SEScoops

Category: NXT

  • Top Matches Confirmed For NXT Takeover: Chicago (5/20)

    Top Matches Confirmed For NXT Takeover: Chicago (5/20)

    At Wednesday night’s NXT TV tapings from Full Sail University, Hideo Itami defeated Roderick Strong in a #1 contender’s match to earn a shot at NXT Champion Bobby Roode. The match will headline next month’s NXT Takeover: Chicago event.

    https://twitter.com/JJWilliamsWON/status/854841182182035456

    NXT General Manager William Regal also announced that NXT Tag Team Champions The Authors of Pain will defend against Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa in a Ladder Match at Takeover: Chicago.

    Finally, Asuka will defend the NXT Women’s Championship against Ember Moon, Ruby Riot and Nikki Cross and Ember Moon in a fatal 4-way match.

    NXT Takeover: Chicago takes place on Saturday night, May 20th from the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, IL.

  • AJ Lee On What Scares Her, Andrade Almas Confronts Drew McIntyre (Videos)

    AJ Lee On What Scares Her, Andrade Almas Confronts Drew McIntyre (Videos)

    AJ Lee On What Scares Her

    AJ Mendez Brooks (known in WWE as AJ Lee) filmed a new video that listed off things that irrationally scare her. The video was released by “Crazy Is My Superpower” publisher Penguin Random House. In the video, AJ stated that cats sitting on staircases, escalators and the wrath of shaman are things that irrationally frighten her.

    Andrade “Cien” Almas Confronts Drew McIntyre At WWE Performance Center

    WWE has released a new video of a confrontation between Drew McIntyre and Andrade “Cien” Almas. Drew McIntyre was working out at WWE’s Performance Center but was interrupted by Andrade “Cien” Almas. Almas informed McIntyre that he will see him next week and walked away.

  • NXT Results and Highlights: Nakamura Farewell, New Superstars Featured

    NXT Results and Highlights: Nakamura Farewell, New Superstars Featured

    NXT
    April 12th 2017
    Full Sail University

    1. Aleister Black vs. Corey Hollis
    This match was so short that WWE didn’t bother to post highlights. Black stood stoically near the roopes and waited for his opponent to charge. When he did, Black hit him with a roundhouse head kick and pinned him. Then he sat cross-legged in the ring.
    Winner: Aleister Black

    ** Tye Dillinger came out and cut a promo about how even though he is now on the main roster, he has unfinished business with Eric Young. It was announced that Dillinger and Young will face each other in a steel cage match next week on NXT.

    2. Team DIY vs Local Talents – Dylan Miley and Michael Blais
    This was interesting. DIY pick up the win, but Dylan Miley really made the most of his ring time here. Miley used several impressive power moves including a British Bulldog style vertical suplex and looked to be dominating Ciampa and Gargano. It was only when he tagged in Blais that DIY was able to get the advantage and hit a double shining wizard for the pin.
    After the match Miley attacked his partner, solidifying himself as someone for fans to take notice of.
    Winner: Team DIY

    Later in the night Dylan Miley caught up with his tag team partner in the back to apologize. It was just an overreaction, I’m sure we won’t see anything like that from Miley again.

    3. Ruby Riot vs. Kimberly Frankele
    As the match began, Nikki Cross from Sanity came out through the crowd and stared down Ruby. Finish of the match came when Riot hit a scissor kick and pinned Frankele. Cross and Riot continued to stare each other down after the match.
    WInner: Ruby Riot

    4. Drew Mcintyre vs. Oney Lorcan
    Mcintyre picked his game up after being released from WWE and forced the company to give him another opportunity. Now he’s back with a gimmick more serious than he had with 3MB.
    Lorcan looked to get busted open on his forehead during this match. Mcintyre picked up the win after a reverse alabama slam and shining wizard. All four matches on NXT this week finished with head kicks. After the match Drew cut a promo saying he is targeting the NXT championship. 
    Winner: Drew Mcyntire

    Shinsuke Nakamura Farewell Address
    Nakamura debuted at NXT Takeover Dallas, a little over one year ago. He spent one WWE season in NXT, from WrestleMania to WrestleMania. On Smackdown he looks to be entering a program with Dolph Ziggler, which is a big opportunity for both.

  • Aleister Black Joining Raw European Tour

    Aleister Black Joining Raw European Tour

    NXT newcomer Aleister Black has been added to WWE’s upcoming European tour, which kicks off next month. He’ll be wrestling for the RAW brand.

    https://twitter.com/wwealeister/status/851639807092633604

    Aleister Black in WWE

    31 year old Aleister Black was previously known as Tommy End on the independent scene in Europe. The heavily tattooed Dutch prospect has a background in kickboxing, which is evident in his wrestling style.

    Black made his NXT in-ring debut at Takeover: Orlando with an impressive victory over Andrade “Cien” Almas.

    With Black now joining the European main roster tour, and having defeated Almas in his NXT debut, he’s off to a strong start. See what’s next for Aleister Black over the next several weeks in NXT:

  • Drew McIntyre Featured in Scottish National Paper

    Drew McIntyre Featured in Scottish National Paper

    The Scottish Sun published an article on Drew McIntyre (Drew Galloway) and his return to WWE. The publication had previously covered McIntyre’s decision to turn down an offer from Impact Wrestling earlier this year.

    https://twitter.com/GallowaySpeaks/status/850063216839450624

    In the article Drew talks about how leaving WWE allowed him to develop his wrestling persona.

    “I’ve been very fortunate — not many people have left WWE and then had the chance to reinvent themselves.”

    Drew Galloway Career Resurgence

    Since his release from WWE in 2014, Galloway has been wrestling in the UK and for Impact, though he left the promotion earlier this year. His final WWE run was as a member of comedy act “3MB”, but Galloway developed a more serious persona outside the company.

    Galloway had been a top prospect for WWE, signing with the promotion at only 21 years of age. He won the Intercontinental championship and was once called a future world champion by Vince McMahon. His signing with NXT, leaves room for that prediction to still come true.

     “I remember The Rock saying if you’re the hardest worker in the room anything is possible and my motto is work harder than everyone else.”

    The full article can be read here.

  • NXT Results and Highlights: El Vagabundo Debuts

    NXT Results and Highlights: El Vagabundo Debuts

    NXT
    April 5th 2017
    Orlando, FL

    Aliyah vs. Peyton Royce

    Aliyah started the match strong, but interference from Billie Kay on the outside turned the tide of the match. Royce went on offence but Aliyah battled back and landed a series of nice arm-drags. She was looking to go for some type of leg lock but Royce countered, kicked her in the face, and gave her the bridging fishermen suplex for the win.
    Winner: Peyton Royce

    Heavy Machinery vs. the Bollywood Boys

    For the second week in a row Heavy Machinery is showcased in a squash match. The Bollywood Boys did get in a small amount of offence, but for the most part this was a Heavy Machinery showcase bout. With the Revival getting a call up there is room for another team in the NXT tag team title picture.
    Winners: Heavy Machinery.

    • a backstage interview with Drew McIntyre is shown. Drew says his aim is the NXT championship. Commentary mentions he will be in action on next week’s show.

    Oney Lorcan vs. El Vagabundo

    El Vagabundo was Elias Samson under a mask. Samson lost a “Loser Leaves NXT” match last week to Kassius Ohno. The crowd in Orlando loved Vagabundo, which was clearly not expected. After getting cheered he sang a song about how the fans should shut up. Lorcan stopped him and got booed for his efforts.
    Oney Lorcan un-masked Samson during the match, then hit a running blockbuster for the pin. After the match security once again escorted Samson out of the building.
    Winner: Oney Lorcan

  • Spoilers: NXT Tapings Results (Airing 4/12-4/26)

    Spoilers: NXT Tapings Results (Airing 4/12-4/26)

    WWE taped the next 3 episodes of NXT television on Wednesday night from Full Sail University in Winter Park, FL. It was an eventful evening featuring the debut of Drew McIntyre, Hideo Itami answering an open challenge from Bobby Roode and a farewell celebration for Shinsuke Nakamura. Thanks to Will Henderson (@willh94) for texting us the following live results:

    April 12th Episode:

    * The show opens with a “Takeover: Orlando” recap. There’s also a new intro video and theme song

    * Aleister Black defeated Corey Hollis. Black kept his cool entrance from Takeover. Hollis runs at him but Aleister just nails him with the Black Mass for the instant win. Black is over huge

    * Backstage promo with Tye Dillinger. Kayla Braxton congratulates him on debuting for SmackDown. Tye says next week he finishes his business with Eric Young inside a steel cage

    * Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa defeated Dylan Miley and an unknown talent. Miley and his partner dominate early until Gargano turns the tide. DIY hits the Meet in the Middle for the win. This was a quick match. Miley destroys his partner after

    * Ruby Riot defeated Kimberly Frankele, formerly known as Kimber Lee. Ruby controls the match until Nikki Cross comes out from the crowd. Kimberly tries to take advantage of the distraction but Ruby bounces right back. Nikki looks on smiling as Ruby picks up the win

    * Andrade “Cien” Almas defeated Danny Burch. Burch got some solid offense in but Andrade picks up the win in another quick match with the hammerlock DDT, possibly called El Idolo now

    * Drew McIntyre comes out for his return. He has new music with a bagpipe entrance

    * Drew McIntyre defeated Oney Lorcan. Drew got a huge pop and “welcome back” chants. This was a stiff, competitive match. Drew picked up the win with huge running boot that busted Oney open. Dasha Fuentes interviewed Drew post-match. Drew said he’s worked hard to develop a reputation but he’s here because he wants to be. He’s got all the RAW talent, can lay the SmackDown on anyone, but NXT is where he wants to be. He’s here for the NXT Title, and he’ll whip anyone’s ass he has to to get it

    * Shinsuke Nakamura came out for a promo. He came to NXT one year ago and already had experience but he wanted to challenge himself against the best in the world. He said NXT is its own brand that creates something new and different. He quickly discovered that the NXT Universe is crazy. He commented on their singing and chanting and ended his promo by saying he will always be NXT because… “We Are NXT!” The entire roster came to the stage and applauded him. Nakamura walked to the stage and was met by Triple H and Finn Balor. He ran around the arena filming with his phone before bowing to everyone and making his exit

    April 19th Episode:

    * NXT Tag Team Champions The Authors of Pain defeated Kassius Ohno and Roderick Strong in a good match. Kassius and Strong had control until The Authors caught Roderick doing his through-the-ropes dropkick and slammed him into the LED board on the apron. The Authors hit The Last Chapter on Ohno for the win

    * Jeet Rama defeated John Skyler. This may or may not be a dark match, as neither guy had a tron video for their entrance, but commentary was being done. This was an okay match, a showcase for Jeet. The crowd got behind him chanting his name. Jeet wins with a suplex into a side slam

    * NXT Champion Bobby Roode out for a promo. He said for the 2nd year in a row, he made WrestleMania weekend glorious, as he single-handedly sold out the Amway Center and allowed them all to bear witness to the biggest box office star in the business today. Roode said he snuffed out the last flame of the old NXT and that he now controls NXT. He had to watch Shinsuke last week walk to his ring and watch as every star in NXT came and celebrated him. Roode said he wasn’t on that stage because he wasn’t going to listen to the crap that comes out of Shinsuke’s mouth. Roode said Nakamura didn’t leave, Roode ran him out of NXT embarrassed after Takeover. Roode said it made him sick to listen to everyone cheer and chant while he stands here as the champ. Nobody in this arena, nobody on the stage last week belongs in Roode’s NXT. Says you can either be a part of his NXT or you can hit the bricks. Hideo Itami interrupted him. Hideo and Roode go face to face and Hideo slaps Roode. Roode jawjacks at Hideo and takes his jacket off and starts yelling at Hideo, but Hideo nails the GTS and walks away. Hideo walks back into the ring and picks the belt up before tossing it at Bobby’s feet

    * WWE UK Champion Tyler Bate retained over Jack Gallagher. Trent Seven, Pete Dunne, Mark Andrews, and Wolfgang were at ringside for this match. This was a really good, fun match with nice chain wrestling to start. Good back and forth action. There was a fun sequence of monkey flips with both guys still holding hands that ends with a double two count with both guys down. Bate went for a suicide dive, but Gallagher jumped up and nailed him with a headbutt at the ropes. Gallagher landed another headbutt for a near fall. Tyler then hit his rolling kick off the ropes and then the Tyler Driver 97 for the win

    * Liv Morgan and Aliyah defeated Peyton Royce and Billie Kay in a sloppy match. Aliyah got the win for her team with a roll up

    April 26th Episode:

    * Nikki Cross came to the ring during the opening NXT chant. She got out of the ring and knelt down by Dasha Fuentes and called out Ruby Riot on the mic. Nikki told Ruby to come out and play. Ruby came down and they brawled around ringside. Nikki threw Ruby into the stairs as referees ran down to break it up. Nikki jumped off the stairs onto Ruby and security. Refs got them separated as a “let them fight” chant breaks out

    * Drew McIntyre defeated Andrade “Cien” Almas in a stiff match. Drew threw Andrade into the ropes, and Andrade did his tranquilo spot but Drew kicked him out of the ring. They traded some viciously hard slaps. Drew won with the running kick

    * Aleister Black defeated Kona Reeves. Reeves went on the attack early but Black killed him with kicks. After laying him out, Black lifted Almas up using just his foot and nailed Black Mass for the win

    * Ruby Riot came out for a match but Nikki Cross attacked her during her entrance. They brawled around ringside again. Refs and security try to separate them but Ruby jumped off the stage onto Nikki. Refs carried Nikki away to stop the brawl

    * This was apparently taped for the April 19th episode and some other matches may have been taped out of order. Tye Dillinger defeated Eric Young in a Steel Cage match. Tye went for the TyeBreaker early, but Young clawed his eyes and threw him into the cage. Eric launched Tye into the cage again and pressed Tye against the cage with his boot. Both ended up crotched on the top rope and Tye slammed Eric into the cage, before tossing him into each side of it. They ended up brawling on the top of the cage, and Young hit an elbow drop off the top of the cage for a near fall. EY was busted open. Tye reversed an attempt at the wheelbarrow neck breaker into a TyeBreaker. SAnitY ran down to stop Tye from escaping but Kassius Ohno, Roderick Strong, and Ruby Riot ran down. Killian Dain ended up in the cage and Tye did a cross body off the cage onto Dain and Young. Tye scrambled out of the door as Alexander Wolfe climbed the cage to win. Tye celebrated with Ohno and Strong on the ramp as “Thank You Tye” chants broke out. Tye cuts a promo saying he’s even with SAnitY now. Tye thanked the fans and said this isn’t his first go round with WWE, and he almost lost this shot until he showed us the Perfect 10 and we took him to heights nobody saw coming. He put over NXT talent as the future and asked the audience to show them the same love, because… “We Are NXT!”

  • Spoiler: Bobby Roode’s Next Challenger Revealed

    Spoiler: Bobby Roode’s Next Challenger Revealed

    The next challenger to Bobby Roode’s NXT Championship is none other than Hideo Itami.

    At Wednesday night’s NXT tapings from Full Sail University, Roode came to the ring to gloat about his successful title defense at Takeover: Orlando and issued an open challenge to the NXT locker room. Out came Itami, who got in Roode’s face and laid him out with a GTS.

    Hideo Itami returned to the ring just a few weeks ago (VIDEO) after being out of action since October with a serious neck injury.

    As of this writing, Bobby Roode vs. Hideo Itami has not been officially announced, but it will probably take place at NXT Takeover: Chicago. That show is scheduled for Saturday night, May 20th during WWE Backlash weekend.

    https://twitter.com/JJWilliamsWON/status/849775866989039616

    https://twitter.com/JJWilliamsWON/status/849776548076863488

  • Drew McIntyre Debuts in NXT (Photos)

    Drew McIntyre Debuts in NXT (Photos)

    Drew McIntyre made his NXT television debut at Wednesday night’s takings from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. McIntyre faced Oney Lorcan in his first match back since re-signing with WWE. The match will air on next week’s show.

    Drew McIntyre is a huge pickup for NXT, which lost The Revival, Shinsuke Nakamura & Tye Dillinger to RAW & SmackDown earlier this week. It shouldn’t be long before he’s part of the main event scene, which is in the midst of a rebuilding period.

    Check back later tonight for full spoilers from tonight’s tapings. Here are some photos of McIntyre’s NXT debut:

    https://twitter.com/JJWilliamsWON/status/849763205618348032

    https://twitter.com/JJWilliamsWON/status/849763734402629632

  • NXT TakeOver: Orlando Recap & Reaction

    NXT TakeOver: Orlando Recap & Reaction

    SAnitY vs Tye Dillinger, Roderick Strong, Kassius Ohno & Ruby Riot

    No Way Jose was attacked by SAnitY during Axxess and was ruled out of this match. Kassius Ohno replaced No Way Jose in this match. Kassius beatdown Wolfe to start off the match. Eric Young distracted Kassius and Wolfe knocked him to the mat. Eric Young then enterered the match and isolated Kassius in the corner. Wolfe got back into the match and missed an Elbow Drop. Kassius then tagged in Roderick Strong and he immediately connected with a Dropkick that sent Wolfe to the mat. Strong got distracted with Killian Dain on the ring apron and Wolfe connected with a Suplex.

    Dain then entered the match and connected with a series of Elbow Drops to Roderick Strong. Dain hit a Dropkick and Strong bounced off of the turnbuckle. Strong spend the next few minutes getting beatdown by Dain, Wolfe and Young. Eric Young hit an Elbow Drop off the top rope to the back of Strong. Eric Young charged at Strong in the corner but Roderick got out of the way and tagged in Tye Dillinger. Tye planted Wolfe with a DDT and launched Eric Young out of the ring. Dillinger connected with a Crossbody to Wolfe and then hit a Suicide Dive onto Young outside the ring.

    Back in the ring, Dillinger connected with several punches to Young in the corner. Young hit a Neckbreaker on Ohno in the ring. Roderick Strong hit the Sick Kick on Eric Young and knocked him out of the ring. Nikki Cross leaped on Strong’s back and attacked him. Ruby Riot then jumped on Dain’s back and attacked him. Ruby then threw Nikki Cross out of the ring and then hit her with a Dropkick. Killian Dain then planted Dillinger with the Ulster Plantation for the victory.

    Winners: SAnitY

    Reaction: This match started out slow but really picked up towards the end. The crowd was heavily behind Tye Dillinger but he once again was the one to take the pinfall at a TakeOver event.

    Aleister Black vs Andrade “Cien” Almas

    Aleister Black had an awesome entrance before the match started. Almas decided to pose in the ring a few times at the beginning of the match and didn’t seem to be taking things too seriously. That didn’t work out too well for him as Black knocked him out of the ring. Almas got back in the ring, took control of the match and slapped Black across the face. Almas then posed in the ring again and went for a Suplex but Black blocked it. Almas locked in an Arm Bar on the ropes and the hold was quickly broken. Almas then connected with a Dropkick off the top rope and applied another Arm Bar in the center of the ring.

    The crowd got behind Aleister Black and he booted Almas in the face to break the hold. Almas went for a punch but Black caught him and connected with a knee to the the chest of Almas. Black then knocked Almas out of the ring and followed it up with a Moonsault off the ring apron. An “NXT!” chant broke out as the action returned to the ring. Both Superstars connected with a kick at the same time and they both fell to the mat. Almas flipped across the ring and connected with another kick for a two count. Almas followed it up with the Double Knees and followed it up with a snap German Suplex for a two count. Aleister then hit a spinning kick (Black Mass) for the pinfall victory.

    Winner: Aleister Black

    Reaction: Both Almas and Black performed very well in this match. There were some clunky moments, but overall this match was very solid. Aleister Black has a lot of potential and could be on of NXT’s bigger stars once some of the current talent makes their way to the main roster.

    NXT Tag Team Championship Match: The Authors of Pain (c) vs The Revival vs DIY

    DIY and Revival started off the match and on the same page and attacked The Authors of Pain. Gargano and Ciampa sent Akam into the barricade outside the ring. DIY then grabbed a table from under the ring and set it up outside the ring. DIY then slammed Akam into the steel steps. The Revival took out Rezar outside the ring as well. DIY and Revival then battled in the ring.

    Akam tagged himself in and Clotheslined Gargano and Ciampa. Rezar was tagged in and he continued to beatdown Ciampa as Gargano made his way to the ring apron. Ciampa went for a Crossbody off the second rope but Rezar caught him. Ciampa connected with a kick to Rezar and went to tag in either Dash or Dawson. Both members of The Revival then hopped down from the ring apron and refused to be tagged in.

    DIY returned the favor by hopping down from the ring apron when Dawson looked for a tag. Akam went for a Clothesline on Dawson but missed and went tumbling out of the ring.  DIY then took out both members of The Authors of Pain outside the ring. A “Johnny Wrestling!” chant broke out as Gargano and Dawson battled in the ring. Gargano leaped onto Rezar and Akam outside the ring but they caught him and threw him into Wilder outside the ring.

    Back in the ring, Akam and Rezar took turns beating the hell out of Gargano. Ciampa pleaded for a tag but Akam prevented it. Ciampa was eventually tagged in and he connected with a snap German Suplex on Akam. Ciampa then connected with a series of knees and hit a second snap German Suplex. Ciampa and Gargano tried to Powerbomb Rezar off the ring apron through the table but he held onto the ropes. The Revival then hit Rezar in the face and DIY were finally able to Powerbomb Rezar through the table.

    DIY and The Revival then surrounded Akam  in the ring. Dawson applied the reverse Figure Four and Gargano applied the Crossface at the same time. Ciampa and Dash tried to fight off Rezar but he powered through and all three men fell on top of Dawson, Akam and Gargano to break the hold. Gargano connected with a Superkick that knocked Rezar to the mat. Dawson and Gargano then hit the Meeting in the Middle. Wilder and Ciampa followed it up with a double team move of their own.

    Wilder and Gargano then hit dueling Suicide Dives onto Akam and Rezar outside the ring. Ciampa then climbed to the top rope but Dawson attacked met him there. Dawson then hit an absurd Superplex off the top rope to the outside of the ring and the two men landed on everyone else competing in the match. Back in the ring, The Authors of Pain hit The Last Chapter on Ciampa and DIY was eliminated.

    Dash hit an uppercut on Rezar and Dawson then planted him with a German Suplex for a two count. Rezar got back up and slammed Dawson to the mat with a Chokeslam. Rezar and Akam then Powerbombed Dawson and Wilder as the crowd booed. Rezar and Akam then smashed Dawson and Wilder into each other and hit the Super Collider for the victory.

