– Hideo Itami, formerly known as KENTA, will be making his NXT live event debut this Thursday in Jacksonville, Florida. Tickets for the event are available right now at this link.

– WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley recently tweeted the following, praising Triple H’s recent appearance on Chris Jericho’s “Talk Is Jericho” podcast:

Any @TripleH haters need to listen to his #TalkIsJericho interview on @PodcastOne with @IAmJericho. It just might change your perspective.

— Mick Foley (@realmickfoley) September 30, 2014

MMANEWS.COM: Conor McGregor: The Floyd Mayweather Of MMA? (Editorial)

WWE’s NXT brand is currently stacked with talent, comprised of several wrestlers who are well-equipped to make a big impact on the main roster when management decides to call them up. Seasoned NXT veterans like Adrian Neville, Sami Zayn and Tyler Breeze were recently joined by Hideo Itami and Finn Balor, with (the man still known as) Kevin Steen on his way.

The main roster injuries of Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns have left a big gap on RAW and SmackDown, the perfect opportunity for current Superstars to step up their game and for WWE to pull from their developmental system to enhance the thinning lineup.

With all the talent in NXT, which performers are next to make it to the big time?

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, both Hideo Itami (Kenta) and Finn Balor (Prince Devitt) will be getting called up before most of the guys currently in NXT. While Itami truly wants to be part of the NXT system while he adopts the WWE in-ring style and improve his English, Balor “wasn’t brought in to spend (two or) three years” in developmental.

He’ll have to have a run there, because that’s how WWE develops their talent, but Meltzer speculates that Balor will be brought to RAW “before 90% or 95% of the talent in NXT that’s there now will be up.”

– The following matches were taped on Tuesday night for tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown:

• Dean Ambrose vs. The Miz
• Battle Royal – Winner faces IC Champion Dolph Ziggler later in the show
• WWE Tag Team Champions The Rhoes Brothers vs. The Usos
• Layla and Summer Rae vs. Natalya and Rosa Mendes
• Big Show vs. Rusev

– Seth Rollins, the first-ever NXT Champion, will be appearing at the next set of NXT TV tapings on October 23rd:

On Oct. 23, the FIRST #WWENXT Champion @WWERollins returns to @FullSail! TICKETS: http://t.co/qhshq5V9kR pic.twitter.com/XAHMwSOfc8

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) September 26, 2014

NXT newcomer Finn Balor (formerly Prince Devitt) made his in-ring debut on Thursday night’s TV tapings from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida.

During the show set to air on November 6th, Hideo Itami (formerly Kenta) told the NXT fans that he had a friend coming to NXT that would help him battle The Ascension, with Balor making his first appearance in front of an NXT crowd and helping Itami take out the Ascension.

*Spoilers* 4 Weeks Of WWE NXT Tapings Results

WWE taped four weeks of NXT shows on Thursday night from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. Here are spoiler results:

October 16th Episode:

– Baron Corbin defeated Elias Samson in a quick match.

– Sin Cara and Kalisto defeated Wesley Blake and Buddy Murphy in a non-title match

– Charlotte defeated Becky Lynch in what was said to be a great match between the two Divas.

– Marcus Louis and Sylvester Lefort vs. Enzo Amore and Big Cass never gets underway. Louis turns on Lefort and beats him down.

– Carmella defeated Leva Bates by submission. This may have been recorded as a dark match.

– Sami Zayn defeated Tyson Kidd

October 23 Episode:

– The Ascension defeated Jason Jordan and Tye Dillinger with Fall of Man.

– Tyler Breeze defeated CJ Parker. Mojo Rawley began to taunt Breeze after the match.

– Simon Gotch and Aiden English defeated Wesley Blake and Buddy Murphy.

– Sasha Banks defeated Bayley via submission. Becky Lynch turns heel and attacks Bayley Sasha and Becky leave together.

– Adrian Neville defeated Titus O’Neil with Red Arrow to retain the title. After the match, Zayn told him that he wants the title. Neville said he is never going to win it.

NXT newcomer Finn Balor (formerly Prince Devitt) made his in-ring debut at Thursday night’s TV tapings from Full Sail University.

He teamed with Hideo Itami to face The Ascension.

This airs on the WWE Network on November 6th.

Check back later tonight for full spoiler results from the tapings.

– The following is a preview for tonight’s episode of NXT on the WWE Network:

• New NXT Tag Champions The Lucha Dragons (Kalisto & Sin Cara) defend against The Ascension in a rematch from the Takeover 2 live special.
• Tyler Breeze vs. Justin Gabriel.
• Bayley vs. Alexa Bliss

– While NXT is airing on the WWE Network, WWE will be taping another round of NXT TV tapings from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. Here’s a preview for the tapings:

• NXT Champion Adrian Neville, NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte, Sami Zayn, The Ascension, and Sasha Banks are all scheduled for the tapings.
• WWE stars advertised to appear include Jack Swagger and NXT alums Rusev and Lana.
• Prince Devitt, now known as Finn Baylor, is rumored to be making his debut on the show.

Photos: FINN BAYLOR’s Craziest Superhero Body Paint

Prince Devitt is rumored to be making his NXT in-ring debut at Thursday night’s NXT tapings from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida.

Photos Of Prince Devitt’s Craziest Super Hero Body Paint

Continuing the tradition of rechristening talent with bewilderingly bad ring names, Prince Devitt will now be known as Finn Balor. According to Wikipedia:

“In Irish mythology, Balor (modern spelling: Balar) was king of the Fomorians, a group of supernatural beings. He is often described as a giant with a large eye in his forehead that wreaks destruction when opened. He has been interpreted as a god or personification of drought and blight.”

As noted earlier today, recently-signed WWE broadcaster Arda Ocal will be known as Kyle Edwards.

Comment below and tell us what you think about “Finn Balor” –

NXT wrestler Hugo Knox (Stuart Tomlinson, a former Burton Albion FC goalkeeper) is allegedly a former male escort, according to Burton Albion FC club chairman Ben Robinson.

The UK’s Daily Mail newspaper is reporting the story, based on allegations by a woman named Kerry Miller. Here is an excerpt from the Daily Mail’s report:

An admin worker at Burton Albion who sent racy pictures to one player is also rumoured to have had a fling with a goalkeeper who went on to become a WWE wrestler, a tribunal has heard.

Kerry Miller, 46, is accused of repeatedly barging into the changing rooms while players were getting dressed after post-match showers.

She confessed to having a ‘casual’ relationship with former defender Ryan Austin, 29, who has since left the League Two club.

On the third day of her employment tribunal today, the hearing heard of allegations of rumours she had been seeing 28-year-old goalkeeper Stuart Tomlinson between September and Christmas 2012.

Leicester Employment Tribunal heard she posted a picture on Facebook of herself with the model on a night out just hours after a crucial match.

The following year Tomlinson turned his back on football after suffering a bad knee injury to pursue a career in WWE wrestling in America.

Giving evidence the club’s chairman Ben Robinson said Tomlinson was a part-time male escort while he played for the team.

– NXT stars Adrian Neville, Sami Zayn and Tyler Breeze worked dark matches prior to the Main Event and SmackDown tapings on Tuesday night in Little Rock, Arkansas. Breeze worked a match with a local wrestler before Main Event began and Neville defeated Zayn prior to the start of the SmackDown taping.

– Speaking of NXT, below is the video preview for this week’s edition of NXT TV on the WWE Network:

– Top NXT talent Adrian Neville, Sami Zayn and Tyler Breeze are all currently backstage at the arena in Memphis, Tennessee for tonight’s post-Night Of Champions edition of WWE RAW.

– WWE has released two new episodes of their animated series, “Slam City” on the WWE Network today.

The following are highlights of a new v2 Wrestling podcast interview with TNA star Bram:

His time with TNA so far: “This is a great company to work for. It’s very much up my alley. It’s similar to the stuff I used to watch as a kid, so to be here and be with the talent that I’m around, it doesn’t get any better than that.”

The name Bram: “TNA came up with that. They were searching for a British name that was unique. And I think they searched where I came from and somehow Bram popped up and then that was that. It’s good because it only has four letters in it so it’s easy to spell! I think also Bram Stoker too because I have a dark side so maybe that had something to do with it too. I don’t think it’s a generic name. I’m good with it now. When people yell Bram, I know that’s me.”

