Zachary Wentz held the TNA X Division Championship for just a couple of weeks, but the high-flying wrestler remains proud of his brief title reign.

Wentz won the Ultimate X match to capture the TNA X Division Championship at TNA Emergence. He even appeared as the X Division Champion at NXT No Mercy, where he defeated his former Rascalz teammate Wes Lee. However, his reign came to an end at TNA Victory Road when he was defeated by ‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey.

In an interview with 3W-Wrestling, Wentz shared what the title run meant to him. He explained that the X Division, known for its high-flying, high-risk, and fast-paced matches, perfectly aligns with his wrestling style. He also expressed his belief that the X Division has significantly impacted the broader world of professional wrestling.

“I mean, it [TNA X Division Title] means a lot because if you look at my style of wrestling, it is very much X Division Championship-style wrestling,” Wentz said. “I feel like the X Division is the division in professional wrestling, and its style has completely influenced professional wrestling as a whole. If you look at matches now, they’re very much X Division-type matches. So, it definitely meant a lot to me.”

Wentz also reflected on the significance of the title beyond its duration.

“Especially, like I said before, look at all the legends that have held the title—not just them, but my brother Trey [Miguel], he’s held that title. And he was a great champion, so it meant a lot to me. Sure, it may have been a short reign, but that’s okay because I made history. At the end of the day, people aren’t going to focus on how short it was. They’re going to remember that I made history as the first X Division Champion to be featured on WWE television. So, it means a lot to me.”

Wentz recently ignited a feud with NXT’s Wes Lee after the latter betrayed his Rascalz teammate. The two are set to clash at the NXT on CW premiere on October 1st.

• Wes Lee: Zachary Wentz Has To Prove He Deserves To Be Back in NXT

WWE NXT No Mercy 2024 saw the gold brand’s tag team championships change hands as Chase U lost the gold to Nathan Frazer and Axiom. Now, the high-flyers once again hold the richest prize in NXT’s tag division, but the champions are already garnering interest from outside WWE.

NXT’s latest Premium Live Event also saw Zachary Wentz, fresh from his X-Division title win at TNA Emergence, defeated former ally Wes Lee. Speaking after the match, Wentz and Trey Miguel challenged Frazer and Axiom. While Wentz mentioned that he and Lee previously challenged the pair, he pointed out that Frazer and Axiom have never faced The Rascalz (Wentz & Miguel.)

WWE NXT’s camera crew also caught up with Frazer and Axiom after WWE NXT No Mercy 2024. Despite the pair having issues as of late, Frazer was thrilled that their differences were put aside for the show.

“We still maybe need to work on our communication a little bit a little bit, but put it this way, we’re kicking each other in the face, and we’re still the best tag team in the world. Let’s go celebrate.”

WWE NXT No Mercy 2024 saw more TNA involvement as Joe Hendry unsuccessfully challenged NXT Champion Ethan Page. The NXT-TNA partnership has proven to be very popular and if The Rascalz are to be believed, expect to see much more of this partnership this year.

Trey Miguel and Zachary Wentz of The Rascalz share their thoughts on Wes Lee’s shocking betrayal on the latest episode of WWE NXT.

WWE fans are still stunned after Lee turned on Miguel and Wentz on the August 6 episode of NXT. The shocking moment happened after MSK (Lee & Wentz) finally had an opportunity to reclaim the WWE NXT Tag Team Championships with Miguel at ringside from Axiom and Nathan Frazer in the main event.

Both teams gave their all in an exciting matchup to end the show. MSK came close to winning the match, but the champions proved too much to handle. The finish came when Axiom landed the Golden Ratio to get the pin on Lee. After the match, MSK and Miguel shook hands with the winners out of respect. The champions would head backstage while The Rascalz exchanged hugs in the middle ring.

Fans in attendance thought that would end the show as they began to leave the performance center. However, Lee decided to turn on his friends by landing a superkick on Miguel and a low blow on Wentz. The former WWE NXT North American Champion continued the assault on both TNA Wrestling superstars outside the ring to end the episode. 

After coming to terms with what happened, the Rascalz members finally shared their thoughts on what occurred on social media. Both expressed that they are heartbroken over what happened, with Wentz admitting that he still loves Lee.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like Lee has any regrets about what he did.

Wes Lee’s Response To Betraying The Rascalz?

Since the shocking conclusion, Lee hasn’t given fans a logical reason for his betrayal. The only response he has shared was in response to a tweet from NXT General Manager Ava.

After the episode ended, Ava asked Lee on X why he attacked his friends, and “The Kardiac Kid” sent a GIF with the caption, “Because I felt like it.”

Lee may address his actions in next week’s NXT episode, but the company has yet to advertise him for the show. Whatever the reasoning, fans should expect that the Rascalz will want to confront him about it. 

MSK, aka The Rascalz, are back together on WWE NXT programming, and this has been quite the journey for all members of the group.

On this week’s WWE NXT, Wes Lee was in a somber mood as he reflected on his loss to North American Champion Oba Femi at Heatwave. Just as it appeared Lee was ready to say goodbye to NXT, Trey Miguel and Zachary Wentz emerged to loud T-N-A chants from the crowd. The duo reflected on their past with Lee and were able to convince him not to leave NXT behind. On the contrary, Lee, Miguel, and Wentz will face Gallus on next week’s show.

Before WWE NXT

MSK’s history dates back to December 2015 when Lee (known as Dezmond Xaiver at the time) first teamed with Wentz. After teaming for years and holding gold in CZW and AAW, the duo added Trey Miguel and Myron Reed into the group in April 2018 and dubbed themselves ‘The Rascalz.’ That same year, the group, minus reed, joined Impact Wrestling with their names shortened to Dez, Trey, and Wentz. The group became a staple of the tag-team scene though the Tag Team Championships continued to allude them. In November 2020, it was revealed that the group would be leaving Impact amid interest from both WWE and AEW.

Arriving In WWE NXT

Xavier and Wentz debuted in WWE NXT in January 2021, now under the names of Wes Lee and Nash Carter respectively, while Miguel would later return to Impact. It was during this run that Wes and Carter were dubbed MSK and wasted no time in establishing themselves as a top team in the brand. A month after their debut, MSK won the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic and by April had become the WWE NXT Tag Team Champions.

The pair held the titles for six months and would dispatch of teams like Tommaso Ciampa &Timothy Thatcher and Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch along the way. Their reign would end at the hands of Imperium at NXT Stand & Deliver in April 2022.

The Nash Carter Release

Around the time of MSK’s second tag title win, Nash Carter’s ex-wife Kimber Lee publicly claimed that she had been abused by the NXT wrestler. At the time, Dave Meltzer noted that WWE did not find Lee’s claims to be credible which is why they did not back out of plans to put the titles on the tag-team. After Kimber Lee shared a photo of Carter parodying Adolf Hitler though, the decision was made to release him and MSK was stripped of the tag titles.

Now, Nash, once again known as Zachary Wentz, is back, alongside Trey Miguel. With the WWE NXT-TNA Wrestling crossover proving a hit so far, fans can expect many more exciting moments from the trio moving forward.

Those tuning into this week’s WWE NXT will have no choice but to believe in Joe Hendry after he emerged victorious in the show’s main event.

In the main event of the show, Hendry teamed with Trick Williams to face Shawn Spears and new WWE NXT Champion ‘All Ego’ Ethan Page. Hendry got one of the loudest pops of the night as he was introduced as Trick’s mystery opponent.

Not only did Hendry compete in the main event of the post-Heatwave edition of NXT, but he also got the win for his team. Hendry pinned Shawn Spears and celebrated with Trick Williams to close out the show.

On Twitter, WWE NXT General Manager Ava was pleased that the fans were happy that she had been able to book the popular TNA Wrestling star for the show.

Hendry’s appearance at the show was not entirely a surprise. In the closing moments of WWE NXT Heatwave, Hendry was shown on the broadcast, teasing his return to NXT. A promo video for this week’s episode of WWE NXT also featured Hendry, implying that his return would be happening very soon.

This week’s show marks Hendry’s second time competing in WWE NXT after previously being part of a battle royal to determine the number one contender for the NXT Championship. Fans should get used to seeing him in WWE’s gold brand as Hendry will be a focal point of the TNA-NXT crossover moving forward.

The Rascalz In WWE NXT

This week’s WWE NXT also saw Wes Lee address his loss to North American Champion Oba Femi at Heatwave. As the popular Lee waxed about his career and his shortcomings, it appeared that Wes was ready to leave NXT. If so, his farewell speech was interrupted by TNA’s The Rascalz (Zachary Wentz & Trey Miguel.) Lee was part of the group before joining WWE NXT and the two remaining members were able to convince Lee not to leave NXT behind.

Not only did The Rascalz reunite, but the group will be in action as a trio next week. Lee, Wentz, and Miguel will ride once more to take on Gallus during the July 16, episode of WWE NXT.

Dempsey will cross the line to take on Wentz on the upcoming TNA iMPACT episode.

Wrestling fans will be in for a treat on the July 11 episode of TNA Wrestling iMPACT. The episode features WWE superstar Charlie Dempsey taking on Zachary Wentz. Dempsey surprised fans when he made his TNA debut last week by attacking Wentz, Trey Miguel, and Leon Slater. Wentz comes into the match motivated to prove that NXT talent can’t do whatever they want in TNA.

Dempsey’s debut had the wrestling community buzzing as WWE continues to embrace a working relationship with TNA. The partnership has resulted in fan interest and talent from both rosters looking to work together. That said, Wentz felt in storyline that Dempsey’s actions were inexcusable and is ready to make an example out of him this Thursday.

In the aftermath of the WWE superstar’s assault, Wentz did a passionate promo about how he plans to get revenge. The former Impact World Tag Team Champion also acknowledged his past competing in NXT and shared that the company doesn’t allow Dempsey to attack people to make a name for himself, so he shouldn’t do it in TNA.

“…Charlie Dempsey, I don’t know what you are trying to accomplish, but you are not going to do it here. You are not going to make a name here. You are not going to make a name off of Zachary Wentz. You are not going to make a name off of Trey Miguel, and you are certainly not going to make a name off of our home, TNA,” said Wentz.

The fiery promo led to the match being official and marked the first storyline of a WWE superstar invading TNA. It’s worth noting that although the match will occur this week, the episode is a taped show, and the results are out. Regardless, the crossover matchup could get fans interested in tuning in to see what will happen.

TNA Superstar Joe Hendry Teased For An NXT Return

WWE fans noticed on July 7 that as Heatwave was going off the air, TNA fan-favorite Joe Hendry was quickly teased for a return to NXT. In addition, WWE has begun to advertise the July 9 episode of NXT and is continuing to show Hendry briefly.

This has led fans to believe that the TNA superstar could return to the developmental brand as soon as this week’s episode. The last time he appeared, Hendry was eliminated early from a Battle Royal Match to determine the number one contender for the WWE NXT Championship on the June 18 NXT show. Despite the anti-climatic exit from the match, he had a confrontation with Shawn Michaels backstage that set up the impression that he wasn’t done with the brand.

The ongoing relationship between WWE and TNA is providing fans with unpredictably no idea who will show up for either company. Dempsey’s storyline of invading TNA and Hendry’s potential return to NXT is seemingly a great way to get eyes on both NXT and TNA iMPACT this week. Hopefully, the partnership will continue to thrive so fans can see dream matches that were thought to be impossible.

AEW World Champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman wants people to know his longtime friend Zachary Wentz (Zachary Green) is not an anti-Semite.

Wentz, who previously wrestled for WWE as NXT star Nash Carter, was released in April 2022 after his ex-wife alleged he was physically abusive to her. She also released a photo of him sporting a ‘Hitler’ mustache.

The former NXT tag team champion later issued a statement explaining how ashamed and apologetic he was for the photograph, which was taken in 2015. He stated, “There is no excuse for such behavior and I take full responsibility for my actions and ask for forgiveness.”

He took a bad situation and made the best of it by reflecting on his conduct, re-educating himself about the horrors of the Holocaust and vowed to ‘do better’ in the future.

MJF Defends Zachary Wentz

On Monday, MJF posted a thread on Twitter defending Wentz. MJF has spoken about his experiences with anti-Semitism in high school and in the wrestling industry. There are a lot of ignorant and hateful people out there, but he wants to make it known that Wentz is not one of these people.

MJF continued, “When a wrestler who shall remain nameless keyed my car and called me a kike, Zachary went out of his way when everyone else turned a blind eye to check in on me.”

He added that fans on Twitter can sometimes run dirtbags out of the industry, but fans aren’t right about everything and they’re wrong in this case.

Wentz has been wrestling on the independent scene since leaving NXT in April 2022. Over the past several months, he’s wrestled for REVOLVER, Warrior Wrestling, AAW and other independent promotions.

Last week, he wrestled a tag match with The Rascalz (Trey Miguel and Myron Reed) at REVOLVER’s A Night at the MOXbury event. Last month, he wrestled against AEW star Konosuke Takeshita at Warrior Wrestling 27.

Former NXT star Nash Carter has found his first wrestling gig since being released by WWE.

Going back to the “Zachary Wentz” name, Carter has been booked for the Circle 6 and No Peace Underground joint show. The event is scheduled for May 21 in Orlando, Florida.

Nash Carter’s WWE Release

Nash Carter was released by WWE back in April. The move came off the heels of allegations of physical and emotional abuse towards his wife, Kimber Lee.

Kimber alleges that Nash got drunk and punched in her the face, splitting her lip in the process. She went on Twitter and tagged the official account of NXT:

“Hey @WWENXT this is my face after your tag champ @NashCarterWWE got wasted and hit me so hard he split my lip open. He told me I’m a wrestler so I’m always marked up. I’ve hid this for a year and even forgave him. But I can’t hide it anymore.”

What ended up being the final straw for WWE was a photo Lee uploaded of Carter doing the Nazi salute and having a mustache resembling that of dictator Adolf Hitler.

A female friend of Nash took to Twitter to accuse Kimber of making false accusations and simply being bitter that Carter has moved on from her.

“Y’all… @Kimber_Lee90 got served divorce papers by Nash on Monday. He’s been done with her. She’s mad that this is all happening so she’s turning to Twitter because she’s outraged that he doesn’t want to be with her anymore. It really is that simple…”

Carter had been one-half of the NXT Tag Team Champions along with Wes Lee. The titles had to be vacated after Carter was given his release.