– Today’s wrestling birthdays include Braun Strowman (33), Jillian Hall (36), Low Ki (37) and The Barbarian (58).
– The two “enhancement talents” who worked last night’s RAW were students from WWE Hall of Famer Harley Race’s WLW promotion. Kyle Roberts was the man who lost to Bo Dallas. Monica Passeri, using the name Ann Esposito, was the latest victim fed to Nia Jax. Passeri previously hosted WWE Afterburn in Italy.
– Sheamus defeated Cesaro last night on RAW to go up 3-0 in their Best of 7 Series. The fourth match takes place at Wednesday’s WWE live event from London, England. Cesaro tweeted the following after losing his third consecutive match to the Celtic Warrior:
After joining the main roster full-time on Monday’s RAW, Bayley has written an emotional message about her official departure from NXT. It was a three and a half year run that culminated with a seven month run as NXT Women’s Champion.
Becoming a WWE Superstar was a life long dream for Bayley, but “graduating” from NXT is bittersweet. Bayley was front and center as NXT transformed into the global phenomenon that it is today.
“NXT is my life, it’s everything I am, everything I’ve ever wanted in wrestling,” she said. “The roster, the coaches, our bosses, our fans. All of it is everything I’ve ever wanted. I couldn’t have dreamt up a better journey, and I couldn’t have asked for better support and love that all of you have embraced me with.”
As she embarks on a new journey, here’s the full statement:
After making her RAW roster debut last night in Brooklyn, with a win over Dana Brooke, Bayley spoke with Andrea D’Marco backstage and said the moment exceeded her expectations. Bayley also revealed she had her mother in the crowd and praised the Barclays Center fans, saying she could not have asked for a better crowd.
Triple H has been a longtime supporter of Bayley and must have been proud to watch her roster debut last night. He posted this congratulatory tweet after the match:
Bayley issued a challenge to new Women’s Champion Charlotte on RAW but instead was put in the match with Dana. With RAW GM Mick Foley confirming Bayley as their latest talent acquisition, it will be interesting to see how soon Bayley gets the title shot. For those who missed it, below are shots from her RAW debut:
– Despite defeating No Way Jose at Takeover last night, Austin Aries is not happy. This backstage video features Aries fuming at Hideo Itami for interrupting a post-match attack and hitting him with the GTS. Aries says he will take care of Itami like he did Jose and Baron Corbin.
– Bayley is featured in this backstage video after her loss to NXT Women’s Champion Asuka last night. Bayley says she really prepared for the match and is just really disappointed at the outcome. Ember Moon interrupts the interview and praises Bayley for taking Asuka to the limit. Bayley congratulated Ember on her debut and said she believes Ember has a bright future ahead.
– Takeover: Brooklyn last night saw NXT Tag Team Champions The Revival retain their tag team championships over Gargano & Ciampa. Dash and Dawson react to their win in this backstage video, saying they have beat everyone else, declaring themselves to be the greatest team in the world.
– Violinist Lee England, Jr. made a bunch of new fans at Takeover as he led a special entrance for new NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura. This video features England discussing the experience, noting that he met life-time wrestling hero Triple H as well.
– Triple H had props for Bayley and NXT Women’s Champion Asuka after their Takeover match last night. He tweeted the following backstage photos:
Speaking of that match, WWE Women’s Champion Sasha Banks speaks to WWE reporters in the video below and predicts that Bayley will defeat Asuka tonight. Sasha says Bayley is the best but she hopes she joins her on RAW soon.
No Way Jose talks about his match with Austin Aries in this new video and says Aries can no longer run after tonight:
WWE posted this video of Gargano and Ciampa arriving for Takeover. They call tonight’s match against NXT Tag Team Champions Dash & Dawson the biggest night of their lives. Bobby Roode makes an appearance as well.
– The Four Horsewomen of Wrestling – Sasha Banks, Charlotte, Becky Lynch, and Bayley – were recently profiled by GQ, discussing their role in the recent women’s revolution of wrestling. The full article is at this link. Bayley said the following in regard to her goals in WWE:
“Trying to help mold the next generation, or the next crop of girls that are going to be taking over the division—that is my goal. If the girls in NXT can remember things that they’ve learned from me that helped them, that just keeps building women’s wrestling. We’re fighting to make us all equal.”
