With NXT in Nashville tonight, NXT Champion Finn Balor paid a visit to the headquarters of TNA Wrestling.

#NXTNashville pic.twitter.com/nP9MU4uQCO

— Finn Bálor (@FinnBalor) October 2, 2015

WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins and NXT Champion Finn Balor exchanged some Twitter trash talk on Monday night, with Balor starting a hashtag wrestling fans are sure to get behind – #SethVsFinn. Both men were featured during the NXT All-Star Panel that aired on the WWE Network after RAW, taped from Brooklyn during SummerSlam weekend. Here’s the exchange:

https://twitter.com/WWERollins/status/648614225196126208

@WWERollins Seth, CHAMP… I wish you would have texted me to let me know that baseball caps are 'IN' this season! ? @TripleH

— Finn Bálor (@FinnBalor) September 28, 2015

#SethVsFinn pic.twitter.com/4CFRvB1SSA

— Finn Bálor (@FinnBalor) September 28, 2015

As previously noted WWE.com caught up with Sting following his match with Seth Rollins at WWE Night of Champions which left him injured and the WWE Universe concerned for his future.

Among a variety of topics including his injury, what happened after the match and if he’ll wrestle again, Sting was also full of praise for his opponent that night Seth Rollins.

What he has to say about competing against Seth Rollins:

“The biggest pleasure. I’m honored. After 30 years and working with some of the best and some of the greatest, [Rollins] is, I’m telling you, he’s got to be the best I’ve ever worked with. I mean, this guy has it. And I think he’s just scratching the surface on what he will do. I’ve never seen somebody as talented. He’s working two [matches] on Raw, two [matches] on the pay-per-view, he’s involved in every other segment and it’s physical. He’s got guys coming from every angle. There’s a lot on his plate. He’s carrying a lot, and he’s handling it. He’s proven he can do it. I’m just glad I had a chance to work with him. He’s the kind of guy who could be in there with a broomstick and make something very interesting happen, a match that people would love somehow.”

What they had to say to each other once the match was over:

Really, I can’t say enough. He poked his head in the ambulance and said, “Man, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what happened.” I said, “Seth, don’t worry about it. It’s not your fault.” And he, for 15 minutes, he said, “I just wanted to tell you what an honor it was, what a pleasure. I can’t believe I had a chance to get in the ring with you and work with you. I was you for Halloween when I was a kid.” He was on and on about it, but man, this young guy, he doesn’t have any idea how much I appreciate being able to work with him.

Credit: WWE.com

– In other news, this coming Monday following RAW exclusively on the WWE Network fans will get a unique insight into the NXT panel from SummerSlam weekend in Brooklyn.

The panel which took place before NXT Takeover: Brooklyn features Triple H, Finn Balor, Sasha Banks, Kevin Owens, Corey Graves and Seth Rollins.

https://twitter.com/gravenbabies/status/647270387777208320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

NXT Champion Finn Balor teamed up with Samoa Joe at last night’s NXT Live Event in Lakeland, Florida (24th September) to take on the team of Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder.

Towards the end of the match with Dawson and Wilder on top of each other Balor took the opportunity to plant them with the Coup De Grace for the win, taking out a ceiling tile in the process.

A similar incident occurred during NXT’s Live Event last month but as shown in the photos, the venue does have a low ceiling so most top rope moves are likely to be a risk.

After the match his partner Samoa Joe checked him out for any potential injuries and Balor later tweeted that “Ratings are through the roof”:

Ratings are through the roof #NXTLakeland #RocketFinn pic.twitter.com/4EG9E0en7a

— Finn Bálor (@FinnBalor) September 25, 2015

NXT Champion Finn Balor recently spoke to Title Match Wrestling about the NXT brand’s success and whether we’ll see an NXT live event during WrestleMania 32 weekend.

Balor said it’s hard to believe how far NXT has come in the past year. “For a lot of the boys at NXT, we feel like we’ve captured lightning in a bottle. A year ago we were wrestling in front of 30-40 people in Florida. Now we’re in Texas, and we’re blowing the roof off.”

After selling out the Barclays Center last month for NXT Takeover: Brooklyn, NXT is keeping the momentum going and has already sold out the SSE Arena for December’s NXT Takeover: London event. Balor is hoping they can keep the momentum going with another NXT special event from the Dallas area next year for WrestleMania 32 weekend.

“A lot of us believe we’re completely separate from what they’re doing on the main roster, and some of us don’t necessarily want to be on WrestleMania. We’re going to have our own card, hopefully, the night before. We’ll sell out a building, and saying to the boys follow that.”

– Paul Heyman turns 50 years old today. He was born on September 11, 1965.

– NXT Champion Finn Balor and Emma debuted new entrances at Thursday night’s NXT TV tapings from Full Sail University. Balor’s new entrance features white lights instead of fog and a large “Balor Club” logo on the big screen.

– Former TNA Knockout Sarita (Sarah Stock) has officially signed with WWE and will be working as a coach at the Performance Center in Orlando, according to PWInsider.com.

– The September 18th WWE live event in Montreal will feature Kevin Owens’ homecoming. He’ll be facing Cesaro. WWE has released this special edition ‘homecoming’ t-shirt for Owens:

Kevin Owens "Homecoming" Special Edition Authentic T-Shirt https://t.co/Lvch4qcTJi pic.twitter.com/aCEn0aQAzo

— Phillip Ressler (@macresslertech) September 11, 2015

– John Cena granted yet another Make-A-Wish prior to this past Monday’s edition of WWE RAW in Tampa, Florida. The WWE Community website has photos of Cena meeting with Make-A-Wish kid Spencer at Community.WWE.com.

– The “Dusty Rhodes Tag-Team Classic” match featuring Samoa Joe and Finn Balor vs. The Lucha Dragons has been confirmed for next Wednesday’s edition of NXT TV on the WWE Network.

– Eva Marie and her husband Jonathan Coyle are taking online clients to help them get in shape and manage a healthy lifestyle. Eva Marie posted the following on Instagram:

READ BELOW! IM NOW TAKING ONLINE CLIENTS! Ladies lets get you on track to the body you have always wanted. – Hey everyone! Jonathan and I have been getting contacted via our website and email non stop about our nutrition and what we do to stay fit year round. Your nutrition is vital, and everything you put into your body makes a difference. We’ve teamed up with @DevinPhysique and his nutritionist team to bring you the best coaching, weight loss, and muscle building guidance around. We have created a new email where you can email me personally, and I will be working with you and our nutritionist to create a custom plan that suits your goals. We all start somewhere, and we are all capable of building the body we want. Email me now, I’ll be on my laptop all night. – Weight Loss Plans Muscle Building Plans Natalie Eva Marie Bikini Plans Workout Plans Couples Plans – Email: NatalieEvaMarie@physiquemealplans.com

https://instagram.com/p/7J2B7qGzWe/

• Ronda Rousey Has An Affair With Married UFC Star Travis Browne?

Kevin Owens spoke to Mike Jones from DC101 in Washington, DC this week to promote WWE’s live event this Sunday at the Eagle Bank Arena in Fairfax, VA. Here are some highlights of what KO said about:

Finn Balor & Samoa Joe Joining The Main Roster: “I think there’s a lot of people in NXT that are right on the cusp of being ready to come and make an impact on the main roster! Joe, Finn, Hideo Itami, when he’s healthy cause he’s still hurt right now, Enzo and Big Cass, who are probably my favorites in NXT right now, and that’s just to name a few.”

NXT Preparing you for WWE: “That’s the thing about NXT and the way they built NXT is it’s so good to get you ready for that moment. Triple H built it with that in mind, that once you get that opportunity you nail it and knock it out of the park. He did everything he could to make NXT basically a smaller version of RAW.”

Finally Making It To The Big Time In WWE: “It’s happened to me several times over the past few months and it still happens. I get in the elevator and it’s just me in the elevator, I’ll find myself staring at the reflection and thinking ‘How did you get here’ and it’s a way of reminding myself that this is what I’ve been waiting for forever.”

You can check out the whole interview at DC101.com.

– There is a pre-sale ongoing for tickets to the WWE Royal Rumble 2016 pay-per-view event, which is scheduled to take place on Sunday, January 24, 2016 at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. Fans interested can purchase tickets via the pre-sale right now with the code: ORLANDO16.

– The folks at Metal Injection caught up with a number of WWE performers during the recent WWE 2K16 press event in New York City. Check out the video below to see various WWE Superstars talk about who is the “most metal” in WWE. Included in the video are Steve Austin, Seth Rollins, Dolph Ziggler, Finn Balor and The Bella Twins.

• WELL-KNOWN UFC Fighter Cheats On His Wife With RONDA ROUSEY! (Photos Included)

As noted earlier, NXT Champion Finn Balor and Samoa Joe defeated Lucha Dragons in a tag match that took place prior to Tuesday night’s SmackDown tapings from Providence, Rhode Island.

This was a first round match for the upcoming NXT Dusty Rhodes Classic tag team tournament and will air on an episode of NXT TV.

Balor and Joe reportedly received a massive ovation for their surprise appearances and the match itself was said to be an exciting one.

https://twitter.com/RiveraJ10/status/636327708994195457

Balor & Samoa Joe vs. Lucha Dragons right now live in Providence! #WWE #wweprovidence #mainevent #Smackdown #NXT pic.twitter.com/jOWORqLmn8

— IntheCorner Podcast (@IntheCornerPod) August 26, 2015

Finn Balor AND Samoa Joe!?!! #NXT pic.twitter.com/uCJ2aFygSM

— mike mardo (@mikemardo) August 26, 2015

• EXCLUSIVE Footage Of Brock Lesnar & Paul Heyman OUT-OF-CHARACTER Backstage At SummerSlam!

WWE issued the following press release after last night’s NXT Takeover: Brooklyn event:

WWE NXT to tour United Kingdom for the first time

STAMFORD, Conn. — WWE announced today that, for the first time in history, NXT will embark on a seven-city tour of the United Kingdom from Thursday, Dec. 10, through Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2015.

NXT’s tour of the United Kingdom will include the following locations:

• Dec. 10: Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle
• Dec. 11: SSE Hydro in Glasgow
• Dec. 12: Sheffield Arena in Sheffield
• Dec. 13: Empress Ballroom in Blackpool
• Dec. 14: Capital FM Arena in Nottingham
• Dec. 15: MotorPoint Arena in Cardfiff
• Dec. 16: SSE Arena in London

“Coming off NXT’s biggest event in history, NXT Takeover: Brooklyn, we are thrilled to announce our first international tour,” said Paul Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events and Creative. “The tour marks a major milestone in the continued expansion of the NXT brand.”

NXT’s tour of the United Kingdom will feature appearances by NXT Champion Finn Bálor, Samoa Joe, Bayley, Tyler Breeze, Dana Brooke, Emma and more.*

“On behalf of all the NXT Superstars and Divas, we are extremely excited at the opportunity to perform for the WWE Universe in the U.K.,” said NXT Champion Finn Bálor. “I look forward to the opportunity to return to where I started my career, giving fans new memories that they will never forget.”

Tickets for the NXT tour of the United Kingdom will go on sale this Friday, Aug. 28 at 9 a.m. GMT through Ticketmaster.co.uk or Ticketmaster Charge By Phone by calling 0844 844 0444. Customers outside the UK can call +44 161 385 3211.

*Card subject to change.

• VIDEO: UFC Star JUMPS THE RAIL At GFW Taping, Goes After Chael Sonnen!

– In addition to the NXT Tag-Team Championships, which as we reported earlier, changed hands from Blake & Murphy to The Vaudevillians, the NXT Women’s Championship also changed hands on Saturday night.

– In the co-main event of NXT Takeover: Brooklyn, which took place at the Barclays Center and aired live on the WWE Network on Saturday night, Bayley defeated Sasha Banks with a Bayley-to-belly suplex to become the new NXT Women’s Champion.

– In the main event of the evening, Finn Balor defeated Kevin Owens to retain his NXT Championship in the third of three title matches during the NXT Takeover: Brooklyn special.

– Finally, it was announced by Triple H that NXT will be traveling to the U.K. from December 10th until December 16th. Tickets for the shows will go on sale to the public in the near future.

• VIDEO: UFC Star JUMPS THE RAIL At GFW Taping, Goes After Chael Sonnen!

Triple H, Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, Kevin Owens, Sasha Banks and Corey Graves held a fan panel at the practice court of the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on Saturday morning to promote Saturday night’s NXT Takeover: Brooklyn event.

Below are some photos and highlights from Stephanie McMahon, Triple H and others.

First stop… @WWENXT @SummerSlam panel @barclayscenter. #WeAreNXT pic.twitter.com/eiuaSfak0D

— Triple H (@TripleH) August 22, 2015

Backstage with the Bosses :))) @SashaBanksWWE @TripleH #NXTPanel @barclayscenter pic.twitter.com/7zc689x0kQ

— Stephanie McMahon (@StephMcMahon) August 22, 2015

#GameTime @SummerSlam @WWENXT #WeAreNXT pic.twitter.com/u96iW6YYpY

— Triple H (@TripleH) August 22, 2015

The audience at the #NXT panel was thanking @TripleH, his response? "I have 13,000 reasons to thank you" #WeAreNXT #NXTTakeOver #WWENetwork

— Stephanie McMahon (@StephMcMahon) August 22, 2015

"It's not let's put them (the NXT Divas) in the main event, it's that they ARE the main event" –@TripleH #NXTPanel pic.twitter.com/2rmFVXDGgI

— Stephanie McMahon (@StephMcMahon) August 22, 2015

• BROCK LESNAR Says Vince McMahon Is BETTER Than Dana White, Explains Why …

NXT contracted performers have not been given bonuses based on working events with bigger gates outside of their usual shows at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. This includes those who worked the NXT event in San Jose, California during WrestleMania weekend, a show that drew over 5,000 paid.

The main reason WWE does not offer bonuses for these shows is because NXT live events and developmental in general are currently money losing businesses. Developmental loses money largely due to the fact that so many talents are under guaranteed contracts. Also, as a promotion, NXT only runs three live events locally in Florida, at the most, drawing 200-300 fans. They run the shows to give talent experience in front of a live crowd, and because there are no travel expenses for NXT talent working in Florida, the feeling is that they are being paid to learn.

It’s worth noting that when NXT talent are brought to WWE live events, they are paid for those shows and have their road expenses covered as well.

This Saturday’s NXT Takeover: Brooklyn event will have a live gate of around $700,000, which is an incredible accomplishment for the brand. The Finn Balor vs. Kevin Owens and Sasha Banks vs. Bayley title matches are the headlining attractions, and traditionally those involved would receive a bonus based on the gate, however that may not be the case with NXT Takeover: Brooklyn.

Owens is now on a main roster deal, and Balor’s deal is said to be different than the traditional developmental deals because he was already an established star in a major league promotion, so they will both likely receive bonuses of some kind for Saturday’s live special.

The real question is whether or not Banks and Bayley will receive bonuses. Banks may also be on a main roster deal now, and if that is the case, she would get a bonus as well. What this could mean is that Bayley could be the lone performer among the four in headlining spots that will not receive a bonus due to the fact that she is under a regular developmental deal.

• BROCK LESNAR Says Vince McMahon Is BETTER Than Dana White, Explains Why …

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

NXT Champion Finn Balor recently spoke with Sports Illustrated’s “Extra Mustard” blog to promote next Saturday’s NXT Takeover: Brooklyn event at the Barclays Center. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On his verbal skills being the biggest knock from WWE coaches and Dusty Rhodes: “Dusty would say, ‘Finn, your work in the ring is up here, but you’re talking is down here – you’ve got to balance them out.’ He was always very straight to the point, and we had a great relationship together. I remember him saying one time, ‘Prince, you know I heard them talking about you before you came in here, and goddamn, I thought Lou Thesz was gonna walk in that door the way they talk about your work.’ I’ll never forget that, and I was very lucky to work with Dusty. He helped me incredibly with my communication, as he called it, and I learned a lot of lessons with him. ‘The Dream’ was someone who filled me with confidence the first time I walked in the door.”

On NXT being WWE’s best product right now: “Right now, NXT is the main roster. NXT is the hottest thing in wrestling. I’m not in any hurry to go anywhere else but take NXT to the next level.”

