SEScoops

Category: NXT

  • Rolling Stone Announces Their WWE “Best Of The Rest Of The Half-Year” Awards

    Rolling Stone has released their WWE “Best of the Rest of the Half-Year” awards. They named Kevin Owens as the WWE Wrestler Of The Year so far in 2015.

    Below is a breakdown of the awards they released today.

    “In a matter of months, the father of two from Marieville, Quebec has not only stared down his potential but surpassed it, becoming a lynchpin of two promotions and building a character inspired by everything it took to get him to this point. Love him or hate him, you can’t deny his impact on the first six months of 2015 – or wonder how high he’ll climb by year’s end. It’s wrestling, folks. It’s Kevin Owens.”

    Here’s the rest of the “Best of the Rest of the Half-Year” awards:

    Runner-Up Wrestler: Roman Reigns

    Second-Best Heels: New Day

    Most Unavoidable Face Turn: Brock Lesnar

    Most Welcome Heel Turn: Tie: Sheamus/Naomi

    Least Exciting Heel Turn: Adam Rose

    Most Improved Wrestler: Nikki Bella

    Silliest Promos: Bray Wyatt

    Best Promos: Tie: John Cena/Kevin Owens

    Most Improved Promos: Ryback

    Worst Entrance Gimmick on Great New Main-Roster Wrestler: Neville

    Most Puzzling New Finisher: Seth Rollins, Pedigree

    Most Jaw-Dropping Finisher: Neville, Red Arrow

    Most Deserved Push: Prime Time Players

    Least Compelling Title Challenger: Big Show

    Most Stagnated Storyline: Rusev vs. Dolph Ziggler/Lana

    Best Briefly Resuscitated Storyline: Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins

    Most Unfortunate Injury: Tie: Daniel Bryan/Tyson Kidd

    Best PPV/WWE Network-Exclusive Event: WrestleMania

    Worst PPV/WWE Network-Exclusive Event: Tie: Payback/Royal Rumble

    Most Gratefully Non-Future-Endeavored: Woo woo woo! Zack Ryder

  • Previews For Tonight’s NXT, Lucha Underground, ROH & Impact Wrestling Shows

    – The special “Bell 2 Bell” edition of TNA Impact Wrestling on Destination America airs tonight headlined by EC3 vs. Jeff Jarrett for the TNA Title. Impact airs at 9pm EST. on Destination America, and the replay runs at 12am EST.

    – WWE’s NXT television show tonight on the WWE Network features Kevin Owens and Rhyno vs. Finn Balor and Samoa Joe. The show begins at 8pm EST.

    – Ring of Honor TV on Destination America has A.J. Styles vs. Adam Cole in what is said to be an extremely good main event. The show airs on Destination America immediately before Impact Wrestling.

    – Lucha Underground is on El Rey Network tonight at 8pm EST. The main event is Prince Puma (with Konnan) vs. Chavo Guerrero (with The Crew) in a no disqualification match for the Lucha Underground title. The stipulation for the match is that if Konnan interferes, then Chavo automatically becomes the new champion.

  • Sasha Banks On Being In WWE Forever, Main Eventing Philadelphia, And The Main Roster

    WWE NXT’s Women’s Champion Sasha Banks was featured on the Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast recently and the full interview can be seen in the video above.

    – Highlights from the interview include Sasha discussing what will happen when she makes it to the main roster and how women main eventing shows won’t be something that’s exclusive to NXT.

    – The NXT star also revealed that she believes WWE will be her future forever and that money isn’t a factor, she does this because she loves it, that’s why she worked the indies for free.

    – Sasha also spoke about being in the main event with Charlotte on the NXT show in Philadelphia and how she was shocked that they were trusted to be in that position.

    You can watch Sasha talk about all all that and more, including her cousin Snoop Dogg, the “boss” gimmick, times when she surprises herself, in the video above.

  • NXT Diva Bayley Injured (Photos), HBK & Bret Hart Talk About Their Friendship (Video)

    – Veteran wrestling journalist Bill Apter caught up with WWE Hall Of Famers Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels at the Legends Of The Ring convention. Below is a clip of Hart and Michaels talking about their friendship and how nice it is to work together these days.

    – NXT Diva Bayley did not work this weekend’s NXT live events due to a broken hand. Bayley had apparently been working with the injury for a while, however she is now in a cast, which she had fans signing at the events this weekend. You can check out the photos below.

  • Video: Nikki Bella Says She Wants Title Unification Match With NXT’s Sasha Banks

    At a recent convention, WWE Divas Champion Nikki Bella, along with her twin sister — WWE Diva Brie Bella — fielded questions from fans in attendance about a variety of topics.

    During the discussion, Nikki Bella revealed who she would like to defend her title against the most.

    “I would love to square off with Sasha Banks,” said Nikki. “Champ vs. champ, WWE Divas Champ vs. NXT Champ. (Kevin Owens and John Cena) beat us to it, I was so pissed. Hopefully after their run, we can have a run.”

    Brie added, “Charlotte, Bayley Sasha — there’s a lot of good ones down there [in NXT].”

    Nikki also spoke about working with some of the NXT talent during a show at Madison Square Garden.

    “Last year Nattie and I had a match with Sasha at Charlotte at MSG,” said Nikki. “It was awesome and really fun to work them. So I’m dying for some of those girls to get up here.”

    NEW PHOTO GALLERY: CONTROVERSIAL Pics Of RONDA ROUSEY In SKIMPY Outfits

  • Finn Balor Special To Air On The WWE Network

    Next Thursday, 2nd of July at 10:30pm EST, the WWE Network will air a 30-minute special looking at the career of WWE NXT superstar, Finn Balor.

    The special has been given the title of “Finn Balor: The Demon Revealed” and is described as “an in depth look inside the life, career and future of NXT Superstar Finn Balor.”

    It’s unclear at present whether or not this will be related to the short series that have been featured on WWE NXT the past few weeks as a lead in to the show in Japan next weekend.

    Next weekend, live on the WWE Network at 5:30am EST / 2:30am Pacific, from Tokyo, Finn Balor will challenge current NXT champion Kevin Owens.

  • NXT TV Results – June 25, 2015

    NXT TV Results
    Taped at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida
    Aired on June 25, 2015 on the WWE Network
    Report by ProWrestling.net

    The show opened with the entire NXT roster on the stage headed by Triple H. The words “The American Dream” were on the video wall and Dusty Rhodes’s image was on both side screens. Triple H delivered a short but meaningful speech discussing how the NXT family had lost one of their guiding lights. Triple H, the “NXT Kids,” and the rest of the Full Sail Arena stood in silence for a 10-bell salute to The Dream… The opening video played…

    Back inside the arena, Hideo Itami made his entrance in a suit with his arm in a sling. They threw to a replay of the parking lot clip where Itami sustained the injury. In the ring, an anonymous interviewer welcomed him back and said it’d be 3-4 month before he could compete again. Itami said he can’t wait to get back in the ring. The interviewer mentioned Itami’s recent PR trip to Japan for the July 4th show. Itami said it doesn’t matter who wins the NXT title match, Itami will beat them and become NXT Champion.

    NXT Champion Kevin Owens’s music hit and he made his way out onto the stage. The crowd loudly chanted “Fight Owens Fight” but there were a handful of boos as well. Owens said he’s happy to now Itami will be in Japan where he’ll get to see his kids and wife. Owens said it’s just too bad he can’t compete. Owens said that Itami will be there to watch him destroy Bálor. Owens said that it might be the meds that they’ve been giving Itami, and then he stumbled over the word delusional and quipped that he sounded like Itami trying to speak English. Owens again stated that he had nothing to do with Itami’s injury because if he did, Itami wouldn’t be here. He said he wants an apology for Itami calling him a bad person a few weeks ago.

    Itami said that Owens is a great champion, but a terrible human being. Owens said that if he’s going to get blamed for the injury, he might as well do something to deserve it. Owens pointed out that Itami still has one good arm and said he’s going to do something about that. As Owens began to head towards the ring, Finn Bálor attacked Owens. Bálor had Owens set up for a Coup de Grace off the stage, but Rhyno blindsided Bálor and then kicked him off the stage… [C]

    A replay showed the brawl between Bálor and Owens, as well as the subsequent attack from Rhyno. The commentators updated that the main event of the show would be Finn Bálor vs. Rhyno… Back in the arena, Enzo, Cass, and Carmella made their entrance. Enzo did his usual schtick and then Cass cut a really bad promo trying to incorporate all of the recently released movies. Even the homer crowd wasn’t feeling it. HE closed with the S-A-W-F-T lien for the save. Their opponents, Jason Jordan and his partner-of-the-week Sylvester Lefort were already in the ring.

    1. Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady (w/ Carmella) vs. Jason Jordan and Sylvester Lefort. Enzo and Cass were in control of Lefort early until Jordan blind-tagged himself into the ring and began to work Enzo over. Lefort and Jordan stayed in control until Enzo rolled up Jordan for the win out of nowhere.

    Enzo and Cass over Jordan and Lefort in about 2:30.

    A replay of last week’s brawl between Samoa Joe and Kevin Owens aired… Backstage, Samoa Joe yelled “Let them fight!” Joe said that he got the fight he wanted, but he didn’t get the fight he wanted because Owens is still standing. He repeated “I want Kevin Owens. Let me fight,” before walking off set… Dana Brooke was hyped in action next… [C]

    Back in the arena, Dana Brooke made her entrance accompanied by Evil Emma. Her opponent was already in the ring wearing an awful looking one-piece outfit with a skirt.

    2. Dana Brooke (w/ Emma) vs. Cassie. Cassie got a quick rollup attempt and a running headscissors in before Brooke hung her up on the middle rope and took control. Brooke hit a body slam and settled into a lengthy grounded bow and arrow lock. Cassie finally rought out and fired up with clotheslines and a running back spin kick in the corner, but Brooke caught her when she went to the top rope and then planted her with the Samoan Driver for the win…

    Dana “Brock” over Cassie in about 3:30.

    Backstage, Charlotte said that she doesn’t know what Dana Brooke’s problem is. She said she didn’t have any doors opened for her, she made the most of her opportunities. She was about to go off when she reconsidered and said that she’s going to give Dana her message personally… The commentators hyped the “Beast in the East” live special on July 4th before throwing to part 2 of Finn Bálor’s career recap video…

    The video opened with Sami Zayn coming over to Bálor’s condo. The big reveal was that Bálor loves to ply with Legos. Bálor discussed Legos in his sit-down interview which was spliced in with Bálor and Zayn’s lego discussion. After that, Matt Bloom (a/k/a Tensai/Bernard/Albert/A-Train) discussed his friendship with Devitt. They spliced in inters with both, a scene shot with them at Finn’s condo, and some hilarious pictures from Twitter. Bálor discussed their time in NJPW before showing off a NJPW jersey with the tags still on.

    Bloom gave an idiot’s guide to the NJPW dojo system and Bálor described how Japan became his second home and the most incredible chapter of his life. Bloom said that Devitt was an absolute superstar in Japan. Devitt discussed his time as Prince Devitt in NJPW and Bloom talked about putting out the feelers between Devitt and WWE. Becky Lynch talked about how huge Devitt signing with NXT was. Bloom said he has an incurable desire to be the best. Bálor recapped his time on the UK indies, in Japan, and closed by saying that his next journey had just begun. Part 3 was hyped for next week…

    Beast in the East was hyped… Corey Graves said that William Regal had ordered Bull Dempsey to get in better shape and then displayed a bunch of the recent fat-shaming Instagrams of Bull… Back in the arena, the Hype Bros made their entrance. Mojo is now donning eye-black and gauntlets on his wrists. Their opponents were already in the ring.

    3. The Hype Bros (Mojo Rawley and Zack Ryder) vs. Angelo Dawkins and Sawyer Fulton. Stuff happened and then Mojo hit his hammer time drop to no reaction. The amateur guys took control with the WGTT leapfrog spot. Ryder got the hot tag and ran through his paint-by-numbers comeback. Moments later, the Hype Bros hit the spinebuster/Rough Ryder combo for the win.

    The Hype Bros over Dawkins and Fulton.

    Zim Says: What a contrast. That Bálor/Devitt thing was the best and this Hype Bros thing is the worst. Oh, and the ladies match was fine but unspectacular. Except for Cassie’s gear. That has to go.

    William Regal was approached in his office by Eva Marie. Eva said that she’s been working really hard and Regal is the man who can give her a match in NXT. Regal said that she can’t just waltz in because the women’s division is setting the world on fire. Regal said that whenever Eva is ready to show him what she’s got, he’s ready to see… A Finn Bálor Demon vignette aired for July 4th…

    Back in the arena, Finn Bálor made his entrance for the main event. A replay aired of Rhyno Goring Bálor on the stage after their match three weeks ago and then attacking him earlier on this show. Kevin Owens’s music hit and he came out to join the commentary team. Bálor looked bothered by this and glared at Owens. Rhyno was out next in his new singlet with uncharacteristic Pink accents.

    4. Finn Bálor vs. Rhyno. The two came out brawling and went right after each other at the bell. Owens began to get frustrated with Saxton asking about attacking Itami before Bálor hit his flip dive over the ropes. For perhaps the first time, he did not appear to destroy his tailbone upon landing. Back in the ring, however, Rhyno halted the momentum and took control when he planted Bálor with a hard spinebuster.

    Owens and Saxton continued to go at it on commentary as Graves and Brennan tried to keep things on track. [C] Back in the ring, Bálor hit the ropes with several forearms and then connected with a diving missile dropkick for two. Owens continued to grow increasingly more agitated with the non-stop questions from Brennan and Saxton. Bálor set up his reverse Bloody Sunday, but Rhyno reversed with a Northern Light’s throw. Rhyno his repeating shoulder thrusts in the corner, but Bálor came back moments later with the Pele kick.

    Bálor rocked Rhyno with another high kick and went to the top rope, but Owens left the commentary table and walked down to ringside. Owens jumped up on the apron where he ate a dropkick from Bálor, but the opening was enough for Rhyno to hit the belly-to-belly. Bálor managed to avoid the Gore, however, and connected with the Slingblade. Bálor went up top and came down with the Coup de Grace for the win.

    Finn Bálor pinned Rhyno in about 8:00.

    Afterwards, Owens ran in and attacked Bálor. Owens and Rhyno put a beatdown on Bálor until Samoa Joe ran out to make the same. Owens and Rhyno hit the ramp as Joe and Bálor held the ring to close the show.

    BRAND NEW PHOTO GALLERY: Ronda Rousey In Skimpy Bikinis & Tight Outfits

  • EVOLVE Issues Statement Regarding Johnny Gargano’s NXT Debut

    EVOLVE issued the following statement in response to indy star Johnny Gargano competing against Uhaa Nation at last night’s NXT TV tapings from Full Sail University.

    They noted that Gargano is still under contract with WWN and will be returning to Evolve in New York this summer.

    “Johnny Gargano wrestled Uhaa Nation at last night’s NXT taping in a dark match. Watch their first ever match at EVOLVE 27 here. We are very happy that WWE gave Gargano this opportunity. We have all traveled the road with Gargano and watched him go from the pre-show FRAY! on the first ever DGUSA event to his historic reigns as DGUSA Champion. If there is ever a WWN Hall Of Fame, Gargano is sure to be on the first ballot. It is only with your support that Gargano has accomplished all these things. Gargano remains under WWN contract. He will return to EVOLVE in New York on August 15th and 16th. We can already announce one of the huge matches he will be involved in that weekend. After what happened at EVOLVE 44, it’ll be Gargano vs. Ethan Page in an Anything Goes Match at EVOLVE 47 in Queens, NY at La Boom.”

  • NXT TV Results – June 17, 2015

    NXT TV Results (6/17/15)
    Report by ProWrestling.net

    A graphic aired dedicating the show to Dusty Rhodes and his tribute video package played. I’ve seen it a dozen times now and it still gets me… The opening music video aired…

    In the NXT Arena, Enzo Amore, Colin Cassady, and Carmella made their entrance. Enzo did their usual schtick and the crowd did it along with him as always. Enzo game his team Star Wars nicknames beforee handing the mic off to Carmella who called Blake and Murphy pigs. She said Alexa Bliss was about to get dissed, disfigured, and then dismissed. Carmella inexplicably called Bliss “Felecia.” Cass spelled it out for us to close, but Blake and Murphy’s music interrupted and the tag champs made their entrance along with Alexa Bliss.

    1. Enzo Amore, Colin Cassady, and Carmella vs. NXT Tag Champions Blake, Murphy, and Alexa Bliss. The crowd chanted “you look stupid” at the braided-pigtailed Blake, but he got the better of Enzo out of the gate. Enzo was taken down after a second exchange, but moments later he mounted a comeback with a Dusty-esque hip swivel in there somewhere. Things broke down and resulted in the babyface holding the ring and delivering the “S-A-W-F-T” line that they didn’t finish earlier. [C]

    Back from break, the heels took control of Enzo and began to work him over in their half of the ring. Blake and Murphy used a Poetry in Motion back elbow in the corner and continued to get the heat on Enzo.Moments later, they went back to the well but Enzo avoided and made the hot tag to Carmella. Carmella ran wild on on Bliss for a short time, but Bliss scurried back to her corner and tagged out.

    Blake came in, but so did Cass. Cass went on a roll with Stinger splash, a big boot, and a huge sidewalk slam before Enzo came off the top with a diving splash for the win…

    Enzo, Cass, and Carmella beat Blake, Murphy, and Alexa Bliss in about 6:45.

    Still-shots recapped John Cena’s win over Kevin Owens at Money in the Bank and Owens’s subsequent attack… Backstage, Devin Taylor asked if Samoa Joe came to NXT to specifically target Kevin Owens. Joe said that its a complicated thing. He said he always tries to be on the cutting edge and at the forefront of the big movements in wrestling. He said that’s NXT right now. He said that as far as Kevin Owens goes, he just doesn’t like him. He said that intimidation is a tactic of the weak and cowardly; of a man who doesn’t want to fight. Joe said that tonight he’s going to beat the NXT Champion unmercifully… A Finn Bálor video package was hyped up next… [C]

    A hype video aired for Finn Bálor. It played along to his music and featured cuts of him making his cool entrances before it settled into him doing a sit-down interview. The interviewer asked “Who is Fergal Devitt?” Bálor discussed his family and his upbringing as photos flashed on the screen. They got into how he discovered wrestling – WWE – as a child and set his sights on being a wrestler with no alternatives in mind. Video from Insane Championship Wrestling showed clips from early Devitt matches and he discussed how he helped to build up the UK wrestling scene.

    Becky Lynch was sitting down and discussed how Feral Devitt was the one person who changed her life more than anybody else had. She broke down and said that if Feral hadn’t taken her under the wing, she wouldn’t have gotten into the business let alone make it to WWE. Becky and Feral were shown chatting on the ring at the WWEPC and Becky continued to tell her story of training with Devitt. Dewitt admitted that he had no business training anybody at the time and he doesn’t even want to take credit; he said she deserves the credit. Becky said he’s the most down-to-Earth and humble guy she’s ever met and yet this is what he was born to do.

    More ICW footage aired with more intensity and now including clips of latter-day painted Devitt. Devitt discussed being scouted for NJPW and they aired footage of him giving his goodbye speech when he was leaving for WWE and played it up like that was his goodbye speech for going to Japan. It ended and Part 2 was hyped for next week… Charlotte was hyped to be in action next… [C]

    Back in the arena, Charlotte made her entrance. Her opponent, the former KC Cassidy, was already in the ring. She was not introduced.

    2. Charlotte vs. Cassie. Before long, Tom Phillips on commentry began referring to her as “Cassie.” Charlotte was in control through most of the match, grounding Cassie early and continuing her assault with some new, dirtier tactics including bootlaces across the face while distracting the ref. Charlotte hit a big boot settled into a cravat before Cassie made a brief comeback with a running cross body. Before long, Charlotte hit her spinning neckbreaker, killed Cassie with a spear, and then locked in the Figure-Eight for the tap-out win.

    Charlotte over Cassie in about 3:50.

    The commentators reminded viewers that Charlotte still has her sights set on Dana Brooke and Emma, before throwing backstage to Devin Taylor who was with Dana Brooke. Brooke cut Devin off and bragged about competing in the Arnold Classic in Brazil. She said she’s back and that’s great for fans but bad for Charlotte. She said Charlotte is being replaced by “The Total Diva.” She said some people earn their way to the top rather then using their family name. She promised to shove Charlotte right through the door she came in through and then patted Devin on the head before taking off… The main event was hyped up next… A Finn Bálor Demon vignette aired…

    Back in the arena, NXT Champion Kevin Owen made his entrance. Samoa Joe was out next to his goofy music.

    4. NXT Champion Kevin Owens vs. Samoa Joe in a non-title match. Owens ducked out of the ring as always, but Joe didn’t let him breathe as he followed right after him and got face-to-face which seemingly convinced Owens to get in the ring and do this thing. Joe backed Owens into the corner but Owens yelled that he’s the champ, which led to Joe firing off rapid jabs to the face of Owens. Joe dropped him with a hard back-elbow, but Owens stunned Joe with a jawbreaker. Owens hit a hard clothesline in the corner, but Joe followed him across the ring with a receipt back elbow and the twisting enziguri.

    Joe washed his boot across Owens’s face in the corner and then his a running face wash to cap it off. Owens slipped out to ringside as the show went into a break. [C] Back in the ring, Owens had somehow taken control and began to work Joe over. Owens connected with the corner cannonball and a jumping senton, but Joe kicked out at one. Owens settled into a lengthy chinlock and quelled a comeback attempt before going right back to the hold. The crowd chanted “headlock city.”

    Joe began to fade, but the crowd rallied and Joe finally broke free with shots to the mid-section. Owens got cocky and Joe began to roll with a big jumping senton of his own. Joe fired off shots and landed a big running kick to the head. Joe hoisted Owens to the top turnbuckle looking for his finish, but Owens fought out. Owens charged across the ring, but Joe spiked him to the mat with the STJoe. Owens ducked out to ringside and Joe followed, but Owens sent him head-first into the ringpost. Owens yelled “get the stretcher” before setting up the apron powerbomb. Joe broke free and the two just began to trade blows at ringside. The ref couldn’t break it up so he called for the bell.

    Kevin Owens fought Samoa Joe to a no-contest in about 10:00.

    The two continued to brawl and the referee locker room emptied and they tried to contain the fight. They were briefly separated before Joe charged back down the ramp into the ring and sparked things off again. Geeks in NXT shirts ran out from backstage and also tried to keep the two separated to little success. They broke free and continued brawling multiple times before Owens finally left the ring to retrieve his title belt. Owens dropped a few of the geeks for good measure on his way out of the ringside area. The show closed with Owens clutching the NXT Championship at the top of the ramp.

  • WWE About To Sign Several More “Samoa Joe Types” To NXT?

    WWE is currently discussing the possibility of bringing in additional part-time talent, such as Samoa Joe and Rhyno, for their NXT brand.

    Internally, WWE is looking at their plans for 2016 lately and the feeling is most of their current top stars in NXT, such as Finn Balor, Sami Zayn, Hideo Itami, Tyler Breeze, Sasha Banks, Charlotte and Becky Lynch, by all rights should be on the main roster by then, meaning they will need to replace those top spots on NXT shows.

    WWE is looking to secure enough high-profile independent talent to fill what is expected to be several open top spots to carry a full NXT card, which will be tough to do if the aforementioned talent move up to the main roster and the current trainees aren’t ready to move up within the developmental system.

    According to one source, this is the reason that WWE has been negotiating with Evolve about a “feeder system” or a “farm league” system that would include merchandise deals and other business agreements that would help them avoid the situation they recently found themselves in with Kevin Owens’ recent Ring Of Honor merchandise.

    (Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

  • Neville On Creating Red Arrow Finisher, Vince’s Opinion Of NXT Talent & More

    WWE Superstar Neville recently appeared as a guest on Ring Rust Radio to talk about a number of subjects. Below are some highlights from the interview.

    On making the move to the main roster: “I think NXT prepared me for Raw and Smackdown more than I ever could have hoped for. I was with NXT for about two years, so by the time I debuted on Raw I felt very much ready. There was a level of concern but I was lucky in the sense that I got the chance to wrestle some of the top guys early on. Guys like Seth Rollins, Sheamus, and more recently John Cena. So it was a concern that I wouldn’t get those types of opportunities when I came in but I was fortunate enough to get them and grab them. I was very happy in the way I transferred and the opportunities I got.”

    On his U.S. Open Challenge match against John Cena: “That match was huge for me. It was very surreal to be standing across the ring from John Cena on Monday Night Raw. I think it really did a lot for me. It was a real opportunity I needed and John is a WWE Superstar. He has been the top guy in the WWE for years and years. So the fact that I had that opportunity and went toe to toe with him was amazing. It put me in front of the eyes of the WWE Universe and the world. That was a really cool experience, it was so much fun and it was priceless.”

    On surprising a young WWE fan on the Meredith show and the best part of being a WWE Superstar: “That’s the most rewarding thing for me to reach out to the kids. It’s really crazy but it’s the most important thing we do. I really didn’t expect that reaction like everyone gave me being on the Meredith Vieira show. I was sitting in the pit in back, and it made me realize how important what we do really is. That’s the most important thing is how we reach the WWE Universe and how we inspire people in their life. If I can do that and be given the chance to do it, it’s really the best thing we do.”

    On how working the indie scene helped him before coming to NXT: “The landscape is completely changing and I love it. The way things are working out and the opportunities people I grew up with are getting. I feel the independent scene is important and it fueled my passion for four years. It taught me the life lessons that helped make me who I am today and helped me on the path I followed to living my dream job every day. The independent scene is hugely important and the roads you travel in it shape you. My career path is the best I could have hoped for and that’s thanks to independent wrestling and territories across the world.”

    On how he came up with his Red Arrow finisher: “The Red Arrow took a long time to come together and I wanted to make a move that was unique to myself. It’s a move I built up with building blocks. I wanted to do a corkscrew moonsault backwards, so I had the idea of doing it forwards like the shooting star corkscrew, and I was aware no one else did that in wrestling. If I could perfect this technique it would be unique to me. So it took a long time and me putting these building blocks together and had to come over the fear involved. Eventually, I nailed it and knew it was going to be my own. It’s been my move now for a long time, about six or seven years now I’ve been using the Red Arrow.”

    On how he feels Vince McMahon looks at NXT talent: “It’s hard to say with Vince being super busy with the main brands and PPVs. I don’t know how much time he has to see NXT. I know the guys like the Shield and the Wyatts who go through NXT and found success on Raw and SmackDown paved the way for more movement from NXT to the main roster. It’s really hard to say for definite to be honest.”

    You can listen to the audio of the complete interview above.

  • Previews For Tonight’s NXT, Lucha Underground, ROH & Impact Wrestling Shows

    It’s Wednesday and that means we’ve got another action-packed night of wrestling from 4 of the top promotions in the world. Highlights for tonight include Samoa Joe vs. Kevin Owens on NXT (non-title), Prince Puma vs. Johnny Mundo on Lucha Underground and Hiroshi Tanahashi in action for Ring of Honor.

    Here’s a preview for all 4 of tonight’s shows:

    WWE NXT On The WWE Network (8pm EST)

    – NXT Champion Kevin Owens vs. Samoa Joe (Non-Title)

    – Enzo Amore, Big Cass & Carmella vs. Wesley Blake, Buddy Murphy & Alexa Bliss

    – The Vaudevillians versus Jason Jordan and Mikaze

    – Charlotte versus KC Cassady

    Lucha Underground On The El Rey Network (8pm EST)

    – Lucha Underground champion Prince Puma vs. Johnny Mundo

    Ring Of Honor On Destination America (8pm EST)

    – Contract signing for ROH Champion Jay Briscoe and Jay Lethal for Friday’s “Best in the World” PPV.

    – Tanahashi & Naito vs. Matt Sydal & A.C.H.

    – The Decade vs. War Machine.

    – Cedric Alexander vs. Moose.

    TNA Impact Wrestling On Destination America (9pm EST)

    – Contract signing for TNA Champion Kurt Angle and Ethan Carter III’s match on the July 1st Impact.

    – TNA Tag Title Series continues with The Wolves vs. Austin Aries & Bobby Roode.

    – Brooke & Awesome Kong vs. The Dollhouse

    – Magnus calls out James Storm.

    – Bram calls out a past TNA star.

    – Chris Melendez makes a “declaration of war” against Eric Young.

    – Jessie Godderz vs. D.J. Zema.

  • Kevin Owens vs. Samoa Joe Tonight, Jericho Interviews Vanilla Ice, Austin/Jim Ross

    – 1990s hip-hop star Vanilla Ice is the guest on the latest edition of Chris Jericho’s “Talk Is Jericho” podcast, which also features Jericho’s thoughts and memories of the late Dusty Rhodes. You can download the show right now at PodcastOne.com.

    – WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross joined fellow legend “Stone Cold” Steve Austin on his latest “Steve Austin Show” to talk about the life and times of “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes. You can download that show at PodcastOne.com as well.

    – WWE posted the following teaser video for tonight’s edition of NXT, which features the anticipated showdown between NXT Champion Kevin Owens and Samoa Joe.

  • Daniels Talks ROH On Destination America, Samoa Joe & Kevin Owens To WWE

    Ring Of Honor star Christopher Daniels recently appeared as a guest on The Rack podcast. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

    On his upcoming dream tag team match with Kazarian vs AJ Styles and Samoa Joe: “Absolutely. We’ve traveled together; myself, Frankie, Joe and AJ, in one way, shape or form, the four of us have traveled and shared locker rooms for more than a decade but this will be the first time, and now the only time, all four of us will have ever been in the same match. So, I know I’m looking forward to it, Frankie is looking forward to it and I know that, more importantly, the Ring of Honor fan base is looking forward to it.”

    On if there is any pressure on them to make this a good match: “Yeah, definitely that; I think the pressure that is there is self-inflicted. We know what we are capable of, Frankie and I know how good of a tag team we are and we know that despite that Joe and AJ don’t really tag much together or aren’t considered a full time tandem, we know how good they are as well, so I know how good we can make this match. So, any pressure we have is completely self-inflicted and self-imposed by us. We want to go out there and make a match that people are going to remember for years and I think there’s definitely, now that Joe’s future is more concrete, it’s good to know that this will be the last Ring of Honor match that he’ll have and it’s a way for the three of us to send him off.”

    On if he’s happy for Samoa Joe signing with the WWE: “I’m thrilled for him, I’m happy for him and I’m glad that he’s sort of paving a way for a lot of different people, I think; in the next year or so, there’s going to be a lot of people that are modeling that same leap and, truthfully, Joe wasn’t the first one. When Kevin Owens went to the WWE, or when Finn Balor went to the WWE, I feel like there’s a lot more guys that will be brought to the WWE, either through NXT or directly to the main roster. I think there’s going to be a lot of guys who’ve been on the independents that have been honing their craft for a while and will finally get that opportunity to be there. So, I’m thrilled for him, Joe’s been one of my best friends for a long time and you can’t help but to be happy and be proud of someone who has worked as hard as he has to finally get that opportunity to show the world, on the main stage, what kind of professional wrestler he is.”

    On if we will ever see The Fallen Angel in the WWE: “I’ve never said never; right now I’m full-time committed to Ring of Honor but I don’t know what the future holds in terms of that. All I can say is wait and see.”

    On his thoughts of Kevin Owens and his transition to the WWE: “I think he’s doing just fine. I’d be hard-pressed to find someone who debuted on the WWE main roster as successfully as he had in the past 10 years I think. I mean, name anyone whose first WWE match, main roster match, was a pinball victory over John Cena; I think you’d be hard-pressed to find someone, other than Kevin, who does that.”

    On if he feels he had more freedom in the ring with Ring of Honor over TNA: “I think so. I think both Frankie and I, both of us, have been given the freedom to do what we do best and especially in the past few months with the angle with the KRD and what’s happened with us and the World Tag Team Championships, I feel like we’re finally able to show what we do best and with such a deep tag team roster like ReDRagon and the Young Bucks and Roppongi Vica and The Decade, there’s a lot of fresh matches for us as the Tag Team Champions and us as heels again. I feel that there are a lot of possibilities for great match-ups and I’m looking forward to all of them.

    For the Best in the World Pay Per View, (we have) a No-Disqualification Match; we’ve had a lot of matches with ReDRagon already, but I feel like that the story has turned with us as the Champions, I feel that there’s a whole new chapter we can write and those guys are one of the best tag teams in the world and I feel like we are a great antagonist for those guys, so no matter what happens on June 19th, I feel like there’s a lot more we can do with the with story as well between The Addiction and ReDRagon.”

    On his thoughts on ROH’s deal with Destination America and if he is excited with the news: “Absolutely, I feel that one of the things that I wanted to see happen in coming back to Ring of Honor was, as strong as the syndication with Sinclair has been, I felt that one of the difficulties was trying to tell people a set uniform time and date that Ring of Honor could be on. Usually, you’d say ‘check your local listings’ but now we can tell people, if you want to watch Ring of Honor, go to Destination America on Wednesdays at 8:00 pm. So, I feel like we’ve opened up a lot of new eyes to our product in addition to the amount of eyes we had through syndication, I just feel like this opened up more doors for us and gets a lot more people aware of us and that’s definitely a great thing for Ring of Honor.”

    Check out the complete interview at WildTalkRadio.com.

  • Neville Talks “Mighty Mouse” Character Rumors, His Red Arrow Finisher, MITB & More

    WWE Money In The Bank 2015 ladder match participant Neville recently spoke with the PodNasty Wrestling podcast. Below are some highlights from the interview.

    On who he’d like to have long-term feuds with: “I’d love to, at some point, mix it up with Cesaro. Cesaro’s a guy I’ve wrestled a few times in NXT and a guy who I’ve known for a long time. I feel like we certainly bring out the best in each other.

    “Daniel Bryan is a guy I’d like to mix it up with at some point, Tyson Kidd Kevin Owens–you know we have a lot of history in NXT–and he’s another guy I’ve known for a long time so there’s so many different options.”

    On why he named his finisher the Red Arrow: “The Red Arrows are the acrobatic division of the Royal Air Force in England,” said Neville

    “I remember as a kid we would go and watch the Red Arrows–and I thought it was similar to British wrestlers and the fact that the acrobatic division–I thought it was one of those cool little nods to my background.”

    On who will win in the John Cena-Kevin Owens rematch tonight: “It’s certainly a very exciting time for Kevin, coming up representing NXT, and John representing Raw and SmackDown, so it’s hard to choose. I think if I had to choose I’d go with John this time because I know Kevin got one over on him last time.”

    On Mighty Mouse gimmick rumors: “There’s no truth in [The Mighty Mouse rumors] actually,” said Neville.

    “I guess I was just more surprised than anything. Sometimes you get the wildest things just pop up and that was one of those things behind it that it was funny at the time I guess.”

    On how he came up with the Red Arrow finisher: “I’ve been doing the backflip, or the corkscrew moonsault, so I guess I had an idea of doing a full one with the shooting star press so it kind of came from building block by block.

    “I knew that was something that nobody else did so I wanted to kind of put my trademark on it and try to make it my own.”

  • WWE Teases Samoa Joe vs. Finn Balor, Coverage Of Dusty Rhodes Tributes At NXT Show

    – CBS Pittsburgh has an article on the Dusty Rhodes tributes at the NXT live event in Pittsburgh on Thursday evening. For what it’s worth, there were several tributes at the NXT live event in Cleveland the next night as well. For coverage of the Pittsburgh tributes, check out CBSLocal.com.

    – WWE did the first tease of a Samoa Joe vs. Finn Balor match at the NXT live event in Cleveland on Friday. After NXT Champion Kevin Owens defeated Joe, Balor and Tyler Breeze in the main event, Joe and Finn had a staredown in the ring. The fans popped huge for the spot, however they never went any further than a staredown.

  • Neville On Why It’s Bittersweet To Be Called Up To Main Roster, Dusty Rhodes

    WWE Superstar Neville recently spoke with Brian Fritz of The Sporting News to discuss the passing of the legendary Dusty Rhodes. Below are some highlights from the interview.

    On promos and Dusty Rhodes: “Obviously I have a very strong accent that a lot of people can’t understand. I don’t think I’m naturally a promo guy but being in NXT and working with Dusty Rhodes who has really helped me tenfold with my promo work and my speaking and I feel like that really prepared me. In essence, doing that on Raw is no different that doing it at NXT or an NXT live event or wherever. It’s just about being prepared and working with Dusty really prepared me for that.”

    On NXT: “Obviously, you stay in contact with the WWE always with the goal to be on Raw and Smackdown. But NXT was a very special period of my life and I’m very proud of what we all did down in NXT. Now to see the brand that NXT is and is going to become in the near future, it was really bittersweet to move up. NXT will always be a time in my life that I’ll think very fondly of.”

    Check out the complete interview at SportingNews.com.

  • Video: WWE Pays Tribute To Dusty Rhodes At NXT Live Event In Pittsburgh

    WWE paid tribute to the late Dusty Rhodes, who passed away at age 69 this week, at the NXT live event in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Thursday night. Prior to the start of the show, William Regal came out and they did a ten-bell salute for “The American Dream.”

    After the ten-bell salute, the rabid NXT fans broke out into a loud Dusty Rhodes chant. Triple H posted a clip of the crowd chanting for Dusty last night, which you can check out below.

  • Kevin Owens Talks About John Cena Being His Sons Hero, Stepping On U.S. Title

    NXT Champion Kevin Owens recently appeared as a guest on the Chad Dukes Wrestling Show. Below are some highlights from the interview.

    On his success so far in WWE: “I went into NXT with no expectations. That’s what I was told when I was hired, have no expectations, just do the best I could, and that’s always what I’ve done for the last fifteen years. That’s what I did and you know it’s obviously working out pretty good.”

    On wrestling his son’s hero and its influence on his signing with WWE: “My son’s a big John Cena fan and obviously a big fan of mine who is very proud of everything I’m accomplishing. A big reason why I signed with WWE in the first place was because my son wanted to see me wrestle in WWE and he wanted to see me wrestle John Cena. So now he gets to see it. I don’t know if he realized what it would entail, it would entail me beating up John Cena and John Cena trying to beat me up. I’m sure it is a bit of conflicting feelings here and there for him but he’s proud of everything that’s happening and he’s really loving you know seeing me on WWE TV every week.”

    On stepping on the United States Title: “I think every single title in WWE means a lot. Me stepping on the United States Championship wasn’t meant to disrespect the title itself but I think that the title I have is the most important in WWE because I have it. Whether it’s the NXT title or the United States title or the Intercontinental title or the World title, if I have that title then that’s the most important one. That’s all I was trying to illustrate by stepping on the United States title. For me the NXT title is what it’s all about because that’s the one I have, that’s just the way I think. Who knows what’ll happen in the future, who knows what title I’ll be competing for a few months from now but whatever title I’m going for is obviously going to be the most important to me because that’s the one I’m trying to get.”

    On John Cena: “Anybody who says that he’s not a very good professional wrestler and a very good performer all around is kidding themselves. I know he gets a lot of years a lot of hate from a lot of people for various reasons, but anybody who denies the talent, John Cena’s talent in the ring is really in denial. He’s a fantastic competitor and you know if it wasn’t made evident by the match and we had at Elimination Chamber it’s going to be made evident again by the match we have at Money in the Bank. I feel like we brought out the best in each other at Elimination Chamber and we’re going to do it again this Sunday but there’s no way I’m leaving Columbus as anything but a winner.”

    Check out the complete interview at ChadDukesWrestlingShow.com.

  • Bill DeMott Explains NXT Firing, WWE Honors Dusty Rhodes, Jim Ross

    – On the latest edition of Chris Jericho’s “Talk Is Jericho” podcast, which is available right now, former NXT head trainer Bill DeMott tells his side of the story regarding the controversy that led to his firing earlier this year. You can download the show at PodcastOne.com.

    – The latest installment of Jim Ross’ “Ross Report,” which is also available right now at PodcastOne.com, JR interviews street fighting legend turned MMA competitor Kimbo Slice. Slice talks to Ross about his upcoming Bellator 138 bout against former WWE Superstar and UFC Hall Of Famer Ken Shamrock.

    – To honor the late Dusty Rhodes, who passed away earlier this week at age 69, WWE has uploaded several clips and matches from “The American Dream’s” past to their official YouTube channel. You can check out the videos at YouTube.com.

  • WWE Working On New Strategic Partnership With WWN, EVOLVE & SHINE

    As reported last night, WWE is unhappy with Ring Of Honor and Figures Inc. releasing a Kevin Steen action figure before they could release their own Kevin Owens figure, and as a result, WWE is looking to create a pipeline to independent talent to come directly to NXT — with a merchandise agreement — before they can be scooped up by Ring Of Honor or TNA Wrestling.

    WWE is reportedly working with WWN, the parent company of EVOLVE and FIP, and as part of their potential deal they would have WWN continue to sign top independent talents to deals that would now include licensing and merchandise agreements, this way WWE can bring the talent to NXT and they won’t have to worry about the hassle of trying to secure the different rights from other third parties.

    There’s talk right now within WWE that if an independent talent has signed a third party merchandising deal with any kind of exclusivity, WWE wouldn’t be interested in signing them, however they are always exceptions to the rule for significant talent.

    Additionally, WWE is looking to work with the Florida-based SHINE Wrestling promotion, WWN’s all-women’s wrestling company. The idea is that because WWE pushes the NXT Divas division, they are interested in having a pool of female talent that they can have “official access” to for potential use in NXT.

    The basic idea is that WWE would be able to pick up and sign any WWN talents without outside hassles, although the deal is apparently nowhere close to being finalized and there’s no guarantee that it will go through, however talks are ongoing between both sides.

    (Credit: PWInsider.com)

  • Previews For Tonight’s NXT, ROH, Lucha Underground & TNA Shows

    The following are previews for tonight’s NXT, ROH, Lucha Underground and TNA shows:

    NXT On The WWE Network (8 PM EST)

    – Samoa Joe vs. Scott Dawson.
    – Zack Ryder and Mojo Rawley vs. Mike Rallis and Elias Samson.
    – Emma vs. Blue Pants
    – Tyler Breeze vs. Bull Dempsey
    – Becky Lynch vs. Jessie McKay
    – Baron Corbin vs. Angelo Dawkins

    Ring Of Honor On Destination America (8 PM EST)

    – ROH Tag Team champions The Addiction vs. ReDragon
    – IWGP Tag Team champions The Kingdom vs. Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson.
    – Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Dalton Castle
    – “Brutal” Bob Evans vs. Cheeseburger

    Lucha Underground On The El Rey Network (8 PM EST)

    – Cage vs. King Cuerno vs. Hernandez vs. Mystery Opponent (#1 Contender’s Match)
    – The returns of Chavo Guerrero and Blue Demon Jr.
    – A big announcement from Dario Cueto

    TNA Destination X On Destination America (9 PM EST)

    – TNA champion Kurt Angle vs. Rockstar Spud.
    – Austin Aries vs. The Winner of Angle vs. Spud
    – TNA Knockouts champion Taryn Terrell vs. Awesome Kong
    – Low Ki vs. Manik vs. Crazzy Steve (Ultimate X Qualifier)
    – Cruz vs. Grado vs. Kenny King (Ultimate X Qualifier)
    – Tigre Uno vs. Mark Andrews vs. DJ Zema Ion (Ultimate X Qualifier)
    – Ultimate X to determine new X Division champion

  • Alexa Bliss On Being Influenced By Trish Stratus, Emulating Rey Mysterio & More

    NXT Diva Alexa Bliss recently spoke with 614Columbus.com to promote this week’s NXT live event in her hometown. Below are some highlights from the interview.

    On what she’s learned about wrestling that she didn’t know before entering the business: “When I watching wrestling, I watched it for more of the moves and to see the drama of the show, but when you actually start wrestling, there’s so much that goes into it. It’s an artform. It’s a lifestyle, it’s an art that you have to master and there’s just so much to learn. You can do it for years and years and years, and still learn new things every single day. It’s seriously one of the most fascinating things I’ve ever participated in…[getting started] I had no idea what to expect. It was like, ‘Whoa, this is all happening so fast.’ I get down here. My first day, I watch practice. My second day, I learn how to do bumps [Ed. note: falling correctly to limit injuries]. I just remembered watching wrestling thinking, ‘I wonder if that ring really is as hard as it looks.’ It is. [laughs] It really is. It’s not soft. I remember taking bumps and being like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ I called my mom. I was laying on a bed of ice telling her how much pain I was in. I was just like, ‘My body is not prepared for this, and she’s like, ‘Well, you wanted to be a Diva!’ [laughs].”

    On saying she emulates Rey Mysterio and who else she has studied: “Trish Stratus for sure. I really liked watching her. Me and my family loved the Hardyz and Lita. I tried to have a little bit of snappiness to my moves like Lita did, but mostly, I really liked watching Rey and how he moved because of his size. I knew if I ever wanted to do this, I was probably not going to be the tallest gal or the biggest one in the ring. I really looked up to Trish because she was also a smaller framed girl. I believe my size actually helps me because I like to go for the element of surprise [Laughs] where people don’t expect much of me because of my size and stature. I like to shock people as well with the over-the-top personality.”

    On why she chose pro wrestling instead of a sports or entertainment field: “It was because I felt like I was kind of at home. [Wrestling] was something that me and my family always got together and bonded over, so when the opportunity came, I was like, ‘That’s what I should be doing.’ If any other opportunity like acting comes along, that’s great, but as soon as I saw this opportunity, I was like, ‘That’s what I’m meant to do.’ All of my cheerleading and gymnastics and bodybuilding and training prep have prepared me for what I truly believe in my heart was this.”

    Check out the complete interview at 614Columbus.com.

  • WWE Changes Plans For Potential WWE Performance Center Fantasy Camps For Fans

    Back in August of 2014 it was reported that WWE was toying with the idea of hosting a fantasy camp for fans at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. The idea was to run a regular package and a V.I.P. package with the V.I.P. package priced at $7,500 for a three night, two day experience.

    The camps would have been limited to just 40 fans over the age of 18, with V.I.P. packages being split into two separate groups of ten to provide a more intimate experience. Both packages were loaded with perks for the fans.

    Since then, WWE has issued another survey regarding potential WWE Performance Center Fantasy Camps, and it now appears that a lot of the details have been changed.

    The camps would now run for just one day and would be limited to 20 fans instead of 40. Perks would now include the following:

    – Participants signing a “training contract” with NXT coaches and “getting a welcome from Triple H himself.”

    – Breakfast and lunch with NXT Champions

    – Tour of the WWE Performance Center

    – Observe a promo class being taught by WWE Hall Of Famer Dusty Rhodes

    – Watch NXT training session, “Skill Session” and watch talents create their own promos

    – Create your own voice-overs

    – Watch an NXT showcase show inside the WWE Performance Center

    – Receive autographed photos of all participating NXT talents

    The WWE Performance Center Fantasy Camps could be launched later this year, or in early 2016, and would likely be a way to make money off of the Performance Center.

  • WWE To Change Samoa Joe’s Name?, Update On His NXT Status

    Although he has signed a new full-time deal with WWE, Samoa Joe is still scheduled to team with AJ Styles to take on Frankie Kazarian and Christopher Daniels at the Ring Of Honor television taping in New York City.

    According to the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, however, WWE has been pushing very hard for that match to not be taped for television, which was the original plan before Joe signed his new WWE deal. As of right now, the belief is that the match will not be taped for the ROH television show.

    It’s said that ROH wanted Joe for more dates, but their new national cable television deal with Destination America is one of the factors that led to WWE offering Joe a full-time deal, which will likely prevent Joe from doing so.

    Joe is no longer accepting independent dates past August 31st, as he is scheduled to begin working in NXT full-time in September. Until then, Joe will be working the big NXT live events and any other WWE Network specials.

    The Wrestling Observer Newsletter is also reporting that a name change for Samoa Joe and a main roster spot are reportedly still up in the air.

    Another key factor in WWE bringing Samoa Joe in full-time to work in NXT is because of the perceived lack of depth of high-profile stars in the promotion. With Kevin Owens moving up to the main roster, and other top stars such as Sami Zayn and Hideo Itami on the sidelines, WWE felt the need to bring in another high-profile name to the NXT brand.