– Dolph Ziggler recently appeared on the Fox Business Show, Kennedy Nation, and it looks as though the “Show Off” could become a regular feature. Dolph tweeted the following:
– WWE posted the following clip with former Intercontinental Champion Zack Ryder unboxing Mattel’s new retro SummerSlam figures:
– The following video courtesy of Ringside Collectibles features daughter to RAW General Manager Mick Foley, Noelle Foley, making her predictions for tomorrow night’s SummerSlam. She picks: Cesaro, WWE Tag Team Champions The New Day, WWE Women’s Champion Sasha Banks, WWE United States Champion Rusev, Apollo Crews, Enzo Amore & Big Cass, WWE Champion Dean Ambrose, AJ Styles, Finn Balor and Brock Lesnar.
– WWE.com put together a list of 10 of “the hottest” free agents on the market right now and a few former Superstars are mentioned, including Mickie James.
Do Raw and SmackDown Live have James on the brain?
New blood has invigorated the Women’s division in WWE, but few would argue that seeing a veteran like Mickie James come to Raw or SmackDown Live to square off with the likes of Sasha Banks, Charlotte or Becky Lynch wouldn’t be a sight to behold.
The list also includes The Rock, The Undertaker, Nikki Bella, The Brian Kendrick, Bayley, Cryme Tyme, Carlito, The Great Khali and Tajiri.
– Sasha Banks has been pulled from her scheduled appearance at the Wizard World Chicago Comic Con in the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois, on Aug. 18. Bayley will take her place. Click here for details on her schedule.
– A preview of Disney’s 3D computer-animated film Moana with The Rock voicing a lead character will air during NBC’s coverage of the Olympics on Sunday night.
Bayley made her main roster debut last weekend at Battleground, shocking the WWE Universe as Sasha Banks’ “surprise opponent” against Charlotte and Dana Broke. It was billed as a “one night guest spot” for Bayley, but Sasha Banks is ready to ‘kidnap’ NXT’s resident hugger and bring her to the main roster permanently.
Bayley is scheduled to challenge Asuka for the NXT Women’s Championship during SummerSlam weekend at NXT Takeover: Back to Brooklyn in a match that could see her become the first 2-time champ. It’s expected that Bayley will be graduating from NXT shortly after SummerSlam, with Cageside Seats reporting that WWE officials are already consdiering Sasha Banks vs Bayley as the Women’s title match for WrestleMania 33.
However that plays out, here’s the Twitter exchange between the two from Sunday afternoon. As such close friends, this has the makings of a money feud.
Anyone have a time machine I can borrow? Take me back to one week ago.
Bayley made her WWE main roster debut at Battleground tonight as Sasha Banks’ mystery partner. They defeated Dana Brooke and WWE Women’s Champion Charlotte in the PPV opener.
– Kevin Owens is featured on the latest episode of Superstar Ink with Corey Graves.
– Patrick Clark of Tough Enough fame was busted open by Hideo Itami during their match at Friday’s NXT house show in Ocala, FL. He tweeted the following warning to Itami after:
– Also at last night’s house show in Ocala was an appearance by WWE Hall of Famer Dory Funk, Jr. Funk, who runs a wrestling school in Ocala, came to the ring and thanked Triple H for bringing NXT to the area. He was interrupted by a heel Mandy Rose but Bayley quickly made the save and hit her finisher. The segment ended with hugs between Dory and Bayley, seen below:
– Now that the WWE Draft is over, another round of NXT call ups is scheduled for this fall. Regarding Bayley, it is possible that she is Sasha Banks’ mystery partner for WWE Battleground but if that doesn’t happen, she’s expected to be on the main roster some time around September.
– WWE has offered deals to Cruiserweight Classic wrestlers Gran Metalik, Akira Tozawa, Cedric Alexander and Kota Ibushi. Yoshihiro Tajiri is also being considered for a deal.
The WWE Draft is just hours away and we’ve got a major spoiler regarding one of the 6 NXT stars joining the main roster.
Fans sitting ringside tonight at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA will find something interesting on their seats – signs that read, “Hugger Section.” Of course, this is a dead giveaway that former NXT Women’s Champion Bayley, the biggest hugger in the company, is getting drafted.
Bayley has been part of NXT since January 2013 and is widely regarded as having huge upside potential on the larger stage of WWE. Congrats to Bayley!
– Sasha Banks vs. Dana Brooke in a RAW rematch will also take place on this week’s SmackDown. Charlotte indicated on RAW that if Sasha defeats Dana again, she’s in line for a WWE Women’s Title shot.
– Former rival John Cena tweeted the following on Brock Lesnar’s big UFC 200 win over Mark Hunt:
– While she’s expected to be called to the main roster soon, Bayley says she still has her eye on Asuka’s NXT Women’s Title. She tweeted the following over the weekend, teasing big plans for 2016:
This road to the championship seems all too familiar. If you thought 2015 was a big year….Just wait. pic.twitter.com/HVITYEtykc
– It’s worth noting that WWE Cruiserweight Classic participant Lince Dorado worked Monday’s TNA tapings in Orlando. Under a different mask and using the name Balam, Dorado faced Mandrews on the Xplosion tapings and did a quick angle with Rockstar Spud and Braxton Sutter for a future Impact episode.
– The recently released Zeb Colter posted this teaser today:
ICYMI, CHECK OUT MY INSTAGRAM PAGE AT realzebcolter. NOBODY KNOWS ABOUT IT. FOLLOW ME. BIG CHANGES COMING. @wwe
Here are highlights from Bayley’s recent interview with talkSPORT’s “Gorilla Nation” podcast. The full interview is here.
WWE Women’s Champion Charlotte on the main roster:
“I think she’s doing an amazing job, it’s been really cool to watch her grow because I was in FCW (Florida Championship Wrestling) for her first match and NXT TV for her first match with her dad in her corner, so to see how far she’s come to be able to be like, ‘I don’t need you anymore’, and knowing she’s going to be on her own now, I’m excited to see what her next move will be. I think she’s doing a really great job, she’s been put in this position to carry on her legacy and name, I know it’s so much pressure but she’s doing a great job. If I were to make it up to the main roster sometime soon I think she’d be a perfect person to target!”
Who else she wants to wrestle when called up:
“Nattie is one of them. I’ve had plenty of matches with her but I’ve only been able to team with her, I’ve never been able to have a match one-on-one against her. That’s one of the matches I’ve always wanted and she’s kind of been saying the same thing for a while since she was in NXT for a little bit. I remember watching one of her matches from the independents when she was like, an ECCW (Elite Canadian Championship Wrestling) SuperGirls Champion against Ivory. One day I want to have at least one match against her. Nikki Bella as well, when she comes back from her surgery and everything. She’s the longest reigning Divas Champion, so I feel like she’s someone I can learn from. I know we would have a lot of fun in a match together.”
– It looks like Bayley will be missing NXT Takeover: The End on June 8th after William Regal announced she was unable to compete this week. It’s believed this is just a storyline injury.
– Rosa Mendes, who gave birth earlier this year, apparently has a new cooking-related project in the works. Here’s a tweet posted from her fansite:
– The current plan for Bayley is to keep her in NXT for the foreseeable future. Aside from being a top draw for the brand as they continue to tour both domestically and internationally, NXT doesn’t have another popular female babyface to fill her spot. Bayley has stated in multiple interviews that she’s in no rush to leave NXT.
– Former WWE performer Marc Mero is scheduled to undergo surgery this coming Monday in Cleveland, Ohio. Mero has been battling heart problems for the past decade and had a valve replacement back in 2007. Our best wishes to Marc Mero.
– Prior to Thursday night’s NXT TV tapings, Manny Andrade defeated Angelo Dawkins. The former La Sombra won with the running knees in the corner and was said to be very over with the crowd.
– Rachael Ellering, daughter of WWE Hall of Famer Paul Ellering, made her NXT debut at this week’s tapings. She’ll will face Alexa Bliss on the May 11th episode. Ellering was trained by Lance Storm.
– Bayley appeared to tweak her knee on Thursday night while reversing a suplex from Nia Jax. She was able to finish the match, but was helped to the back after being checked out by a trainer. It’s entirely possible that this was simply an angle – we’ll post an update if there’s anything to the story.
NXT Women’s Champion Bayley appeared on Busted Open Nation this week and spoke to Doug & Dave about Friday’s NXT Takeover: Dallas special, Wrestlemania 32 and much more. Here are the highlights:
TakeOver: Dallas:
“We were in San Jose last year in front of a crowd of 5,000, just kind of trying it out WrestleMania weekend. It was such a success that I remember being in a tag match that night and it’s my hometown crowd, and then watching Charlotte and Sasha in a women’s title match and I was like, ‘Man, I need to be in that match’. I wanted to be in a championship match so now, one year later, that NXT has just – we’ve grown so much in this past year and now we have our own pay-per-view, our own TakeOver on the WWE Network, to kick off WrestleMania weekend. It’s huge because we’re going to start the weekend hot and just really set the bar just like we tried to in Brooklyn, same as SummerSlam weekend. But now I’m in this spot, the spot that I wanted to be and I told myself that’s where I wanted to be. I wanted to be in the championship picture and now I’m the champion, so I really need to prove to myself that this is where I belong.”
Working With Sasha Banks:
“I still get choked up about it, thinking about Brooklyn and then thinking about the Iron Man match. No matter what happens – if I were to lose my title, if I retain my title, if Sasha loses her match at WrestleMania – anything that we do within the next five years, no matter what, we’ll always be a part of history because of TakeOver: Respect and it’s really cool.”
Seeing The Other 3 “Horsewomen” Working Together at WrestleMania:
“I love NXT. It’s been an honor and a privilege traveling the world with them. We’re such a family here, but my ultimate goal is definitely to be up there and seeing them in a match at WrestleMania when you’re thinking last year, we were just watching it together on the floor of WrestleMania. I just saw a picture of AT&T Stadium and they’re, like, right front and center and it’s just amazing what a year does and what hard work and dedication does. It makes me so proud, like I feel like I’m part of the show. But, I know that after the end of the show, I’m just going to go back to my hotel and just think, ‘What can I do to be there next year?’”
You can find more from news articles at BustedOpenNation.com and tune into Busted Open Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays from 2-4pm ET onSiriusXM Rush 93 and on the SiriusXM App on your smartphone.
Make sure you tune into Busted Open Wrestlemania Sunday when they cover the Showcase of the Immortals live from Dallas, Texas from 12 to 2pm ET for the Pre-Show and 11pm to 1am ET for the Post-Show.
Posted March 29th, 2016 in WWE, News. Tagged: Bayley.
NXT Women’s Champion Bayley recently spoke with Mike Mooneyham of the Charleston Post & Courier to promote Wrestlemania 32. Here are some highlights of what he said about:
Learning from Sara Del Rey:
“We’ve been privileged to have her. I always wanted to work with her. I got to have one match with her on the independents. To be able to train with her, with all her knowledge and with the group of girls that we have, is just amazing. She shows us cool things to try out, she teaches us about psychology. All the girls, including the ones at WWE, and the new girls all have the passion to keep learning and applying what they have learned. I’m very lucky to be in this position with the staff that we have.”
Joining Charlotte, Sasha Banks & Becky Lynch on the main roster:
“That’s the plan. When we first got together and everything started rolling and we had all these great matches, we said that one day we’d change WWE and we’d change the world. They’re already doing it (in WWE) and have been for eight months. The Triple Threat match at Wrestlemania is going to be incredible. It’s going to set the bar. I’m excited. It’s going to be a little easier for me when I get there because they’re setting the table.”
“Sometime this year would be cool, but I also said that last year. I’m not really in a rush with how good NXT is going. I’m at the top right now as NXT champion and we’re traveling the world. “I’m getting to be a part of NXT for their first time in many parts of the country. I’m happy that I’m here, but the ultimate dream is to be on the main roster. When that happens, I’ll be ready.”
Bayley puts her NXT Women’s Championship on the line this Friday night against Asuka at NXT Takeover: Dallas.
WWE.com has published a lengthy feature looking at the first incarnation of NXT to celebrate the brand’s 6-year anniversary. Several members from the early seasons were interviewed, including Chris Jericho, Kaitlyn, AJ Lee, Daniel Bryan, Bad News Barrett and more. Here are some quick highlights:
AJ Lee: “That was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. I hope people realize how lucky they are that they don’t have to have chocolate-eating contests and gift-unwrapping contests and dance contests their first day on television [laughs]. We didn’t sleep. Just busy every day, working and training in locker-rooms that were basically large closets.”
Wade Barrett: “When I first heard the idea I didn’t like it. I thought it was like a Total Divas kind of reality show. I thought it was gonna be a bunch of us living outside the ring and being followed around, which I really didn’t like at all. But once I realized it was a competition based on in-ring talent and in-ring talent only, I got a lot more comfortable with it. That’s when I sized up the opposition and really felt confident of winning.”
On Wednesday afternoon, NXT Women’s Champion Bayley noted on Twitter that she was heading to WWE headquarters in Stamford, CT for a “very important business meeting.” Later in the day, she followed up and revealed that she was there to film an episode for the “Edge and Christian’s Show That Totally Reeks of Awesomeness” WWE Network show.