    Winners & Still NXT Tag Team Champions: The Authors of Pain

    Reaction: It is going to be difficult for any match to top this one during Wrestlemania weekend. Honestly, this match was that damn good. Rezar and Akam are incredible athletes for their size. DIY are consistently great and The Revival are as close to a perfect tag team as you can get. This is one of those matches you will be watching over and over again.

    NXT Women’s Championship: Asuka (c) vs Ember Moon

    The match started off back and forth. Asuka and Ember Moon quite literally ran into each other a couple of times and then started screaming at each other. Moon then connected with a kick and taunted Asuka. Moon then hit a spinning kick and knocked Asuka out of the ring. Back in the ring, Asuka took back control of the match. Asuka tried to apply the Asuka Lock but Ember Moon blocked it and connected with a forearm to Asuka’s head. Moon then hit a Crossbody off the top rope onto Asuka outside the ring.

    The action returned to the ring and Asuka once again took control of the match. Ember Moon powered out of the Asuka Lock and slammed Asuka to the mat. Asuka charged at Ember Moon but Moon moved out of the way and connected with a Superkick. Moon then hit a Fallaway Slam. Asuka caught Moon as she tried to springboard off the second rope and hit a German Suplex for a two count. Ember fought back and climbed to the top turnbuckle.

    Asuka joined Moon on the top turnbuckle, but Moon knocked her to the mat. Ember Moon was gearing up for the Eclipse but Asuka shoved the referee into the turnbuckle. Ember Moon then fell off the top rope and slammed to the mat. Asuka then connected with a kick to Moon’s head for the victory.

    Winner & Still NXT Women’s Champion: Asuka

    Reaction: The finish to this match was a bit odd because the referee didn’t just immediately disqualify Asuka. I guess he somehow thought the obvious shove was a mistake. Other than that, this match was good. I would have preferred if it was given some more time but it was still entertaining. Ember Moon will definitely be holding that NXT Women’s Championship in the near future. Asuka had to resort to shoving a referee to defeat her.

    Drew McIntyre was shown in the crowd with a guy that is not Seth Rogen seated behind him. McIntyre recently left Impact Wrestling and may be making his return to NXT or WWE in the near future.

    NXT Championship Match: Bobby Roode (c) vs Shinsuke Nakamura

    Dueling “Nakamura!” and “Bobby Roode!” chants echoed throughout the arena as the match started. Shinsuke taunted Roode in the beginning of the match and Roode laughed it off. Nakamura kicked Roode in the chest a couple of times and once again taunted him. Nakamura then threw Roode to the mat and hit him with a knee in the face. The match went back and forth for the next few minutes. Roode connected with a Dropkick and then knocked Nakamura out of the ring.

    Back in the ring, Roode continued to control the match and did so with a grin on his face. Roode stomped on Nakamura in the corner and posed for the crowd. Roode then connected with a chop to Nakamura’s chest that could be heard in the bleachers. Roode followed it up with a Neckbreaker for a two count. Roode controlled the next few minutes of the match by applying submission holds.

    Nakamura finally connected with a kick and both Superstars fell to the mat. Nakamura propped Roode up across the top rope and connected with a knee to the midsection. Nakamura then hit a Dropkick that sent Roode to the ring apron. Nakamura then hit two knees to the back of Roode’s head while he was laying on the ring apron. The action returned to the ring and Roode hit a massive Clothesline.

    Shinsuke connected with a kick to the face and set up for the Kinshasa. Roode avoided it and focused his attack on Nakamura’s injured knee. Roode slammed Nakamura’s knee into the ring post and followed it up by applying the Figure Four in the middle of the ring. Shinsuke reversed the hold but Roode immediately grabbed the ropes and the hold was broken.

    Roode once again targeted Shinsuke’s knee and stomped on it a couple of times. Roode went for the Figure Four but Nakamura reversed it into an Arm Bar. Roode was able to reach the bottom rope to break the hold. Shinsuke then beatdown Roode in the corner and connected with several kicks. Roode battled back and hit a Backstabber for a two count. Roode hit the Glorious DDT for a two count. Roode took a few seconds to attempt the pin and it cost him.

    Roode rolled out of the ring and grabbed the ring bell. Roode brought the bell in the ring and the referee grabbed it. Roode demanded to be disqualified. The referee didn’t comply and simply took the bell from him. Nakamura went for the Kinshasa but Roode countered it into a Spinebuster for a two count. Roode once attacked Shinsuke’s knee and climbed to the second turnbuckle. Roode then leaped down while holding Nakamura and planted him head first into the mat with a massive Glorious DDT for the victory.

    Winner & Still NXT Champion: Bobby Roode

    Reaction: There have been rumors going around that Shinsuke Nakamura will be heading to the main roster soon. If that is the case, his last NXT match was a great one. Wrestlemania 33 is tomorrow night and it will be a spectacle. There will be musical performances and the atmosphere will be electric. However, from a pure wrestling standpoint it will be very difficult for Wrestlemania to be better than this show. There wasn’t a bad match on the card. The NXT Tag Team Championship match was the best match of the night in my opinion.

    What did you think of NXT TakeOver: Orlando? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

  • Drew Galloway Ringside For NXT Takeover: Orlando

    Drew Galloway Ringside For NXT Takeover: Orlando

    It appears Drew Galloway is headed to NXT as the former Impact World Champion was shown sitting ringside at tonight’s NXT TakeOver: Orlando event. Drew was mentioned by his former WWE name, Drew McIntyre.

    Galloway left WWE back in 2014 and recently finished up with Impact Wrestling in February of this year.

