WWE NXT Superstar Dani Palmer will be out of action indefinitely after undergoing hip surgery this week, with a second hip surgery planned for later this year.
Taking to Instagram, Palmer shared the news about her double hip surgery but remained positive about her future. Palmer added that she had already had the first surgery.
“Jeremiah 29:11. This year so far has been chaotic…scary but BEAUTIFUL…and nothing like the plan I had in mind for 2024…but I have a peace that makes no sense because I know the author of my story. I have to have a double hip surgery this year, and God is great because I knocked the first one out this morning and it went fantastic! Thank you everyone for all the prayers.“
For anyone curious about the bible passage Palmer referenced in her post, Jeremiah 29:11 goes like this:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Who is Dani Palmer?
Palmer made her in-ring debut for WWE at an NXT live event in September 2022, where she was on the losing end of a six-woman tag-team match. That November, she would make her TV debut as part of NXT LVL UP, in a losing effort to Chase U’s Thea Hail. It wouldn’t be until a January 2023 edition of LVL UP that she’d score her first win, besting Lola Vice in singles action. Palmer has 33 matches to her name with WWE and boasts an 11-22 win/loss record.
Palmer played a role in a huge NXT storyline at a live event last year…
It has been a family affair on WWE NXT lately for Mr. Robert Stone. The veteran wrestler and manager saw his twin sons Carter and Cash on the show. They’ve had a hand helping Stone’s client Von Wagner prepare for his big match this week for the Heritage Cup against Noam Dar. I recently spoke with the proud dad, who says it’s gratifying to see his boys go on this ride.
“They are like the coolest kids in their school,” Stone said. “I try to think back. When I was seven years old, my older brother loved wrestling, so I was obsessed with professional wrestling if I could have been on TV and shown up at school and showed all my friends myself on TV.
How cool would that have been? They are going through that now.They’ve been on twice in the past two months or so, and it is the coolest thing. The parents watch. The teachers know. It’s a lot of fun for them. I’m happy for them.”
Stone isn’t sure who initially had the idea to get the kids a role on the show. At the same time, he isn’t surprised about it either as he describes them as naturals in front of the camera.
“When you meet them, you just say these kids should probably be on TV,” he said. “They are pretty wild. I think everyone was on board when they heard it b because why not? You never don’t like something when children are involved. This is such a big match for them. They’ve been rooting for Von so much. They helped him train. They called themselves his coaches. They’ll be watching, at least from the audience. As long as the matches aren’t too late and it’s not past their bedtime I think my wife will let it happen.”
Robert Stone On His Time With WWE
It’s been quite the journey for Stone, who spent almost 20 years putting in the work before getting a WWE contract in 2019. The former TNA Impact Wrestling star has managed to find his footing in a very competitive atmosphere and stay in the mix. He takes pride in being a personality on the show, even described by Shawn Michaels as this new age Bobby Heenan or Jimmy Hart.
“It’s crazy when you say 2019. There have been so many changes in NXT since that time,” Stone said. “I’m actually one of the longest people within the locker room since that time that is still in NXT, which is crazy when you think about it. I went from Black and Gold to 2.0 to kind of Black and Gold again. It is a family. You train together. You do the weekend shows together. We do the PLEs on the road together. It’s a very tight locker room.
“Everyone is rooting for one another. Everyone works together at TV to make the best possible product, which I think is coming out now. NXT is hotter than ever. It’s a cool thing to be a part of. I have been in the industry for so long and locker rooms are not always like that. They are very cutthroat and everyone is out for themselves. It’s not like that here. It shouldn’t be any other way. It’s great to be a part of.”
Transitioning to a Personality
The 40-year-old credits his longevity to his ability to evolve and adapt. He is always looking at taking on another skill set or challenge to be a valuable asset to WWE. And that often means not lacing up the boots but being the guy ringside and still being an important part of the presentation.
“I wrestled in 2000, so when 2019 came around my body has been beat up. I’ve been doing this for a long time. So when it got offered to me this role where I’m not wrestling so much and was a manager, I was the right guy to come to. I feel like to be an on-air character and not have to do all the physical stuff as often, I’m the perfect guy for that. As I get older, with my body it’s harder to handle wrestling. As they say, this isn’t ballet. I was pretty beat up, so it was nice to do something different.
I like learning different things. I commentated on Level Up a few times, so I’m learning commentary. Now I’m doing a little producing and coaching matches. I’m always down to learn something different, so I wanted to take this head-on…”
Working With Chelsea Green and Von Wagner
Before being linked to Wagner, Stone worked with a number of talents. Among them was Chelsea Green, who is currently been making the most of her second chance with WWE. Stone couldn’t be happier to see her success. And if she really needs a manager, he is still one call away.
“When I first debuted on TV, me and Chelsea were together. It was short-lived. We were actually in the 2020 Royal Rumble. It was three or four months we worked together. We really bonded. We still have a connection. We’re still pretty close. I’m obviously excited for her and how great she is shining right now.”
Stone’s focus remains on building up Wagner. Someone who had all the physical tools and potential to be a major WWE superstar. What the standout athlete has missed is a connection to the audience. However, through vignettes and Stone as his mouthpiece, he has been able to come out of his shell a little more.
“I think it has been the best thing for him. When they see him. A big guy. A monster who screams. He is like everyone else. Why should we like this guy or be interested in him or why deserve to be here? Fans thought this without knowing him. He had that story about his head. When he was born and had multiple surgeries on his head and battled through that. It shows you what he has been through a lot. A reason to like him.”
Like a great manager/agent, Stone sells his client’s credentials and upside.
They also don’t know he is a second-generation wrestler. He was an amazing athlete in college. He was a Division 1 football player at UCF, a three-sport athlete in high school They don’t know he genuinely cares about this industry. He grew up in it. His dad wrestled. He absorbs and wants to learn and regularly trains and is not just the guy who is going through the motions. He wants to keep getting better. He is continuously getting better with every match. He has a bright future, and now people are starting to get that.”
The future of Damage CTRL may be looking increasingly uncertain, but Bayley hopes to bring an NXT Superstar on board when the time is right.
Damage CTRL debuted at SummerSlam 2022, which marked the return of Bayley after an injury that kept her out of the ring for over a year. The Role Model showed up in Nashville with Dakota Kai (who had been released earlier that year) and Io Shirai (since renamed IYO SKY) whose contract was close to expiring.
A New Member?
In November of last year, Kairi Sane and Asuka joined the faction, despite the Empress’ previous battles with Damage CTRL. On Instagram this week, Bayley threw out an offer to WWE NXT Superstar Cora Jade who is currently out of action with an ACL injury.
Cora Jade joined WWE in 2021. She has previously competed under the name Elyanna Black and has made appearances for TNA Wrestling (IMPACT Wrestling) at the time, as well as AEW.
Cora Jade’s efforts in the ring haven’t gone unnoticed by one of WWE’s veteran performers…
As part of his agreement with AEW that allowed for his release, Regal did not appear on WWE programming for the first year of his return. On this week’s show, the British veteran re-emerged and was seen to have had a producing meeting with WWE’s Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative Shawn Michaels.
Regal appeared alongside Ava, who has been making matches and big decisions as of late. In their segment, Regal confirmed that not only is the fourth-generation wrestler officially the GM of NXT, but at 22 years old, she is the youngest General Manager in WWE history.
Regal pleaded with Ava to take care of NXT, recalling his own role with the gold brand since the very start. The former Intercontinental Champion hardly sold the role, calling it a thankless job that means working long hours and juggling the egos of several Superstars.
Ava admitted that she has big shoes to fill, but she is confident she can do it. Regal concluded the segment stating if she ever needs anything, she knows how to contact him.
“Although we’re unable to verify with The Rainmaker himself, one source close to NJPW’s top talent has indicated to Monthly Puroresu that it appears Kazuchika Okada is WWE bound, potentially starting in NXT first.”
Okada has reportedly always dreamed of competing at WrestleMania, an aspiration that those in WWE, including CCO Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque, are well aware of. The Game and NXT head Shawn Michaels have shown “significant interest” in bringing Okada on board.
One WWE NXT Superstar hopes to make an impression in this year’s Women’s Royal Rumble match, which will take place later this week.
