Category: NXT

NXT Reportedly Returning To Taping Shows In Advance

NXT is returning to taping shows in advance starting after next week’s TakeOver 36 event, according to Bryan Alvarez.

Shows will be taped on Monday, August 23, and Tuesday, August 24.

The Wrestling Observer Live host tweeted, “It appears NXT is returning to taping shows in advance starting next Monday and Tuesday nights.”

He later added, “NXT taping schedule may be temporary, but for sure they’re taping several episodes after Takeover.”

There is a behind-the-scenes power struggle with the WWE NXT brand. Triple H wasn’t even aware of the recent NXT cuts until John Laurinaitis started making the release phone calls to the various talents.

https://twitter.com/bryanalvarez/status/1427041026070380545
https://twitter.com/bryanalvarez/status/1427045498364469249

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Johnny Gargano And Candice LeRae Are Expecting A Baby

Johnny Gargano has revealed on Twitter that he and Candice LeRae are expecting their first baby.

The tweet comes complete with a couple of photos. One with what appears to be a baby pair of wrestling boots, and another of Gargano holding some scan photos along with LeRae and their dog. The first photo also includes the baby’s due date. February 2022, which means LeRae is currently about three months pregnant. That explains why LeRae hasn’t wrestled much for the past few months.

https://twitter.com/JohnnyGargano/status/1425818199673683968

WWE NXT Preview 8/10/21

Tonight’s WWE NXT episode will air live on the USA Network after two weeks of taped shows airing on Syfy due to coverage of the Tokyo Olympics on USA.

NXT will feature more build for the upcoming Takeover 36.

* Sarray vs. Ember Moon

* Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly meet for a “Face to Face” segment mediated by NXT General Manager William Regal

* NXT Women’s Champion Raquel Gonzalez addresses Dakota Kai and their Takeover 36 match

* NXT UK Superstar Ilja Dragunov appears

Triple H Reportedly Had No Say In Last Week’s NXT Releases

Apparently neither Triple H now Shawn Michaels were consulted on who from NXT should be released last week.

Triple H was reportedly not consulted about which NXT Superstars were going to get released at the end of last week.

WWE continued to add to what is already a list of more than 50 released Superstars and employees last week by letting go of 12 more NXT talents. Perhaps one of the most shocking batches so far as Bronson Reed, Mercedes Martinez, and Bobby Fish were among the names to be shown the door. This all comes amid reports that NXT will be undergoing some major changes in the near future.

Triple H is the man credited with responsibility for turning NXT into what it is today. However, Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer has been led to believe neither he nor his Hall of Fame right-hand man Shawn Michaels had any say in who was cut last week. The decisions were made by Vince McMahon, Bruce Prichard, and John Laurinaitis.

Apparently, the reasoning behind the latest releases was that the trio responsible for them foresaw no future for the stars on the main roster. Interesting, as that suggests NXT is still seen as developmental in the eyes of McMahon rather than its own brand. That’s despite the likes of Johnny Gargano and Dakota Kai seemingly staying there for good without a potential call-up looming.

The 12 names let go and the reports that have followed suggest McMahon is reacting to the past two years of NXT. The black and gold brand failing to compete with AEW Dynamite before it moved nights, and whatever problem the boss has with the likes of Karrion Kross and Keith Lee. A message that has also surfaced which some have claimed is a mandate from the boss hints that the goal is to leave smaller wrestlers in the past and only focus on talent under the age of 30.

If Triple H really was kept in the dark about what happened last week, this could be the start of a very different, potentially incredibly bleak era in NXT’s still quite short history. It also suggests McMahon’s recent trip to the Performance Center wasn’t just to scout people he could use on Raw and SmackDown, it was also to rid NXT of stars he doesn’t have any use for elsewhere. This week’s episode of NXT will be incredibly interesting, although any changes being implemented probably won’t take hold right away.

Source: TheSportster

WWE Has Released 12 NXT Talents, Including Mercedes Martinez, Bobby Fish & Bronson Reed

After moving on from Bray Wyatt and Hall of Famer Ric Flair, WWE has released 12 more talents — all from NXT.

WWE has conducted another long list of superstar cuts.

According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com, WWE has released the following 12 NXT talents: Bobby Fish, Mercedes Martinez, Jake Atlas, Bronson Reed, Asher Hale, Tyler Rust, Giant Zanjeer, Zechariah Smith, referee Stephon Smith, Leon Ruff, Kona Reeves and Ari Sterling.

https://twitter.com/SeanRossSapp/status/1423816333649715204

The news came during the final hour of this week’s episode of Friday Night SmackDown. It also comes six days after the company announced the release of Bray Wyatt, and four days after they granted Ric Flair his release that the Hall of Famer requested.

Friday evening marked another drastic development in the WWE. The company started performing large numbers of budget cuts in April of last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dozens of wrestlers and employees (including producers and on-air personalities) were released in that first wave of cuts, including numerous NXT talents.

Drake Maverick, one of the notable cuts, was brought back on a new contract soon after. Samoa Joe was released from his contract this past April, only to return to the company two months later. So for all we know, some of these released NXT talents may end up coming back to WWE.

It’s also worth noting that Adam Cole’s WWE contract is on the verge of expiring. He reportedly attended this week’s episode of SmackDown for a meeting with WWE chairman Vince McMahon. Needless to say, the NXT roster has lost valuable depth, and it’s now more crucial than ever that they manage to retain Cole.

Before the long series of releases began last year, McMahon was supposedly keen on stockpiling talents in order to prevent them from joining the rival AEW promotion.

But a lot has changed over the past 16 months. McMahon and WWE officials have suddenly valued saving money rather than keep a deep roster in place. He knows the risk in that these talents can walk over to AEW or other promotions. Friday’s news is just another example of how difficult the WWE business is.

Source: TheSportster

AEW Has Reportedly Made NXT’s Adam Cole A Contract Offer

As Adam Cole’s NXT contract nears its end, AEW has reportedly approached the highly sought after Superstar with an offer.

AEW has reportedly made Adam Cole a contract offer as the former NXT Champion’s current WWE contract is set to expire after SummerSlam weekend.

Adam Cole’s time in NXT might be coming to an end. That would normally mean a call-up to the main roster. For Cole, it appears to mean that starting from the night after NXT TakeOver 36, he will no longer be a WWE Superstar. According to Wrestling Observer Newsletter, AEW has already offered Cole a contract.

The report also reveals Cole has still been negotiating a potential new deal with NXT as recently as the middle of this week. However, the former leader of the Undisputed Era is yet to strike a deal with either company. Cole’s contract actually came to an end in July. However, he signed a one-month extension, apparently so he can wrestle Kyle O’Reilly in a rubber match at TakeOver 36.

If Cole does decide to stay in NXT, it’s unclear what exactly there is left for him on the brand. NXT has been built as a brand in which wrestlers achieve all they can and then move on, preferably to either Raw or SmackDown rather than AEW. Cole has already been NXT Champion multiple times, UE has broken up, and there aren’t that many big opponents left in NXT that he hasn’t already faced.

In AEW, on the other hand, there’s a whole new slate of opponents and challenges waiting for him. Not to mention his girlfriend, current AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker, and a number of other close friends he worked with prior to signing with NXT. Cole can even debut for AEW as soon as he wants after TakeOver 36. Since his contract is expiring, he won’t be subject to a non-compete clause.

That means Cole could turn up on Dynamite three days after TakeOver, the third episode of Rampage two days after that, or perhaps even at All Out in the first week of September. It’s going to be a fascinating period in Cole’s career the days and weeks after TakeOver. Not to mention the additional contract headache for NXT that is Pete Dunne. Apparently, The Bruiserweight’s contract is also nearing its end.

Source: TheSportster

WWE NXT Preview 8/3/21

Tonight’s WWE NXT episode will air on Syfy due to coverage of The Olympics on the USA Network. The show will return to the normal timeslot next Wednesday night.

WWE taped this NXT episode the week before last from the Capitol Wrestling Center at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando.

Why Adam Cole Signed A One-Month Contract Extension In NXT [Report]

Adam Cole reportedly signed a one-month extension in NXT so that he can tie up one last loose end at TakeOver 36.

The only reason Adam Cole has reportedly stuck around a little longer in NXT is for the sake of Kyle O’Reilly.

Not for the first time, rumors are swirling that Adam Cole’s time in NXT might well be coming to an end. Apparently, the former leader of Undisputed Era’s contract expires after SummerSlam weekend. If true, at this moment in time it remains unclear whether Cole plans on signing a new deal or if he plans on trying his luck elsewhere.

The biggest indicator that Cole could well be done with the black and gold brand is the added detail that his contract actually expired in July. However, according to talkSPORT, the former NXT Champion wanted to sign a one-month extension for a very specific reason. So that he can wrestle a rubber match with Kyle O’Reilly at TakeOver 36.

O’Reilly and Cole have wrestled two singles matches in NXT since Undisputed Era broke up. O’Reilly won the first at TakeOver: Stand And Deliver. Cole then won the rematch three months later at Great American Bash. That leaves the series tied, something Cole is reportedly not okay with. It appears finishing that series and having a definitive winner is the one loose end Cole has to tie up.

Not only does the report claim Cole wants this match at TakeOver 36, but he wants to lose it. Further evidence that Cole might well be done with the company. That he wants to do the honors on the way out the door, and he wants to do them for someone who has likely become one of his closest friends during his time in NXT. It would possibly give O’Reilly the platform to become an NXT Champion for the first time sometime very soon.

If Cole is indeed nearing his contract’s end, it seems more likely that he would leave than stay. He has done everything there is to do in NXT, and then some, and probably doesn’t like what he sees when it comes to an NXT call-up of his size on Raw or SmackDown. He has friends in AEW, not to mention his girlfriend Britt Baker, and more potential dream matches than you can shake a stick at.

Source: The Sportster

WWE NXT Preview 7/27/21

Tonight’s WWE NXT episode will air on the Syfy network at 8pm ET due to coverage of The Olympics on the USA Network.

WWE NXT Preview 7/20/21

Tonight’s WWE NXT episode on the USA Network will feature Raquel Gonzalez defending her NXT Women’s Title against Xia Li.

* The 2021 Breakout Tournament continues

* What’s next for NXT Champion Karrion Kross?

* Tyler Rust and Roderick Strong vs. Bobby Fish and NXT Cruiserweight Champion Kushida

* NXT Women’s Champion Raquel Gonzalez defends against Xia Li