On possibly main eventing WrestleMania one day: “I started wrestling fifteen years ago, and my goal was to have just one match. I had one match, and then I wanted to have two. Then I wanted to wrestle in Japan, and I wrestled in Japan for eight years. Then I wanted to wrestle in WWE. Here I am, a year later, as NXT champ. So I don’t set long-term goals. The next goal is Brooklyn [against Kevin Owens at NXT Takeover]. But it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to think, in another fifteen years time, the odds are highly stacked in my favor about WrestleMania some day.”

Check out the complete interview at SI.com.

• CM Punk Tells Stories Of DIRTY Politics In WWE, Married Life With AJ Lee!

NXT Champion Finn Balor recently appeared as a guest on the PodNasty Wrestling Podcast to promote next weekend’s NXT Takeover: Brooklyn event. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On hitting his head on a ceiling panel during a recent NXT live event: “I’ve been seeing stars, but I think they were actual stars after going through the ceiling. When I walked into the building, I looked at the ceiling and said ‘that ceiling looks a little low, I better be careful later on.’ But of course in the heat of the moment, that’s the last thing I’m thinking about when I’m looking below on Solomon Crowe laying on the mat. So I jumped up, I was lucky it was a drop ceiling—it wasn’t solid and I kind of popped through it—a little bit of dust went in my hair, I came crashing down. I think it looked a lot worse than it was, no one was hurt seriously and we all lived to fight another day.”

On his recent tease of working with Paul Heyman: “I’m a big admirer of Paul, and I’ve had a lot of conversations with Paul about what we could do potentially in the future but it’s all hypothetical at the moment. That was some incredible, incredible fan art that I’m very fortunate that people send me all the time and I like to publicize some of their work and that’s literally all that was. A lot of people read into it their own way, and I apologize for that. But who knows, I will be in Brooklyn for NXT Takeover, I believe SummerSlam is in Brooklyn the next night, I believe Raw is in Brooklyn the next night so I’ll be in Brooklyn. Who knows?”

On not wanting to go to the main roster: “What we’re doing at NXT right now is groundbreaking. It’s revolutionary. For me, it’s like a Renaissance period in wrestling, and I want to be involved in NXT, I don’t want to go to the quote-unquote main roster, I don’t want to get called up, so to speak, because I believe that we at NXT are building something together that is going to be looked back on in 10 years the same way that we looked back on the ECW period as being revolutionary at that time, and this is something that I want to be involved in.”

Check out the complete interview by clicking here.

• CM Punk Tells Stories Of DIRTY Politics In WWE, Married Life With AJ Lee!

NXT Champion Finn Balor recently spoke with Channel Guide Magazine to promote WWE SummerSlam weekend and the NXT Takeover: Brooklyn event. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On being NXT Champion: “Life hasn’t really changed as far as who I am. You still have to carry yourself day-to-day a certain way, whether you are NXT champion or not. So not much has changed, but the schedule has been hectic. I’ll admit that, but it is part of representing the company and what we are doing at NXT. That’s my responsibility now, and I’m happy to do it.”

On his Ladder Match with Kevin Owens at Takeover: “I wouldn’t say there is a lot of added pressure. Obviously, what we did in Japan was viewed by a lot of people and was a great spectacle. For me personally, it was one of the highlights of my career. It couldn’t have gone any better. I spent eight years in Japan and made this unsure decision to actually move to WWE. That ran in my mind whether I should come. Then I went through a pretty difficult adaptation to not only the Performance Center, but Florida, U.S.A., WWE. It was all very uncertain. I kind of went through all that with Kevin.

“Then a year later we return to [Ryougoku] Sumo Hall, the same building I had my first match in New Japan Pro Wrestling and the same arena I had my last match in New Japan. I invited all my friends. A year later I am back there with WWE and the NXT championship on the line live on the WWE Network. That story could not have been written any better. For some reason, going into TakeOver, the match feels so much bigger this time. I think it’s mainly due to the fact that in Tokyo it was a WWE show where TakeOver is an NXT show. We sold more than 13,000 tickets in Brooklyn. It’s NXT. We don’t just have a match or an act on the show. We are the show. We are excited to be in Brooklyn as a team, and we have to deliver.”

On uncertainty when he first came to WWE: “There was a lot of uncertainty when I came here whether this was the right decision or wrong decision. There were some downs in the beginning and that swung around. I made my debut and got a little bit of my confidence back. Things have been on the up-and-up. Every child has played video games growing up and played WWE games. To be part of a video game, it’s an unbelievable experience. I got the opportunity to do all the motion capture with 2K. They were amazing. Then I’m shooting a game commercial with Arnold Schwarzenegger. I then get a call that I’m going to Comic-Con the next day. I get to Comic-Con, and they tell me we have action figures coming out. I didn’t even know I was meant to be in L.A. to be with Arnold. I flew to L.A. and meet Arnold Schwarzenegger and then go to Comic Con. They show me drawings of action figures they are doing this year. So to say things are surreal is a huge understatement. I’m almost pinching myself every day. I’m sitting here at home and there is one of my WWE NXT t-shirts sitting on my chair. I can’t even believe that. It’s been an incredible year, and I’m looking forward to what the future holds.”

On NXT Head Coach Matt Bloom: “WWE realizes it can be difficult for foreigners to adjust to life here and have really been accommodating with that. I’m very grateful. I was helped by nearly everyone at the Performance Center, but one man I have to mention is Matt Bloom. We spent a lot of time together in New Japan. He came to Japan a few years prior to me. After his run with Tensai, he started coaching at the Performance Center. I must say if it wasn’t for him I’m not sure I would have lasted.

“He took me in and got me settled in. He helped me get my driver’s license. He helped me adjust to life in the United States. He is now head coach at the Performance Center. I can’t speak more highly of Matt Bloom and the help he gave me. With regards to in-ring work, Terry Taylor worked with me closely and helping me to adapt my style in NXT. I’ve had a lot of help top-to-bottom and am grateful for everyone.”

On a potential match against The Undertaker: “That would be a dream match for me to see Finn Bálor versus The Undertaker. It really doesn’t need to be explained more than that. I’ve been very fortunate to talk to Undertaker when I first came in here. We talked about entrances. He gave me a lot of advice that helps me to this day. So I’m very grateful for that. Maybe I’d play a couple of mind games with the Deadman. It would be a little bit fun.”

Check out the complete interview at ChannelGuideMagBlog.com.

• CM Punk Tells Stories Of DIRTY Politics In WWE, Married Life With AJ Lee!

NXT Champion Finn Balor posted a photo on Instagram that is sure to get fans talking. Balor is scheduled to defend the NXT title against Kevin Owens at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn next Saturday night and is teasing that he could be joining forces with Paul Heyman.

This is not the first time Finn Balor has considered becoming a Paul Heyman Guy. Over WrestleMania 31 weekend, Balor posted a photo of himself with Heyman with the caption, “Temping.”

While he might have simply been sharing a fan-made graphic to get people talking, the prospect of Balor aligning himself with WWE’s evil mastermind is intriguing to say the least.

https://instagram.com/p/6Qz_JYtxnA/

NXT Champion Finn Balor recently spoke with Brian Fritz of SportingNews.com to promote next weekend’s NXT Takeover: Brooklyn live event. Here are some highlights of what he said about:

Adapting to the WWE Style:

“Well, I’m not sure who it looks from the outside but for me personally it’s been very difficult. There’s a lot of subtle differences that go into changing your style up and adapting to a new style of work here in WWE. It’s something that I’ve very grateful for the help I’ve been given by the company. It’s not just in the ring but outside and in the back and life. It’s been a bit of a struggle getting used to life in the states, adapting to a new lifestyle. I was used to getting home maybe once a month while I was in Japan. Trying to battle a bit of home sickness at the moment but professionally it’s been going great. I feel like I’ve been improving every day and learning. I thought that maybe I peaked in Japan. I feel like now I’m starting at the bottom again and working my way up. I had to apply myself differently to different things. It’s been a real learning experience over the last year and I’m looking forward to the next couple of years.”

