SEScoops

Category: NXT

  • WWE Pulls Kevin Owens From Live Events, Details On When He’ll Be Starting Full-Time

    Kevin Owens was pulled from this weekend’s WWE live events.

    The NXT Champion is now scheduled to begin working WWE live events the weekend after the Money In The Bank pay-per-view, where he will square off with WWE United States Champion John Cena in a rematch from WWE Elimination Chamber.

    Owens’ first WWE live event will be at The Dow Event Center in Saginaw, Michigan on Friday, June 19th.

    WWE Money In The Bank is scheduled for Sunday, June 14, 2015 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Make sure to join us here at SEScoops.com on 6/14 for the best WWE Money In The Bank live results on the web!

  • Jessica Havok Issues Apology For Racial, Homophobic Slurs

    With Jessica Havok at the WWE tryout camp going on at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando this week, several fans began pointing out various tweets she posted a few years ago that contained many racial and homophobic slurs.

    Havok started deleting those tweets, however it didn’t help, as screen shots were taken and she was unaware that she had written literally dozens of other tweets using similar language and slurs.

    Below are the quotes of the alleged tweets, as well as screen shots of the alleged tweets before they were deleted.

    “Hey Larry Dallas, get aids and die.”

    “@DaveGoldust psht. I love myself too much. And aren’t you the gay one? #Aidsinfested #killyourself #Pleasedoit”

    “All black women go to jail for embezzlement at some point in their lives. #misscleo #allysin_kays highschool principal”

    “@RubyFruitShanti Bahaha!! That’s what I’m thinking. Its cuz ur black. No doubt.”

    Havok has since issued a public apology about the situation, which you can read below.

    “I want to apologize whole heartedly for the OLD tweets that are being brought up right now. Legit, It was years ago and i don’t even rem.tweeting over half of this stuff. The stuff i do remember was jokes that were in bad taste. I was young and very new to social media promo and i was very immature and just said things to make my friends laugh at the time. Inside jokes between us. I don’t really feel or believe any of the things i DID actually tweet. I am a loving, compassionate person and i LOVE everyone. No mater who! I would die for any wrestling fan and i care so much about wrestling and everything in it. I would not be here without any of you. I was young, stupid & immature. I am not too proud to admit some of it was me being bitter for all the wrong reasons, but I’ve learned and grown from this .. i hope this can be forgiven. I love you guys.”

  • Jim Ross Posts Long Rant On The State Of The Wrestling Industry

    WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross updated his official blog on Saturday with a long rant about his take on the state of the wrestling industry.

    Below is an excerpt from the blog, which features JR’s rant.

    “I’ve said here many times that I hope that all wrestling promotions are successful and make it through their respective rough waters that many are currently encountering. Nonetheless, some within these organizations can’t handle constructive criticism and seem to take some things that I say personally which is both childish and unprofessional. It is my prerogative to criticize bad acting, over scripted promos, no selling major moves, illogical creative and other eye rolling creative content in an attempt to re-invent what isn’t broken. I think that I’ve paid my dues, earned a decent track record within the biz and, above all, I am still a fan of over 50 years.

    The vast majority of wrestlers these days are not good promo talents. Reason being is that creative staffs seemingly have to justify their existence by role playing with these individuals and scripting virtually every word that the talents say. That system is both outdated and unproductive as fans today can recognize a wrestler reciting a promo from memory instead as from their heart within a few sentences.

    Wrestling is best when it comes from a logically, realistic place and is executed inside the ring as an athletic contest built on common sense and not an acrobatic show that exposes the business as a sham with no selling and the complete lack of some talent’s ability to properly apply an actual wrestling hold.

    The faster some talent perform the louder that they tell us that their skill set is lacking and that they are trying to get by on sensationalism instead of realism.

    I get taken to task because of my 21 years in WWE as if I’m picking on the TNA’s, ROH’s, Lucha Underground’s, etc of the world when nothing could be further from the truth. I’ve dedicated 40+ years of my life to the wrestling business, proudly I might add, and would do it all over again if the opportunity presented itself. But that isn’t going to happen. I want the business to be healthy and to prosper long after I’m gone for future generations to enjoy. At the rate of some of the things that I’m watching each week on TV are happening, I’m not sure sure that’s going to occur.

    Some feel that we are allegedly in a pending “boom” period because there is so much TV wrestling product available o n a weekly. Does average, at times at best average, TV product indicate “Boom” to any one who actually thinks about it? I think not.

    The product is by and large over thought and those in creative charge seemingly feel compelled to take a tried and true product and put their personal finger prints on it as if they are going to be the one who is forever known as “changing the wrestling business forever.” The wrestling business changed forever when the territories died due largely because local promoters got lazy and complacent and did not want to move into the modern era of marketing and producing TV programs plus they stopped developing new, young stars. Blame who you want but the territory system stopped doing what brought them to the dance and that was featuring new stars in compelling rivalries that were based in easy to understand, common sense story lines produced in weekly, episodic television. Plus, the talents back in the day were, by and large, better story tellers than we are fed today with some exceptions.

    An essentially, easy to watch, non complex hour of TV that virtually anyone could understand and enjoy was what worked best for many of us lifers.

    Where have those days gone?

    Yes, I’ve been involved with many lame, ineffective and impotent TV storylines in my career but I was always a team player and had no problem cashing the checks to do what my employer instructed me to do in the fictional, show business word of pro wrestling. It was like an actor being cast in a role in a film. Some days were better than others…some shows were better than others, too.

    Perhaps some day someone in a promotion will understand that simpler is better and the majority of fans don’t want bad acting or predictable promos but instead want to get lost in personal issues featuring the stars settling the conflict in the ring utilizing superior athletic representation.”

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

  • AJ Styles On If He Would Sign With GFW Or NXT, ROH On Destination America

    Ring Of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling performer AJ Styles recently appeared as a guest on the Inside The Ropes podcast. Below are some highlights from the interview.

    On if he would go to Global Force Wrestling: “I think that there’s definitely an opening, it’s just finding an opening in the schedule. That’s the biggest problem we’ve come across is my schedule is so full that it’s hard to fit me in. That’s the problem we’re having right now. I always stay busy but I’d say it’s only a matter of time before I show up in Global Force.”

    On his reaction when he found out ROH was going to be on Destination America: “A huge shock to me. Did not expect something like that. It’s one of those things where I was told and I just started laughing. It was just one of those things, I was so surprised I just started laughing hysterically. I even called a couple of my buddies in Ring of Honor and we just chuckled together. It’s gonna be fun man. We always did a great job with wrestling but now there’s something to prove and I think you’re gonna see a different Ring of Honor, in a good way.”

    On if he would go to NXT: “The first thing I’m gonna do is what’s best for me and my family, that’s what I’m gonna do. People know I was in TNA but I don’t think people think of me now as ‘The TNA Guy.’ Now they see me as a New Japan guy or a Ring of Honor guy. I had to work to make sure I wasn’t known as a TNA guy to get my product, being AJ Styles, out there again but at the end of the day like I say, whatever’s best for me and my family I’ll do. This is a business. Despite what people may think “AJ left TNA” this is a job. I thought I deserved a little bit more for all the effort and stuff into, you know any business, and to not get paid what I think I deserve would be dumb. You don’t work hard to take a step down, you work hard to take steps up. I went out and found a step up in the wrestling business and if there’s another opportunity to step up, then I’ll do that.”

    Check out the complete interview at Podomatic.com.

  • WWE Interested In Signing Top TNA Stars, Update On WWE’s Interest In AJ Styles

    As we reported earlier this week, WWE officials have changed their interest level regarding bringing AJ Styles into the company. Originally, the company wasn’t that interested in bringing him in, however following the success of many of his peers in NXT, and eventually on the main roster, WWE is apparently more interested in Styles than they were in the past. It is worth noting, however, that nothing is expected to happen at any point in the near future, as Styles is locked into a contract with New Japan Pro Wrestling until the end of 2015.

    Speaking of WWE’s interest in acquiring established talent, the company is reportedly in the process of trying to find out when the contracts of a few of TNA’s top talents expire. According to the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE is interested in signing a few of TNA’s bigger stars, but only for the NXT brand for now.

  • Steve Austin Interviews Power-lifting Champion, NXT Fallout Videos, New WWE TV Deal

    – WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin interviewed the World Powerlifting Champion CT Fletcher for the latest edition of his “Steve Austin Show” podcast. You can download the show right now at PodcastOne.com.

    – On this week’s edition of NXT Fallout, which you can watch below, Finn Balor is helped to the back after being attacked by Rhyno, and Rhyno explains why he attacked Balor.

    – WWE issued the following press release to announce their new television deal in Italy.

    WWE (NYSE:WWE) and Sky Italia have extended their partnership for five more years to exclusively broadcast WWE’s flagship programming, WWE Raw®, SmackDown®, NXT®, WWE Experience and WWE Main Event® on Sky Sports through 2020.

    In addition, Cielo, Sky Italia’s free-to-air channel which is available in more than 24 million homes, will air one-hour versions of WWE Raw and SmackDown weekly on Sundays at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. CEST, respectively, and all 12 WWE live, pay-per-view specials, including WrestleMania and SummerSlam, will continue to be available on Sky Prima Fila.

    “We are thrilled to renew our long-term relationship with WWE, which dates back to 2003, and we are glad that, once again, WWE has recognized the Sky platform as a key driver for maximizing exposure of its brand,” said Matteo Mammi, Rights, Programming and Production Director, Sky Italia. “We look forward to working together and continuing to serve WWE fans in Italy.”

    “We are proud of our more than 10-year relationship in Italy with Sky, Europe’s leading media company and largest pay-TV broadcaster,” said Gerrit Meier, Executive Vice President, International, WWE. “This partnership is a testament to the passion Italian fans of all ages have for WWE’s action-packed, family-friendly programming and the global reach of the brand.”

  • Full Lineup For Live WWE Network Special From Japan On July 4th

    As announced on this week’s edition of NXT TV, WWE will be holding a live WWE Network special from Sumo Hall in Tokyo, Japan on July 4th. Below is the full lineup for the show.

    – Brock Lesnar vs. Kofi Kingston

    – John Cena & Dolph Ziggler vs. Kane & King Barrett

    – Kevin Owens vs. Finn Balor (NXT Title)

    – Chris Jericho vs. Neville

    – The New Day vs. Tyson Kidd & Cesaro*

    – Nikki Bella vs. Paige vs. Naomi (WWE Divas Title)

    – The Lucha Dragons vs. Los Matadores

    * – Tyson Kidd may be pulled from this match due to injury.

  • WWE Announces Live Special From Japan, Owens vs. Balor

    WWE inserted a pre-taped segment during tonight’s NXT broadcast on the WWE Network, announcing a live special with a major title match in Japan.

    On tonight’s show, it was announced by William Regal that there will be a live special from Sumo Hall in Tokyo, Japan on July 4th that will feature Kevin Owens vs. Finn Balor for the NXT Championship.

    The show is scheduled to start at 6:30am EST., which would be 8:30pm in Japan, so it’s possible that only part of the show will air on the WWE Network, since the show is scheduled for a 7pm start-time.

    The event will also include the previously reported Brock Lesnar vs. Kofi Kingston match, and will also feature a John Cena main event, as well as a match including Chris Jericho.

  • Jeff Jarrett On Destination America Carrying ROH & TNA, Enjoying NXT & More

    Global Force Wrestling founder Jeff Jarrett appeared as a guest on the PodNasty Podcast this week to discuss a number of topics. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

    On Destination America carrying both ROH and TNA: “I think it’s very healthy, first and foremost. A wrestling block is not anything revolutionary. It was back in the 80s there was a lot of syndicated programming and you would have a block of wrestling on a Saturday morning or Saturday evening, you could watch wrestling from the Tennessee area, form the Florida area, from the Texas area, from all sorts and so I think it’s very healthy. I do not know what the facts are as it relates to the TNA situation or, quite frankly, the Ring of Honor deal or just how all that works in but from a fan’s perspective like me and you I’m very happy that the opportunity has arisen because in business, what do we do? We compete. So I think it’s going to up everybody’s level and I saw many posts on social media over the last seven days that, quite frankly, go right to that and who’s going to be the winner out of all these competition? The wrestling fan and that at the end of the day is good for the wrestling business.”

    On what wrestling promotion intrigues him the most right now: “It goes without saying it’s the influx of NXT, When you inject fresh blood and fresh talent that’s prepared, it’s a good thing. And I think that, above anything Kevin Owens, Finn Balor this new talent coming along those guys, they’re not rookies. The old definition of success is when preparation meets opportunity I think Kevin has prepared himself, he’s getting the opportunity, and he’s going to be successful.”

    On Jeff Jarrett’s on-camera involvement in GFW: “Minimal. I’m the promoter and the stars are going to shine, the athletes are going to shine, that’s what 99.9 percent of my time is geared toward as it relates to my professional side of things is promoting this brand, creating brand awareness and putting these athletes on a stage that they haven’t been before and letting their ability speak for themselves.”

    Check out the complete interview above.

  • Update On Samoa Joe’s ROH Status, Kevin Owens’ “Open Challenge” Rumor Killer

    As reported, Samoa Joe has signed a full-time deal with WWE. Joe will, however, still be fulfilling his advertised independent bookings.

    Ring Of Honor confirmed that Joe will still be working their June 20th television taping in New York City, in what will likely be his final appearance with ROH.

    Additionally, Joe has been added to the Absolute Intense Wrestling event in Cleveland, Ohio on July 10th. Joe is also booked to work the big NXT live events this month in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Columbus, Ohio.

    For those wondering, Joe is not currently booked to appear at the WWE SmackDown television taping tonight. So unless things change, Joe will not be the person to answer Kevin Owens’ “Open Challenge.”

    (Credit: PWInsider.com)

  • Sami Zayn On His Long Rivalry With Kevin Owens, Being Named NXT Superstar Of The Year

    The official website of the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens recently interviewed NXT star Sami Zayn about a number of topics. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

    On what made him pursue a career in pro wrestling: “As a kid growing up in Montreal, I wanted to become either a hockey player or a wrestler. Since my family didn’t have a lot of money, my parents never put me in a hockey league because it was so expensive. When I was 17 years old, I was given the opportunity to be trained as a wrestler. At the time, I never really thought about making it a career, I only saw it as a chance to do something that I always wanted to do. It’s similar to hockey when a kid who’s five years old can’t really say if he’ll become a professional hockey player. But, if you stay in something long enough and you keep doing something long enough and you enjoy it, one thing led to another and I kept going. I would have loved to make a career as a member of the Habs (laughs), but I think wrestling was more my thing.”

    On his longtime rivalry with Kevin Owens and how it compares to the Habs vs. Bruins hockey rivalry: “That would be a good comparison. (laughs) It’s funny because if I’m not mistaken, Kevin’s dad is a Habs fan and his mom is a Bruins fan. From the time we started wrestling in Laval at Le Skratch up until today in WWE, every step of the way in our careers it’s always been sometimes friends, but the majority of the time enemies. In a lot of ways it’s like the Habs and the Bruins. No matter what, we’re destined to fight each other until the end of time. Fans seem to really like it.”

    On being named NXT’s 2014 Superstar of the Year: “NXT changed so much since I got here two years ago. When I first got here, the culture was so different, it was about getting out of here as fast as possible. In my opinion, I noticed early on that it could make people go crazy. When I got there, I wanted to make NXT a better brand and make it grow. And, it did. But at the end of the day, my goal is to evolve and go above and beyond to make RAW or Smackdown! or the Pay-per-views better, or give Wrestlemania one more great match. I’m kind of split on this because NXT is my immediate goal, but my ultimate goal is to make RAW and make it better. Getting recognized with the Slammy Award for Superstar of the Year in NXT or finally winning the championship helped me and our brand. By the time I get on the main roster, I hope to be able to build up a lot of equity that way to show that I’m on the way to the top.”

    Check out the complete interview at NHL.com.

  • Uhaa Nation Makes NXT Debut, Tough Enough News, Machine Gun Kelly/RAW

    – The official WWE Tough Enough website has a new video interview up with Billy Gunn. Gunn, who will be serving s one of the trainers on the new season of the show informs the contestants what they can expect. You can check out the video at WWEToughEnough.com.

    – Although he confirmed the news himself via social media earlier today, WWE is now officially advertising rapper Machine Gun Kelly as a guest star for the June 15th edition of WWE RAW in Cleveland, Ohio. WWE.com wrote the following about his scheduled appearance:

    “Machine Gun Kelly is returning to the WWE Universe.

    The hip-hop star who played John Cena to the ring at WrestleMania XXVIII and provided an official theme song of WrestleMania 29 will reunite with the Superstars and Divas of WWE when he appears as the Guest Star of the June 15 edition of Raw in advance of the release of his second album, due later this summer. Is a reunion with Cena in the cards for MGK, who will be guest-starring in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio? A musical performance of his new single, “A Little More?” Tune in to Raw June 15 at 8/7 C live on USA Network to find out!”

    – NXT Diva Lina Ranene announced that she and Uhaa Nation will be making their NXT debut at the live event tonight in Venice, Florida. Ranene tweeted the following:

  • Samoa Joe Still Scheduled For Indy Show, Tyler Breeze/Summer Rae Note, More

    – NXT star Tyler Breeze worked the WWE main roster live event on Friday night in Raleigh, North Carolina. Breeze was accompanied to the ring by Summer Rae for a match against Damien Sandow. Sandow ended up winning the match when Heath Slater interfered. After the match, Curtis Axel made the save.

    – Samoa Joe is still scheduled to make his Preston City Wrestling debut in the United Kingdom on Friday, August 7, 2015. Tickets for the show officially go on sale this Sunday at PrestonCityWrestling.com.

    – Below are this week’s “Top 10 WWE SmackDown Moments.”

  • Triple H To Eat A Lot Of Food (Photo), Rusev Injury Note, NXT

    – WWE will be holding a NXT live event tonight at the Venice Community Center in Venice, Florida. If anyone is attending the show, feel free to send in a report.

    – WWE is also holding a live event tonight at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina. The scheduled main event is John Cena vs. Rusev in a steel cage match, although it will likely end up being Cena vs. Kane in a cage instead due to the fact that Rusev is nursing an injury. As noted, Rusev’s status for Sunday’s WWE Elimination Chamber is still in question.

    – Triple H showed off the next three days worth of food he plans to eat in a new photo posted on his official Twitter account. You can check out the picture below.

  • WWE’s Original Plans For Sami Zayn, Finn Balor Moving To Main Roster Soon?

    Prior to getting injured, WWE’s original plans were to call former NXT Champion Sami Zayn up to the main roster after his match with Kevin Owens at NXT Takeover: Unstoppable..

    Due to the recent injury Zayn suffered, WWE changed their plans and instead called current NXT Champion Owens up to the main roster.

    As noted, Owens recently signed a main roster contract with WWE and will be working every RAW show going forward. Owens will also continue to work in NXT because he is the World Champion, so that his transition to the main roster will be a smooth one.

    Additionally, there are apparently some big plans to call up the current number one contender to the NXT title — Finn Balor — to the main roster as well. What those “big plans” are, however, remain to be seen.

    (Credit: F4WOnline.com)

  • Neville Says He Misses NXT Atmosphere, Talks Biggest Career Influences

    WWE Superstar Neville recently spoke with Sky Sports to promote this Sunday’s WWE Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. Below are some highlights from the interview.

    On working with the likes of John Cena and Seth Rollins: “I have been incredibly fortunate to be thrown into the mix straightaway and you can’t ask for more than that as a newcomer. It is such an opportunity to wrestle those guys, as well as Dolph Ziggler and Sheamus, and it is something I was adamant I was going to grab with both hands.”

    On his ambitions over the next few months: “I want to keep seizing my opportunities. I still feel like I am in my introductory period in terms of making my name in WWE so want to keep my head down and work hard. I would also love to have a match with Daniel Bryan. I don’t know exactly what his health is like but if and when he does return it would be great to get in the ring with him.”

    On who the biggest influences of his career were: “There are so many role models who I watched and idolised growing up, mainly guys with a similar athletic style to myself. I loved Dynamite Kid, Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio, as well as Japanese juniors like Jushin Liger, Ultimo Dragon and Tiger Mask. I always wanted to emulate those stars. However, other guys who have been more actively involved in my progression would be people like William Regal, Terry Taylor and Joey Mercury. Those great minds have really helped and guided me to where I am.”

    On if he misses the atmosphere in NXT: “I do, yes. A different demographic of people watch NXT compared to Raw and Smackdown; NXT is followed by the real knowledgeable, hardcore internet audience whereas the main shows have a more family feel. The products, therefore, are very different but I am having a blast on Raw and Smackdown and the new challenges they bring.”

    Check out the complete interview at SkySports.com.

  • Sasha Banks Responds To Injury Rumors, WWE Stars Sing HBK’s Theme (Video), More

    – In response to rumors that she is out of action due to a shoulder injury, NXT Women’s Champion Sasha Banks wrote the following on social media: “No I didn’t. Stupid news.”

    – WWE recently posted the following clip of various talent singing Shawn Michaels’ infamous theme song.

    – Former TNA Knockout Sarita (Sarah Stock) was recently at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida working with the NXT Divas. Stock was reportedly brought in to teach the women the Mexican style of wrestling. NXT coach Sara Del Rey tweeted out the following photo of Sarita working with some talent.

  • Kevin Owens On Developing A Relationship With Triple H, His First Day In WWE

    NXT World Heavyweight Champion Kevin Owens recently spoke with TheWhig.com to promote this Sunday’s WWE Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. Below are some highlights from the interview.

    On a conversation he had with Sami Zayn: “I remember a conversation I had with Sami Zayn, it must have been around 2003. We were travelling to a little show in Quebec City, which is about two hours from Montreal so we were somewhere between Montreal and Quebec City at a restaurant and he was telling me how wrestling for WWE was his dream. And I told him, ‘Yeah, well me too, but it’s not really a dream, it’s a goal.’ And he was like, ‘What do you mean by that?’ I said, ‘Dreaming of something is nice, but having it as a goal I think is different. I know it’s going to happen.’ I told him that. I said, ‘I know I’m going to get there.’ And he was kind of blown away by that perspective and that outlook on it.”

    On his first day with WWE: “My first day was pretty interesting because I got the call that I was hired. I was going to start full time August 25 at the Performance Center, but my first day was actually before. A couple of weeks before, they brought me in so that I could visit the Performance Center, there was an NXT TV taping that week so I stayed for that. I had to find a house, so I found a house for my family to live in in Orlando. My first day was technically not an official first day, it was just more a bit of a sample of what I could expect. I got in the ring with Norman Smiley in his class. And of course there was the NXT TV taping, I saw that whole process. I met Triple H and I met Stephanie McMahon. It was just a really surreal experience because those are people I’ve been watching for years and years and years. To now get to see them and to get to talk to Triple H, who was basically welcoming me on board. He’s telling me, ‘Thanks for coming, thanks for accepting the invitation, thanks for coming on board.’ In my head, I’m like, ‘Well thank you for hiring me.’ That was pretty cool.”

    On developing a relationship with Triple H: “You know, I feel like I’ve developed a bit of a relationship with Hunter throughout these last few months. It goes beyond the ring. We’ll talk about our kids, we’ll talk about life. He’s very good to me. To have him take time out of a very busy day, he’s busy on Raw, and he took the time to tell me to just make sure you are who you are. And I know that’s kind of the advice he gives everyone, but to hear it from him, it really means something because ‘Make sure you stay who you are’ means that who I am, he’s got faith in. That’s a big thing.”

    “I wanted to make my kids proud, I wanted to make my wife proud, I wanted to make my parents proud, and I wanted to make Hunter proud because he took a shot on me. I’m not the typical WWE superstar. He hired me anyway and he saw something in me. And I want to deliver for him. I want to pay him back for that by delivering the way he thinks I can and I think I did.”

    On facing John Cena on Sunday: “There’s no denying how big it is. There’s not a whole lot of people that walk into WWE, show up on Raw, lay out the top guy in the industry for the last 10 years and get to wrestle him two weeks later at a major event like Elimination Chamber, but I get to do that. That will literally never be taken away from me, no matter what happens from here on out.”

    Check out the complete interview at TheWhig.com.

  • Samoa Joe On What Led To Him Signing With WWE, His History With John Cena & More

    Samoa Joe recently spoke with the official WWE website about his recent NXT debut, his aspirations in WWE, his history with John Cena and more.

    Below are some highlights from the interview.

    On signing with WWE: “I’m over the moon. It’s something I never really thought I would have the opportunity to do. To be here now, it’s an unreal feeling.”

    On his history with John Cena: “I had the chance to work with John quite a bit in UPW and even beyond that. When John was just getting started, we hung out a lot. Being a trainer at the school, I taught the beginner course. John was the type of guy, who even though he was past the basics, he would come to the beginner class in the morning. I would see him at the advanced class at night, where I would go to get train and improve…”

    On whether he thought John Cena would become the star he is today: “I had no doubt. It’s funny, I’ve been asked that before. He didn’t have to come to the beginner class. He didn’t have to come to all the practices. But John came to all of them; he did all of the work and extra work on top of that. He was so laser-focused on becoming a WWE Superstar, much more than anyone else from UPW who had gotten the opportunity to go to WWE at the time. There really wasn’t a question in my mind that he would become the star he is today.”

    On what led to him coming to WWE: “I’ve had a great career up to this point. I’d pretty much wrestled everywhere in the world. The one place that eluded me was WWE. I had put out feelers to a few friends and confidants in WWE. They did some probing on my behalf. Slowly, but surely, a small glimmer of hope opened up. Talks progressed and the opportunity presented itself.”

    On his WWE goals: “At some time, I would love to make a trip up to the main roster and wreak my brand of havoc. So many people I’ve come up with have succeeded in WWE. Though I thought the opportunity would never present itself, I’m here now. I’m in the best shape of my career and I’m more than happy to fulfill the destiny that has eluded me for far too long, and that’s to be the WWE World Heavyweight Champion.”

    Check out the complete interview at WWE.com.

  • Kevin Owens Signs Main Roster WWE Contract, Added To All Raw Shows

    NXT World Champion Kevin Owens has signed a new main roster contract with WWE and it is believed that he will be making the transition from NXT to the main roster imminently.

    Owens is now officially booked for every RAW show going forward, and will soon be added to the main roster non-televised live events on the weekends.

    As the current NXT Champion, Owens will continue as a character on the NXT brand for a couple more months so his transition to the main roster is a smooth one.

  • Kevin Owens On Underrated Talent In NXT, Wanting To Appear In Money In The Bank

    NXT Champion Kevin Owens appeared on the PodNasty Wrestling Podcast and spoke about underrated talent in NXT and the upcoming Money In The Bank pay-per-view. Below are some highlights from the interview.

    Most underrated talent in NXT:“I think the answer to that would be The Dillinger, he’s a Canadian boy and he’s been on TV a few times, he was even on the WWE version of ECW, if you will, a few years ago I believe his name was Gavin Spears at the time. He’s in NXT right now, and he’s been picking up steam lately so I hope that translates to an NXT TV role.”

    “I look up to Tye Dillinger. He’s been around for a long time and there’s just something about him that I really expect and obviously he’s become a good friend throughout the last couple of months but regardless of if he was my friend or not I would be saying the same thing right now. He’s very talented, and it’s not just me who looks up to him, pretty much everyone in the Performance Center looks up to him, not only for the stuff he does in the ring but how he behaves outside of the ring. And I feel like if you’re going to say who’s the most underrated guy—because there’s a lot of underrated guys over there—I’d say Ty Dillinger probably tops that list.”

    On appearing in the Money in the Bank ladder match: “I have interest in competing in every big even tike Money in the Bank or Elimination Chamber or SummerSlam or whatever it is. I want to be part of those shows, I want to be part of that product that’s where I want to be. So regardless of what match I would be it whether it be a MITB Ladder Match or if I was just wrestling anybody on that show I definitely want to be there, that’s the goal, absolutely. I think beating John Cena at the Elimination Chamber would probably give me a pretty good shot at being [in the Money in the Bank Ladder Match] so that’s what I’m thinking about.

  • Sasha Banks Injury Update, Reason She Missed Match At NXT Taping

    Although the word going around earlier this week was that Sasha Banks was not injured, the talk now is that she suffered either an arm or shoulder injury.

    Banks was scheduled to work a match during the fourth episode of Thursday’s NXT television tapings, but she ended up leaving to go to the hospital when her fiancee’ — Sarath Ton, working as Mikaze — was knocked unconscious during a tag-team match.

    It’s not currently clear whether or not Banks went into her match at NXT Takeover against Becky Lynch with the injury, or how serious it was if she did.

    (Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

  • Reason Randy Orton & Big Show Haven’t Been On TV, Issues With WWE Developmental

    – Randy Orton and Big Show have purposely been kept off of WWE television because they are not booked in matches at this Sunday’s WWE Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. Both Superstars are scheduled to return for the two weeks of build-up between the Elimination Chamber and Money In The Bank pay-per-views.

    – The WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida is said to be very understaffed right now. The employees who work at the facility are said to be working endless hours because they have so many tasks and responsibilities. WWE is trying to keep NXT under a specific budget and while the brand and developmental system itself is a money loser, it’s considered necessary for the future of WWE.

    – Below are some recent WWE and NXT attendance figures.

    May 22nd in Manchester, NH drew 5,000 fans (John Cena tour)
    May 23rd in Starke, FL for NXT drew a sellout of 225 fans
    May 23rd in Worcester, MA drew 6,000 fans (John Cena tour)
    May 23rd in Utica, NY drew 3,500 fans (Randy Orton tour)
    May 24th in White Plains, NY drew 3,700 fans (John Cena tour)
    May 24th in Binghamton, NY drew 3,700 fans (Randy Orton tour)
    May 25th on Long Island for RAW drew 9,500 fans

    (Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

  • Update On Samoa Joe’s Status With WWE

    Samoa Joe’s non-exclusive WWE deal allows him to work outside of WWE at independent shows, such as the Ring Of Honor television taping he is scheduled for on June 20th in New York City, but WWE has priority over his dates, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

    Joe’s deal with WWE included the new t-shirt he wore at TakeOver, which sold out of its’ initial stock immediately, as well as the rights to his “Samoa Joe” name, particularly because he’s not appearing on the main roster WWE shows.

    Additionally, his deal with WWE calls for limited NXT dates. Originally, Joe gave word that he couldn’t take any independent dates after April, a timetable that continued to be pushed back, which figured that his debut in WWE was being delayed. However, he is now taking dates with outside promotions through August of 2015.

    Joe’s current deal with WWE basically allows him to work pretty much wherever he wants. Originally, he was looking at starting later in the year with ROH, somewhere around September, but the nature of his unique deal with WWE allowed him to continue working in ROH, so he started looking for new dates going forward, however that has since been moved up, as he’s currently scheduled to work the 6/20 ROH television taping in New York.

    It’s also worth mentioning that Joe has recently had talks with officials from New Japan Pro Wrestling. It’s also said that with all of his outside commitments, WWE could end up offering him a full-time deal. The word going around in the industry is that Joe can’t commit to anything full-time from another promotion during his current short-term window. If WWE were to sign him to a full-time deal at any point, it’s said that it would immediately end his working relationship with any other company. Even if that doesn’t happen, the belief is that WWE has first priority on his dates.

    (Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

  • WWE To Promote NXT Special With A Female Main Event?

    Following the success of some recent matches and crowd reactions in NXT, there is some consideration being given to a women’s match headlining a major show.

    It would require the right talent and the right feud, but top NXT officials are open to a female main event, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. UFC’s massive success from featuring Ronda Rousey in marquee matches has demonstrated the drawing power of women.

    (Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)