On Twitter this week, the USA Network account asked fans who they’d like to see in the upcoming Royal Rumble matches. In a response, NXT Superstar Thea Hail made clear she wants in her first Women’s Royal Rumble match.
This year’s Women’s Rumble match will be the seventh in history after the match type was introduced in 2018. Previous winners of the Women’s Rumble match include Asuka, Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Bianca Belair, Ronda Rousey, and reigning Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley.
Thea Hail is Over-The-Top
While Hail has yet to compete in a Royal Rumble match, the Chase U member has seen success in over-the-top-rope battle royals. Hail has competed in five battle royals in WWE and with a victory in 2 of those matches, she boasts a 40% win record. Hail was part of the battle royal that took place on last week’s WWE NXT, but failed to make it to the final four.
WWE Royal Rumble 2024
Here is the card for the WWE 2024 Royal Rumble PLE as it currently stands:
Men’s Royal Rumble match (Confirmed entrants: Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Shinsuke Nakamura, Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre, GUNTHER.
Fans who tuned into this week’s WWE NXT caught their first glimpse of Madi Wrenkowski in a WWE ring, and she now has a new name.
The January 16, 2024, edition of WWE NXT saw the gold brand start the journey toward NXT Vengeance Day. That event will take place on February 4, from the F&M Bank Arena in Clarksville, Tennessee. During this week’s show, it was confirmed that NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov will defend at Vengeance Day against Trick Williams. The pair were set to face off at New Year’s Evil but the match was postponed.
WWE NXT In-Ring Debut
This week’s NXT was headlined by a women’s battle royal with a unique stipulation. The final four in the match would advance to a four-way, with the winner earning a shot at the NXT Women’s Championship. For the match, Madi Wrenkowski, a former NWA star, made her in-ring debut for WWE NXT under her new name Wren Sinclair. While she appeared on last week’s NXT, this match marked her in-ring debut for the promotion.
Unfortunately for Sinclair, she would not make it to the final four. Instead, the four-way was comprised of Roxanne Perez, Fallon Henley, Kiana James, and Kelani Jordan. Perez got the win and will challenge NXT Women’s Champion Lyra Valkyria at NXT Vengeance Day.
Wrenkowski was also NWA Women’s Tag Team Champion from February to August of this year and held the titles with Missa Kate. The pair lost the titles at the NWA 75th Anniversary show on August 27, 2023, in St. Louis, MO. She has also appeared on episodes of AEW Dark.
WWE NXT Superstar Cora Jade will be out of action for close to a year after suffering a torn ACL during a recent live event.
During the January 16, 2024, edition of WWE NXT, the gold brand confirmed reports that Jade had been injured at an untelevised show. It was confirmed that Jade suffered a torn ACL. She is slated to miss up to a year of in-ring action. The injury occurred during a match between Jade and NXT Women’s Champion Lyra Valkyria. During this week’s show, however, it was stated that Jade wrestled and lost to someone else.
Jade’s injury will once again raise questions regarding the safety of the training WWE provides at its Performance Center. Jade is the latest woman to be taken out with a torn ACL. Amari Miller, Arianna Grace, Nikkita Lyons, and Yulisa Leon have all suffered ACL tears as part of WWE NXT. It’ll be important for WWE to find the balance between conditioning talent for the future while also not pushing them beyond their current limits.
Cora Jade recently reunited with an old hero of hers…
Lexis King goes by a new name, but John Cena made it clear you make your own name in pro wrestling.
King, real name Brian Pillman Jr., made his WWE debut at NXT Halloween Havoc and revealed in a new interview with Chris Van Vliet that John Cena came down to visit the roster down in Orlando, FL.
“He actually came and did a seminar with us at the PC. I thought, ‘Okay, I’ll see what’s going on.’ I’m so glad I went. It was the most enlightening…it wasn’t just little questions that people would ask. We were getting into it. We were talking about contract negotiations and all this different stuff. It was amazing, the amount of questions we were able to ask and get answered.”
King, however, noted about the one very intriguing piece of advice Cena gave to the the hopeful future WWE Superstars sitting under his learning tree.