    Below are photos of Galloway in attendance tonight:


    https://twitter.com/ClassicCatch84/status/848350629282144257

  • Bobby Roode Talks About His Time In NXT & TNA

    Bobby Roode Talks About His Time In NXT & TNA

    Bobby Roode was recently interviewed by Ryan Dilbert of Bleacher Report. Roode was asked about his stint with the WWE in the early 2000’s. His first run with the WWE was unsuccessful, as he was relegated to untelevised matches and matches that aired on Sunday Night Heat or Velocity.

    Roode on his first go around with the WWE:

    “I was working hard to be noticed and to be seen,” Roode recalled of those days. “For whatever reason, it just wasn’t my time there. Instead of quitting or being discouraged, I went somewhere else and continued to try to live my dream. I was able to do that and make a name for myself in the process.”

    Roode has spent the majority of his career in TNA wrestling. For those that watched TNA while he was there, it was obvious that he was star. However, TNA never had the audience that the WWE has and TNA never fully capitalized on his talent.

    Roode on his time with TNA Wrestling:

    “I got an opportunity there to work with a lot of great guys, to be in the ring with a lot of veterans, to just open my eyes and open my ears to learn from guys like Kurt Angle and Bully Ray and the Hardys,” Roode said. “You get five or 10 minutes or possibly jump in the car with them to ride to the next town for two to three hours and pick their brains. I used that opportunity a lot.”

    Bobby Roode is now NXT Champion. He has his sights set on joining the main roster in the near future. Roode is defending his NXT Championship tonight at NXT TakeOver: Orlando against Shinsuke Nakamura. Many in the WWE Universe feel that the NXT events are often better than WWE PPVs. Roode wants to continue that tonight at NXT TakeOver: Orlando.

    Roode on tonight’s NXT TakeOver:

    “The NXT motto is to go out there and steal the show,” The Glorious One said. “That’s our goal—to go out there and open eyes and challenge the main-roster guys to try to do better than we did the night before. The NXT TakeOver: Orlando card has the opportunity to be the best TakeOver of all time. The challenge is there. Hopefully, we go in there and set the bar pretty high.”

    You can check out the entire Bobby Roode interview on Bleacher Report by clicking here.

  • New NXT Championship Belts To Be Unveiled At Takeover, Mauro Ranallo Update, Jericho Trolls

    New NXT Championship Belts To Be Unveiled At Takeover, Mauro Ranallo Update, Jericho Trolls

    – NXT General Manager William Regal has announced that new NXT Championship belts will be unveiled later tonight at Takeover: Orlando.

    – SmackDown Live announcer Mauro Ranallo confirmed that he will not be at WrestleMania 33 this Sunday, but congratulated Jim Ross on the news that JR will be calling at least one match on the show.

    https://twitter.com/mauroranallo/status/848208562228674560

    – Chris Jericho announced on social media that his WrestleMania match with Kevin Owens is jeopardy due to an ankle injury. It’s April Fool’s Day, so appreciate the Jeritroll and drink it in, man.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BSWJNXPlTTX/?taken-by=chrisjerichofozzy

  • NXT Highlights: Kassius Ohno vs. the Drifter

    NXT Highlights: Kassius Ohno vs. the Drifter

    NXT
    March 29th, 2017
    UCF Campus

    1. Johnny Gargano vs. Akam vs. Dash Wilder

    This triple threat singles match was a preview for the DIY vs. AOP vs. Revival match at Takeover. After the Revival appeared to leave ringside it looked as though Akam had the match won after power-bombing Gargano. The Revival returned to the ring area however and Dawson grabbed Akam’s leg from the outside, allowing Wilder to pin Gargano.
    Winner: Dash Wilder (pinned Gargano)

    2. Heavy Machinery vs. Jonathan Ortagun and Mike Marshall

    Otis Dozovic and Tucker Knight make up the husky tag-team of Heavy Machinery. The first time we saw this team was in the 2016 Dusty Rhodes Classic, when they lost to Austin Aries and Roderick Strong in the first round. They would also lose to the Revival on NXT television in early January. They picked up their first televised win here however, with a squash match victory over Ortagun and Marshall.
    Winners: Heavy Machinery

    We got another vignette from Aleister Black, this time he gives an ominous preview of his match with Andrade “Cien” Almas at Takeover. Almas has been on quite a win streak, but he’ll be in tough against the debuting Dutch kick-boxer in Orlando.

    3. Loser Leaves NXT Match
    Kassius Ohno vs. Elias Samson

    This match seemingly came out of nowhere. Samson made fun of Ohno for not defeating Bobby Roode for the championship a coupe weeks ago, and things escalated right to a loser-leaves-town match. Samson had apparently got the better of Ohno during a commercial break (it always baffles me they will go to commercial mid-match during a show on the Network..), but Ohno battled back. The finish of the match came when Samson was attempting his dragon sleeper into a neck breaker but Ohno countered with a discuss forearm (just like Aries has been using as his finish) and pinned him for the win.
    After the match Samson was refusing to leave, but then asked if he could just get his guitar. Ohno motioned as though he was going to give the guitar back but instead just stepped on it.
    Winner: Kassius Ohno (Samson gone from NXT)

  • Meet WWE’s New Giant: Babatunde Aiyegbusi

    Meet WWE’s New Giant: Babatunde Aiyegbusi

    Last spring, 28 year-old former Polish football player Babatunde Aiyegbusi was signed  to WWE developmental. Throughout 2016, Aiyegbusi has been training in Orlando. So far the 6ft 10inch 350lbs recruit has wrestled in two battle royals and one squash match at NXT live events.

    NXT trainer Steve Corino sent out video of the giant in action:

    Babatunde Aiyegbusi

    Babatunde actually played American football in Poland, playing in the Polish American Football league. He played in preseason play with the Minnesota Vikings in 2015.

  • NXT Results and Highlights (3/22/17)

    NXT Results and Highlights (3/22/17)

    NXT TV (March 22nd 2017)
    Taped: February 22nd 2017
    Full Sail University

    1. Andrade “Cien” Almas vs. Oney Lorcan

    This was a rematch from the December 3rd 2016 episode of NXT, where Lorcan pulled off the upset over Almas. At the time Almas’ character was still a good guy, with suspenders and a feather in his hat. Now as a heel, Almas was able to put away Lorcan here. The 27 year old Almas, formerly known as La Sombra in Mexico, was a highly touted prospect, but one who floundered in his original NXT debut. So far things are going better for him as a “bad guy”. He wins clean with a a hammerlock DDT.
    It was revealed later in the show however, that Almas will face the debuting Aleister Black at Takeover: Orlando.
    Winner: Andrade “Cien” Almas

    2. Asuka vs. Priscilla Zuniga (non-title)

    It’s been a big week for Priscilla Zuniga, also known as Angel Rose. A 25 year old who has been wrestling professionally since 2009, Rose also debuted in Impact Wrestling last week as a member of the newly formed LAX faction.
    Asuka got on the mic before the match and told Ember Moon that this would be “her head” at Takeover, and then kicked Zuniga square in the face. She then proceeded to beat her opponent up unmercifully. Asuka would go for the cover and then lift Zuniga up to punish her some more. Finally she locked in the Asuka-lock, but wouldn’t let go for a few Rousimar Palhares type moments after Zuniga tapped. It was all to send a message to Ember Moon. After the match Asuka said there would be no “eclipse” in Orlando.
    Commentary played up how damaging Ember Moon’s “Eclipse” move is, mentioning how Billie Kay needed help to the back after taking it the other week.
    Winner: Asuka

    A rather tattooed gentleman, by the name of Aleister Black, is featured in a vignette. Black is a 31-year old former kick boxer from the Netherlands. He started as a pro in late 2015 and is already about to debut at a Takeover event, which indicates WWE may be high on this guy.

    3. Sanity vs. Tye Dillinger, No Way Jose and Roderick Strong

    NXT’s mid-card feud continued here, only the match ended up being thrown out when all six men were brawling at once. Dillinger kept trying to get at Eric Young, but something always prevented it from happening. After the match was thrown out the two sides kept brawling, but Nikki Cross from Sanity jumped on Dillinger giving her faction the advantage. Then we got the debut of Heidi Lovelace who came to the ring to even things up for the babyface team. They ended the show by clearing the bad guys out of the ring. Lovelace had been a regular with Shimmer and Chikara before reporting to NXT earlier this year.
    Winners: No-contest

  • Debut Announced For NXT TakeOver: Orlando, New Vignette

    Debut Announced For NXT TakeOver: Orlando, New Vignette

    It was announced on this week’s NXT episode that Aleister Black (Tommy End) will make his TV debut at TakeOver: Orlando during WrestleMania 33 weekend. He will face Andrade “Cien” Almas in singles action. You can see the latest teaser for Black above.

    Here’s the updated card for NXT TakeOver: Orlando:

    – Bobby Roode defends the NXT Championship against Shinsuke Nakamura

    – Asuka defends the NXT Women’s Championship against Ember Moon

    – The Authors of Pain defend the NXT Tag Team Championships against DIY and The Revival in a Triple Threat Elimination Match

    – Aleister Black debuts against Andrade “Cien” Almas

  • Updated Card For NXT Takeover: Orlando On 4/1

    Updated Card For NXT Takeover: Orlando On 4/1

    On Wednesday night’s edition of NXT it was announced that Aleister Black will be making his debut against Andrade “Cien” Almas at Takeover: Orlando. Vignettes promoting Black’s debut have been airing on NXT for the last two weeks.

    NXT Takeover: Orlando airs on the WWE Network on April 1st, the night before WrestleMania, at 8 PM ET from the Amway Center in Orlando, FL. Below the current card for the show:

    NXT Championship
    – Bobby Roode © vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

    NXT Women’s Championship
    – Asuka © vs. Ember Moon

    NXT Tag Team Championship Triple Threat
    – Authors Of Pain © vs. #DIY vs. The Revival

    – Andrade “Cien” Almas vs. Aleister Black

  • Shinsuke Nakamura Added To NXT’s UK Tour In June

    Shinsuke Nakamura Added To NXT’s UK Tour In June

    Shinsuke Nakamura’s future on the NXT brand has been the subject of much discussion lately. Nakamura is rumored to be joining the main roster soon and his omission from the promotional poster hyping NXT’s upcoming tour of the UK led some to believe that he’ll be getting called up after NXT Takeover: Orlando.

    On Monday, the @WWEUK Twitter account posted this video of Nakamura announcing that will in fact part of the upcoming NXT UK tour.

    We’ll find out soon if this means Nakamura’s WWE television debut is pushed back to June (or later), but NXT fans in the UK will have another chance to see the former NXT Champion in action.

    Tickets for the NXT UK shows are now available at Live Nation.

    NXT UK Tour Schedule:

    • 6/5: Aberdeen’s GE Oil & Gas Arena
    • 6/6: Manchester Arena
    • 6/7: Leeds First Direct Arena
    • 6/8: Brighton Centre
  • Loser Leaves NXT Match Scheduled for Next Week

    Loser Leaves NXT Match Scheduled for Next Week

    Following his unsuccessful NXT championship match against Bobby Roode this week, Kassius Ohno was confronted by Elias “the Drifter” Samson backstage. This led to a Ohno challenging Samson to a “Loser Leaves NXT” match for next week.

    Main Roster Bound or Gimmick Change?

    On the surface a loser leaves NXT match could lead to a main roster debut for either superstar. It seems unlikely the 37-year old Ohno would debt on the main roster anytime soon, having just debuted on NXT television. Stranger things have happened however.

    As for Samson, two possibilities exist. If he loses to Ohno next week he could find himself on the main roster, where it is doubtful he would be placed in a high profile role. Samson could undergo a gimmick change and stay in NXT as well however. After WrestleMania is a common time for new wrestlers to debut on the main roster, so it is more likely than not the loser of this match next week ends up on Raw or Smackdown after WrestleMania.

  • NXT Results and Highlights

    NXT Results and Highlights

    March 15th 2017
    Winter Park, Florida
    Full Sail University

    1. the Ealy Brothers vs. the Authors of Pain (non-title)

    the Authors of Pain attacked the Ealy brothers from behind not long ago on NXT television, so the young tag team challenged Paul Ellering’s duo here. The AOP didn’t take long to take care of the Ealy brothers however, in what was basically a squash match. After the match Ellering cut a promo which brought out both Team DIY and the Revival. Then Regal came out and made it official that the tag team championship match at Takeover: Orlando would be a triple threat between the AOP, Revival and Team DIY.

    Winners: the Authors of Pain

    2. Macey Estrella vs. Nikki Cross (Sanity)

    Estrella might not look like it, but she is a former US Marine and member of the Marine Corps Swat Team. The 26-year old was just fodder for Cross here however, as the Scottish brawler looks as though she will be starting a run in NXT’s women’s division. 27-year old Nikki Cross began her career as a teenager 9 years ago. She had a WWE tryout in 2015 and has been going through developmental ever since.
    Even though Cross had Estrella beat, she continued to use a swinging fisherman’s neck breaker over and over again, approximately six times in total, before finally pinning Estrella.

    After the match No Way Jose and Tye Dillinger hit the ring to payback Sanity for their attack on Roderick Strong last week. The numbers game was too much for Dillinger and Jose however, as Sanity left them laying. Later in the night, William Regal would confirm that next week 3 members of Sanity will take on Dillinger, No Way Jose, and a returning Roderick Strong.

    Winner: Nikki Cross

    An ominous vignette aired for a superstar who has yet to debut.

    3.NXT Championship Match
    Bobby Roode (c)(0 title defences) vs. Kassius Ohno

    Kassius Ohno, better known to indy fans as Chris Hero, returns to NXT and got a championship match right out of the gun. Ohno is 6feet 4inches and 270lbs. He wrestled in NXT from 2012-13, and now at 37 years old he’s back for another run. Ohno got in his offence but ultimately wasn’t able to take the title away from Roode. The finish of the match came when Ohno had Roode trapped in a submission but Roode scrambled into the ropes, Ohno hit the top rope awkwardly which allowed Roode to hit the “Glorious DDT” for the pin.
    Shinsuke Nakamura was shown in the back watching the monitor. It was announced last week that he would face the winner at NXT Takeover: Orlando

    Winner: Bobby Roode (1 title defence)

    * title defence statistics do not include house shows

  • NXT Preview for Tonight, Ohno vs. Roode for the NXT Championship

    NXT Preview for Tonight, Ohno vs. Roode for the NXT Championship

    It’s a big night on NXT tonight. In addition to the scheduled Kassius Ohno vs. Bobby Roode NXT Championship match there are several other big time matches on the show.

    NXT March 15th Matches (non-spoiler)

    Non-Title
    Asuka vs. Priscilla Zuniga

    Andrade “Cien” Almas vs. Oney Lorcan

    Non-Title Match
    the Ealy Twins vs. Authors of Pain

    Roderick Strong, No Way Jose and Tye Dillinger vs. Sanity

    NXT Championship Match
    Bobby Roode (0 title defences) vs. Kassius Ohno

  • NXT Returning To The UK In June

    NXT Returning To The UK In June

    NXT is returning to the United Kingdom in June for a series of shows that will run from June 5-11th. Here’s the tour schedule, with tickets going on sale Friday at 10 AM GMT.

    • 6/5: Aberdeen’s GE Oil & Gas Arena
    • 6/6: Manchester Arena
    • 6/7: Leeds First Direct Arena
    • 6/8: Brighton Centre
    • 6/9-11: Download Fest 2017

    It’s worth noting that Shinsuke Nakamura is conspicuously absent from the artwork hyping the upcoming UK tour.

  • Hideo Itami Returns At NXT Live Event (Video)

    Hideo Itami Returns At NXT Live Event (Video)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPa6hNvccJU&app=desktop

    Hideo Itami returned at Saturday night’s NXT live event from Orlando, FL. He’s been out of action since October 1st when he suffered a neck injury. Over the past week, NXT star Riddick Moss has bragging on social media about putting Itami on the shelf (see above).

    https://twitter.com/riddickMoss/status/839914295114682368

    On Saturday night, Itami got his revenge by storming the ring and delivered his Go To Sleep finisher. He had this to say about the appearance:

    NXT’s Instagram account posted the following video of the surprising return:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BRhQKVohWsZ/?taken-by=wwenxt

  • Kairi Hojo Reportedly Signs With WWE

    Kairi Hojo Reportedly Signs With WWE

    Japanese wrestler Kairi Hojo (Kaori Housako) has reportedly signed a 3-year deal with WWE, according to the Wrestling Observer.

    Kairi wrestles for the Japan’s World Wonder Ring Stardom promotion. She’s a one-time World of Stardom Champion, three-time Goddess of Stardom Champion and a three-time Artist of Stardom Champion.

    Earlier this year it was rumored that Kairi and fellow STARDOM star Io Shirai were offered WWE contracts. Io Shirai is still expected to be WWE bound and will be in the United States during WrestleMania weekend.