William Regal has made him Black’s first challenger. Sullivan complimented Aleister for making his opponents fade to black for 16 years. Lars added that Black hasn’t faced anyone like him because there is nobody like him. Sullivan vowed to take everything Black has worked his entire life for and become the new NXT Champion.

    Sullivan said that Black knows that he cannot do anything about it. Lars dropped the microphone and grabbed Black by the throat. Aleister escaped and tried to hit Sullivan with Black Mass. Lars caught him and Aleister was shocked. Sullivan then planted Black with the Freak Accident and posed with the NXT Championship over Aleister Black. Aleister Black will defend the NXT Championship against Lars Sullivan at NXT TakeOver: Chicago.

    War Raiders Dominated Once Again

    Photo Credit: @WWENXT on Twitter

    War Raiders (Hanson & Rowe) faced George Hickson & Cody Vincent tonight on NXT. Hickson ran right at Rowe to start off the match and quickly got his ass kicked. Hanson tagged in and continued to beatdown Hickson in the corner. Hanson threw Hickson to the corner and Vincent tagged in.

    Hanson leveled Vincent with a Clothesline and then Rowe tagged back in. Rowe hit a flurry of jabs in the corner and planted him with a Suplex. Hanson hit a Bronco Buster on Vincent in the corner and Rowe tagged in. Rowe kneed Hickson in the face and Hanson got back in the ring. Rowe lifted Hickson in the air and Hanson leveled him with a springboard Clothesline.

    Rowe got back in as Hanson climbed up to the top rope. Rowe lifted up Hickson up and Hanson connected with a Leg Drop off the top rope for the pinfall victory.

    Johnny Gargano Pissed Off EC3

    Photo Credit: @WWENXT on Twitter

    EC3 battled Fabian Aichner tonight on NXT. Aichner and EC3 locked up to start off the match. EC3 threw Fabian to the corner and clubbed him in the chest. Aichner battled back and hit a loud chop and then followed it up with an elbow to the face. Fabian planted EC3 with a Gutwrench Suplex for a one count. EC3 battled back and knocked Fabian out of the ring.

    EC3 followed Aichner to the outside. Johnny Gargano showed up in the crowd and marched to the announce table. Gargano grabbed the microphone and shouted that he is holding a signed contract for a Street Fight against Ciampa at NXT TakeOver: Chicago. Gargano then marched back through the crowd as the crowd cheered.

    EC3 was pissed off that Gargano just interrupted his match and took his eye of Aichner. Fabian capitalized with a Crossbody off the top rope. Aichner quickly brought EC3 back into the ring and went for the cover, but EC3 kicked out at two. EC3 shouted in anger and planted Aichner with the One Percenter Fireman’s Carry Neckbreaker for the pinfall victory.

    https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1001983904235118592

    https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1001984856270802954

    Ricochet Defeated Chris Dijak & Then Was Confronted By Velveteen Dream

    Photo Credit: @WWENXT on Twitter

    Ricochet faced Chris Dijak tonight on NXT. Dijak missed with a big boot and Ricochet immediately went on the attack. Ricochet beatdown Dijak in the corner and followed it up with a Dropkick that sent Dijak tumbling out of the ring. Dijak caught Ricochet when he went for a Suicide Dive and Chokeslammed Ricochet onto the ring apron.

    Dijak hit a springboard Elbow Drop for a two count. Dijak missed with a Moonsault off the top and Ricochet took advantage with an axe kick to the face. Ricochet showed off his strength with an impressive Suplex on the much larger Dijak. Ricochet climbed to the top rope and hit a 630 Splash for the pinfall victory. This match was short but it was very entertaining. Dijak made a great impression in his first match in NXT.

    https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1001986265200373761

    After the match, Ricochet cut a promo. Ricochet said that Velveteen Dream is one of the most entertaining Superstars that has ever walked through NXT and he can basically do it all. Ricochet stated that the spotlight shows who you really are and last week Dream revealed how much of a punk he really is.

    Dream interrupted and said that last week was their spotlight and it showed that he can do anything better than Ricochet. Ricochet called Dream a coward for standing on the entrance ramp and asked him to come down to the ring. Dream came down to the ringside area and told Ricochet that he will see him in Chicago. Dream added that when the spotlight hits Ricochet’s beautiful face, he will know that anything he can do, the Dream can do better.

    Ricochet then flipped out of the ring like a ninja and landed right in front of Velveteen Dream. Ricochet simply said “show me” as Velveteen retreated.

    https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1001988291284160520

    Shayna Baszler Retained, Nikki Cross Stole Her Title

    Photo Credit: WWE.com 

    Shayna Baszler defended her NXT Women’s Championship against Dakota Kai in the main event of this week’s episode of NXT. Baszler backed Kai into the corner and taunted her while doing so. Shayna then stomped on Kai’s left leg a few times and continued to taunt her as the crowd chanted “Shayna is gonna kill you!”.

    Kai cowered in the corner as Baszler continued to kick her. Baszler brought Kai into the middle of the ring and started twisting her leg. Kai finally battled back with a couple of kicks, but Baszler brutally stomped on Kai’s ankle.

    https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1001989457627746305

    Baszler continued to taunt Kai and Dakota connected with a right hand. Shayna once again knocked Kai to the canvas and applied an Ankle Lock in the middle of the ring. Dakota crawled towards the bottom rope, but Shayna dragged her back to the middle of the ring. Kai battled through the pain and grabbed the rope. Baszler broke the hold, brought her back to the middle of the ring and applied the Ankle Lock again.

    Kai escaped with a kick to the face and unloaded a series of punches to her face. Dakota booted Baszler in the face and connected with two running kicks to Shayna’s face in the corner. Baszler was able to quickly battle back and locked in the Kirifuda Clutch for the submission victory.

    After the match, a very bizarre and entertaining encounter happened. Shayna locked in the Kirifuda Clutch once again in the middle of the ring. Nikki Cross sprinted to the ring and psychotically screamed in the ring for Baszler to fight her. Shayna looked shook in the corner as Cross challenged her. Shayna slowly walked across the ring and retreated up the ramp. Nikki Cross ran after her and stole the NXT Women’s Championship. Cross dared Baszler to come and get it and laid it at her feet.

    Shayna got into the ring to grab the title and Cross grabbed the belt once more. Nikki Cross wanted a match against Shayna Baszler tonight and asked Dakota Kai to be the referee. Shayna went to grab her belt once again and Cross planted her with The Purge. Kai counted to three and Cross celebrated as if she won the title. Cross then celebrated in the crowd and hugged fans in the front row. Nikki then posed on the entrance ramp with a grin on her face as Bazler was pissed off in the ring.

    https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1001992137750319107

    https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1001993237513560064

    Announced for next week:

    • Lacey Evans vs. Kairi Sane
    • Roderick Strong vs. Danny Burch

    The following video package was shown during the show for NXT Superstar Bianca Belair: