Ricky Starks has become the latest AEW alum to arrive in WWE as the former tag champion debuted during the February 11, edition of WWE NXT. Starks is not the only AEW name to go on to call WWE home, as he follows in the footstps of the following talents:

Cody Rhodes: A founding member of AEW, Cody Rhodes made a high-profile return to WWE at WrestleMania 38 in April 2022, reigniting his quest for a WWE World Championship.

Jade Cargill: After a dominant run as AEW’s TBS Champion, Cargill signed a multi-year contract with WWE in September 2023. She made her in-ring debut at the Royal Rumble in January 2024 and is a two-time WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion.

CM Punk: Following a tumultuous tenure with AEW, CM Punk made a surprising return to WWE at Survivor Series in November 2023, marking a significant comeback after nearly a decade away from the company.

Penta: Formerly known as Pentagon Jr. in AEW, Penta debuted on WWE’s Raw in January 2025, securing a victory over Chad Gable. Becoming the Iron Man in this year’s Men’s Royal Rumble demonstrates WWE’s faith in the masked star.

Shawn Spears: After his AEW contract expired at the end of 2023, Spears returned to WWE in February 2024, appearing on NXT and continuing his “Chairman” persona. He has since been involved in various storylines, including a notable feud with Ridge Holland.

Blair Davenport: Briefly part of AEW under her real name, Bea Priestley, Davenport signed with WWE in 2021. She won the Women’s Iron Survivor Challenge in 2023 and moving to the SmackDown roster in 2024 before her recent release from WWE.

Lexis King: After making waves in AEW under his real name of Brian Pillman Jr., Lexis King signed with WWE in 2024. He debuted on NXT, where he is the reigning NXT Heritage Cup holder, and retained the cup on this week’s NXT against TNA’s JDC.

Andrade: Andrade returned to WWE in the 2024 Men’s Royal Rumble match after a handful of years in AEW. He has since gone on to hold the WWE Speed Championship.

Many former AEW names have gone on to hold championships in WWE while some are awaiting their big break. It remains to be seen what direction Starks’ future takes in the company but his arrival has left fans excited to see what’s to come.

Lexis King has become the new NXT Heritage Cup Champion thanks to some help from none other than William Regal.

King challenged Regal’s son and the reigning champion Charlie Dempsey for the title at this week’s NXT. Nobody got the upper hand in the first round of the match while Dempsey dominated round two. The third round of the bout then took place during the commercial break with nothing notable happening.

King started dominating the fourth round of the match from the beginning before Charlie came back with some offense of his own. Toward the ending of the bout, Wren Sinclair got into the ring to wake up a knocked-out Dempsey, allowing Regal to offer the Brass Knuckles to Lexis King.

When King refused to take the weapon, William Regal hit him with it without the referee seeing him. Regal then threw the Brass Knuckles to his son. Unfortunately for Dempsey, the referee saw him holding the Knuckles and disqualified him, making King the new champion.

This ends Charlie Dempsey’s second reign with the Heritage Cup at 126 days. He had won the title by defeating Tony D’Angelo back in May. King on the other hand, starts his first reign with a title since joining the NXT brand in July 2023.

• Lexis King Calls WWE HOF Induction For Brian Pillman All He’s Ever Wanted

WWE taped the December 24, episode of WWE NXT tonight from the Memorial Auditorium in Lowell, MA. This taping will allow talent and crew to have more time with their families over the holiday period. Below are the complete spoiler results for the taped show:

Stephanie Vaquer Vs. Cora Jade saw Vaquer score a clean win. After the match, Kelani Jordan attacked Jade with a Kendo Stick. Vaquer stepped in to stop Kelani going too far, and the former Women’s North American Champion stormed to the back.

NXT Heritage Cup: Charlie Dempsey Vs. Lexis King: Dempsey had Wren Sinclair in his corner while King had William Regal. The British legend, annoyed at King’s refusal to use brass knuckles, took matters into his own hands and decked him. Dempsey grabbed the knuckles, only to be framed by King. The ref disqualified Dempsey and Lexis King is the NEW NXT Heritage Cup Champion.

Unholy Union Segment/Match: Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn were backstage and set up a match against Fatal Influence. At ringside, Tatum Paxley, Gigi Dolin, and Shotzi showed up and gave Unholy Union the assist, helping them secure the win.

Segment: Izzi Dame tells off Shawn Spears and warns Zaria that she “shouldn’t bother with friends like Sol Ruca.”

Dion Lennix Vs. Ashante Thee Adonis: Nikkita Lyons showed up at ringside and helped Adonis pick up the win.

Trick Williams, Oba Femi, and Eddy Thorpe Segment: Thorpe argued that his foot was under the rope in his NXT Championship match with Trick, and demanded a rematch. Williams called for a triple threat match in Los Angeles at New Year’s Evil. A brawl ensued that ended with Femi standing tall and holding the WWE NXT Championship.

Former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf made a surprise appearance on this week’s WWE NXT and bonded with Lexis King. Backstage, Leaf said “Everyone is seeing your story play out,” referencing the second-generation wrestler’s efforts to be a better person. Leaf spoke about his own experience undergoing public scrutiny, a nod to his multiple legal troubles that have played out over the years.

In a surprise, King credited Leaf for his change. The NXT wrestler shared that it was Leaf who advised him to attend the recent NXT Deadline event, despite not having a match, something he never would’ve done as a heel.

Leaf’s appearance on the show further emphasizes NXT’s relationship with The CW, which has been airing the silver brand since October. Leaf is part of the CW’s college football broadcast team, calling Pac-12 games and building a presence in the sports media world.

It’s unclear if this was a one-off appearance for Ryan Leaf, or the start of something between himself and Lexis King. In the meantime, King will seek to prove he’s changed his ways. The former AEW star’s most recent match for NXT came on last week’s episode, where he was part of the Iron Survivor Challenge Last-Chance qualifying match that was won by Eddy Thorpe.

Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on WWE NXT and Lexis King, as the second-generation Superstar continues to try and prove that he’s changed his ways.

Another Thanksgiving is in the books as people around the United States have shared what they’re grateful for, all while digesting copious amounts of food. For the stars of wrestling, there’s plenty to be thankful for, and some names in the industry took to social media to share how they celebrated.

On X, WWE CCO Pal ‘Triple H’ Levesque gave a rare look at his personal life by sharing a Thanksgiving workout with his daughters.

WWE NXT Superstar Nikkita Lyons celebrated Thanksgiving in a unique way by showing off her twerking skills.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ?Nikkita Lyons? (@nikkita_wwe)

Lyons may have twerked one too many times, as later in the day, she shared that she wasn’t thankful for the sickness she was dealing with. The Lioness said that someone had gotten her sick at an NXT live event last Friday in Lakeland, Florida.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ?Nikkita Lyons? (@nikkita_wwe)

Braun Strowman enjoyed Thanksgiving, which is more than can be said for the 8 deer he killed and later shared on his Instagram Stories.

NXT Superstar Lexis King was able to celebrate the day with his ‘Queen.’ The second-generation wrestler has been trying to become a better person as of late in the silver brand and avoid his usual heel tactics.

Chad Gable showed that there are no off days when it comes to training to be the best, and that includes Thanksgiving.

And AEW President Tony Khan celebrated Thanksgiving by sharing how thankful he is that there’s plenty more matches to go in the Continental Classic. The tournament has new rules this year, and its winner will be crowned at AEW Worlds End next month.

The LWO took their Thanksgiving celebration to Arizona by delivering over 50,000 meals as part of community outreach. We at SEScoops would like to wish everybody a Happy Thanksgiving as wrestling fans have plenty to be thankful for.

The WWE Universe has another mystery on its hands thanks to a strange segment that played out on the May 14, episode of WWE NXT. 

Coming back from a commercial break, the screen was entirely black and some breathing could be heard before the sound of an iPhone alarm broke the silence. 

THE ALARM HAS SOUNDED WENDY CHOO BACK ON NXT TV SOON LET'S GOOOOO#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/SOuvt69xJN

— CrispyWrestling (@CrispyWrestlin) May 15, 2024

Up next was a segment in which Jazmin Nyx tried to have people sign a get-well card for Jacy Jayne. The only person who signed was Lexis King signed it and he dedicated it to “Jackie.”

It’s unclear who or what this alarm vignette is building to though some have speculated that it is building to the return of Wendy Choo. The well-rested Superstar recently returned to action after a year out with an injury. With her love of naps and staying comfy, an alarm clock would certainly fit the motif of Choo’s character. 

This is hardly the first time a mysterious vignette has left fans wanting answers. Lexis King debuted in WWE NXT after a series of cryptic videos that played into his status as a second-generation wrestler. Ironically, King has forgone his real name of Brian Pillman Jr. as he has made clear he wants to establish himself as his own man in WWE NXT. 

• Lexis King Was Excited To Drop The Brian Pillman Jr Name For WWE NXT

Another Cryptic Message

Mysterious vignettes aren’t just a thing in WWE NXT but are also part of the main roster as well. In recent weeks, a series of cryptic glitches and QR codes have left fans believing that the return of Uncle Howdy is coming, presumably with a faction by his side. The latest message teased something happening on May 16. 

Boom ‘Jackson’ Swallen, the grandson of Brian Pillman and nephew of WWE NXT’s Lexis King, will be a guest at a State of the Union speech following an immense show of bravery. 

Last month, Swallen was honored for his efforts in thwarting an attack on Mariemont High School near Cincinnati. The 14-year-old came across another teen who was planning an attack on students and staff. Despite being threatened to keep quiet, Swallen contacted his father who called 911 and alerted school officials. 

Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers said the teen was deep in the stages of planning an attack with help from an adult who was located out of state. On Twitter, Lexis King praised his nephew as a hero. 

This is my nephew Jackson Swallen. As you can probably tell he’s got the genes of his late grandfather Flyin Brian Pillman! 15 years old and already a national hero, we are all so proud of him!!! ❤️👑🙏 https://t.co/6OimLZfG08

— King (@LexisKingWWE) February 12, 2024

Boom Swallen at the State of the Union

Boom Swallen showed immense courage and will be a guest at President Joe Biden’s State of the Union Address. Swallen will be the guest of Congressman Greg Landsmen for the address that will take place later today. In a statement, Congressman Greg Landsman (D) praised Swallen’s quick thinking and bravery at the time. 

“Boom serves as a testament to the principle of ‘if you see something say something.’ Students should never feel unsafe at school, and we must be the generation of parents to end the national gun violence nightmare.”

Speaking to FOX 19, Swallen shared why he informed his father despite the threat made against him. 

“He said that he would kill me immediately if I told anybody. [But] I care about the kids at my school’s lives and I knew that it was the right thing to do.”

In February 2023, Landsman joined the House Gun Violence Task Force to advocate for gun violence prevention reform. Currently, firearms are the leading cause of death for children in the United States.  

WWE has a few second and third generation Superstar on their roster. They even have a fourth generation in Ava, but there is only one Lexis King. He came to WWE NXT by way of AEW, but there are no hard feelings about anything that he experienced along the way to get him here.

Brian Pillman Harbors No Ill-Will Toward AEW

Lexis King mentioned experiencing self-doubt during his time in AEW, clarifying that he harbors no negative sentiments towards the company. King, formerly known as Brian Pillman Jr., operated under his real name while in AEW and has since transitioned to WWE, joining the NXT roster. During an interview on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, King discussed a significant turnaround in his career while in NXT. He emphasized that any uncertainty about his work stemmed from his own concerns rather than any shortcomings on AEW’s part.

26 years ago my father was buried, and tonight I buried his last name. I will no longer be known as the lost son living in his father’s shadow. I will forge my own path and stop at nothing until I am the King of #WWENXT ? https://t.co/AVcTMvutO5

— King (@LexisKingWWE) October 11, 2023

When it comes to AEW, Lexis King is not holding onto any sour grapes, because he had a lot of experiences while being paid very well by AEW.

“There’s no ill will. But it’s sort of just that mindset. You know, I’ve put myself in that mindset. Nobody else put me in that; I put myself in that mindset of, ‘What’s going on here?’ Sort of that self-doubt. And then I kept grinding … I moved back home. I kept grinding, going to the local school, trying to find out what makes me tick as a performer. And just the experience [of] living there. The experience traveling with AEW made me the performer I am today.”

Brian Pillman Jr Opens Up About Becoming Lexis King

Some might have assumed that Lexis King may not be 100% thrilled about giving up the Brian Pillman Jr name. After all, that is his actual name. On the contrary, King is happy to have a chance to live out one of his pro wrestling fantasies, as he has his own name now.

“I don’t wanna get into it, but it is my name, so when I go there, I was like, ‘hi, I’m Brian Pillman Jr,’ yada yada yada. Then they gave me the whole ‘you can’t keep your name’ kinda talk, and I was like, ‘well, I don’t wanna make it seem like that’s a bad thing,’ which it’s not. “

“You know, coming into it, I always fantasized about having my own wrestler name. Because my whole career I’ve had his name. My whole life I’ve had someone else’s name. I’ve been walking around with someone else’s name. Brian Pillman is a name that my father made, he made that name on his own. There’s not much I can add to it.”

The Lexis King Name Holds Personal Significance To Brian Pillman Jr

Brian Pillman Jr.’s WWE ring name, Lexis King, holds significant personal meaning for him. The name Lexis is derived from Alexis, his half-sister who tragically passed away in a car accident. 

His last name King is connected to his mother, Melanie Pillman, who previously went by the last name King. Melanie Pillman faced challenges with drug addiction before her passing last year. Additionally, King is the last name of his sister, Skylar King.

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 signed with WWE NXT last year shortly after his tenure with AEW came to an end. King made his in-ring debut for WWE at an NXT live event and has quickly become one of the most prominently featured stars on the roster. 

Lexis King on His Self-Doubt

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.

Randy Orton’s New Theme Song

Randy Orton is back on WWE programming, and fans are loving here Rev Theory’s ‘Voices’ once again. Fightful Select reports however that WWE considered ditching the theme and going with a new song for the Viper’s return. While a revamped version of Voices was recently recorded, Orton’s new theme wasn’t going to be that. The former WWE Champion has used Voices since 2008. 

New Titles for the Usos

The Usos may no longer be a tag team, but fans will soon have the chance to celebrate the highly-successful duo. This week, WWE shared new custom celebration titles celebrating the record-long title reign of Jimmy and Jey. The pair held the SmackDown Tag Team Championships from Money in the Bank 2021 to WrestleMania 39 in April 2023.

https://www.instagram.com/p/p:C04gBD6OQp4

Lexis King Names His Fans

Lexis King is making a name for himself in WWE NXT, but has been in need of a name for his fans. During a Runescape Twitch stream, King recently encouraged his fans not call themselves ‘Registered Lex Offenders.’ On Twitter this week, King promoted his Cameo video to his fans, now dubbed ‘IntelLexuals.’

https://t.co/slyGnLXVam #cameo

Calling all of my Intellexuals!!! Show off your intellexuality this holiday season by ordering a cameo for your friends and family! #LongLiveLexisKing

— King (@LexisKingWWE) December 15, 2023

Tiffany Stratton & Paris Hilton

Tiffany Stratton is quite the blonde bombshell in NXT, and has spoken in the past about being inspired by the liked of Sharpay Evans and Paris Hilton. This week, Hilton performed a Hilton-inspired TikTok which caught the attention of the reality star/heiress. In the comments, Hilton responded saying “Loves it!”

Many wrestlers and celebrities have loyal fan bases who proudly assign names to themselves. Fans of The Miz are known as Mizfits. Pop icon Taylor Swift has her legion of Swifties. However, one WWE star is asking his followers to find a new name for their unofficial fan club.

Brian Pillman Jr. made a lot of noise when he finally made his NXT debut. Those vignettes carried on for weeks, and he finally debuted a new name in NXT, as fans now know him as Lexis King. That new-found notoriety also came with an unfortunate nickname that his fans started to call themselves – Registered Lex Offenders.

King has addressed this matter in a recent Twitch stream while playing Runescape. and is (nicely) urging his fans to stop referring themselves by a name that is too closely associated with people who commit horrific sex crimes.

Registered Lex Offenders

In Lexis King’s message to fans, he simply asked them to completely drop the name .

“Registered Lex Offenders.” He clarified that the name is not suitable for television, and although he finds it amusing, it should be discarded.

“Yeah, the Registered Lex Offenders is a little… as much as I think it’s funny, I think that one has to die. Because you know we can’t say that on TV. It’s just a little… you know, I appreciate the creativity, guys.”

Lexis King recently competed against Carmelo Hayes at the NXT Deadline Premium Live Event. The second-generation Superstar fell short in his quest for victory, but he still thanked Hayes for the PLE rub. 

https://twitter.com/solsrvca/status/1734061072338862495

What’s next for Lexis King?

As fans anticipate Lexis King’s next steps in WWE, it’s unclear how the company intends to progress his character and storyline in the upcoming weeks. If anything, it’s doubtful that he will be encouraging and “Registered Lex Offender” nicknames.

Brian Pillman Jr took a big risk when he left AEW, because he really didn’t know 100% what the result would be. Things have worked out for the best so far, if he can just get rid of that pesky nickname that his fans have started calling themselves.

Grayson Waller embodies the role of a heel on and off screen in WWE. Not only does Kevin Owens want to knock him out, but Lexis King may want to hit him as well.

Grayson Waller’s inclination towards trolling extends to fans and peers, with Lexis King being the recent target of his focus. The fact that his last name is King, and he has a mullet, set Waller up for a slam dunk troll.

Brian Pillman Jr., left AEW earlier this year, after his contract expired. He transitioned to the WWE Performance Center. He recently entered NXT, gradually carving out a presence and working towards stardom as Lexis King. 

Lexis King is now a notable figure in NXT, as he adopted a brand-new heel attitude. This transformation, particularly in the way he groomed his beard, has become a subject of mockery. 

Garyson Waller responded to a question on his Instagram story about which NXT Superstar would receive the “Grayson Waller rub” next, with Lexis King being his choice, illustrated with a photo of Tiger King star Joe Exotic.

Lexis King wrestled in an unsuccessful match against Carmelo Hayes at the NXT Deadline Premium Live Event. The upcoming weeks will reveal WWE’s plans for Lexis King and his trajectory in the promotion, but odds are they have big things in store for him.

Although Lexis King didn’t win at NXT Deadline, he still thanked Carmelo Hayes for the premium live event rub. He also admitted that he wasn’t the man who attacked Trick Williams, adding even more intrigue to that story.

What’s your take on Lexis King making his way up NXT’s ladder? Let us know what you think about his push by engaging with us on social media!