“One of the coolest things he said was, ‘You can’t control the booking and who is wearing what belt, but you can be the best version of said character.'”
Cena told the NXT roster that he believes it not to be beneficial to pitch ideas to WWE as they have a staff for doing that. Just focusing on the character you’re given to portray is key.
King noted that in AEW he made successful pitches to the company, but he won’t do it again while in WWE. He also opened up about how he really questioned his own value in wrestling while apart of the AEW roster.
Please credit Chris Van Vliet and h/t to Fightful for the transcription.
AEW may have proved to be pivotal in the career of Lexis King, but the NXT Superstar experienced the worst case of self-doubt of his career while he was ‘All-Elite.’
King has quickly become a top guy in NXT, in stark contrast to his tenure with AEW. On the latest edition of the Insight podcast, King spoke about making his WWE NXT TV debut and how he’d felt in AEW.
“It [his WWE NXT TV debut] was great. I was just sitting in it and I’m backstage thinking ‘Is this real?’ I spent, and this isn’t a knock on anybody, but I spent so many months of my career at the previous company, just second-guessing myself. Am I really any good? Am I worth it? A lot of self-doubt. And just to see how my career has done a total 180 since then [is incredible].
“I went from just sitting in the back and filming a few dark matches in Orlando here and there. Six-minute tag matches, barely getting in the ring and feeling the canvas to now, I’m sitting on a throne, making my entrance. In the biggest wrestling company in the world, they have this confidence in me. And it fuels me, now I have confidence in myself.
“Hell, they gave me the name King! It doesn’t get any better than that. So just to feel that 180 and go out there and perform with a certain level of grit and attitude. You know, I’m going to prove everyone one wrong, everyone who didn’t believe in me, It’s a dream come true.”
While King feels he is thriving now that he’s part of WWE NXT, the second-generation wrestler wanted to make it clear he doesn’t resent AEW or his time with the company.
“There’s no ill-will [towards AEW] but it’s just sort of that mindset. I put myself in that mindset. Nobody else put me in that. I just put myself in that mindset of ‘What’s going on here?’ That self-doubt. And I kept griding. Like I said I moved back home. I kept grinding, going to the local [wrestling] school. Trying to find out what makes me tick as a performer. And just the experience living there, the experience I gained traveling with AEW made me the performer I am today.”
King has been embroiled in the storyline surrounding Trick Williams’ mystery attacker from months ago. The former AEW star has implicated Trick’s longtime ally Carmelo Hayes as the culprit.
Lexis King recently had a unique request for his fans…
For the use of quotes, please give an H/T to SE Scoops.
An interesting name appeared for WWE NXT ahead of this week’s episode of the gold brand, one who fans may be seeing much more of going forward.
The January 9, 2023, episode of WWE NXT saw the gold brand continue forward after last week’s New Year’s Evil episode. In the main event of the show, Dragon Lee retained the NXT North American Championship against Lexis King. Lee had missed the previous week’s episode due to Visa issues. After the match, Oba Femi cashed in his Men’s Breakout Tournament win to dethrone Lee and become the new champion.
A Notable Name At WWE NXT
Ahead of this week’s show, the NXT Anonymous account shared a video of Jacy Jayne and Thea Hail speaking with Chase U students. One person who was listening closely was Madi Wrenkowski who has been on WWE’s radar for some time.
Wrenkowski was part of a WWE tryout in September 2023 that included Richard Holliday and “HollyHood” Haley J. While it was reported by other outlets shortly after that she had been signed, it was later clarified that a deal had not been reached at that time.
Wrenkowski was also NWA Women’s Tag Team Champion from February to August of this year and held the titles with Missa Kate. The pair lost the titles at the NWA 75th Anniversary show on August 27, 2023, in St. Louis, MO. She has also appeared on episodes of AEW Dark.
Charlie Dempsey’s attempts to bring the AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Title to the No Quarter Catch Crew were in vain at the promotion’s recent event.
Last month, it was announced that Dempsey would be competing for AJPW, in a rare instance of WWE allowing one of their stars in another promotion. In a video, William Regal (Dempsey’s father) spoke about his own career in Japan before announcing that Dempsey would be working the AJPW show. This also proved to be Regal’s first public acknowledgment of the WWE NXT Superstar as his son.
