WWE NXT Reportedly Set For Wednesday Nights Live On FS1

The current plan for the future of WWE NXT is to have the brand air on FS1, each Wednesday night from 8pm until 10pm ET, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

This would put NXT vs. AEW on Wednesday nights as AEW’s weekly TNT TV show premieres on Wednesday, October 2 from 8pm until 10pm ET.

There’s no word yet on when WWE will announce the big move, when the show will premiere on FS1, or if it will remain on the WWE Network on Wednesdays. There’s also no word yet on if the show will air from Full Sail Live, or if they will start traveling for TV each week.

The new report noted that WWE has had plans to bring NXT to FS1 for some time, but they weren’t going to finalize the timeslot until AEW and TNT officially announced their timeslot. The move is obviously not official until WWE makes the announcement, but it’s far enough along that Fox has already informed some affiliates. The deal was apparently agreed on in late June or early July.

The working idea is that NXT will air each week as a live two-hour show. The internal feeling is that a taped show will not work up against AEW, which will air live each week also. WWE officials feel like they have a strong edge over AEW, that being the endless supply of main roster Superstars that they can put on the NXT show whenever they want to. WWE also has another strong advantage and that’s being able to promote the show on RAW and SmackDown, as well as other Fox programming.

During a media call today to promote Saturday’s NXT Takeover event, Triple H discussed NXTpossibly airing on FS1 on Wednesday nights and if it is a move to counter-program AEW.

“Contrary to what I’ve heard, because you hear people speculate and I’ve seen the conversations around FS1 or whatever it is with NXT and all that stuff, and then immediately, people come in with counter-programming talk. We have content all over the place, and if people want to talk about counter-programming and bring that up in the conversation – like, Wednesday has been the home of NXT forever. Right?” Triple H asked. “That’s where it’s sat; it’s been on our network on a Wednesday’s time slot now forever.

“And when other people announce [their show] on Wednesday, you don’t hear talk about counter-programming. You just hear, ‘the announcement’. For us, everything is ‘counter-programming’ and it’s this and it’s that – We plan things long in advance,” Triple H continued. “We worry about doing our business and that’s really what we worry about, so, [I’ve been giving] cryptic talk because there’s a lot of thoughts and possibilities. And that’s the great thing about it is that we can do just about anything, it is about what is best for WWE, and this business, and how does it affect the fans in the way that is the most meaningful to them.”

Regarding the WWE vs. AEW Wednesday Night Wars, the Observer noted that TNT airs in more homes and is a much higher-rated channel, but WWE is obviously the known name brand to the general public, and NXT would be promoted on two of the most-watched cable shows, among other programs.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE NXT Preview 8/7/19

WWE NXT streaming tonight at 8pm ET on WWE Network.

  • Matt Riddle gets Killian Dain face-to-face
  • Street Profits and Undisputed ERA to sign NXT Tag Team Title Match contract
  • Shane Thorne battles Breakout Tournament alum Joaquin Wilde
  • Next stop, TakeOver: Toronto

WWE NXT Preview 7/31/19

NXT, streaming tonight at 8 ET on WWE Network.

  • Roderick Strong vows to take out Pete Dunne before TakeOver: Toronto
  • How will Baszler respond to Yim’s takedown of Duke & Shafir?
  • Beauty and the beast: Prince Pretty battles Jaxson Ryker
  • Bronson Reed, Cameron Grimes fight to “break out” to tournament final
  • What’s next for LeRae and Shirai’s scorching rivalry?

 

NXT UK, today at 3 ET/8 GMT on WWE Network. At the time of this writing I couldn’t find any info about today’s NXT UK show.

Tegan Nox Returns From Injury At WWE NXT Live Event (Photos)

Tegan Nox made her ring return at last night’s WWE NXT live event from Orlando, Florida.

Nox teamed Jessi Kamea with to defeat Aliyah and Vanessa Borne. She got the pin for her team.

Nox signed with WWE back in 2017 and was set to perform in the first-ever Mae Young Classic, but she was pulled before the tournament began due to a torn ACL. She returned to the ring in April 2018 but has been out of action since August after suffering multiple knee-related injuries during the 2018 MYC.

