SEScoops

Category: NXT

  • Photos & Notes From Today’s NXT Takeover: Brooklyn Panel

    Triple H, Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, Kevin Owens, Sasha Banks and Corey Graves held a fan panel at the practice court of the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on Saturday morning to promote Saturday night’s NXT Takeover: Brooklyn event.

    Below are some photos and highlights from Stephanie McMahon, Triple H and others.

  • Triple H Hypes NXT Takeover: Brooklyn, WWE Looks At Defining Takeover Moments

    – Triple H posted the following on Twitter to promote tonight’s NXT Takeover: Brooklyn event at the Barclays Center.

    – Speaking of Takeover, the latest edition of WWE Top 10, which you can check out below, looks at ten defining moments from past Takeover events.

  • NXT Takeover: Brooklyn Final Lineup, Live Coverage Reminder For Tonight

    WWE will be presenting their NXT Takeover: Brooklyn event at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York tonight for the live special airing on the WWE Network. Below is the final lineup for tonight’s show.

    NXT Championship [Ladder Match]
    – Finn Balor (c) vs. Kevin Owens

    NXT Tag-Team Championship
    – Blake & Murphy (c) vs. The Vaudevillians

    NXT Women’s Championship
    – Sasha Banks (c) vs. Bayley

    – Jushin “Thunder” Liger vs. Tyler Breeze

    – Samoa Joe vs. Baron Corbin

    – Apollo Crews vs. Tye Dillinger

    Make sure to join us here at SEScoops.com later this evening for the best NXT Takeover: Brooklyn live results on the web!

  • King Barrett Says He Liked “Bad News” Character Better, Talks Amell/SummerSlam

    King Barrett hosted a Twitter Q&A on Friday to promote this Sunday’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Below are some of the highlights.

    On who he picks to win the SummerSlam main event:

    On his next WWE Studios movie:

    On his post WWE career:

    On which WWE gimmick he liked better:

    On who he likes in NXT:

    On whether or not Stephen Amell is worthy of a Bullhammer Elbow:

  • Backstage Update On Bonus System In NXT, NXT Talent To Be Paid Extra This Weekend?

    NXT contracted performers have not been given bonuses based on working events with bigger gates outside of their usual shows at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. This includes those who worked the NXT event in San Jose, California during WrestleMania weekend, a show that drew over 5,000 paid.

    The main reason WWE does not offer bonuses for these shows is because NXT live events and developmental in general are currently money losing businesses. Developmental loses money largely due to the fact that so many talents are under guaranteed contracts. Also, as a promotion, NXT only runs three live events locally in Florida, at the most, drawing 200-300 fans. They run the shows to give talent experience in front of a live crowd, and because there are no travel expenses for NXT talent working in Florida, the feeling is that they are being paid to learn.

    It’s worth noting that when NXT talent are brought to WWE live events, they are paid for those shows and have their road expenses covered as well.

    This Saturday’s NXT Takeover: Brooklyn event will have a live gate of around $700,000, which is an incredible accomplishment for the brand. The Finn Balor vs. Kevin Owens and Sasha Banks vs. Bayley title matches are the headlining attractions, and traditionally those involved would receive a bonus based on the gate, however that may not be the case with NXT Takeover: Brooklyn.

    Owens is now on a main roster deal, and Balor’s deal is said to be different than the traditional developmental deals because he was already an established star in a major league promotion, so they will both likely receive bonuses of some kind for Saturday’s live special.

    The real question is whether or not Banks and Bayley will receive bonuses. Banks may also be on a main roster deal now, and if that is the case, she would get a bonus as well. What this could mean is that Bayley could be the lone performer among the four in headlining spots that will not receive a bonus due to the fact that she is under a regular developmental deal.

    (Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

  • Paul Heyman Calls Seth Rollins The Most Successful NXT Call-Up Of All-Time

    WWE performer Paul Heyman recently spoke with CBS Sports to promote this Sunday’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. During the interview, Heyman was asked the secret to maintaining his friendship with Brock Lesnar.

    “I’ve never let him down,” Heyman said. “I always tell Brock Lesnar the truth. I don’t appease Brock Lesnar. I don’t placate Brock Lesnar. When Brock Lesnar asks me for an opinion, I give to him an honest opinion that I’m willing to back up with facts, with theory. It’s never just what he wants to hear, or what benefits me the most. And I get the same from him, I assure you.”

    Heyman also sang the praises of current WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, noting that he has “risen to the top faster than anyone else that has been called up so far from NXT.”

    “I think Seth Rollins is a perennial champion for the next decade,” said Heyman. “I think in the same way that John Cena and Randy Orton are multi, multi-time champions from 2005 on, I think that is now Seth Rollins’ position. I think Seth Rollins is in the title picture for the next decade. He has established himself as a main event performer. He has delivered on every occasion that he has had the opportunity to perform. And he has risen to the top faster than anyone else that has been called up so far from NXT. So I think Seth Rollins is just at the very beginning of his career as a main eventer.”

    Heyman continued, “I mean, Seth Rollins was involved in the main event of this year’s WrestleMania, but he wasn’t advertised as a main event at this year’s WrestleMania. We have yet to see Seth Rollins have the opportunity to perform in a WrestleMania main event. I don’t think you’ve even seen Seth Rollins scratch the surface of what he’s capable of doing.”

    With Paul Heyman in his corner, Brock Lesnar goes one-on-one with The Undertaker in “the rematch too big for WrestleMania,” this Sunday, August 23, 2015, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York at WWE SummerSlam, live on pay-per-view and on the WWE Network.

  • Triple H Talks Takeover: Brooklyn, If NXT Is Going After ROH, NXT Call-Ups & More

    On Wednesday morning, WWE COO Triple H a media conference call to promote Saturday’s NXT Takeover: Brooklyn live special on the WWE Network. Below are highlights, courtesy of Tom M.:

    – Triple H said it’s a historic week for NXT as far as being its own brand and filling its own niche. SummerSlam weekend is a huge opportunity for the brand and at first he wasn’t a big fan of the idea of running Barclays Center. They wanted to curtain it off at 6,000 seats at first but those sold out before tickets officially went on sale, so they went to 13,000 seats. They are very excited about Takeover in New York City. He said if you can make it in NYC, you can make it anywhere.

    – He talked about the card and pushed Jushin “Thunder” Liger, Samoa Joe vs. Corbin and the “dual main events” of Bayley vs. Sasha Banks and Kevin Owens vs. Finn Balor. He clarified his Twitter announcement and said all the matches revealed are not for the live WWE Network special. They will first film 90 minutes of NXT TV and then air the live two hour Takeover show.

    – He announced the WWE Performance Center All-Access pass for September 28th. Tickets are on sale and the full details were posted earlier.

    – They are looking at ideas in regards to doing NXT Takeover events before all major pay-per-views but he prefers when they piggyback NXT specials onto week-long WWE events to make the brand part of the entire experience.

    – They’re proud of selling out the Barclays Center three nights in a row, noting he doesn’t know too many entertainment brands that can sell out NYC three straight nights. He says 2015 was to be the year they tried new things and NXT is unique. He doesn’t want it to be like RAW or SmackDown, it needs to have its own identity.

    – He talked about Vince McMahon taking to which talents he wants to and that being a battle that will always have to be fought in NXT, in regards to talents coming to the main roster. He says he does not cherry-pick the indies, despite online rumors, and says he just wants talented new people, no matter where they come from – sports or the indies.

    – He feels like a proud dad watching the “kids” going to the main roster and getting recognized. He talks about the Divas Revolution and is looking forward to them main eventing. He talks about Sasha Banks and Charlotte wanting to main event WrestleMania and doesn’t doubt it will happen.

    – Regarding going up against ROH and a potential deal with EVOLVE to go after ROH, Triple H said it’s funny how people see things differently. He’s not trying to cause harm to ROH. He said other companies piggy-back off major WWE events and it makes sense for WWE to do the same thing. He says it’s part of the discovery process for the NXT brand. He says he was unaware of ROH running in Texas when they booked the Night of Champions weekend events. Regarding EVOLVE and Gabe Sapolsky, they are looking for quality events that can help support the business overall. He acknowledged that indies are important to the health of the business and doesn’t want to see anyone fail but he’s always going to do what’s right for WWE business. He says if that affects someone’s business plan, he can’t help that because WWE is priority for him.

    – He talked about William Regal and others scouting and recruiting new talents all over the world, including Canada as the reporter asking the question was in Toronto. He mentioned talents get trained by right by people like Lance Storm and others in Canada, which leads to opportunities but not any additional opportunities.

    – He talked about how there’s excitement all through NXT, talents are selling tickets and merchandise. They’re thinking about taking NXT international, to the UK. He’s always bragging on NXT to Vince McMahon and telling him to check stuff out. He says it’s more than just making sure WWE has future talents, that’s an important part of NXT but there’s a lot more.

    – Regarding talents who get called up continuing to work NXT events, he says everyone wants to go to the main roster but NXT isn’t a bad spot to be in. He said they might move some talents who aren’t being used back down to NXT to revitalize them. He says there’s no rulebook for NXT, they can do anything with the brand.

    – He had a lot of praise for Apollo Crews, the former Uhaa Nation. He’s looking forward to his debut at Takeover this weekend. He said Crews has the young, hungry fire and he’s looking forward to him being a huge star. He also said there will be other big debuts and fresh blood soon as others get called to the main roster.

  • Triple H NXT Conference Call, Waltman On Austin’s Podcast, SummerSlam

    – Triple H will be holding his usual pre-Takeover conference call with the pro wrestling media on Wednesday morning to promote this Saturday’s NXT Takeover: Brooklyn event at the Barclays Center. Check back here later today for a recap of the call.

    – Former WWE Superstar Sean “X-Pac” Waltman is the guest on the latest edition of the “Steve Austin Show” podcast. You can download the show right now at PodcastOne.com.

    – The latest edition of WWE’s “5 Things” web-series, which you can check out below, takes a look at five WWE Superstars who have never won at the annual WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view.

  • Stephen Amell Turns Down Invitation To NXT Takeover: Brooklyn

    Actor Stephen Amell will be appearing at this Sunday’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view, however it appears that NXT Takeover: Brooklyn is not a big enough priority for the “Arrow” star.

    NXT star Dash Wilder of “The Mechanics” invited the actor to this Saturday’s special at the Barclays Center, however Amell told him he can not make the show.

    You can check out their Twitter exchange below.

    https://twitter.com/amellywood/status/633054243163803648

  • Photos & Video: NXT Stars Teach Tough Enough Cast How To Set Up WWE Ring

    Prior to this week’s NXT television tapings at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida, some of the NXT talent taught the current cast of WWE Tough Enough competitors how to set up a wrestling ring.

    Below are some photos and a brief video clip that shows that Tough Enough crew working on setting up the ring, which will likely air as part of next week’s episode on USA Network.

  • Plans For NXT Takeover: Brooklyn On WWE Network, Undertaker/Lesnar, SummerSlam

    – WWE has a 30-minute pre-show for next Saturday’s NXT Takeover: Brooklyn event planned for the WWE Network. The pre-show will air at 8:30pm EST. on Saturday, August 22nd, leading directly into the two-hour NXT Takeover: Brooklyn event, which is scheduled to begin at 9pm EST. on the WWE Network. Currently, there is no post-show scheduled for the NXT special.

    – The latest edition of WWE’s “Canvas 2 Canvas” web-series features artwork on The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar, both of whom will be headlining next Sunday’s SummerSlam event against each other.

    – Speaking of next weekend’s SummerSlam pay-per-view, WWE released the following look back at the 20 greatest moments in SummerSlam history to promote this year’s event.

  • Finn Balor Talks About WWE Management Not Being Happy With His Promo Ability

    NXT Champion Finn Balor recently spoke with Sports Illustrated’s “Extra Mustard” blog to promote next Saturday’s NXT Takeover: Brooklyn event at the Barclays Center. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

    On his verbal skills being the biggest knock from WWE coaches and Dusty Rhodes: “Dusty would say, ‘Finn, your work in the ring is up here, but you’re talking is down here – you’ve got to balance them out.’ He was always very straight to the point, and we had a great relationship together. I remember him saying one time, ‘Prince, you know I heard them talking about you before you came in here, and goddamn, I thought Lou Thesz was gonna walk in that door the way they talk about your work.’ I’ll never forget that, and I was very lucky to work with Dusty. He helped me incredibly with my communication, as he called it, and I learned a lot of lessons with him. ‘The Dream’ was someone who filled me with confidence the first time I walked in the door.”

    On NXT being WWE’s best product right now: “Right now, NXT is the main roster. NXT is the hottest thing in wrestling. I’m not in any hurry to go anywhere else but take NXT to the next level.”

    On possibly main eventing WrestleMania one day: “I started wrestling fifteen years ago, and my goal was to have just one match. I had one match, and then I wanted to have two. Then I wanted to wrestle in Japan, and I wrestled in Japan for eight years. Then I wanted to wrestle in WWE. Here I am, a year later, as NXT champ. So I don’t set long-term goals. The next goal is Brooklyn [against Kevin Owens at NXT Takeover]. But it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to think, in another fifteen years time, the odds are highly stacked in my favor about WrestleMania some day.”

    Check out the complete interview at SI.com.

  • Finn Balor Says He Doesn’t Want To Work On Main WWE Roster, Explains Why

    NXT Champion Finn Balor recently appeared as a guest on the PodNasty Wrestling Podcast to promote next weekend’s NXT Takeover: Brooklyn event. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

    On hitting his head on a ceiling panel during a recent NXT live event: “I’ve been seeing stars, but I think they were actual stars after going through the ceiling. When I walked into the building, I looked at the ceiling and said ‘that ceiling looks a little low, I better be careful later on.’ But of course in the heat of the moment, that’s the last thing I’m thinking about when I’m looking below on Solomon Crowe laying on the mat. So I jumped up, I was lucky it was a drop ceiling—it wasn’t solid and I kind of popped through it—a little bit of dust went in my hair, I came crashing down. I think it looked a lot worse than it was, no one was hurt seriously and we all lived to fight another day.”

    On his recent tease of working with Paul Heyman: “I’m a big admirer of Paul, and I’ve had a lot of conversations with Paul about what we could do potentially in the future but it’s all hypothetical at the moment. That was some incredible, incredible fan art that I’m very fortunate that people send me all the time and I like to publicize some of their work and that’s literally all that was. A lot of people read into it their own way, and I apologize for that. But who knows, I will be in Brooklyn for NXT Takeover, I believe SummerSlam is in Brooklyn the next night, I believe Raw is in Brooklyn the next night so I’ll be in Brooklyn. Who knows?”

    On not wanting to go to the main roster: “What we’re doing at NXT right now is groundbreaking. It’s revolutionary. For me, it’s like a Renaissance period in wrestling, and I want to be involved in NXT, I don’t want to go to the quote-unquote main roster, I don’t want to get called up, so to speak, because I believe that we at NXT are building something together that is going to be looked back on in 10 years the same way that we looked back on the ECW period as being revolutionary at that time, and this is something that I want to be involved in.”

    Check out the complete interview by clicking here.

  • Finn Balor Talks Dream Match Against Undertaker, NXT Takeover: Brooklyn & More

    NXT Champion Finn Balor recently spoke with Channel Guide Magazine to promote WWE SummerSlam weekend and the NXT Takeover: Brooklyn event. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

    On being NXT Champion: “Life hasn’t really changed as far as who I am. You still have to carry yourself day-to-day a certain way, whether you are NXT champion or not. So not much has changed, but the schedule has been hectic. I’ll admit that, but it is part of representing the company and what we are doing at NXT. That’s my responsibility now, and I’m happy to do it.”

    On his Ladder Match with Kevin Owens at Takeover: “I wouldn’t say there is a lot of added pressure. Obviously, what we did in Japan was viewed by a lot of people and was a great spectacle. For me personally, it was one of the highlights of my career. It couldn’t have gone any better. I spent eight years in Japan and made this unsure decision to actually move to WWE. That ran in my mind whether I should come. Then I went through a pretty difficult adaptation to not only the Performance Center, but Florida, U.S.A., WWE. It was all very uncertain. I kind of went through all that with Kevin.

    “Then a year later we return to [Ryougoku] Sumo Hall, the same building I had my first match in New Japan Pro Wrestling and the same arena I had my last match in New Japan. I invited all my friends. A year later I am back there with WWE and the NXT championship on the line live on the WWE Network. That story could not have been written any better. For some reason, going into TakeOver, the match feels so much bigger this time. I think it’s mainly due to the fact that in Tokyo it was a WWE show where TakeOver is an NXT show. We sold more than 13,000 tickets in Brooklyn. It’s NXT. We don’t just have a match or an act on the show. We are the show. We are excited to be in Brooklyn as a team, and we have to deliver.”

    On uncertainty when he first came to WWE: “There was a lot of uncertainty when I came here whether this was the right decision or wrong decision. There were some downs in the beginning and that swung around. I made my debut and got a little bit of my confidence back. Things have been on the up-and-up. Every child has played video games growing up and played WWE games. To be part of a video game, it’s an unbelievable experience. I got the opportunity to do all the motion capture with 2K. They were amazing. Then I’m shooting a game commercial with Arnold Schwarzenegger. I then get a call that I’m going to Comic-Con the next day. I get to Comic-Con, and they tell me we have action figures coming out. I didn’t even know I was meant to be in L.A. to be with Arnold. I flew to L.A. and meet Arnold Schwarzenegger and then go to Comic Con. They show me drawings of action figures they are doing this year. So to say things are surreal is a huge understatement. I’m almost pinching myself every day. I’m sitting here at home and there is one of my WWE NXT t-shirts sitting on my chair. I can’t even believe that. It’s been an incredible year, and I’m looking forward to what the future holds.”

    On NXT Head Coach Matt Bloom: “WWE realizes it can be difficult for foreigners to adjust to life here and have really been accommodating with that. I’m very grateful. I was helped by nearly everyone at the Performance Center, but one man I have to mention is Matt Bloom. We spent a lot of time together in New Japan. He came to Japan a few years prior to me. After his run with Tensai, he started coaching at the Performance Center. I must say if it wasn’t for him I’m not sure I would have lasted.

    “He took me in and got me settled in. He helped me get my driver’s license. He helped me adjust to life in the United States. He is now head coach at the Performance Center. I can’t speak more highly of Matt Bloom and the help he gave me. With regards to in-ring work, Terry Taylor worked with me closely and helping me to adapt my style in NXT. I’ve had a lot of help top-to-bottom and am grateful for everyone.”

    On a potential match against The Undertaker: “That would be a dream match for me to see Finn Bálor versus The Undertaker. It really doesn’t need to be explained more than that. I’ve been very fortunate to talk to Undertaker when I first came in here. We talked about entrances. He gave me a lot of advice that helps me to this day. So I’m very grateful for that. Maybe I’d play a couple of mind games with the Deadman. It would be a little bit fun.”

    Check out the complete interview at ChannelGuideMagBlog.com.

  • Luke Harper Talks About His “Dirty Shirts,” Wyatt Family’s Start In NXT & More

    WWE Superstar Luke Harper recently spoke with the Chad Dukes Wrestling Show to promote this month’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

    On The Wyatt Family matches with The Shield: “The first run or match with The Shield always stands out to me, our matches, our wars. The feeling was electric before we even touched and it was my family looking down the line and I’m looking across at three guys that were on top of the hill, the big dogs, and we knew they need to be knocked down. Since we had come to WWE, the Shield and the Wyatts were always on a path to meet, a path to see who was better, and if you look at the results the Wyatt Family actually came out of those quite well and will do it again in Summer Slam and for as long as the Shield boys want to keep doing it. ”

    On The Wyatt Family starting in NXT: “Basically, the Wyatt Family laid the bricks that the NXT house is now built on.”

    On if the tank-tops that he wrestles in are clean: “Obviously, I’m not a Neanderthal, I do do laundry, I am a human being. I can just not do laundry. That’s utterly ridiculous. I have several different shirts. I don’t know if that’s going to disappoint anybody out there, but I was I have a very rigorous warmup where I get a good sweat going before a match to prepare for battle. That is what people see, that is what people mistake for dirtiness.”

    Check out the complete interview at ChadDukesWrestlingShow.com.

  • Jake Roberts Slaps Indy Wrestler (Video), Samoa Joe Comments On NXT Takeover: Brooklyn

    – WWE Hall Of Famer Jake “The Snake” Roberts got physically involved during a recent independent wrestling event. Below is video footage that shows Roberts slapping independent wrestler JP Simms and then taking an RKO.

    – Samoa Joe tweeted the following about the upcoming NXT Takeover: Brooklyn special, which is scheduled for Saturday, August 22, 2015 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

  • Spoilers: 3 Weeks Of NXT TV Results – Huge Developments

    WWE taped 3 episodes of NXT TV on Thursday night from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. The first episode airs next week as the go-home show to Takeover: Brooklyn, the other 2 shows begin airing 2 weeks after Takeover, with a huge spoiler at the conclusion of the third taping (airing 9/2):

    August 19th Episode (Go-Home Show Before Takeover: Brooklyn):

    * Contract signing between Bayley and Sasha Banks opens the show.

    * Tyler Breeze defeats an enhancement talent.

    * Zack Ryder, Mojo Rawley, Enzo Amore and Big Cass defeated 4 of the new recruits.

    * Blake & Murphy defeated Angelo Dawkins and Sawyer Fulton.

    * Samoa Joe defeats Steve Cutler. After the match, Baron Corbin attacks Joe.

    * Kevin Owens cuts a promo on Finn Balor. Balor comes out and the two brawl and Finn gets the upperhand.

    August 26th Episode (Airing The Week After NXT TV From Brooklyn):

    * Sasha Banks defeated Gionna Daddio.

    * Rhyno & Baron Corbin defeated The Ascension.

    * Alexa Bliss defeated Blue Pants.

    * Apollo Crews defeated Alexander Wolfe.

    * Eva Marie defeated Billie Kay.

    * Jason Jordan & Chad Gable defeated Neville & Solomon Crowe

  • Sasha Banks Talks To Chris Jericho, NXT Preview For Tonight, More

    – The latest edition of Chris Jericho’s “Talk Is Jericho” podcast, which is available right now, features an interview with NXT Women’s Champion Sasha Banks. The official description for the episode reads as follows:

    “The current NXT Women’s Champion, Sasha Banks, sits down with Y2J to talk about her current title, her WWE debut, her break into wrestling, becoming “The Boss,” her “shared” Wrestlemania moment with Triple H, her cousin Snoop Dogg, and what she learned from Dusty Rhodes.”

    You can download the show at PodcastOne.com.

    – Jim Ross’ guest on next Tuesday night’s edition of “The Ross Report” podcast will be his former WCW announce partner Tony Schiavone. The show will be available at 9pm EST. at PodcastOne.com.

    – The following matches were taped on July 16th at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida for tonight’s edition of NXT TV on the WWE Network.

    * Solomon Crowe vs. Tye Dillinger
    * Baron Corbin vs. Axel Tischer
    * Finn Balor vs Marcus Louis
    * Becky Lynch vs. Bayley [No. 1 Contender to the NXT Women’s Championship]

  • Brian Kendrick Talks Training Eva Marie, His Work In NXT & More

    Brian Kendrick appeared as a guest on a recent edition of The Two Man Power Trip Of Wrestling Podcast to talk about training WWE Diva Eva Marie, his recent work in NXT and more. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

    On how he felt about his recent matches in NXT: “Those experiences were great. I got to wrestle a couple of buddies in the two matches I had down there, one with Sami Callihan (Solomon Crowe) the other with Fergal Devitt (Finn Balor) and both guys I knew before they were signed and both are guys that I am also a fan of just as people and as performers. To get asked to get to do these things was a lot of fun. It was a treat to get to wrestle such talented wrestlers.”

    On how the NXT cameo came about: “It was just a lot of luck. They brought me down just to go to the developmental system because I have a wrestling school out here in Los Angeles, it was a chance for me to get to go down to see how the Performance Center runs things for a week and observe some things. So they decided to throw me a dark match and of course I brought my gear because that’s what any good wrestler does and it just so happened that it fell into my lap.”

    On if his time at the Performance Center a tryout for future use as a trainer: “I guess it’s true in a sense but it wasn’t an official tryout. It was more of a come down and see how the system works. For me the whole point was to go down there and gain some knowledge as far as how they run things and the drills they do so I could prepare my wrestlers in a way that they won’t be completely caught off guard if they are lucky enough and work hard enough to somehow get an opportunity to perform at the Performance Center or get a tryout. It’s top notch. They’ve got something like five, six, seven rings. One of them is completely soft. So guys can try riskier stuff. They’ve got video rooms, they’ve got trainers on staff to both help you learn how to lift, trainers in a sense of medical care, they’ve got ice baths and all kinds of stuff. It’s as if you were going to any major NFL team or a baseball team it’s on that level.”

    On if NXT end up killing the independent scene: “I don’t think it’s going to kill it. To me it’s genius that they took a style, the “indy” style which is very high paced, high risk, high intensity style of match and are seeing how it works in front of a WWE audience. As far as I could tell, anyone who watches NXT is a repeat viewer, they can come back and watch more because they enjoy it. I don’t know if it is going to hurt Ring of Honor when people learn that Kevin Owens was a Ring of Honor superstar so if people have this knowledge I’m sure it can help Ring of Honor in a bizarre way. I think if Ring of Honor markets itself as a “stars of tomorrow” I think it could be unbelievable because all those stars that came out of Ring of Honor that move on to NXT are hot stuff.”

    On training Eva Marie and her progress as a performer: “She’s not the only one, they’ve sent a few women and they’ve sent the hopefuls to me but she’s the only one contracted. Having somebody that like her knows the system, where also she’ll be able to go on and wrestle, what you saw in NXT that was her first match since going to wrestling school. As proud as I was of it, hopefully people in the next few months will become a big fan of Eva Marie’s work and so the fact that they can come out of my school and go directly to TV for me on a selfish level I get more instant gratification that I get to see them come up quicker. At the same time, if I get to see one of my students, like a kid who came off the street who never knew anything about wrestling go onto to success I guess I would feel a different kind of pride since I saw them when they were wide eyed.”

    On who from WWE made the call to ask him to help out: “The call wasn’t made from him but the call was made to me from Mr. Regal because we have a relationship from years past. He is one of the guys who helped train me and so the office knows our connection and he is the one who dealt with me. But as far as I know, Eva told me that she went to the higher-ups and asked to learn and train and they said that there is a school in Los Angeles so that way she can still do all of her appearances and so they can keep her in LA. Also it’s a way to see if I know how to train or not.”

    Check out the complete interview at Podomatic.com.

  • Jim Ross Blog: Fan Attacking Roman Reigns, Taker/Lesnar Special, NXT Takeover

    WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently updated his official blog with his thoughts and opinions on a number of current topics. Below are some of the highlights.

    On the fan attacking Roman Reigns at a WWE show: “It takes a real idiot to get physically involved in a pro wrestling match as a ‘fan’ and I use that term loosely did in Victoria, B.C. with Roman Reigns over the weekend. I think the guy should have been jailed and not just banned for life from WWE events as how is that going to be legislated? The ignorant person is lucky this happened in this era and not in a previous generation or his penalty would have been handled on site, in the back of the arena, for better or for worse. Cowboy Bill Watts enjoyed being the judge, jury and executioner when unruly, often times inebriated fans got physical with the talents. These fans got assaulted, I’m not condoning this, and then they still went to jail.”

    On The Undertaker/Brock Lesnar WWE Network special: “Anxious to watch the Undertaker-Lesnar TV special that will air on the WWE Network after RAW. The four hour Summer Slam has two, primary bouts of major interest at this time with Taker vs. Brock being on top right before Cena vs Rollins, Title vs Title. I’m interested a great deal in both these main events and how they will be creatively addressed and how they may, or may not, impact Wrestlemania.”

    On NXT Takeover: Brooklyn selling out the Barclays Center: “Congrats to WWE NXT for selling out the Barclay Center in Brooklyn the night before Summer Slam and at the same time as our RINGSIDE w/ Jim Ross Show in NYC at the Gramercy Theater. NXT is an amazing success story that poses an interesting conundrum for WWE and that is how do they introduce all the young talents that are ready to be called up in a manner that is impactful and memorable? These ‘introductions’ are critical to the process. I’d estimate that approximately 14,000 fans will sell out the Barclay Center three nights in a row for WWE themed events which is an amazing accomplishment.”

    Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.

  • WWE Debuting New NXT Diva At NXT Takeover: Brooklyn Special On 8/22?