Charlie Dempsey Competes in All Japan
On December 31, Katsuhiko Nakajima defeated Kento Miyahara to retain the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship and set up the title defense against Dempsey. Heading into their title match, Dempsey held a victory over the champion, having bested Nakajima in a previous tag-team match.
At the January 3, show, the champion and challenger held nothing back in their efforts to leave with the AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Title. Dempsey was called the ‘Ace of NXT’ by the ring announcer. You can check out highlights of the match below.
After Dempsey exited the ring, Nakajima was approached by Shotaro Ashino, who has been out since May 2023 with a fractured left forearm. Before his injury, Ashino had won the Champion Carnival tournament, earning himself a shot at the Triple Crown. He made his return to the ring on December 31.
Back in the United States, things didn’t go any better for Dempsey’s allies in the No Quarter Catch Crew. Click here to find out more.
Dragon Lee was unable to make it to this week’s WWE NXT, but the reigning North American Champion lived up to his promise of a huge surprise.
This week’s show was NXT’s ‘New Year’s Evil’ episode and marked the first edition of the gold brand of 2024. The show was scheduled to see NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov defend against Trick Williams, who earned a title shot by winning the Iron Survivor Challenge at NXT Deadline. Due to the kayfabe injury ’caused’ by Ridge Holland, Dragunov was pulled from the show. Williams would retain his spot as Number One Contender with a win over Grayson Waller.
Carlito on WWE NXT
Another match that was changed was the six-man tag pitting the LWO against the No Quarter Catch Crew. Dragon Lee was supposed to be in the match but was not in the U.S. at the time. On Twitter before the show, Lee explained how Visa issues were keeping him in Mexico, but promised a surprise for the match.
Feliz año nuevo! Sad news to kick off the year, but due to visa issues I am unable to leave Mexico right now. Por eso, I will miss @WWENXT New Years Evil… But the LWO has a big surprise for the NQCC and the NXT Universe tomorrow night.
That surprise turned out to be Carlito, who led his LWO allies to victory over Drew Gulak, Myles Borne, and Damon Kemp. For good measure, Carlito delivered his trademark apple-spit to Gulak after the match.
Carlito wasn’t the only notable name to appear on this week’s episode of WWE NXT. During the aforementioned match between Trick Williams and Grayson Waller, Kevin Owens appeared to attack his SmackDown rival. The two have been at odds for some time, with Owens taking issue with both the Australian and his ally Austin Theory.
A former NXT and IMPACT Wrestling star is scheduled for a court appearance on January 3 following a DUI charge she received back in May 2023.
Kimber Lee, real name Kimberly Frankele, will be appearing in court due to a DUI and Resisting an Office with Violence and Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer. Frankele pled not guilty to all charges back in July and she waived her right to a speedy trial.
Lee, 33, reportedly was described to have “blood shot watery eyes, and she slurred as she spoke,” when Officer Roberts pulled her over. According to Roberts, Lee kept “Forgetting why and asked me several times when (sic) I was messing with her.” She also was very difficult with handing over her driver’s license, tried to leave the premises, which ultimately led to Lee striking Roberts after he tried to handcuff her.
Roberts decribed the incident as follows:
“[Kimber Lee] began kicking me in the chest and in my face, busting my lip and the gums in my mouth. At one point, the subject grabbed the cell phone and after I removed it from her hands and after I removed it from her hands, again I tried to place the restraints on her, and she my left hand twice hard enough to break my skin a (sic) bleed from it.”
Tape up your knuckles because next week WWE NXT is going “underground.”
In a promo for his upcoming fight against Dijak next week, Eddie Thorpe says that ropes can’t contain the two’s intensity and he wants to do it in a ring without one. He wants to settle the score in a concept that used to be briefly popular on WWE Raw: the two will go mono-a-mono in an Underground match.
From a storyline standpoint, the “Underground” concept was brought in by Shane McMahon and was brought to WWE television during the global pandemic. “Underground” never took place in a WWE arena or the “ThunderDome,” but rather went down in an open warehouse, giving everything the intended “Fight Club” feel of it all. There were also no pins and had more of a MMA execution to it rather than your conventional wrestling match.
Shane originally introduced “Underground” on the August 3, 2020 episode of Raw and the concept only lasted eight weeks until Vince McMahon decided to scrap it. However, some battles did take place that involved names like Bobby Lashley, Braun Strowman, Titus O’Neil, Riddick Moss and even Dolph Ziggler.
Ziggler had a memorable run with Underground as he faced Lashley and several others where the impending free agent got to utilize his impressive collegiate wrestling background.
During the pandemic, NXT did happen to do a bout that could be considered somewhat similar to Underground as Matt Riddle took on Timothy Thatcher. Like Underground, the match didn’t have ropes, but instead of open space there was a cage around the ring. Kurt Angle happened to be the special guest referee for the contest.
Posted December 20th, 2023 in News, NXT. Tagged: Dijak, NXT.
Roxanne Perez has made her name as part of WWE NXT for some time now, but The Prodigy will soon make an appearance for Reality of Wrestling.
On Twitter, the official ROW account announced that Perez will be coming “home” for the upcoming ‘One Night Only’ event. The show will take place in Texas City, Texas, on January 13, 2024.
?? BREAKING NEWS ??
NXT Superstar @roxanne_wwe makes her return home to Reality Of Wrestling for One Night Only on Saturday, January 13th for the first event of 2024. #Slamuary
?9300 Emmett F Lowry Expressway Texas City, TX 77591
It’s fitting that Perez will be at the upcoming Reality of Wrestling show given her history with the promotion. After training under Booker T, Perez made her in-ring debut for the Texan legend’s Reality of Wrestling promotion in December 2018. As Rok-C, Perez is a former ROW Diamonds Division Champion. Booker has often referred to his personal connection to Perez on WWE NXT as the two-time Hall of Famer serves as a commentator for the gold brand.
One NXT talent wants to sit under the learning tree of Mickie James even if the legend is not with WWE.
Fallon Henley, who has been building her resume on Shawn Michaels’ version of the black and gold brand, caught a clip of the women’s tag team match on WWE Raw this Monday, and she decided to shoot her shot with James on X. She also pitched an added incentive.
“Mickie James hear me out – what if we saddled up, you taught me to be hardcore country and we went for the WWE Women’s Tag Titles. I’ll bring the drinks!”
@MickieJames hear me out… what if we saddled up, you taught me to be hardcore country and we went for the WWE Women’s Tag Titles. I’ll bring the drinks! ? https://t.co/819e9CQpwE
The notion that James could make a return to WWE isn’t completley out of the realm of possibility. James kicked down the “forbidden door” of promotions, when she was Impact Knockouts Champion and entered the Royal Rumble in 2022. In a pro wrestling first, Impact gold was proudly displayed on WWE television.
Not only does James have the CM Punk ties, but indirectly has a presence on WWE SmackDown as well. James’ husband, Nick Aldis, currently serves as the brand’s on-air general manager.
Reigning WWE NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov was seemingly injured during the latest tapings of the gold brand but things aren’t entirely what they seem.
Dragunov is in his first reign as WWE NXT Champion and won the title from Carmelo Hayes at WWE NXT No Mercy in September. Since then, Dragunov has retained against Hayes, ‘Dirty’ Dominik Mysterio, and Baron Corbin. He is also a former WWE NXT UK Champion.
Ilja Dragunov Injured?
With next week being so close to Christmas, the December 19, episode was filmed this week to give the roster and crew time off to be with their families. It has been reported that Dragunov worked against Ridge Holland for the taping and in photos that emerged online, it appeared the NXT Champion was seriously injured.
This injury couldn’t come at a worse time for the Mad Dragon, who is set to defend the NXT Championship against Trick Williams at New Year’s Evil. Dragunov was also caught up in the storyline with Carmelo Hayes and Lexis King this week, as to who attacked Williams weeks ago. Hayes accused Dragunov of attacking Trick and himself on this week’s show.
Could a rivalry be reignited for Carmelo Hayes? The former NXT Champion is preparing himself for tough competition as he is the lone NXT member competing in the upcoming US Title contender’s tournament on SmackDown. He’s no stranger to his first round opponent either as he’s going one-on-one with Grayson Waller.
In light of that clash occurring, Waller decided to confront Carmelo during a photo shoot. Just this week on WWE NXT, Hayes accused the current NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov of attacking him at the beginning of this week’s episode and also believes that it was Dragunov who attacked Trick Williams backstage months ago. The latter two are set to face one another at NXT New Year’s Evil, but it was Waller who decided to throw some salt into fresh wounds.
Waller decided to push some buttons, putting the blame on Hayes for Williams getting attacked and Carmelo took exception to Waller walking in during his shoot.
Waller challenged Hayes for the NXT Championship earlier this year at Spring Breakin’, but the Aussie lost in his efforts. Since then, Waller was drafted to the SmackDown roster, but spent a good deal of time on the shelf due to injury.
However, Waller has still made the most of his call-up, having a memorable confrontation with John Cena this past July at WWE Money In The Bank.
Prior to joining All Elite Wrestling in 2022, Ring of Honor Women’s World champion Athena spent six years with WWE. As Ember Moon, she held the NXT Women title as well as the brand’s tag titles, alongside Shotzi Blackheart.
Despite her WWE run coming to an end in late-2021, Athena maintains an overall positive outlook on her experience there, particularly with the atmosphere in NXT.
Athena spoke with Phil Strum for Under The Ring and explained how working for WWE helped her develop as a performer.
Athena Says NXT was like going to Pro Wrestling University
Athena individually thanked several of the coaches she worked with in NXT, including Sara Amato, Robbie Brookside, Norman Smiiley, Matt Bloom, Fitt Finaly, Shawn Michaels, as well as Triple H.
“I learned a lot about myself,” she began. “I learned a lot about what I wanted, and where I wanted to be in my career. I think the most awesome part about being an NXT was working with [Triple H] or with working with all the amazing coaches like Sara Amato, Robbie Brookside, who I love to death. I cannot say enough great things about Robbie Brookside. [He] brought out that aggression within the Ember Moon character. Norman Smiley, Matt Bloom, Fit Finlay — there were just so much knowledge in one place in. Shawn Michaels too, Scotty 2 Hotty was there.
“There was just so much knowledge wrapped up in one place, that it was like a college for wrestling. I don’t know if that’s an accurate term, it was like Pro Wrestling University. It was really cool to jus be able to go there and just learn so much.”
Athena says she still speaks to many of her NXT coaches to this day. She asks them if they watch her matches in ROH and tries to pick up any pointers that she can.
“It’s just really cool to have that support still, even though I’m not there. I just learned a lot about myself and what I wanted out of my career there. I learned how to work for television, how to work for myself. It made me more motivated ever than before, just to be good at what I do. And I think that’s the beauty of that place.”
Listen to Athena’s appearance on Under the Ring at Apple Podcasts.
Carmelo Hayes will represent WWE NXT in the ongoing United States Championship contenders tournament, it has been confirmed.
Earlier this month, United States Champion Logan Paul announced an eight-man tournament to determine his first challenger. In his announcement, the Maverick said that he’d love to offer Rey Mysterio a rematch, but can’t due to the WWE Hall of Famer’s injury. Paul captured the title from Mysterio at WWE Crown Jewel in his first taste of gold since signing with WWE.
Shawn Michaels says there was a line of NXT stars outside his door wanting to be part of the US Championship Contenders Tournament, but in his view, nobody deserves the spot more than Carmelo Hayes.
Melo had previously teased being a part of the tournament and has been universally praised for his work in NXT. He’s viewed as having breakout potential as much as anybody in developmental and will be right at home amongst SmackDown’s most talented stars:
With the tournament brackets being revealed last week, it is clear what path Hayes has toward the United States Championship. Hayes will face Grayson Waller in the first round, somebody whom Hayes has experience competing against in NXT. Should he win, Melo will face the winner of the Austin Theory Vs. Kevin Owens quarter-final match. If Hayes wins that bout, he will face either Bobby Lashley or Santos Escobar in the finals.
While not confirmed, many expect the title match to take place at the Royal Rumble next year. The WWE Royal Rumble will take place on January 27, from Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Hayes recently called out All Elite Wrestling for merchandise he sees as very similar to his “Melo is Him” catchphrase:
Dragon Lee will be a fighting champion now that he holds the NXT North American Title, and his win has caught the attention of some stars outside of WWE.
This victory marks Lee’s first taste of WWE gold since joining the promotion in late 2022. Speaking in an NXT Digital Exclusive, the new champion was asked how he feels.
“How do I feel? I feel very happy. You know, I don’t even know if I can find the exact words to explain to you how I feel. Me siento como un campeón (I feel like a champion.) I’m ready for the next challenge. Whoever [is next, I’m ready].”
Lee was also asked about Rey Mysterio, who announced the match during the go-home WWE NXT before Deadline.
“Rey Mysterio supports me. That means the world. That means a lot. My superhero… Thank you Rey, this is for all my people.”
AEW Stars React
Dragon Lee is the new NXT North American Champion but he isn’t the only member of his family to wrestle. On Twitter, AEW’s Rush made it clear that he is immensely proud of his brother.
Dragon Lee is very happy to be the new NXT North American Champion, but Dominik Mysterio isn’t happy. Click here to check out the ex-Champion’s reaction.
NXT Superstar Cora Jade has reunited with CM Punk, years after the pair met for the first time back when Jade was just a fan.
Punk helped kick off last night’s NXT Deadline event with an in-ring segment with NXT head Shawn Michaels. Punk grabbed a selfie with the Showstopper and teased signing with NXT instead of Raw or SmackDown on the main roster.
Cora Jade and CM Punk Reunite
WWE NXT Deadline also saw the return of Cora Jade, who appeared during the show to attack reigning NXT Women’s Champion Lyra Valkyria. Recently, a video went viral of a young Jade, years before she joined WWE, being overcome with emotion at meeting CM Punk. During a backstage interview with Jade, Punk made sure that the former NXT Women’s Tag Team Champion knows he is proud of how far she has come.
While Punk didn’t mention Jade by name during his WWE NXT Deadline appearance, the former AEW & WWE World Champion did say that there had been some wrestlers backstage who spoke about growing up watching Punk in the ring.
What’s Next?
Based on what happened at Deadline, it’s clear that Jade has her sights set on Lyra Valkyria and the NXT Women’s Championship. With that said Blair Davenport has a guaranteed shot at the champion due to winning the Women’s Iron Survivor Challenge. As for CM Punk, he will announce on next week’s Raw which brand he will be signing with.
What did those backstage make to CM Punk being at WWE NXT Deadline? Click here to find out.
‘Dirty’ Dominik Mysterio was far from pleased with the lack of The Judgment Day’s help at last night’s NXT Deadline event.
At last night’s event, Mysterio lost the NXT North American Championship to Dragon Lee while Dominik’s father Rey was on commentary. This match gives Lee his first taste of WWE championship gold, and he and Rey celebrated after the match.
Dominik Reacts to His Title Loss
In a rarity, Dominik was by his lonesome at last night’s Deadline show and had none of his Judgment Day allies. Speaking in an NXT Digital Exclusive after the match, Mysterio questioned why he had no help at ringside.
“You all saw what happened to me out there. I am the greatest NXT North American Champion that’s ever been. Dragon Lee. My deadbeat dad. Where’s Judgment Day? Where’s Finn? Where’s Damian? JD? Mami? You know what? I’m going to go home to Mami because Judgment Day runs all and this shouldn’t be happening!”
This loss presumably marks the end of Dominik Mysterio’s time as part of WWE NXT. Mysterio leaves the gold brand a two-time North American Champion with a combined 141 days with the title. Lee is one of three men to have held the title more than once, the others being two-time Champion Carmelo Hayes and three-time Champion Johnny Gargano. During his run in NXT, Mysterio made history by headlining Raw, SmackDown, and NXT in the same week.
Wes Lee was supposed to challenge Dominik Mysterio at NXT Deadline, but that didn’t happen. Click here to find out why.