Connecting with the WWE fans:

“It’s really humbling. And I always go back to this one point. It was first appearance for NXT at Full Sail when I came out to help Hideo (Itami). You kind of forget how big the reach that pro wrestling has around the world. I guess I got stuck in my own little bubble in Japan thinking that what I was doing in Japan was only available to the New Japan fans. But when I first walked out on NXT and they flashed Prince Devitt and the reaction that it got. And then I came to the ring at Full Sail University, the crowd was just on fire. From there, it’s just kind of snowballed around the WWE Universe. It’s very humbling that my work — my previous work — has had. Just the extent of the reach that the WWE Universe has around the world is incredible. I just got back from Australia and there were Finn Balor shirts and kids painted as Finn Balor and down in Australia where I’ve never wrestled before. It’s really a very humbling experience. “

His first ladder match at Takeover: Brooklyn against Kevin Owens:

“I’ve been involved in a few stunts and hardcore matches that have involved ladders but I’ve never been in a specific ladder match. So this is something very new to me. I’ve been doing a good bit of homework watching my good buddy Neville and his match against Bo Dallas for the NXT Championship. I know I may be considered the underdog going into this match with Kevin having a lot of experience in ladder matches but I’ve up for the challenge. I’m excited. It’s something new. I think the sold out Barclays Center in Brooklyn is going to be in for a treat.”

Stone Cold Steve Austin was recently confirmed as the cover star for WWE 2K16, the next WWE video game which is due to be released in October on a number of platforms.

WWE.com recently spoke with the Texas Rattlesnake to promote the game, you can check out highlights from the interview below:

On being the cover star of WWE 2K16:

“It caught me completely off guard. I was very surprised when I got the phone call. You know, I figured I’d been gone for such a long time; it’s been a while.

I think it really speaks to how Austin and The Attitude Era resonated with the fans back then and, obviously, it resonated enough for 2K to pick a guy like me. I’m thankful to have had so many dance partners and so many Hall of Famers to work with. It was really an all-star cast of people in a 20-by-20 squared circle, entertaining people. At the end of the day, you really gotta thank the fans for being there for us. It’s an extreme honor.”

If there was any Superstar from his past who he would like to go one more round with:

“A guy that I’ve always had so much respect for and only got a chance to meet one time was Andre the Giant. So, I would like to play Andre the Giant as myself, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. And some of the new guys that they’re bringing into this game like Finn Bálor, who I think is an outstanding talent and a veteran who’s moved to WWE, but a guy who is probably one of the best wrestlers in the world. There are many dream matchups that I could sit and talk to you about all day.”

The amount of respect he has for John Cena:

“Man, John Cena. I got a lot of respect for that guy. You talk about a road warrior, a guy that works his tail off, shows up with a smile on his face every single day and adds himself to shows when he’s needed. Hell, even when he’s not needed, the guy just loves to get on the road, and he loves the company that much. He’s an absolute workhorse.”

WWE 2K16 is due to be released on October 27th, 2015, in North America and October 30th, 2015, internationally. Check out the full interview with Steve Austin at this link.

NXT Takeover: Brooklyn is just a number of weeks away and during last night’s episode of WWE NXT on the WWE Network, a number of new matches were confirmed.

Below are the results from last night’s edition of WWE NXT:

Bayley defeated Charlotte with a Bayley-to-Belly suplex from the top rope.

An interview is aired with Michael Cole and Kevin Owens. Cole questions Owens’ apology to William Regal. Owens goes on to speak about why the NXT Title is so important explaining that it reminds him of what he did to Sami Zayn, and of course it adds money to his bank account. Owens reveals that he’s concerned that Regal might try to screw him over at Takeover and challenges Balor to a ladder match.

Baron Corbin defeated Jesus De Leon with the End of Days

Bayley is shown meeting with General Manager William Regal and asked for a title match against Sasha Banks. Regal signed Bayley vs. Becky Lynch for next week to determine the number one contender and the opponent for Sasha Banks at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn.

Tyler Breeze defeated Aaron Solo with the Beauty Shot followed by a pin

William Regal appears on stage following the match and announces that at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn, Tyler Breeze will take on Jushin Thunder Liger. A video package is aired.

Another video package is aired showing Uhaa Nation, he confirms that he will debut at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn under the name of Apollo Crews.

Hype Bros defeated Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder via pinfall

William Regal is backstage with the Vaudevillians and gives them a tag team title rematch at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn with Blake & Murphy.

Samoa Joe defeated Rhyno with the Muscle Buster in the main event of this week’s show

Click here to see the current card for NXT Takeover: Brooklyn

Following this week’s edition of NXT TV, below is an updated look at the scheduled lineup for NXT Takeover: Brooklyn, which airs live on the WWE Network on Saturday, August 22nd.