    As announced recently, The Vaudevillians (Aiden English and Simon Gotch) will be taking on Blake and Murphy for the NXT Tag-Team Championships at the NXT Takeover: Brooklyn event on Saturday, August 22, 2015, live on the WWE Network.

    The last time the duo earned a title shot, their victory was spoiled by NXT Diva Alexa Bliss, and as a result, there is speculation that one of the new NXT Divas will make their TV debut at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn event to even the odds between the two teams and make things more fair.

    WWE.com wrote the following teaser for the aforementioned tag-team match:

    “NXT General Manager William Regal granted the old school duo a championship rematch at the Barclays Center on Aug. 22, but suggested that English & Gotch find a way to counteract Alexa Bliss this time around. Can The Vaudevillians neutralize the ever-present threat of Alexa Bliss, or will Blake & Murphy manage to walk out of Brooklyn with the NXT Tag Team Championship? Find out at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn, live on WWE Network Saturday, Aug. 22 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT!”

  • NXT Diva Injured At Live Event In Orlando?

    During last night’s NXT live event in Orlando, Florida, it was noted that Billie Kay (formerly Jessie McKay) appeared to have suffered a broken nose during a tag team match.

    It’s noted that the match was stopped and PWInsider have explained that this was most likely a safety precaution as they say there was no serious injury, which was also confirmed by Kay herself on Twitter.

    The NXT Diva tweeted:

    https://twitter.com/BillieKayWWE/status/629846227417460737

  • WWE NXT Results – August 5th, 2015

     is just a number of weeks away and during last night’s episode of WWE NXT on the WWE Network, a number of new matches were confirmed.

    Below are the results from last night’s edition of WWE NXT:

    Bayley defeated Charlotte with a Bayley-to-Belly suplex from the top rope.

    An interview is aired with Michael Cole and Kevin Owens. Cole questions Owens’ apology to William Regal. Owens goes on to speak about why the NXT Title is so important explaining that it reminds him of what he did to Sami Zayn, and of course it adds money to his bank account. Owens reveals that he’s concerned that Regal might try to screw him over at Takeover and challenges Balor to a ladder match.

    Baron Corbin defeated Jesus De Leon with the End of Days

    Bayley is shown meeting with General Manager William Regal and asked for a title match against Sasha Banks. Regal signed Bayley vs. Becky Lynch for next week to determine the number one contender and the opponent for Sasha Banks at .

    Tyler Breeze defeated Aaron Solo with the Beauty Shot followed by a pin

    William Regal appears on stage following the match and announces that at , Tyler Breeze will take on Jushin Thunder Liger. A video package is aired.

    Another video package is aired showing Uhaa Nation, he confirms that he will debut at  under the name of Apollo Crews.

    Hype Bros defeated Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder via pinfall

    William Regal is backstage with the Vaudevillians and gives them a tag team title rematch at  with Blake & Murphy.

    Samoa Joe defeated Rhyno with the Muscle Buster in the main event of this week’s show

    Click here to see the current card for NXT Takeover: Brooklyn

  • Updated Lineup For NXT Takeover: Brooklyn Live Special (8/22)

    Following this week’s edition of NXT TV, below is an updated look at the scheduled lineup for NXT Takeover: Brooklyn, which airs live on the WWE Network on Saturday, August 22nd.

    NXT Championship
    (Ladder Match)
    – Finn Balor (c) vs. Kevin Owens

    NXT Tag-Team Championship
    – Blake & Murphy (c) vs. The Vaudevillians

    NXT Women’s Championship
    – Sasha Banks (c) vs. Bayley

    – Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Tyler Breeze

    – Samoa Joe vs. Baron Corbin

    – Apollo Crews (formerly known as Uhaa Nation) will make his NXT debut

    – Appearances by Hideo Itami and others are expected as well

  • Uhaa Nation’s New WWE Name, NXT TV Debut Date Revealed

    Former independent wrestling sensation Uhaa Nation, who recently signed with NXT, will be making his official debut with the promotion later this month.

    Uhaa Nation will now be known as “Apollo Crews” in NXT, and will debut at the Saturday, August 22nd NXT Takeover: Brooklyn event, which airs live on the WWE Network the night before WWE SummerSlam.

    As of right now, there is no official word regarding who Crews’ opponent will be at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn.