SEScoops

Category: NXT

  • WWE Concerned With Finn Balor’s Health, Bayley’s Future In WWE

    Both NXT Champion Finn Balor and NXT Women’s Champion Bayley have made no secret about the fact that they are happy to remain in NXT, as opposed to moving up to the main WWE roster. Apparently, this has become a major discussion point within NXT.

    There is starting to be a concern now that there will be an expanded NXT touring schedule in 2016 that Balor will start breaking down his body carrying NXT main events before getting to the real money on the main roster.

    Additionally, there has been talk about how Bayley will work out on the main roster. Some feel she could become a female John Cena, bringing in younger female fans and doing a lot of charity and media work, while others think she could be a flop on the main roster. Apparently the feeling is there is no in between for Bayley, as she will either have great success or she will have trouble making it at all.

    (Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

  • John Cena’s Muscle & Fitness Cover, WWE Names Top 25 Matches Of 2015, NXT Chicago

    – Triple H posted the following on his official Twitter page on Monday afternoon to announce an additional 1pm NXT live event in Chicago, Illinois on Saturday, January 16th.

    – WWE posted the following on their official Twitter page to congratulate John Cena on being on the cover of the January issue of Muscle & Fitness magazine.

    – Finally, WWE posted a 26-page year-end feature on the top 25 matches of 2015 on WWE.com on Monday. Coming in as the number one WWE match of 2015 was the triple-threat match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship between John Cena, Brock Lesnar and Seth Rollins at the WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view in January. WWE posted the following to promote the feature, which features comments from the talents or those close to the talents involved in each of the matches that made the list.

  • Apollo Crews Says NXT Is The Place For Real Wrestlers, Talks Dusty Rhodes Helping Him & More

    NXT star Apollo Crews recently spoke with The Mirror out of London to promote the NXT TakeOver: London special while on the recent NXT U.K. Tour. During the interview, Crews, formerly known as Uhaa Nation, spoke about working with Samoa Joe early into his WWE run in NXT, his thoughts on eventually moving to the main WWE roster, how the late WWE Hall Of Famer Dusty Rhodes helped influence his new character and more. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

    On working with Samoa Joe:

    “It’s amazing. It’s not every day you get to be in the ring with somebody of that calibre so to be able to have that opportunity is amazing for me. It’s a chance to show not just everybody else but myself that I can hang on that level. Sometimes you get caught up in Florida, it gets stressful, and like I said you start taking it like it’s an actual job, but being here and working with guys like that… somehow in a weird way you get so relaxed and just let things happen, you know? I think it comes with him being so experienced and coaching me through certain things, the amount of things I’ve learned from him just these last few days has been really helpful. For me it’s a huge opportunity because he is somebody I used to watch before I even got into wrestling. It doesn’t even seem that way now, you see certain guys before you get here, and when you get here they become your peers and your friends, so it’s weird in that way but amazing at the same time.”

    On making it to the main roster:

    “I wouldn’t say NXT is a stepping stone, by no means. I think everybody has certain things they want to accomplish here and of course the goal is main roster, but when you come here, you come here with things you want to accomplish here in NXT. You get here and things start happening. It’s definitely not a stepping stone by no means. I think for me personally if you’re a wrestler, NXT is where you want to be. From being down at the Performance Center, starting getting on the road more often, travelling to Texas, Brooklyn, Louisville, Sacramento and now the UK, it’s just growing and expanding, and more and more people want to be a part of this and more people are getting onboard. The WWE Network is a major outlet for NXT and when you come to a place like this and see the support we’re getting, it just shows how big NXT really is.”

    On Dusty Rhodes being a big help with his new WWE character:

    “I would say Dusty Rhodes first and foremost. I got the privilege, opportunity and honour to work side by side with Dusty from the time I came into NXT until the time that he passed. It was cool, I would always go to talk to Dream in the office and end up talking to him for a couple of hours each time I went in there. I would go in and every time he would see me he would say ‘what do you want?’ ‘You know what I think, I think you’re ready, you remind me of me, now get out of my office!’ It would quickly turn into ‘just kidding, just come in and sit down baby’. He first and foremost was somebody who saw something in me. There have been some battles and Dusty has gone in to bat for me on a few things and I will always cherish that, knowing what he meant to me, and never forget anything he said to me.”

  • Cameron Explains WWE Main Roster Hiatus, Vows To Improve Before Returning

    As we reported here recently, WWE Diva and former Total Divas regular Cameron has been training out of the WWE Performance Center and working NXT live events as of late.

    Below is a video that the former member of The Funkadactyls posted on Christmas day earlier this weekend, showing a brief clip of her working out in the ring with independent wrestler Carlos Cannon.

    Cameron promised her fans she wouldn’t give up and would not be remembered as the girl who was eliminated from WWE Tough Enough, or the WWE Diva who didn’t know how to pin her opponent.

    Below is the blog that accompanied the video on Cameron’s official Instagram page.

    My Early Christmas Present

    The road leading to our ultimate goals and dreams is never an easy path to navigate. Pain, criticism and disappointment are just some of the potholes along the way. How you work your way through them is what separates the believers from the achievers.

    Over the past few months a lot of you have asked me where I am and why I have not shared any videos of my training. I’m currently training down at NXT and performing at NXT live shows. Unfortunately, some things are out of my control so I can’t show you much but I can share this clip of my good friend @carlocannon me training before I left for NXT.

    In this business you rarely have any creative control but you do have control over how much effort and work you put into yourself. These 15 seconds are just a peek into what I have been doing to perfect my craft. To some of you out there I may be that girl who got booted from Tough Enough and to others I may be that girl who didn’t know how to pin her opponent. Regardless of how you view me I refuse to allow my mistakes to define my character and legacy. I refuse to give up because others say I can’t make it. I’m too hungry, too relentless and too ambitious to simply sit quietly and accept what is given to me. I will work my ass off and do everything possible to be the performer I know I am because that is what defines who I am. The Cameron you remember is not the Cameron you will soon see. #Cameronscomeback #MyJourney #MerryChristmas

    My Early Christmas Present: The road leading to our ultimate goals and dreams is never an easy path to navigate. Pain, criticism and disappointment are just some of the potholes along the way. How you work your way through them is what separates the believers from the achievers. Over the past few months a lot of you have asked me where I am and why I have not shared any videos of my training. I’m currently training down at NXT and performing at NXT live shows. Unfortunately, some things are out of my control so I can’t show you much but I can share this clip of my good friend @carlocannon me training before I left for NXT. In this business you rarely have any creative control but you do have control over how much effort and work you put into yourself. These 15 seconds are just a peek into what I have been doing to perfect my craft. To some of you out there I may be that girl who got booted from Tough Enough and to others I may be that girl who didn’t know how to pin her opponent. Regardless of how you view me I refuse to allow my mistakes to define my character and legacy. I refuse to give up because others say I can’t make it. I’m too hungry, too relentless and too ambitious to simply sit quietly and accept what is given to me. I will work my ass off and do everything possible to be the performer I know I am because that is what defines who I am. The Cameron you remember is not the Cameron you will soon see. #Cameronscomeback #MyJourney #MerryChristmas

    A video posted by WWECameron (@arianeandrew) on Dec 24, 2015 at 4:44pm PST

  • Sami Zayn Makes NXT TV Return (Video), Viewership Drops For Super SmackDown, More

    – Former NXT Champion Sami Zayn made his NXT television return on Wednesday’s episode on the WWE Network. As seen by the above clip posted by WWE this evening, Zayn returned to the ring with a victory over Tye Dillinger in a match that was taped after last week’s NXT TakeOver: London special.

    – Also on this week’s edition of NXT TV, Elias Samson re-debuted under his new character. Samson defeated Bull Dempsey in one-on-one action on the show.

    – The Tuesday, December 22nd live WWE Super SmackDown show drew 2.264 million viewers, which was actually down from the 2.332 million viewers for last Thursday’s taped edition of the show.

  • Santino Marella Mourns Ruined Christmas Party (Video), NXT Preview, Big Show On SportsCenter

    – In the above Super SmackDown Fallout video, Santino Marella mourns his ruined Christmas party and vows revenge on those responsible for ruining it.

    – The following matches were recently taped for tonight’s edition of NXT on the WWE Network:

    * The Vaudevillains vs. Mojo Rawley & Zack Ryder vs. Blake & Murphy vs. Chad Gable & Jason Jordan
    * Elias Samson vs. Bull Dempsey
    * Sami Zayn vs. Tye Dillinger

    – WWE tweeted the following link to a clip of Big Show’s appearance on ESPN SportsCenter on Tuesday night.

  • AJ Styles Interview: What Went Wrong With TNA, If He’d Work For WWE, NXT & Lucha Underground

    Ring of Honor & New Japan Pro Wrestling star AJ Styles’ recently spoke with Donald Wood from Ring Rust Radio to promote NJPW’s upcoming WrestleKingdom 10 PPV on Monday, January 4th from the Tokyo Dome. Here are some highlights of what he said about:

    His Back Injury:

    “I’m not going to let it have an impact. I’m going to be wrestling at Final Battle and Wrestle Kingdom and I will find a way. I’m not missing these amazing events for anything. I am going to be there, I have been hurt before, and I just work through it. Everyone has at some point; it’s just what you do as a wrestler. You ignore the pain and when that adrenaline starts running it doesn’t matter what’s bothering you, you will put on the best show you can.”

    If He Plans On Slowing Down His Schedule: 

    “Maybe less dates because I have been going hard ever since I left TNA. I have been rocking it. Maybe less dates is something that I should look to, but as far as slowing down in the ring; no way. I have one gear and it’s all or nothing with me. That’s the reason why I came home early from the tag tournament over in New Japan. If I got back in the ring, I would have hurt myself worse because I just can’t slow down. It doesn’t matter how many people are in attendance, you are always going to get everything I have.”

    TNA Making Him The Face Of The Company When He Joined in 2002: 

    “It’s funny cause when it first started I thought it was just another indie. I didn’t worry about what they would do with me; I just knew I was there to put on killer matches. As it grew, I had to ignore rumors that they were going out of business and that I might be done there after I felt like I was part of the company. I don’t know that I was shocked that they were giving me a title. Jerry Lynn, Low Ki, and myself were always having the best matches on PPV. So it wasn’t a surprise they wanted to put us in the main event. As many bad things that did happen at TNA, there were plenty of good things as well. As I walk down to my man cave, I have old posters of TNA. Sometimes I think I should take them down, but then again I’m not ashamed of what I accomplished there. It is what it is and despite where TNA is now, when I look back it was a very positive thing for me and I learned a lot there.”

    What Went Wrong With TNA & What Led To His Departure:

    “I think around 2009-10 they were headed in the wrong direction. They were trying to be WWE-lite and you can’t do that, you have to be different. I think that’s where the biggest mistakes were made and they didn’t trust the guys that got them to the ball game in the first place. They had all the talent they needed and didn’t need to bring in other talent. I think people were misinformed about what they could get out of it. The dial never changed when they brought in this higher talent as they thought it would. I will say Christian Cage when he came over was such an asset; he was the start of it. Then they brought in Kurt Angle, which was unbelievable, and they could have stopped there and we would have been fine. They have got to be different and turn it up. If WWE can’t do something because they are publicly traded, then there is your advantage. That just doesn’t apply to TNA, that applies to ROH as well. Everybody can do something different than WWE. I will say ROH wrestling is out of this world and nothing can compete with that. TNA they just have to change it and be different.

    If He’s Interested In NXT:

    “I’m going to be honest with you guys: The thing that makes wrestling most interesting to me is going to be the business that occurs after the match is over. A lot of people frown on that and say money isn’t everything. Well I say it depends on how much you have saved. My goal when I retire is to not be in a wheel chair or walk with a limp. Wherever I go, I will do my best, work harder than anybody there, and that’s just what I do. I only have one gear and if someone is looking for that and I can support my family while doing it, then that is what I will do.”

    Is Wrestling In WWE A Goal? 

    “It’s not, it really isn’t. I get to work in the Tokyo Dome on January 4th in front of thousands and thousands of people. That’s pretty awesome. I don’t know about you guys, but the first time I watched New Japan and saw them walk down that long ramp to the ring it was unbelievable. The fact that I get to do that, that is my wrestling moment. I wouldn’t say I would never go to WWE, but if it didn’t happen I wouldn’t go, “Oh man, I missed out. I’m the one guy that missed out.”

    If He Would Work For Lucha Underground: 

    “Again, where ever the business takes me that is where I will go. Lucha Underground does great and crazy stuff over there, and it’s a little bit of what we talked about with doing something different. Where ever the business takes me, that’s where I am going to go.”

    His Ultimate Dream Match:

    “I think I am going to get the opportunity to have one of my dream matches. I have never wrestled Rey Mysterio one on one. We are going to be in England at Five Star and we are finally going to get the chance to lock up. I’m looking forward to that match, I think it’s going to be fun, and it’s going to be entertaining. It’s Rey Mysterio, this guy is amazing. To be able to step in the ring with him, it’s kind of a dream come true for me. Not because I have watched him for so many years, but he is such a great guy and I never had the opportunity to have that match with him. I would have loved to wrestle Eddie Guerrero, but obviously that can’t happen. I think Rey Mysterio is definitely a big one for me.

     

     

  • Big E. On Wanting To Work With Brock Lesnar, Best Tag-Team In NXT & More

    Big E recently spoke with Mlive.com to promote the December 26th WWE live event in Detroit at the Joe Louis Arena. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

    On keeping an eye on NXT:

    “I think the three of us tend to look at NXT. I think it’s always important to look at the future of the company. We are excited about giving a younger team an opportunity. There’s a lot of great teams in NXT, but if I had to pick one, I’d say Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady might be the best. I think they’d provide a different rivalry for us.”

    On who he would choose to wrestle that he hasn’t faced yet:

    “I’ve been around long enough for the most part that I’ve wrestled mostly everyone. I haven’t wrestled Big Show yet. I think Brock Lesnar stands out as a big name. If I had to choose one person to wrestle who I haven’t wrestled yet, it would be Brock.”

    On his “Five Count” gimmick in NXT and working with The New Day:

    “I had a lot of fun doing the five count thing in NXT. It was a crowd favorite baby face role. But, what we’re doing now has been the best time of my career as far as visibility and progression and just enjoying it. I feel like we are uninhibited and having a lot of fun.”

  • Jim Ross Blog: Strange Chant At NXT TakeOver: London, Issues With WWE TV Presentation

    WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently updated his official blog at JRsBarBQ.com with his thoughts on some of the problems with WWE’s weekly television presentation, as well as a “strange” chant he noticed during the NXT TakeOver: London special on the WWE Network. Below are some of the highlights.

    On the trend of wrestling matches stretching through commercial breaks on WWE TV:

    “I see the reason that some wrestling TV shows need to stretch some bouts through one or more commercial breaks but I’m sensing that most matches that carry through a break, or two, disconnect from many fans thanks to the three minute commercial break or even a two minute break. I’d like to see more matches start and end in the same segment which should help maintain the focus of the fans and consequently help get talents over more, or so I feel. If that means that if a promotion has to format a shorter, reset segment to get back on their timeline then so be it.”

    On the problem with heavy advertising on commentary during WWE TV shows:

    “Broadcasters who are forced to speak on loosely connected topics such as what’s trending on Twitter even though it’s graphically displayed on the TV screen and don’t stay true to the talent are on course to not get the talents over. If I’m watching TV and am visually seeing physicality and athleticism but I’m hearing yet another train of thought what of it am I supposed to process? Exactly.”

    On “strange” crowd chant during Bayley’s match at NXT TakeOver: London:

    “I went back and looked and the live audience at the NXT Takeover London event and the live crowd did actually sing a pop tune while Bayley was ‘selling’ and it did feel strange. Is this type of crowd reaction good for the business? I’m leaning toward the negative side of that answer. But as everyone knows, I’m an old school, bitter dude who’s angry at the world and I yearn for the days of wool tights and mullets.”

  • John Cena Praises NXT, SmackDown Rating, Taz Interviews Adam Cole & Vince Russo

    – The Thursday, December 17th edition of WWE SmackDown scored a final cable rating of 1.68, up from last week’s 1.55 final draw. Thursday’s SmackDown averaged 2.332 million viewers, also up from last week’s show, which averaged 2.133 million viewers.

    – The latest edition of “The Taz Show: Bodyslams & Beyond,” which is available for download right now at Play.it, features ROH’s Adam Cole and former head WWE writer Vince Russo as guests. The official description for the show reads as follows:

    “The Taz Show has Adam Cole on to discuss Ring of Honor! Taz also welcomes Vince Russo as an impromptu guest and gets into a disagreement about Kevin Owens. Lastly, Taz chats about Smackdown from Newark, NJ.”

    – John Cena checked in on social media on Saturday, praising the efforts of both the WWE and NXT brands during his absence to film various television and movie projects. Cena wrote the following on his official Twitter page on Saturday afternoon:

  • Reason Stardust Was Kept Off TV This Week, Fan Hits The Ring During NXT U.K. Tour

    – Although he noted on social media that he checked out fine and suffered no fractures, WWE kept Stardust out of the ring again this week. As noted last week, Stardust appeared to suffer an injury during his match against Jack Swagger on the December 7th edition of RAW, and was taken to a local hospital immediately after the show to be evaluated.

    – A fan hit the ring at the NXT live event in Sheffield, England as part of the NXT U.K. Tour this past Sunday, December 13th. One of the NXT crew members, possibly Ryan Katz, stopped the fan before anything serious happened. The fan run-in spot took place during a tag-team match that featured The Mechanics vs. Jason Jordan and Chad Gable.

    (Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

  • Sami Zayn Returns To NXT After 7 Months (Video)

    Sami Zayn makes his NXT television return next week in a match that was taped after Takeover: London. The former NXT Champion returned to action over the weekend against Finn Balor during the ongoing UK tour. He had been out of action for approximately 7 months after undoing shoulder surgery before the Summer.

  • NXT TakeOver: London Results (12/16/15)

    NXT Takeover: London is in the books and once again, NXT delivered a very strong 2-hour live special, once again in front of over 10,000 fans. NXT Takeovers were among the best events of 2015 and they’re showing no sign of slowing down.

    NXT TakeOver: London took place from the SSE Arena, Wembley in England on Wednesday afternoon and aired live on the WWE Network. 

     

    – Asuka def. Emma via Submission (Asuka Lock) to pick up the win in the opening match, which ran nearly 15 minutes, despite a distraction attempt from Dana Brooke.

    – Dash & Dawson def. Enzo & Cass in another 15-minute match to retain the NXT World Tag-Team Championships. Dash & Dawson hit Enzo, who was caught on the top rope, with a super Shatter Machine for the 1-2-3.

    – Baron Corbin def. Apollo Crews in the first male singles match of the evening. This one went a bit over ten minutes and had a lot of good crowd heat and some very cool crowd-pleasing spots.

    – A vignette played to hype the NXT TV return of next week. It was noted at the end of the video that Sami Zayn would be back in action at next week’s NXT show.

    – Bayley def. Nia Jax in a grueling 13-minute match to retain the NXT Women’s Championship via submission.

    – A vignette aired hyping Blake & Murphy vs. Jason Jordan & Chad Gable for next week’s NXT TV.

    – Finn Balor def. Samoa Joe to retain the NXT World Championship in the main event of the NXT TakeOver: London special. The finish saw Balor pick up the win via pinfall after hitting him with the Coup de Grace for the 1-2-3.

  • Rumor Killer On Sami Zayn’s Opponent At TakeOver: London Event, Zayn’s NXT TV Return

    There have been rumors online regarding Sami Zayn possibly wrestling top international independent wrestler Zack Sabre Jr. during the NXT TakeOver: London event this afternoon at the SSE Arena in England.

    Apparently the rumors originated from a Wikipedia entry that was edited earlier, and until further notice, should be taken as strictly an unfounded rumor.

    We can report, however, that there have been rumblings within WWE about the possibility of Sabre Jr. coming to the company, just not at today’s NXT TakeOver: London special.

    As noted last week via Triple H, Zayn is scheduled to work a match at the TakeOver event itself later today, although his match is scheduled to be taped for the next edition of NXT TV on the WWE Network.

  • HHH Arrives For NXT TakeOver: London, Flair On “Stone Cold Podcast” Preview, More

    – WWE posted the above video preview of the next “Stone Cold Podcast” with special guest Ric Flair. The show premieres on the WWE Network on Monday, January 11th immediately following RAW.

    – Triple H posted the following on Twitter

    – Speaking of tonight’s NXT TakeOver: London special, the official WWE Twitter page tweeted the following to promote the show, as well as the NXT TakeOver: London “Kickoff Show” hosted by Renee Young on the WWE Network immediately before the live special begins.

  • William Regal Sent Home From U.K. Tour Early Due To Neck Issues

    William Regal was flown home early from the NXT U.K. Tour and will not be appearing at the final two events due to issues related to his recent neck surgery.

    Regal wrote the following on social media on Tuesday:

    As a result, Regal missed the final two shows as part of the tour, as he didn’t work the event on Tuesday in Cardiff, Wales, and will be missing the live Takeover special on the WWE Network today at 3 p.m. Eastern from London’s SSE Wembley Arena.

    Additionally, Regal was also scheduled for a talk show on Thursday in Nottingham, that has been canceled.

  • WWE SmackDown To Become Hybrid Of Raw & NXT On USA Network?

    To help promote his hiring as the new voice of WWE SmackDown, Mauro Ranallo did an interview with Jonathan Snowden of Bleacher Report that went up today. He goes into greater detail about his hiring than he did with Sports Illustrated, and in the process, appears to give away that, as suspected, there are more changes to come at SmackDown:

    “I get the sense they want to make it kind of a hybrid between Raw, the flagship show with all the storylines and great performances from our Superstars in the ring, and what’s happening in NXT. That’s really been a phenomenon, and I’m a huge proponent of that style of storytelling.

    I think if SmackDown can become a hybrid of the two, we’ll have a winning formula regardless of who’s on the microphone. But since it’s going to be me, I love that it’s playing to my strengths. I think they want to set us all up to succeed.”

    The whole interview is well worth reading, so check it out. It’s also worth noting that NXT head writer Ryan Ward became SmackDown’s head writer last year.

  • Finn Balor On Who He Thinks Will Be Next Main Roster Call-Ups From NXT

    NXT Champion Finn Balor recently spoke with Kerrang.com to promote the ongoing NXT U.K. Tour and Wednesday’s NXT TakeOver: London special. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

    On his fsvorite all-time wrestling entrance:

    “Stone Cold Steve Austin, when the glass breaks. It just gets you every time, doesn’t matter if it’s a small house show or a big-bang show, just once the glass breaks it gets everyone riled-up, so that’s easy!”

    On his picks regarding who WWE will call up to the main roster next from NXT:

    “I think there’s some very obvious ones, like Apollo Crews, but two for me that have really started to stand out in recent times are Jason Jordan and Chad Gable, as a tag team. I think someone who I don’t think gets enough credit is Aiden English, and I think in the future he’s definitely one of the unsung heroes of NXT – and I think he has a very bright future, be it as a tag-team wrestler, as he is currently, or as a singles wrestler in the future.”

    On what fans should expect from an NXT show:

    “Well I always like to describe NXT as more of a rock’n’roll wrestling show. It has that kinda underground, indie feel that I was so accustomed to in the independent circuits that I loved so much. So, for me, it’s been a beautiful coming together of working with the WWE but also still having that raw organic feel of being an independent, so that’s the one thing that makes NXT so different than anywhere else. It’s kinda having the hybrid of both very different styles.”

  • Finn Balor On Main Roster Possibly Being A “Step Back” From NXT, His TNA Office “Crotch Chop”

    Finn Balor recently appeared as a guest on the Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast to promote Wednesday’s NXT TakeOver: London live special on the WWE Network, where he will be defending the NXT Championship in the main event against Samoa Joe. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

    On the photo of him doing the D-X “crotch chop” to the TNA offices:

    “Everyone kind of took it for what it was and it was just a bit of fun. It was literally a complete potluck. We arrived in Nashville, they dropped us off at a gym because we [had] four hours to kill, [and] the gym was below the TNA office. By coincidence, the bus pulled up right outside the sign. I was like, ‘that’s the TNA sign!’” Bálor added, “all the boys were busy pulling their bags out from under the bus and stuff and I had one thing on my mind: retweets.”

    On the “too sweet” hand gesture and why he continues to use it in WWE:

    “It was something that when I came here, I thought, like, ‘I’m not going to do that anymore’ and [Triple H] threw it up one time, so I was like, ‘oh, I’ll give it to you.’ And then I consciously stopped doing it in the ring, but so many fans are throwing it up, so I was like, ‘I’ll give you one here. I’ll give you one there.’”

    On why moving to the main WWE roster might be a step back from being in NXT:

    “I really believe that what we’re doing here in the [WWE] Performance Center [and] what we’re doing with NXT is something that’s going to be remembered for years. I feel like to get quote, unquote called up to the main roster would be, maybe, like a step back for my career right [now]. Obviously, instant gratification, you get called up to the main roster, that’s great, but I think what we’re doing here in NXT will stand longer in history as kind of like a revolutionary period and to kind of pull myself out of that would be detrimental to my career in the long term.”

  • Bayley On If She Would Turn Heel, Fans Hating Eva Marie, Moving To Main Roster

    NXT Women’s Champion Bayley recently spoke with DigitalSpy.com to promote the NXT TakeOver: London special next Wednesday. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

    On the reaction to Eva Marie at Full Sail University:

    “I thought it was amazing… I love being in a ring with Eva Marie because of the crowd reaction she gets. It also helps me feed off of it. Even being in the ring with her is something really special. This may sound funny – I’ve never heard fans boo somebody as much as they boo her. To me it’s amazing because the fans really care about what’s going on in the ring.

    “Whether they hate her, or they love me, or they just don’t want this match to happen, or they do want the match to happen, whatever it is they care about it. It’s an amazing feeling that a person can get the reaction like she does from all these fans. They hate her and it just makes our job so much more fun. At least for me – I don’t know how she feels!”

    On making it to the main roster:

    “I don’t know if the women’s title here is the key to the main roster, but I’m willing to be here as long as I possibly can and keep learning and keep getting better and just prepare more for when I do get the call for the main roster. I’m not in any rush or anything, but it seems like if I hold this title that I could possibly be up there one day. There are already two former NXT Women’s Champions [Paige and Charlotte] who are Divas Champions up there now, so we’ll see.”

    On if she would turn heel:

    “If it came down to it and it was something that I had to do and it was a pivotal point in my career and it would take me to that next level, I would have to do it because it’s for my career. I don’t know how the fans would react to it. That’s just another challenge in itself for me. If that time comes I’m excited to see where it goes and where it takes me.”

  • Video: Jordan & Gable Get Wild 10-Minute Chant During NXT Event In Blackpool

    As the NXT U.K. Tour continues, it’s becoming quite apparent that the NXT brand is a hit with the English audience. Look no further than the above video for proof.

    WWE posted the clip featured above on the official NXT Twitter page on Sunday afternoon that features a 30-second look at a chant that fans were doing that they claimed “went on for over ten minutes” during a Jordan and Gable vs. Blake and Murphy tag-team match at the sold out Empress Ballroom in Blackpool, England.

    The chant is apparently a remix to the song “No Limits” that is often done at sporting events in the country, with the words simply changed to the names “Jordan” and “Gable.”

    Triple H also took to social media to address the hot crowd at the NXT Blackpool event on Sunday.

    “A sold out venue, a loud audience, and a great show,” Triple H wrote. “Thank you.”

    The NXT U.K. Tour continues to sweep across England with events in Nottingham on Monday, Cardiff, Wales on Tuesday and finally the NXT TakeOver: London live WWE Network special from the SSE Arena on Wednesday.

  • Seth Rollins Comments On NXT U.K. Tour, New Teaser For Stone Cold Podcast With HBK

    – As noted, the latest “Stone Cold Podcast” with Steve Austin and his special guest, Shawn Michaels, premieres on the WWE Network this Sunday night immediately following the WWE TLC pay-per-view. The official WWE Network Twitter page tweeted the above preview clip from Austin’s interview with HBK.

    – Seth Rollins, the first-ever NXT Champion in history, took to social media this weekend to congratulate the current NXT crew on their first-ever international tour in the U.K. this weekend. Rollins tweeted the following photo of an old Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) event, WWE’s original developmental territory out of Florida, noting that WWE developmental has come a long way.

  • NXT TakeOver: Dallas Announced For WrestleMania Weekend

    On Saturday, Triple H announced via his official Twitter page the official details for a NXT TakeOver special during WrestleMania weekend in April.

    “The Game” posted a photo of himself holding a ticket with the caption reading, “This is the ticket you’re gonna want… NXT the takeover continues. NXT TakeOver: Dallas. April 1. [Tickets] on sale 12/19.”

    WWE.com later followed up with this update:

    “WWE COO Triple H announced on Twitter that the next edition of the highly acclaimed series of WWE Network live specials is coming to Dallas on Friday, April 1, 2016, at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas. NXT has made a huge impact in 2015 as it grew into a worldwide phenomenon, including sold-out specials in Brooklyn, N.Y., and London. 2016 looks to be even bigger for NXT, with TakeOver coming to the Lone Star State.”

  • Bayley Talks NXT’s Growth Over The Years, Current NXT U.K. Tour, Favorite WWE Theme Songs

    NXT Women’s Champion Bayley recently spoke with Kerrang.com to promote the ongoing NXT U.K. Tour. During the interview, the current NXT Women’s Champion spoke about NXT’s growth over the years, the first-ever NXT U.K. tour, her faorite all-time WWE theme songs and more. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

    On the importance of NXT:

    “It’s really important. Like, even when I first started to where it is now, it’s kind of like a whole different place. If you look at the roster now and WWE, its kind of everybody who’s come from NXT and there’s such huge stars, and it has a lot to do with where they come from and how we’ve been coached and trained and the Performance Center and everything we have there. It’s all the tools we need to have everyone succeed up here, and it’s obvious that NXT works.”

    NXT’s growth over the years:

    “Yeah, it’s amazing just to see how much, not just in Florida, that it’s grown. When I first started in FCW, we had 12 people there and I wasn’t even used to that. I came from independent wrestling and I was like, ‘Wow, this is crazy! How many people out there?’ And then to see it grow and grow and grow, and then just in Florida we’d have sell-out armories and that was a huge deal. And we used to have to bring people into Full Sail, names, to just draw an attraction just to have fans there, and now we don’t even have anybody from the main roster. It’s just us. And now we’re outside of Florida and to see how many people actually show up and sell out buildings of, like, 1,200 people, and the Barclays Center [in Brooklyn], it’s great – it’s kind of like that ECW feeling and it’s really special.”

    NXT’s roster enjoying the first-ever U.K. tour:

    “I think everybody’s so pumped, everybody keeps talking about it. I’m texting everyone back home like, ‘I can’t wait until we get to come out here!’ because once Sasha and I are in the ring, just doing this stuff, once we’re both in the ring, everybody here watches NXT. I expect nobody to know who I am when I’m coming out on this tour. But everybody knows who we are when they watch NXT. And I’m just so excited for everybody else to be able to share that, because it’s gonna be crazy. It’s the first time ever that we have the special there, and it’s sold out at Wembley Arena. It’s gonna be amazing.”

    On her favorite WWE theme songs of all-time:

    “Do I have to go in order? No? Steve Blackman, I don’t know why, I just thought it was so cool the way it started out. It doesn’t even have any lyrics, but I just loved it. This is embarrassing because he’s right there (motioning to Michael Hayes, ex-manager of The Hardy Boyz], but The Hardy Boyz. I was just a huge Hardy Boyz fan – and that didn’t have any lyrics, either – but just the guitar in it and everything, it’s just… ahh, it felt so cool. The Rock’s, because right when it’s like, ‘If you smell…’ you just get out of your seat! [Stone Cold Steve] Austin’s, Glass Shatters. I guess it’s how it always starts out, and it’s always unexpected. You don’t know when he’s gonna come out and it just hits and you’re like, ‘Ahh!’ This was never a favorite growing up, but just recently… The Undertaker. I started to really appreciate him. I was like, ‘Man, this song!’ It’s like watching a movie – watching him come down the ramp and watching him get into the ring. Everything he does goes with the entrance song, and he’s had it forever.”

  • Sami Zayn Returns To Action In The UK Against Finn Balor

    Sami Zayn returned to the ring on Thursday night on the first show of the NXT UK tour in Newcastle, England. Zayn got a huge ovation from the crowd and looked to be in great ring shape, according to correspondents in attendance.

    In his first match back since undergoing shoulder surgery back around May-June, Zayn wrestled NXT Champion Finn Balor in the main event. In their first-ever match, Finn Balor was victorious.

    In addition to the above video that WWE posted on the official NXT Twitter page of Zayn’s electric ring entrance in Newcastle on Thursday night, the former NXT Champion had a surprise up his sleeve. Zayn borrowed a page out of UFC Fight Night 80 headliner Rose Namajunas’ page by surprising fans with a new shaved head look at the official weigh-ins for her fight against Paige VanZant in Las Vegas, which also takes place tonight.

    During Triple H’s NXT TakeOver: London conference call on Thursday morning, it was revealed that Zayn will be working a match at the NXT TakeOver: London event at the SSE Arena, Wembley on Wednesday, December 16th. His match will be taped for next week’s NXT TV episode on the WWE Network, as opposed to being included on the live WWE Network special.

    Welcome back Sami! #OleOleOleOle #NXTNewcastle #NXTUKTour

    A photo posted by WWE NXT (@wwenxt) on