WWE has changed their policy regarding fans in attendance at NXT shows going forward. Previously, fans at the Capitol Wrestling Center (CWC) were expected to have a negative COVID-19 test result before entering the building. It appears as though this will no longer be the case as of this Sunday and the In Your House event.
WWE NXT has been the only show with fans live in attendance since the move to the Thunderdome last August. Previously, fans had to fill in a questionnaire and take a free rapid COVID-19 Antigen test on the night of the event. Fans were also expected to complete a COVID-19 health questionnaire and sign a waiver; as well as have a thermal temperature check before entering the venue.
COVID-19 Policy
WWE is still asking fans not to attend if they have been in contact with someone showing COVID symptoms in the last 14 days. Of course fans who have themselves shown signs of the virus over the past 2 weeks will need to remain isolated also.
NXT In Your House takes place this Sunday and will be available on Peacock in the United States and WWE Network everywhere else.
Here’s the card for the event:
Fatal 5 Way for the NXT Championship – Adam Cole vs. Kyle O’Reilly vs. Pete Dunne vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Karrion Kross (c)
NXT Women’s Title Match – Ember Moon vs. Raquel Gonzalez (c)
Winners Take All for the NXT North American Title and NXT Tag Team Titles – Legado del Fantasma (Santos Escobar, Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza) vs. Bronson Reed (c) and MSK (Wes Lee, Nash Carter) (c)
Ladder Match for the Million Dollar Title – LA Knight vs. Cameron Grimes (WWE Hall of Famer Ted DiBiase Sr. will be present at ringside)
The next NXT Takeover event is scheduled for the week of WrestleMania 37. This year’s WrestleMania will take place over two nights, April 10th and 11th.
If you are a WWE Network subscriber and attempt to cancel your membership, you’ll be prompted with the following screen (courtesy of HeelbyNature).
As seen below, WWE currently lists the next Takeover taking place on Thursday, April 8th:
There is some discussion that the next Takeover could be held over two nights. The first night would be a special Wednesday night episode of NXT on the USA Network and the second night would air the following evening on the WWE Network.
WrestleMania Week Schedule
WrestleMania week is always jam packed with WWE content and this year will be no exception. The following is a current look at the WWE events schedule:
Monday, April 5th: WWE Raw
Wednesday, April 7th: NXT on USA
Thursday, April 8th: NXT Takeover
Friday, April 9th: WWE SmackDown
Saturday, April 10th: WWE Wrestlemania 37 (Night 1)
Sunday, April 11th: WWE Wrestlemania 37 (Night 2)
Monday, April 12th: WWE Raw
Looking at this schedule, one has to wonder when WWE will find time to air the 2021 Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Tuesday, April 6th is currently open. WWE could also air the HOF ceremony online, similar to the recent Slammy Awards.
Finn Balor has his next challenger as WWE determined the new #1 contender for the WWE Title that’s held by “The Prince.”
WWE announced heading into Wednesday’sepisode of NXT that the reveal of this contender, which also marks the third match to be added to the card of the NXT TakeOver event on October 4th, would be determined.
WWE held a Gauntlet Eliminator Match, which took place in the final 30 minutes of the show. The rules of this match are as followings:
Two men will start in the ring
Ever 4 minutes, another competitor will enter
The only way to be eliminated is via pinfall or submission
The last man standing is the winner
Bronson Reed, Timothy Thatcher, Kyle O’Reilly, Kushida, and Cameron Grimes worked the bout. Kushida and O’Reilly started things off with Reed coming out as the third star and Thatcher as the fourth. Grimes was the last to enter.
The final two stars were Grimes and O’Reilly battling it out. O’Reilly locked in a heel hook to win the match.
O’Reilly was victorious, which means he earned the right to challenge Balor for the WWE NXT Title. After the match, Balor and O’Reilly had a staredown to close the show.
The next challenger to WWE NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai will be Candice LeRae and it’s the second match to be added to the card of the upcoming NXT TakeOver event.
During Wednesday’s episode of NXT from Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University on the USA Network, WWE held a Battle Royal to determine the #1 contender.
Shotzi Blackheart, Kacy Catanzaro, Indi Hartwell, Aliyah, Dakota Kai, Candice LeRae, Rhea Ripley, Tegan Nox, Raquel Gonzalez, Kayden Carter, and Xia Li were the competitors. It was a typical battle royal and the final four were Kacey, Blackheart, LeRae, and Nox.
The finish saw LeRae toss Blackheart off the steel steps and she landed on her back. The match went about 20 minutes.
Because LeRae was victorious, she earned the right to challenge Shirai for the NXT Women’s Title.
Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that WWE officials have considered holding this event outside of Full Sail University in favor of holding it at the ThunderDome, which is hosted in Orlando, Florida at the Amway Center. There’s still no word yet on the actual location.
It looks like there could be two WWE NXT TakeOver specials airing in the month of October.
There are plans for a NXT TakeOver event to air on Sunday, October 4th, according to PWInsider. The name of the special and the locatio have not been confirmed as of this writing.
WWE also has the NXT UK “TakeOver: Dublin” special on the calendar for Sunday, October 25th. The NXT UK TakeOver event is scheduled to air live from the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. TakeOver: Dublin was originally scheduled for April 26th, but it was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The next NXT TakeOver event will air live on Saturday, August 22nd during SummerSlam Weekend. “TakeOver: XXX” will be the thirtieth special for the NXT brand. The following matches have been confirmed for “TakeOver: XXX” as of this writing:
– Adam Cole vs. Pat McAfee
– NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai vs. Dakota Kai
– Bronson Reed vs. Damian Priest vs. 3 Superstars TBD in a Ladder Match for the vacant NXT North American Championship
There are changes coming to how WWE presents NXT’s big Takeover events. As previously reported, there will be no Takeover Royal Rumble weekend in January as it will instead be replaced by a Worlds Collide event. According to the Wrestling Observer, Takeover events will no longer be paired with WWE’s big pay-per-view weekends moving forward.
“Right now the plan is for Takeovers not to be the same weekend as the big shows and WWE has said that the new Takeover schedule will be out soon,” wrote Dave Meltzer. The report would continue to speculate if WWE would put Takeover events head-to-head against AEW PPVs.
NXT Events in 2020
While the schedule for Takeover events in 2020 has yet to be finalized, WWE and Full Sail University have announced that NXT’s weekly show will remain in the venue. The school and WWE sent out a press release recently which highlighted the benefit NXT provides to the school and its students.
“In addition, the partnership has resulted in hundreds of hours of practical production experience for more than 1,200 students, multiple career networking opportunities for students and grads, and WWE has granted more than $400,000 in scholarships to Full Sail University students, which are applied toward the recipient’s areas of study within the university. The partnership will continue to deliver real-world experience to students in all facets of broadcasting and television.”
WWE is going away from its normal schedule for “the big four” events as it appears that there will not be a special from the NXT brand during Royal Rumble weekend.
WWE released travel package information on Monday for Royal Rumble weekend. This is where it was revealed that NXT TakeOver wasn’t listed but instead, WWE Worlds Collide was listed for that Saturday at the Toyota Center.
It should be noted that RAW and SmackDown TV events weren’t listed as well.
Pro Wrestling Sheet has confirmed WWE Worlds Collide will be replacing NXT TakeOver on this weekend.
According to the report, this was not a mistake and that the schedule of NXT TakeOver events in 2020 with more details will be announced in the near future.
For those who aren’t aware, Worlds Collide is a WWE event that features talent from RAW, SmackDown, NXT, 205 Live and NXT UK that seems them compete against each other.
The inaugural show took place back in January at Royal Rumble Axxess and aired on WWE Network. The second show took place in April over WrestleMania 35 weekend.
Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas will host the Royal Rumble on Sunday, January 26, 2020.
WWE has confirmed via a press release that the next NXT Takeover event has been rescheduled and it will be taking place next month on Saturday, June 1:
“The next installment of NXT’s critically acclaimed
TakeOver series will take place Saturday, June 1. The event will stream live,
exclusively on the award-winning WWE Network.”
While never announced officially, the planned Takeover was
originally expected to take place on June 7th; however, they were forced to
move things around due the upcoming Saudi Arabian PPV.
After considering a number of dates for their return to the Middle Eastern country, the promotion decided to secure the same June 7th date for the show.
This forced them to reschedule a couple of events planned for the same weekend, including the Backlash PPV and the next NXT Takeover special.
Though so far they haven’t confirmed the other details such as the place and venue of the show and the company has instead announced that Triple H will be revealing more information on the event from his social media accounts this Monday.
Although while the company appears to be still putting together this event, they have already started building towards it on NXT TV. You can check out the spoiler results of the latest NXT tapings featuring the build up for several upcoming matches at this link.
The date and location for the next WWE NXT TakeOver event have been confirmed.
Triple H held a conference call with the media to promote and discuss the WWE NXT Takeover: New York event. During the call, he noted that NXT is returning to San Jose, CA at the SJSU Event Center on Saturday, June 8th.
WWE later confirmed the news that this will be the location for the next NXT TakeOver event. The brand has previously held TV tapings and house shows at this venue.
When making the news, he stated that will be a standalone event as no other WWE pay-per-view event is scheduled for that weekend.
“(San Jose) is a place where before we were even doing TakeOvers, we kind of did the first WrestleMania weekend event where we were just testing the waters. it sold out and became this epic event that really set the brand in motion. I’m really excited to go back there on June 8, separate from everything else, and other pay-per-views around it, and put on an event that is epic and say thank you to that location for getting us off to such a great start.”
WWE already has their next event, NXT TakeOver: New York, booked as it will go down on Friday, April 5, 2019, in Brooklyn, New York at the Barclays Center and will air on the WWE Network.
WWE has announced a change to WrestleMania 35 weekend. NXT TakeOver will now take place on Friday night that weekend as opposed to Saturday. The Hall of Fame ceremony will now take place on Saturday night instead.
“WWE will be going back to its previous WrestleMania Week schedule with NXT TakeOver on Friday, April 5 and the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday, April 6. We believe this better serves our fans,” WWE stated to Pro Wrestling Sheet.
The change in schedule also means WWE avoids going head-to-head with ROH/NJPW. The G1 Supercard is scheduled for April 6th, 2019 from Madison Square Garden.
WrestleMania 35 Weekend
WrestleMania 35 takes place Sunday, April 7th, 2019 from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. As has become custom in recent years, however, a weeklong celebration will be held in the area.
“WrestleMania is more than just a one-day event,” a WWE press release reads. “It is a week-long celebration. In addition to WrestleMania, other events include: WrestleMania Axxess®, WWE’s interactive fan festival, and four spectacular live events taking place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, including the 2019 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony; NXT® TakeOver®, Monday Night Raw®and SmackDown® Live.”
“WWE will also host activities designed to give back to the local community during WrestleMania Week including Be a STAR® bullying prevention rallies, hospital visits and Make-A-Wish events. “
WWE’s NXT TakeOver: WarGames II aired live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California tonight. Here are 5 takeaways from the show:
Matt Riddle Defeated Kassius Ohno
Matt Riddle kicked off TakeOver to a great reaction from the crowd. Matt said that he was not scheduled to have a match tonight at TakeOver. Matt brought up Ohno interrupting him during the Kickoff Show and challenged him to a match tonight.
Kassius Ohno came down the ramp and told Riddle that he was too stupid to know that he is not ready for TakeOver. Ohno told Riddle that he is not going to be able to remember this moment after the knocks him out.
Riddle hit a running knee to Ohno’s face right away to win the match.
Shayna Baszler Retained The NXT Women’s Championship
Shayna Baszler defended her NXT Women’s Championship against Kairi Sane in a 2 out of 3 Falls match. Sane attacked Shayna right away and sent her to the mat. Kairi hit back to back Neckbreakers and followed it up with a few chops.
Sane marched across the ring and hit Shayna with a sliding forearm and Baszler retreated out of the ring. Kairi leaped off the ring apron and connected with a flying elbow. Sane brought Shayna back inside the ring.
Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir attacked Kairi from behind while the referee wasn’t paying attention. They slammed Sane’s face into the ring post and then Baszler applied the Kirifuda Clutch and Kairi quickly tapped out.
Baszler connected with a running knee to Kairi’s face for a near fall as the crowd chanted “bullsh*t!”. Shayna applied the Kirifuda Clutch once again but Sane was able to break the hold by reaching the ropes.
Shayna shoved her boot on Kairi’s face and applied a Boston Crab. Shayna broke the hold and delivered a stomp to Kairi’s face. Sane rolled up Baszler for a two count and then Shayna once again applied the Kirifuda Clutch.
Sane countered into a roll-up for a two count and then the two Superstars traded shots in the corner. Shayna then went for a Suplex on the ring apron but Sane countered into a ridiculous DDT that spiked Shayna’s head on the apron.
Sane then hit an Insane Elbow onto Duke, Shafir, and Baszler outside the ring. Back in the ring, Kairi hit Baszler with another Insane Elbow for the pinfall victory. Sane and Baszler are now tied at 1-1.
Kairi hit three Interceptor Spears on Baszler and made her way to the top rope. Shayna got back up and joined Sane on the top rope. Sane and Baszler traded shots on the top turnbuckle. Sane hit a Sunset Flip Powerbomb off the top rope for a near fall.
Sane followed it up with an Alabama Slam and made her way to the top rope. Duke and Shafir interfered again and Dakota Kai rushed to the ring. Duke and Shafir beat her down. Io Sharai came down to the ring and hit a Moonsault onto everyone outside the ring. Sane then went for the Insane Elbow but Baszler countered into a roll-up for the victory. Shayna Baszler is still the NXT Women’s Champion.
Aleister Black Got His Revenge In A Terrific Match Against Gargano
Johnny Gargano faced Aleister Black tonight at TakeOver. Johnny came down to the ring with a smile on his face and said that the crowd still loved him to the camera. Gargano was revealed to be the Superstar that attacked Aleister Black in the parking lot.
Johnny slapped Black in the face to start off the match. Aleister exploded with a series of kicks and then beat the hell out of Gargano against the ring apron. Back in the ring, Gargano showed off his quickness by dodging Aleister’s strikes. Gargano then sat in the ring like Black and dodged another kick.
Gargano shoved Aleister to the corner of the ring and hit him with a chop to the chest. Black battled back with a knee to Johnny’s face that sent him out of the ring. Black tried to take pose in the middle of the ring but Gargano hit him with a kick to the face. Gargano then raised his fists in the air to a chorus of boos.
Johnny planted Black with a Neckbreaker for a near fall. Gargano followed it up with a few chops in the corner but Black battled back with a knee to the midsection. Gargano rolled to the ring apron and Black hit him with a kick to the face. Aleister then flipped onto Gargano outside the ring and rolled him back inside.
Aleister hit a springboard Moonsault and went for the cover but Gargano kicked out at two. Black hit a Superkick that sent Gargano to the outside. Gargano hit an awesome Tornado DDT after diving through the ropes and then hit a slingshot DDT in the ring for a two count.
Johnny shouted at Black that he was not the chosen and hit him with an Enziguri. Gargano hit a reverse Hurricanrana but Black shrugged it off and hit an awesome running knee to Johnny’s face. The crowd chanted “NXT!” as both Superstars regrouped on the canvas.
Aleister hit another knee to the face and followed it up with a German Suplex for a near fall as the crowd chanted “this is awesome!”. Gargano hit a Clothesline that turned Black inside out. Johnny locked in the Gargano Escape in the middle of the ring but Black countered into a roll-up.
Gargano kicked out at two and launched Black into the middle turnbuckle. Gargano went back to his DIY days with a pose and Black sat in the ring. Aleister dared Gargano to give him his best shot. Gargano exposed his knee and charged at Black.
Aleister countered into a roll-up but Gargano kicked out and hit a running knee to the face for a near fall. Gargano and Black traded shots in the middle of the ring. Gargano sent Black to the outside and went for a Suicide Dive but Aleister counted into a knee to the face while Johnny was in midair. The crowd immediately broke out into a “holy sh*t!” chant.
Back in the ring, Johnny begged for mercy but Aleister continued to walk towards him. Gargano pleaded with Aleister to just give him the Black Mass and put him out of his misery. Aleister went for Black Mass but Johnny countered into a roll-up for a two count.
Johnny locked in the Gargano Escape in the middle of the ring. Aleister reached for the ropes but Gargano brought him back to the center of the ring. Black escaped and hit Gargano with a knee to the face.
Aleister then took down his knee pad and hit him with a knee to the face. Aleister hit Gargano with the Black Mass but Aleister held him up. Aleister told Gargano that he will absolve Johnny of all his sins. Aleister then hit a second Black Mass for the pinfall victory.
Tommaso Ciampa Defeated Velveteen Dream In An Instant Classic
Tommaso Ciampa defended the NXT Championship against Velveteen Dream tonight at TakeOver: WarGames. The crowd chanted “Velveteen!” right when the match started. The two Superstars locked up in the middle of the ring.
Ciampa took Dream to the mat but Velveteen escaped and smacked Tommaso in the back of the head. Velveteen drove Ciampa to the corner and Tommaso hit him with a poke to the eye. Dream hit another slap to Tommaso’s face.
Ciampa took Dream’s headband that read “Hollywood” on it and mocked Hulk Hogan. Velveteen got out of the ring and grabbed the NXT Championship. Ciampa chased Dream around a bit until the two got back inside the ring.
Dream hit a Body Slam and then danced in Ciampa’s face. Velveteen hit a Dropkick and then put the headband back on. Velveteen hit Ciampa with a big boot and went for the Hogan Leg Drop but Ciampa escaped out of the ring.
Velveteen hit a double axehandle off the top rope but Ciampa quickly battled back and slammed Dream onto the ring apron. Back in the ring, Ciampa delivered a running knee to Dream’s face. Tommaso followed it up with a Neckbreaker against the ropes and gave himself a round of applause after the move.
Ciampa draped Dream across the announce table and hit him with another running knee to the face. Tommaso brought Dream back inside the ring and applied a Headlock. Dream countered into a backslide pin for a two count.
Dream and Ciampa traded shots in the middle of the ring. Velveteen connected with a Neckbreaker and both Superstars fell to the mat. Dream hit the big boot and then three Leg Drops in a row. Dream then hulked up and planted Ciampa with a Spinebuster for a two count.
Dream sent Ciampa out of the ring and hit him with a Crossbody. Velveteen followed it up slamming Ciampa’s knee into the ring apron and then locking in a Figure Four with Ciampa’s knee wrapped around the post. Ciampa tapped out but it wasn’t a legal move.
Velveteen Dream locked in the Figure Four in the middle of the ring. Ciampa screamed in pain but was able to reverse the hold. Dream then reversed the hold and booted Ciampa in the face for a two count. Tommaso finally was able to reach the ropes to break the hold.
Ciampa booted Dream into the barricade and then went for a Suplex in the ring. Dream then Suplexed Ciampa out of the ring but Ciampa didn’t let go and Velveteen fell out of the ring as well.
Dream brought Ciampa back into the ring to stop the referee’s count at 9. Ciampa and Dream traded shots in the middle of the ring. Velveteen went for a Superkick but Ciampa got out of the way. Dream almost struck the ref but Ciampa rolled him up and grabbed his tights for leverage. The referee noticed it at two and stopped the pinfall.
Velveteen then hit Ciampa with the Dream Valley Driver and went for the cover but Ciampa kicked out at two. Velveteen went for a Crossbody off the top rope but Ciampa countered with a knee to the face. Tommaso followed it up with the Project Ciampa and went for the cover but Dream was somehow able to kick out at two.
Ciampa rolled out of the ring and grabbed his NXT Championship. Tommaso brought the title in the ring. Dream hit Ciampa with a DDT on the title for a two count. Ciampa then hit Dream with a DDT while he was in the ropes and went for the cover but Dream once again kicked out at the last second.
Tommaso took off one of his boots and limped out of the ring. He then ripped up the padding to expose the concrete floor next to the ring. Ciampa went for a DDT off the apron and onto the concrete but Velveteen exploded off the apron and tackled Tommaso over the announce table.
Dream was the first Superstar to his feet. Ciampa threw something at Mauro Ranallo and started shouting at him. Dream hit the Dream Valley Driver on Ciampa onto the concrete and followed it up with the Purple Rainmaker Elbow Drop. Velveteen went for the cover but Ciampa somehow kicked out.
Velveteen went for another Purple Rainmaker Elbow Drop but Ciampa got out of the way and Dream crashed to the floor outside the ring. Tommaso then brought Dream back inside the ring and planted him with a DDT on the steel partition separating the two rings for the WarGames match. Ciampa then pinned Dream to retain the NXT Championship.
Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Roderick Strong, Kyle O’Reilly, Bobby Fish) battled War Raiders (Hanson & Rowe), Pete Dunne & Ricochet in a WarGames match. It was the main event of the show.
Ricochet and Adam Cole started off the match as the rest of the remaining members of each team were locked in a cage on top of the entrance ramp. Undisputed Era won the advantage on this past Wednesday’s episode of NXT and will be the first team to have a Superstar unlocked from the cage. Ricochet and Pete Dunne also had war paint on like the War Raiders for the match tonight.
Cole and Ricochet stood in opposite rings as the 5-minute timer started. Cole dared Ricochet to come and fight him. Ricochet obliged and Cole attacked him right away. Ricochet battled back with an uppercut and then a chop to Cole’s chest.
Ricochet connected with a Dropkick and Cole rolled to the other ring to try and regroup. Ricochet followed him and beat Cole down in the corner of the ring. Cole countered while Ricochet was in midair and hit him with a Backstabber.
Cole blasted Ricochet several times and followed it up with a Neckbreaker. Adam Cole lifted Ricochet up in a Fireman’s Carry and then slammed him onto his knee. Cole brought Ricochet over to the other ring and continued to beat him down.
Adam Cole raked Ricochet’s face across the steel cage and then booted him in the midsection. Ricochet battled back with a knee to the face and a Dropkick that sent Cole to the second ring.
Ricochet hit an incredible springboard uppercut from the opposite ring as the timer counted down. Kyle O’Reilly left the cage and rushed down to the ring. O’Reilly and Cole then beat down Ricochet as the 3-minute countdown began.
Ricochet got on the partition between the rings and punched O’Reilly and Cole in the face a couple of times. O’Reilly took Ricochet down with a Dragon Screw and then Cole joined in with a few knees to Ricochet’s ribs. O’Reilly sent Ricochet down to the mat with a boot to the face.
Ricochet battled back for a moment but turned around into a kick from Cole. O’Reilly stuck out his knee and Cole slammed Ricochet on top of it. Hanson came down to the ring and shoved Cole and O’Reilly across the ring. Hanson planted Kyle with a Neckbreaker and followed it up with a Crossbody.
Hanson showed off his athleticism by dodging Cole and leveling him with a Clothesline. Hanson hit a bunch of Clotheslines to Cole and O’Reilly in the corners of the ring. Hanson ran corner to corner nonstop as the crowd cheered him on. Hanson then delivered a Bronco Buster onto both O’Reilly and Cole.
Ricochet springboarded off of Hanson’s back and hit a Shooting Star Press onto O’Reilly. O’Reilly hit Hanson from behind but turned around into a Clothesline from Ricochet. Ricochet beat Cole down in the corner as Roderick Strong was unlocked from the cage.
Strong sprinted to the ring and blasted Ricochet and Hanson with a series of chops. Strong followed it up with a Dropkick to Strong and then a running knee to the face. Strong connected with three awesome Backbreakers to Ricochet as the crowd erupted.
Roderick charged at Hanson but Hanson caught him. Cole hit Hanson with a kick to the face and then Roderick planted him with a Side Slam as the crowd chanted “Undisputed!”. O’Reilly hit a flying knee off the second rope to the back of Ricochet’s head.
Rowe got out of the cage and rushed down to the ring. Rowe hit a bunch of shoulder tackles and then an Exploder Suplex to Strong. Rowe kneed Cole in the face and then blasted Strong with a forearm.
O’Reilly locked in a Sleeper Hold on Rowe. Cole charged at him but Rowe somehow was able to slam him to the mat while stuck in the Sleeper Hold. Rowe escaped and Powerbombed Strong to the mat while Powerslamming O’Reilly at the same time.
Hanson launched Kyle into the steel cage as Rowe did the same to Roderick Strong. Cole retreated out to the second ring but didn’t realize Ricochet was waiting for him. War Raiders launched Cole into the steel cage as Ricochet got back into the other ring.
War Raiders beat Cole down as Ricochet hit Strong with a chop in the corner of the ring. Bobby Fish was then unlocked from the cage and attacked Pete Dunne in the opposite cage. Fish slammed Dunne’s face into the cage and then stole the key to the cage. Fish launched the key into the crowd and then grabbed a steel chair from under the ring.
Fish handed several chairs to O’Reilly and then brought one into the ring himself. Undisputed Era beat the hell out of War Raiders and Ricochet with steel chairs as the timer ticked down. O’Reilly and Cole held down the ropes as Strong and Fish launched Hanson into the steel cage.
Fish and Strong then slammed Rowe onto a steel chair. They followed it up by slamming Rowe into the cage and then doing the same to Hanson once again. Pete Dunne was supposed to be unlocked from the cage but the referees didn’t have the key for the new lock Bobby Fish put on.
Undisputed Era continued to beat everyone down as Dunne desperately tried to get out of the cage. Fish and Strong delivered Superplexes to War Raiders as Cole mocked Pete Dunne from inside the ring. The referees came down to the cage with bolt cutters and Pete Dunne was finally unlocked.
Dunne limped down to the ring with his injured knee and grabbed a kendo stick from under the ring. Pete hit Fish and O’Reilly in the hands with the stick as they were trying to keep the door closes. Dunne blasted Cole with the kendo stick and then slammed the door into Strong’s face. Ricochet then took out Undisputed Era with a Crossbody as Dunne started launching weapons inside the ring.
Dunne grabbed a table from under the ring and handed it to War Raiders. Dunne got another table as the crowd erupted. Dunne then finally got inside the ring and the match officially started.
Pete Dunne started hit everyone with the kendo stick as War Raiders set up a table in between the rings. War Raiders, Ricochet, and Dunne surrounded Undisputed Era and beat them down with chairs and kendo sticks.
Dunne bent O’Reilly’s fingers back and then stomped on his elbow. Dunne connected with an X-Plex to Strong and slammed him onto O’Reilly. Cole went after Dunne’s knee and then slammed him into the steel cage. Hanson kicked O’Reilly in the face while he was holding the steel chair.
Hanson put a trash can over Cole’s face and then Rowe slammed Hanson on top of the trash can. Rowe Body Slammed Hanson onto O’Reilly and then War Raiders took out Strong with a Clothesline. Hanson went for the cover but Bobby Fish broke it up at the second. Hanson went for the Clothesline on Fish but O’Reilly launched a trash can into his face.
Fish and O’Reilly booted Rowe in the face and then Undisputed Era isolated Richochet in the second ring. Strong kneed Ricochet in the face and Cole followed it up with a Backstabber. Undisputed Era then surrounded Pete Dunne.
Dunne connected with a few punches and planted Strong with a German Suplex. Dune hit O’Reilly with an Enziguri and then locked Fish in the Knee Bar. O’Reilly broke it up as Fish was screamed in pain.
Kyle then grabbed a steel chain and wrapped it around Dunne’s ankle and knee. Dunne countered into a Wrist Lock but Fish broke it up with a chair shot to Pete’s injured leg. O’Reilly wrapped the chain around Dunne’s ankle and applied an Ankle Lock.
Fish and Cole fended off the War Raiders as Strong and O’Reilly teamed up on Dunne. Ricochet flew through the air and took out Cole and Fish. Hanson hit Strong with a Back Body Drop that sent Strong flying into the other ring.
Hanson and Rowe perched O’Reilly and Strong on the turnbuckles next to the table set up on the partition between the rings. Dunne and Ricochet then hit Fish and O’Reilly with Hurricanranas at the same time.
Hanson set up a second table and put Cole on top of it. One of the legs gave out but Hanson set it back up. Rowe popped Cole up and Hanson planted him with a Powerslam. Bobby Fish hit Rowe with a kendo stick and then Speared him through the table on the partition between the rings.
Cole and Ricochet battled in the corner next to the second table. Cole perched Ricochet on the top turnbuckle and joined him up there. Ricochet escaped and hung Cole up in the tree of woe. O’Reilly attacked Ricochet from behind but Ricochet battled back and placed Kyle on top of the table.
Roderick Strong hit Ricochet with a knee and O’Reilly locked in the Triangle on top of the table. Hanson hit O’Reilly with a Splash and went for the cover but Roderick Strong broke it up by hitting Hanson with a trash can.
Adam Cole climbed to the top of the cage and Ricochet joined him up there. Cole and Ricochet traded shots on top of the cage as Strong climbed on to the top rope. They tried to shove Ricochet to the floor to win the match but Ricochet booted Strong to the mat.
Pete Dunne then climbed to the top rope too and grabbed Cole by the hand. Hanson then hit a Powerbomb while everyone else took each other out with Side Slams and a Superplex to Cole and Ricochet was the only Superstar still standing. Ricochet stood on the top of the cage and flipped onto everyone in ridiculous fashion as Mauro shouted “mama mia!”.
Undisputed Era, War Raiders, Dunne and Ricochet then had a staredown from opposite rings as the crowd chanted “NXT!”. They then all got on the partition and traded shots as the crowd erupted. Fish leveled Rowe with a Clothesline and every Superstar was down again.
Rowe hit Fish with a knee to the face and then Hanson leaped off the top rope with a Leg Drop. Strong leveled Rowe with a kick and then Hanson hit them with an insane handspring double back elbow. Ricochet jumped into a Superkick from Cole. Adam then hit Dunne with a DDT and then the Last Shot.
Cole went for the cover but Dunne kicked out at two. Dunne battled back with the Bitter End and Ricochet came out of nowhere with the 450 Splash. Ricochet and Dunne then pinned Cole for the victory. After the match, Ricochet grabbed his North American Championship and Dunne grabbed his UK Championship. The two Superstars nodded their heads at each other in a show of respect. Ricochet and Dunne then posed on top of the cage to close the show.
– It looks like WWE could have called off its plans to have Sasha Banks vs. Bayley at WrestleMania 34 this year. Wrestling Observer Radio’s Dave Meltzer is reporting that the match may no longer be taking place in New Orleans, as per his count he has 14 matches currently on the card. At this point WWE doesn’t really need to add another match to the card, meaning Banks vs. Bayley could get the snub:
“I think we got the whole WrestleMania card. I got 14 matches listed and I don’t think they need more than 14. I don’t think they are going to have any more. They could still throw in a Bayley vs. Sasha Banks match but I’m guessing they are both in the Battle Royal.”
– Meltzer also reports that NXT TakeOver: New Orleans seems to be besting the post-WrestleMania episode of Monday Night RAW as far as ticket sales go. TakeOver is actually near a sellout and will be going head-to-head with a Ring Of Honor (ROH) show which seats 5,000 fans – as opposed to NXT’s venue that can hold double that at 10,000.
Earlier this week, we ran a report citing AXS.com that WWE will be bringing back WarGames once again this year for the NXT Takeover event that takes place during Survivor Series weekend. That report has since been debunked and the original article has been removed from that website
WWE revived the beloved WarGames concept match in November for the NXT Takeover event that took place from Houston, Texas. The Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Bobby Fish, and Kyle O’Reilly) defeated the Authors of Pain/Roderick Strong and SAnitY in the first-ever WarGames match under the WWE umbrella.
While it’s possible that we could see WarGames return once more, there has been no official announcement regarding the match at this time.
Tickets are now on sale for Survivor Series 2018 weekend, with the Staples Center in Los Angeles playing host to NXT Takeover, Survivor Series, Raw and SmackDown.
Pete Dunne was crowned the 2nd ever WWE United Kingdom Champion at last night’s NXT Takeover event in Chicago.
The win in Chicago held extra significance for Pete Dunne. He mentioned on Twitter that he had been to RAW in the Allstate Arena 3 years prior as a fan:
3 years ago I sat in the allstate arena watching RAW after flying myself out to the US. Tonight I won a @WWE title in the same building.
— ‘The Bruiserweight’ Pete Dunne (@PeteDunneYxB) May 21, 2017
Many fans and critics were calling his bout with Tyler Bate the match of the night and now members of the UK independent scene have taken to Twitter to show their appreciation for the match and the two competitors.
This match just proved how the UK can easily have a weekly TV show. The talent. The fans. Quite simply the best wrestling in th world. PROUD https://t.co/uWVTzeIq1Z
— Will Ospreay • ????????? (@WillOspreay) May 21, 2017
Worth remembering that you could've seen the two guys who just put on that masterpiece in a pub in Cheltenham last weekend! 2017 ehhh?!?
Were you a fan of the match? Have you been keeping up with the WWE’s UK Division or is this the first you have seen either man perform? Let us know in the comments
Jim Ross returned to WWE for the first time since 2013 at WrestleMania this year. Ross called the main event match between Roman Reigns and the Undertaker, which would turn out to be the Undertaker’s last.
Ross has also been announced as a commentator for WWE’s new UK division/program. As the voice of the UK brand, Ross will also be on hand at NXT Takeover: Chicago to call the UK Championship match.
Arguably the most talked about member of WWE’s UK territory, Pete Dunne, will challenge the winner of the UK tournament, and inaugural UK champion, Tyler Bate Saturday night in Chicago.
The bout will be a rematch from the tournament finals.
Triple H announced today that NXT TakeOver: Chicago will take place on Saturday, 5/20 from Chicago during WWE Backlash weekend. Backlash also takes place in Chicago and will be a SmackDown PPV.
As seen below, Triple H also announced new NXT house shows for May in Phoenix; Riverside, CA; San Diego; Cincinnati; Evansville, In. The Cincy and Evansville events are scheduled for TakeOver weekend.
The house show tickets go on sale this Friday at 10AM and the TakeOver tickets go on sale Saturday morning at 10AM.
It was announced on this week’s NXT episode that Aleister Black (Tommy End) will make his TV debut at TakeOver: Orlando during WrestleMania 33 weekend. He will face Andrade “Cien” Almas in singles action. You can see the latest teaser for Black above.
Here’s the updated card for NXT TakeOver: Orlando:
– Bobby Roode defends the NXT Championship against Shinsuke Nakamura
– Asuka defends the NXT Women’s Championship against Ember Moon
– The Authors of Pain defend the NXT Tag Team Championships against DIY and The Revival in a Triple Threat Elimination Match
– Aleister Black debuts against Andrade “Cien” Almas
Following Wednesday night’s NXT TV tapings from Full Sail University, the card for NXT Takeover: Orlando is starting to take shape.
It was confirmed that NXT Tag Tean Champions the Authors Of Pain will put their gold on the line against DIY and The Revival in a triple threat match.
Based on what went down at the tapings, it looks like we’ll also be seeing the following matches:
– NXT Champion Bobby Roode defends against Shinsuke Nakamura
– NXT Tag Team Champions The Authors defend against DIY and The Revival in a Triple Threat
– NXT Women’s Champion Asuka defends against Ember Moon
– Tye Dillinger, No Way Jose, Roderick Strong and Ruby Riot battle SAnitY (Nikki Cross, Eric Young, Alexander Wolfe, Killian Dain) in a mixed person match
TakeOver will be held on Saturday, 4/1 from the Amway Center during WrestleMania 33 weekend.
As expected, NXT TakeOver will be coming to Orlando for WrestleMania 33 weekend next year. The event will take place from the Amway Center on the eve of WrestleMania. WWE announced the following details:
NXT TakeOver: Orlando to take place on the eve of WrestleMania 33
On the eve of WrestleMania 33, the Superstars of NXT will bring their high-octane brand of sports-entertainment to Orlando!
WWE COO Triple H made the announcement on Twitter.
NXT TakeOver: Orlando takes place on Saturday, April 1, at the Amway Center, less than 24 hours before The Show of Shows. Fans in O-Town will get to see NXT’s most heated rivalries reach their boiling point on the biggest stage NXT has to offer.
Tickets for this historic WWE Network live broadcast are available starting this Friday, Dec. 16, at 10 a.m. ET. For complete ticket information, visit NXTTickets.com. Don’t miss your chance to see one of the biggest events in NXT history live and in person this April during WrestleMania Week!
For the past few years, Wrestlemania weekend has become a full four-day extravaganza. Traditionally, the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony took place on Saturday night, Wrestlemania on Sunday, and then Raw on Monday night. This year was the first time WWE had an NXT Takeover special on Friday night as well. Next year’s Wrestlemania 33 weekend from Orlando will see more changes to the four-day weekend.
The new schedule calls for the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony on Friday night, NXT Takeover on Saturday, and then Wrestlemania and Raw will go on as usual. There are many benefits to the new schedule, but the reasoning is said to be mostly for convenience. In previous years, NXT would be set up in a different arena. With the old schedule, the staff would have to set up NXT Takeover, take it down to set up the Hall of Fame, and then set up for Raw on Monday.
The new schedule means the staff will set up the Hall of Fame, take it down, and then set up for NXT, Raw, and SmackDown. It’ll be a much easier process for everyone involved for the grueling five-day schedule.
– WWE appears to be testing the waters with phasing Hulk Hogan back into company programming. Over the past week, multiple Hogan voice overs were used on the latest WWE Network promos. This is the first time Hogan has been heard on WWE TV since his racism scandal, which led WWE to cut all ties with him. The latest episode of Eric Bischoff’s Bischoff On Wrestling podcast featured Part 3 of his interview with Hogan, who said he still keeps up with WWE RAW and hopes to get back in their good graces.
– Former two-time NCAA heavyweight champion Nick Gwiazdowski is expected to receive a WWE offer after the 2020 Olympics, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. He sat ringside for WWE Backlash on Sunday.
– In addition to the NXT Takeover: Toronto event that is scheduled for Survivor Series weekend, WWE is also looking at The Theater at Madison Square Garden and venues in Boston for upcoming Takeover specials. (via f4wonline.com)
The End is upon us. Tonight on the WWE Network, NXT presents Takeover: The End live from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. In the main event of the evening, NXT Champion Samoa Joe and Finn Balor will settle their score once and for all. After headlining the past two Takeover specials, Joe and Balor will square off inside a steel cage with NXT’s richest prize on the line.
Here’s the final card for tonight’s show:
NXT Champion Samoa Joe vs. Finn Bálor (Steel Cage Match)
NXT Women’s Champion Asuka vs. Nia Jax
NXT Tag Team Champions American Alpha vs. The Revival
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Austin Aries
Tye Dillinger vs. The debuting Andrade “Cien” Almas
Join us here later tonight for complete results of NXT Takeover: The End.
On Monday there were conflicting reports regarding the status of the upcoming NXT Takeover: Brooklyn after Ticketmaster seemingly removed the event from their Barclays Center listings.
F4Wonline.com confirmed with WWE that the event is still scheduled for 8/20 in Brooklyn and it was noted that the page will be updated soon with new details and a new logo.
Their report also noted that many NXT workers grew concerned about the future of the brand when the page was pulled by Ticketmaster this week. The branding of NXT’s upcoming Takeover special, “The End” didn’t help matters.
WWE has announced that NXT Tag Team Champions American Alpha will face The Revival in a “Takeover: Dallas” rematch on June 8th at the next Takeover event from Full Sail University.
As of this writing, the only other match announced is Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe in a Cage Match for the NXT Title.