NXT Championship
(Ladder Match)
– Finn Balor (c) vs. Kevin Owens

NXT Tag-Team Championship
– Blake & Murphy (c) vs. The Vaudevillians

NXT Women’s Championship
– Sasha Banks (c) vs. Bayley

– Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Tyler Breeze

– Samoa Joe vs. Baron Corbin

– Apollo Crews (formerly known as Uhaa Nation) will make his NXT debut

– Appearances by Hideo Itami and others are expected as well

• AMAZINGLY HOT Photos Of RONDA ROUSEY In A Tiny Bikini! (BRAND NEW)

WWE 2K16 is due for release in October and IGN have gotten their hands on some exclusive information in regards to what the next instalment in the franchise will bring us.

They spoke in particular about the roster which will feature over 120 unique playable characters and when they asked what “unique” meant, they liked the answer they were given.

IGN were told that what it means is that “in most cases” it’s a different person and not several versions of a particular character as we’ve seen in the past.

For example, if a performer has two different gimmicks, they would be counted as separate unique characters but same wrestlers from different eras wouldn’t count towards the 120 character list.

Once again, purely for an example (as presented by IGN) Dude Love, Cactus Jack and Mankind would be three unique characters whereas Triple H from the 90s and from today would be just one character.

Of course those characters and or eras haven’t yet been confirmed but IGN were speaking hypothetically with regards to how characters and their gimmicks will be portrayed.

IGN also note:

• MyCareer is back, and this time it goes a lot further, all the way to you gaining admission to the WWE Hall of Fame.
• Create a Diva, Create a Show, Create an Arena, and Create a Championship are back in!
• WWE Universe: Wrestlers can now be booked to multiple shows
• Online has been “overhauled.”
• Three-man commentary team, with John “Bradshaw” Layfield joining King and Cole.
• Ladder, handicap, and tornado tag match types added back in.
• No loading screens between entrances, and you can assault opponents during their entrance!
• Improved ref and manager AI.

Seth Rollins’ entrance wasn’t the only one to be released, current NXT Champion Finn Balor’s entrance was also released by IGN and can be seen below:

WWE 2K16 is due for release on PS4, XBox One, PS3 and XBox 360 in North America on October 27th, followed by its international release on October 30th.

– This weekend, while performing at an NXT live event in Lakeland, NXT Champion Finn Balor, who will face Kevin Owens at NXT Takeover Brooklyn this month hit his head off the ceiling.

Balor attached a photo along with his tweet where he joked that he blew the roof off the building, it looks like Balor was performing his Coup De Grace.

The NXT Champion was defending his title against Solomon Crowe and it was said that Crowe held his own to earn his place in the main event.

Check out the tweet below:

Literally blew the roof off #NXTLakeland #ouch #BálorClub pic.twitter.com/nuBNyhozeo

— Finn Bálor (@FinnBalor) August 1, 2015

– The Rock took to Twitter yesterday (August 2nd) to praise Kevin Owens for his match against Finn Balor last month at the Beast in the East special on the WWE Network:

@MartyDeRosa @FightOwensFight Awesome. Keep up the great work KO. (watched your match w @wwebalor from Japan – incredible). ????

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) August 2, 2015

– Following the controversy ahead of the UFC 190 event on Saturday night where UFC President called wrestling “fake”, he took to Twitter yesterday to say he was joking:

@MLPChristian69 I pissed off wrestling fans? I respect wrestling and the people who do it. I was just responding to an idiot. It was a joke

— danawhite (@danawhite) August 2, 2015

– During RAW it was confirmed that Becky Lynch would take on Nikki Bella in a non-title match on SmackDown however during last night’s tapings, that did not happen.

Instead, Becky Lynch took on Brie Bella as part of the Main Event tapings. No word yet on why the original plans were nixed.

– WWE NXT Champion Finn Balor posted on Twitter yesterday that Hideo Itami had got his Florida state drivers license after apparently 27 attempts:

Congratulations @HideoItami . Finally passed his U.S. Driving test on the 27th attempt. Finn & #DustysDrivingSchool pic.twitter.com/KeR0KOqgEx

— Finn Bálor (@FinnBalor) July 28, 2015