– NXT officials are looking at doing a lengthy singles program between NXT Champion Sami Zayn and new NXT Superstar Kevin Owens. Depending on how long they keep the feud going, Zayn could end up staying in NXT for another year.
– Below is the official music video for the single “Bye Bye” by WWE Diva and Total Divas star Cameron (aka Arianne).
http://youtu.be/s3uyMQuYhfg
As noted earlier this week, TNA announced the re-signing of Kurt Angle, which obviously means he will not be returning to WWE as was rumored a few months back. Apparently, WWE simply wasn’t interested in bringing Angle back as an active performer.
There is, however, a feeling within WWE that once Angle is eventually done with his in-ring career, he will most likely be hired as a coach/trainer for their NXT developmental system.
WWE issued the above video promo regarding NXT moving to Wednesday nights on the WWE Network.
NXT moves from Thursday to Wednesday due to the weekly time change for WWE SmackDown, which moves to Thursdays later this month.
NXT begins airing on Wednesday nights at 8pm EST. on the WWE Network starting January 14th.
The following matches are confirmed for tonight’s edition of NXT on the WWE Network, the first episode of the show of 2015.
– The Ascension vs. Fin Balor & Hideo Itami
– NXT Tag Team champions The Lucha Dragons vs. Jason Jordan & Tye Dillinger
– Blue Pants vs. Carmella
– Baron Corbin vs. C.J. Parker
Also appearing on tonight’s show are NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte, Bull Dempsey, Enzo Amore, Colin Cassady, Sasha Banks, Natalya and Becky Lynch.
– NXT Diva and former Total Divas cast member JoJo did some of the ring announcing at the WWE live event on Monday night in Richmond, Virginia.
– Ring Of Honor graduate Mandy Leon has been on the road with WWE working as a “Rosebud” for the past week. Below is a photo of Mandy with Adam Rose.
https://twitter.com/WWEAdamRose/status/549746753906696192
– The El Rey Network will be airing a Lucha Underground marathon tonight, featuring eight hours worth of shows, beginning at 4pm EST.
– Hip-hop artist Wale, who is friends with Paul Heyman and is a Washington D.C. native, was in attendance at Monday’s RAW.
– Several NXT talents sent congratulatory messages to The Ascension after their in-ring debut for the main WWE roster on RAW. Paige noted that she actually went out into the arena to watch their match.
The following are highlights of a new Finn Balor interview from The Score:
On being in WWE: “It’s kind of like the culmination of 14 years hard work. At the beginning, I just wanted to have a wrestling match, and I did that in England. I just took it step by step and to be here in WWE — it’s a real feeling of achievement. But now that I’m here, I want to achieve more. So this is the beginning of a whole new chapter for me. It’s been an incredible experience so far and I’m just looking forward to seeing what happens in the future. WWE is the biggest wrestling company in the world, and it is that for a reason.”
On learning at the WWE Performance Center: “The coaches here include Billy Gunn, Matt Bloom, Norman Smiley and Terry Taylor… So there’s just a wealth of experience to learn from. It’s really been like the floodgates have opened for me. The amount I’ve learned in the last three or four months here has surpassed what I learned in the past three or four years before that.”
On the busy schedule in NXT: “The schedule here [is manic]. We’re working six days a week. We train in the ring three hours in the morning and an hour and a half in the weight room in the afternoon Monday to Friday. Then Thursday, Friday and Saturday we have shows in the evening where we’re competing. So there’s very little free time to get home, and at the moment, it’s all eyes on the prize, and training to build my career in NXT.”
Check out the complete interview at TheScore.ie.
– WWE is scheduled to release a new Ultimate Warrior DVD and Blu-ray on April 14, 2015. The project is called “Ultimate Warrior: Always Believe” and is expected to feature a new documentary.
– In the following video, NXT Diva Bayley talks with NXT announcer Rich Brennan about her recovery from a knee injury and drawing inspiration from Triple H. She also sends a message to “Team BAE’s” Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch.
– A tag-team rematch from NXT Takeover: R Evolution between The Ascension and the team of Hideo Itami and Finn Balor is confirmed to take place on next week’s edition of NXT TV on the WWE Network.
– As noted a few weeks ago, Matt Hardy and his wife — Reby Sky — are expecting their first child together. In the video below, they reveal that they are having a boy.
– Tonight’s edition of NXT TV will feature a look back at NXT in 2014, along with Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks for the NXT Women’s Championship and an appearance by Ric Flair.
– Below are some recent WWE attendance figures:
December 18th in Tampa, FL for NXT drew 300 fans
December 20th in Sioux Falls, SD drew 5,500 fans
December 20th in Winnipeg drew 4,000 fans
December 21st in Sioux City, IA for SmackDown drew 4,000 fans
December 22nd in Minneapolis, MN for RAW drew 9,000 fans
(Partial Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
WWE is scheduled to return to Japan for some live events in July of 2015. The company will be returning to Tokyo on July 3rd and July 4th for shows at the Sumo Hall, events that WWE is pushing as the big debut of NXT star Hideo Itami in the Japanese market.
With Itami now in NXT, J Sports in Japan has been airing NXT television each week, and also aired the recent NXT Takeover: R Evolution event live.
(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
As noted recently, WWE has been working on a new main roster gimmick for former NXT Champion Adrian Neville, one that is rumored to be inspired by the legendary cartoon character Mighty Mouse.
There were said to be suggestions within WWE recently regarding the possibility of putting a mask on Neville and making him a full-on children’s character based on Mighty Mouse.
The gimmick is apparently not set in stone yet, however after The Ascension, Neville is said to be the next NXT talent to be moved up to the main roster.
(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
– NXT Diva Dana Brooke, competing under her real name — Ashley Sebera — will be representing WWE in the 2015 “Fitness International” competition at the “Arnold Classic.” Below are some comments she made about the competition to WWE.com.
“My dreams are coming true. It’s like Christmas came early for me. I cannot feel more honored. This just shows how much WWE wants their athletes to succeed. I’m blessed. I will not let the WWE Universe down.”
– Below is a video of WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley going through a drive-thru dressed up as Santa Claus.
Former NXT Champion Adrian Neville recently spoke with the U.K. Mirror about WWE Hall Of Famer Pat Patterson attending the recent NXT Takeover: R Evolution special.
Below is an excerpt from the interview.
“Pat wasn’t scheduled to come out at all, he happened to be backstage. He comes along occasionally to NXT and lends his advice to some of the younger guys. Apparently, watching the match, Pat wasn’t meant to come out but he just foxed his way through — he said he was going to jump the railings, no matter what Triple H said!
He just shook my hand and congratulated me and told me he’d enjoyed the match which coming from someone like Pat is huge. It was surreal. Someone like Pat giving you that nod, it is unbelievable.”
Check out the complete interview at TheSun.co.uk.
– NXT Superstar and former strongman Braun Stowman made his official in-ring debut at the NXT live events in Jacksonville and Lakeland this weekend, defeating Chad Gable of the Shoot Nation faction.
– Mika Rotunda, sister of WWE Superstars Bray Wyatt and Bo Dallas, posted the following photo of the three siblings together with their father, WWE legend Mike “I.R.S.” Rotunda.
Thanks be to your sacrifice & service. Merry Christmas,from my family to yours troops. @WWEBrayWyatt @TheBoDallas pic.twitter.com/ptCMRAbus8
— Mika Rotunda (@MikaRotunda) December 21, 2014
– NXT Superstar Mojo Rawley appeared at the NXT live event in Lakeland, Florida on Saturday night with his shoulder still in a sling. He told fans that he would be back in two months and also tweeted the following about his recovery.
https://twitter.com/MojoRawleyWWE/status/546359362231742464
– Former WWE Diva Melina has posted her first “Getting Real with Melina” video blog in six years. You can check it out below.
http://youtu.be/-z0Nxv0S0nA
THE BUNNY Caught In Backstage Segment WITHOUT His Mask On! Who Is He? [PHOTOS & VIDEO >>]
– WWE’s official Japanese website will soon begin running a weekly column from NXT Superstar Hideo Itami. The column, which will debut on December 26th, will feature Itami writing about his experience in NXT with photos and more.
– NXT Superstar Cal Bishop may have suffered an injury of some kind during the finish of his match with Solomon Crowe at the live event in Lakeland, Florida on Saturday night. We’ll update you when more details become available.
– As seen in the post-NXT video with William Regal yesterday, Curtis Axel has asked for a shot in NXT. Apparently he will get that shot against Hideo Itami in the main event of the January 1st edition of NXT on the WWE Network, unless that show ends up being a 2014 year-in-review special.
– ECW original Rob Van Dam will be featured in the new Kayfabe Commentaries “Timeline: The History of ECW – 1999” shoot-style DVD, which is set to be released on January 8th.
NXT star and former linebacker at the University of Minnesota, Diggs Rawlis, made his in-ring debut at the NXT live event in Tampa, Florida this past Thursday night. Rawlis and his tag-team partner Cal Bishop lost to Shoot Nation’s Angelo Dawkins and Sawyer Fulton.
As noted in the past, the Shoot Nation stable now has five members — leader Chad Gable, Jason Jordan, Tucker Knight and the aforementioned Dawkins and Fulton. It looks as though the two main teams out of the stable will be Dawkins & Fulton and Gable & Jordan.
One week after being attacked by Kevin Owens at the NXT Takeover: R Evolution special, WWE has posted a storyline injury update on NXT Champion Sami Zayn. WWE noted that x-rays of Zayn’s spine came back negative, as did a CT scan of his head.
WWE noted that Zayn was diagnosed with “cervical & thoracic muscle strains and held overnight at the Winter Park Memorial Hospital for observation.” They also noted that Zayn is “currently resting before beginning physical therapy at the WWE Performance Center. WWE said he’s expected back in 3-4 weeks.”
Next week’s edition of NXT on the WWE Network, which falls on Christmas day, will feature Charlotte defending the NXT Women’s Championship against Sasha Banks in a rematch from NXT Takeover: R Evolution. WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair will accompany Charlotte to the ring for the bout.
Additionally, next week’s edition of NXT will feature another NXT Takeover: R Evolution rematch, as the team of Finn Balor and Hideo Itami take on The Ascension.
Following this week’s edition of NXT on the WWE Network, NXT General Manager William Regal discusses Kevin Owens’ dominance and is asked for a favor by the returning Curtis Axel. You can check out the video below.
– Speaking of Owens and this week’s NXT, below is a video of Adrian Neville being stretchered out after being powerbombed by the NXT rookie.
Sometimes things work out. Roman Reigns, Bray Wyatt, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins.
Other times, things don’t. Adam Rose, Bo Dallas, Fandango.
After last week’s NXT Takeover: R Evolution special, which fans are still raving about a week later, it became crystal clear to me that WWE is developing a number of future Superstars that have the potential to lead the company into the next generation.
Today, we are going to look at ten current performers/acts in the NXT system that I feel have the best shot at achieving success on the main WWE roster. With that being said, lets jump right into the list at number ten….
#10. The Lucha Dragons
The Lucha Dragons — Kalisto and Sin Cara, two talents that as individuals could flourish, but as a unit, make up one of the best tag-teams in WWE’s developmental system. Their ring work is solid and entertaining. Crowd pleasing. The gimmick is another story, but unfortunately, with WWE being in the middle of their PG-era, gimmicks and characters such as these two are unavoidable.
With that being said, they are what they are, and that’s a great tag-team combination. They’re the Los Matadores, only better. That’s not a knock against them, despite the fact it could be seen as one. If they remain under their current gimmick, it’s pretty much a given that they’ll never reach past mid-card, comedy-team status, but like I said, we’re going to have that one way or the other. Since that’s the case, it might as well be two guys who are as talented as these two.
I think it’s a given that these two guys will eventually make it to the main roster, and equally as predictable is the way in which they’ll be used. They’ll be two guys in a tag-team division on the main WWE roster that isn’t worth much, but for whatever it is worth, these two guys have the potential to be among the top teams in the company. While that’s not saying much, it’s saying something, and in this day and age, you pretty much have to take what you can get if you’re an aspiring wrestler.
#9. Tyler Breeze
Much like The Lucha Dragons, I feel that Tyler Breeze is an extremely talented worker, but is unfortunately stuck in a lame-duck gimmick. On social media, I’ve read a lot of comments that makes it seem like fans are actually believers of the Tyler Breeze gimmick in the sense that it could actually go somewhere on the main roster.
I am not one of those believers.
I’m of the opinion that if Breeze jumps to the main roster and is used with the same exact character that he has now, it’s one that has a ceiling that comes with it. This type of character can only go so far. Think of talents like Fandango and Adam Rose and how they are positioned on the main roster, and you’ve got my opinion of how Breeze would be used in this type of role.
If they were to change his gimmick, he certainly has the potential to go further than this type of character would allow. He’s got the talent in the ring, he has a unique charisma about him and he’s got a great look. His promo work is decent, nothing to ride home about in my opinion, but he’s got enough tools to work with that if he was given a different type of character, it would be interesting to see how far he could take it. Maybe if they started a character-change in NXT and let it grow a bit, that would be the route to take in terms of preparing him for a call up to the big leagues.
Whether or not that ever happens is another subject entirely.
– WWE writer Ryan Ward was said to be the key person behind the creative for the recent NXT Takeover: R Evolution event. The process saw Ward write the show and then Triple H reviewed it and had the final say in terms of approving it.
– This past Sunday’s WWE TLC pay-per-view in Cleveland, Ohio drew approximately 14,000 fans, a near sellout for the Quicken Loans Arena.
(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
For those who saw the NXT Takeover: R Evolution special on the WWE Network last Thursday, you saw former wrestler Corey Graves talk about how WWE’s “world-class doctors” advised him to retire after concussion issues.
Apparently the Graves segment where he made that comment was purposely planned, partially designed as a shot towards CM Punk.
It’s said that Graves putting over WWE’s doctors as world-class and talking about how they identified his problem with no issues and did the right thing, resulting in him keeping a job with the company, was all aimed as a response to comments made by Punk on the “Art of Wrestling” podcast.
(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)