His friendship with Magnus: “And that’s real too – that’s a shoot, that one. We used to wrestle on the UK scene and we would bump into each other and that’s when we became best buds. So being with him here now, after all that we have gone through, for me is absolutely fantastic. To come here and beat everyone up with my best mate, it doesn’t get any better than that.”

TNA’s backstage atmosphere: “This locker room is one of the best that I have been part of. Everyone busts their ass, the boys are great, the office is great, all the bosses are fantastic, they all keep us in the loop, everyone wants best for us from top to bottom so the morale is always, from what I’ve seen, always spectacular. We all go out there and bust our asses, we put on the best show that we can, regardless of what’s floating around. It’s a great vibe – it really is.”

Working for WWE NXT vs. TNA: “There is a lot more freedom [in TNA]. If I have an opinion, I feel that I can voice it slightly better. It’s all generally the same. It’s a tough question, but being in developmental, because in their eyes you are still not 100% ready, there’s more schooling on it and more micro management.”

Check out the complete interview at TNAAsylum.com.

WWE Diva Emma got her start in the company in its’ developmental system known as NXT, however she was the first new generation female to debut on the main roster. Less than a year and one arrest later, Emma is back on NXT programming. This may seem like a step down for her, but NXT provides Emma with greater opportunities.

Emma made her main roster debut in January of 2014 and quickly developed a friendship with fellow comedic superstar Santino Marella. Unfortunately, Marella had a career ending injury and officially announced his retirement at a house show in July. That same month, Emma was arrested, released and then reinstated after an incident involving shoplifting. It was not a great month for Emma.

After her arrest, Emma was being used less and less on WWE programming. And without Santino around, WWE didn’t seem to have much to do for Emma.

If you look at the current state of the Divas Championship in WWE, it’s pretty crowded. AJ Lee was the top diva for 343 days until another new generation diva was promoted to the main roster. Paige and AJ have become the modern day Trish and Lita. They are levels above the rest of the girls. However, with the heel turn of Total Diva Nikki Bella, another contender has entered the title picture. This has left Emma at the bottom of the list of divas on the main roster.

Now thinking about the Womens’ title over in NXT, Emma would make a great and logical choice for the next number one contender. Emma and Paige squared off for the NXT Women’s title at the brand’s first special event, NXT ArRIVAL but the Aussie came up short. This could be attributed to the fact that Emma had already debuted on the main roster, while Paige was solely on NXT.

Since NXT ArRIVAL, the Womens’ title has been held by Ric Flair’s daughter, Charlotte. While the Nature Boy’s daughter continues to improve, she may have been more lucky than talented. Emma was on the main roster and thus, not considered to become the new champion when Paige vacated the Womens’ title. Summer Rae is also an NXT diva who spends most of her time on the main roster shows.

Who is left on NXT? Charlotte, Bayley and Sasha Banks are the top dogs in the womens’ division. WWE hasn’t promoted Banks as a leader. She developed a partnership with both Charlotte and Summer Rae known as the BFFs, but Banks was clearly the sidekick of the group. Then, there is Bayley. She has a super sweet gimmick of what appears to be a teeny bopper type of girl. She seems great, but not necessarily strong enough to be the champion.

The womens’ division in NXT could use Emma. Charlotte, Bayley and Sasha Banks are holding their own, but fans need another strong babyface. With the ladder too tall to climb on the main roster, Emma would benefit from the stoop she needs to climb in NXT. She is already proven there and the opportunities down in Tampa are endless for the Aussie.

What are your thoughts on Emma as the next number one contender for the NXT Womens’ title? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

WWE has reportedly released two NXT talents today. According to various reports, Troy McClain and Kendall Skye have been released from their developmental deals with the company.

There’s talk that there may be some additional releases later today.

– WWE creative member Stephen Guerrieri is said to be the lead writer for NXT television shows. Prior to Guerrieri, Ryan Ward was said to be the main writer for the product. Guerrieri has worked in the past for Rachel Ray, as well as other Food Network shows.

– The inspiration behind KENTA’s name-change to Hideo Itami comes from former MLB player Hideo Nomo. The Itami part of the name apparently has something to do with Naruto Manga anime.

– Secondary market ticket prices for Sunday’s WWE Night Of Champions pay-per-view are said to be the lowest priced thus far for an event headlined by Brock Lesnar. The reason is likely due to the fact that the event isn’t sold out, while other events that featured Lesnar in the main event spot sold out well in advance.

– The next live, two-hour NXT special is expected to take place in December. WWE will be doing another live Thursday special with tapings on Friday. There are two different weeks in the month of December that are currently under consideration.

– WWE developmental Diva Lina Fanene, who is The Rock’s cousin, noted on Twitter that she recently received her new NXT name, which is “Zada.” Fanene tweeted the following:

It's official guys my ring name is ZADA! This journey is going to be hard, but I'm willing to put in the work for life!#DivasBeware @WWENXT

— Lina (@LinaFanene) September 18, 2014

– WWE added the following video to their official YouTube channel, highlighting the top ten moments from this week’s RAW.

Following last week’s NXT Takeover special, the following is a preview for tonight’s episode of NXT on the WWE Network:

– The in-ring debut of Hideo Itami (Kenta). He will face Justin Gabriel in singles action.

– NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte vs. Emma in non-title match.

– Titus O’Neil and Tyson Kidd vs. NXT champion Adrian Neville and Sami Zayn in the main event.

*Spoilers* For Tonight’s Episode Of NXT & The Next 3 weeks

In March 2011 the Sin Cara character debuted in WWE, but it wasn’t until recently that the company’s investment paid off. Originally portrayed by Mexican star Luis Urive, aka Mistico, the Sin Cara character seemed to be a failure. Years later, the man formerly known as Hunico took over the character and now Sin Cara is a champion.

Urive failed as Sin Cara due to injuries, suspensions and the inability to adjust to the WWE and American wrestling lifestyle. The company wanted the Sin Cara character to succeed. With Rey Mysterio at the end of his career, the new luchadore would make a fine replacement for the Hispanic population. Also, surely WWE wanted to take advantage of the merchandising sales for the masks.

Hunico was spending time both on the main roster and in NXT when he took over full time as the Sin Cara character. So it wasn’t surprising to see Sin Cara wrestle mainly on NXT, though he occasionally would compete on the main roster – usually in a losing effort.

WWE and specially Triple H has done an outstanding job of building up NXT. It is among the best shows to watch on the WWE Network and often times is more enjoyable than Raw and Smackdown. Both NXT and the WWE Performance Center have been created in such a way to help up and coming superstars prepare for the big time. It makes sense for Sin Cara to continue honing his skills down in Florida.

As Sin Cara continues to improve, he has found success as the partner of another luchadore. Kalisto is making waves down in NXT with his impressive high flying skills for such a small guy. Talk about replacing Rey Mysterio, Kalisto is the more likely candidate due to his size resembling Mr. 619 so much.

Kalisto had been teaming in NXT with Ricardo Rodriguez’s alter ego, El Local. The two faced off against the Ascension at the first NXT Takeover event in May, but were unsuccessful. It was clear from the beginning that WWE was not interesting in pushing El Local very far. With Rodriguez’s release, WWE took the opportunity to place Sin Cara in the tag team with Kalisto and dub them the Lucha Dragons.

It’s a win win situation for Sin Cara, Kalisto and WWE. The Lucha Dragons finally find success and win the NXT tag team champions. WWE wins with their marketable tag team who should eventually make their way to the main roster.

It’s a great story for the Sin Cara character and the man formerly known as Hunico. WWE wanted Sin Cara to succeed and finally put the right guy under the mask. Sin Cara should continue to succeed in NXT alongside Kalisto as the young stars rise as the new ultimate underdogs in WWE.

What are your thoughts on the newly found success of the Sin Cara character? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Seth Guttenplan is a math and computer technology teacher for special education students in New Jersey. In his free time, Seth writes about wrestling. Follow Seth on twitter @sethgutt

As noted, several of the top NXT talents, such as Adrian Neville, Sami Zayn, Tyler Breeze and The Ascension are all scheduled to go on the road with the main roster for live events and television to help cross-promote the NXT brand.

The reason none of the guys worked the television tapings this week was said to be because this week was the “go-home” week for Sunday’s WWE Night Of Champions pay-per-view.

– AL.com has a featured article up today regarding the end of the WWE Magazine. The story notes that after 30 years, the final issue of the magazine is on newsstands now.

– Below is the video preview for tomorrow night’s edition of NXT on the WWE Network, which focuses on Sami Zayn’s road to the NXT Championship.

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