As seen below, the injured Dakota Kai and SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley reacted to Nox’s ring return.

Kai wrote, “.. but most importantly, she bacc. I can’t wait to watch your journey, @TeganNoxWWE_ !! The first (again) of many more”

Bayley added, “Hell yeah welcome back! Let’s wrestle”

You can see those tweets along with photos from last night’s return below:

https://twitter.com/itsBayleyWWE/status/1154545872916701185

https://twitter.com/JJWilliamsWON/status/1154548373590028294

https://twitter.com/JJWilliamsWON/status/1154541337552859137

Source: Wrestling Inc.

News On FOX Meeting About WWE – SmackDown Live, NXT On FS1

Fox officials hosted a summit meeting on Wednesday to talk with their affiliates about the fall schedule, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. WWE was included in this summit.

Since SmackDown will be part of the Fox sports block every Thursday to Sunday in the fall, the network reportedly wants WWE to be promoted as a legitimate sport that is a choreographed sports presentation, although the outcomes of the matches are predetermined. SmackDown will air 51 weeks per year on Fox, and will be preempted for the World Series. It’s possible that SmackDown airs on FS1 for that one week.

Fox will also air a one-hour launch show in late September to build to the live Friday night debut on October 4 from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The idea is that the one-hour special will introduce WWE and the Superstars to the Fox audience. WWE and Fox are planning a major promotion that will see WWE Superstars take a moving truck to various sized markets to promote the network change. A digital primer is also being planned, which will allow viewers to get a behind-the-scenes look at the WWE product. This primer will teach viewers some of the insider terms, according to the Observer.

Fox is also in talks to bring the WWE NXT brand to TV. There’s been speculation on NXT airing on FS1, head-to-head with AEW’s weekly TNT show, but that has not been confirmed. As previously reported, FS1 will also air a weekly WWE studio show on Tuesdays with Renee Young as the host.

It’s believed that the SmackDown 20th Anniversary special will air as the premiere episode on Fox, on October 4. WWE will begin promoting that special in mid-September. It was noted at the summit that there will be a lot of surprises on that show.

Sources: Wrestling Observer Newsletter and Wrestling Inc.

WWE NXT Preview 7/17/19

NXT, streaming tonight at 8 ET on WWE Network.

* NXT Champion Adam Cole gets to work

* Apollo landing: Crews next to take on the Kushida challenge

* First-round finale: Bronson Reed collides with Dexter Lumis

* Original Bro squares off with Arturo Ruas

* What’s next for The Sultans of Swag?

WWE NXT Preview 7/10/19

NXT, streaming tonight at 8 ET on WWE Network.

* NXT Tag Team Championship: (C) The Street Profits vs. Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch

* Adam Cole’s Bay Bay Championship Celebration Tour carries on

* Damian Priest continues his quest

* NXT Breakout Tournament carries on: Boa takes on high-flying sensation Jordan Myles.

* Io Shirai and Candice LeRae fallout

WWE NXT Preview 7/3/19

NXT, streaming tonight at 8 ET on WWE Network.

* Tyler Breeze takes on Roderick Strong

* The NXT Breakout Tournament rolls on: Isaiah “Swerve” Scott vs. Cameron Grimes

* Aliyah vs. Mia Yim

* Kushida in action

* Bianca Belair in action

Kenny Omega Strongly Criticizes WWE For Streaming Evolve Show Opposite AEW Fight For The Fallen

WWE announced yesterday that the WWE Network will stream EVOLVE’s 10th Anniversary Celebration. It will air as the EVOLVE 131 event, on Saturday, July 13 from the former ECW Arena, the 2300 Arena, in Philadelphia, PA. . The special will feature WWE NXT Champion Adam Cole vs. Akira Tozawa with the title on the line, Matt Riddle vs. WWE Cruiserweight Champion Drew Gulak in a non-title match. The event will also feature NXT’s Arturo Ruas (Adrian Jaoude) and Babatunde, plus EVOLVE Champion Austin Theory and EVOLVE Tag Team Champions Eddie Kingston & Joe Gacy. A full line-up of matches will be announced soon.

“Evolve was the birthplace for many current WWE and NXT Superstars so it is only fitting that their 10th Anniversary Celebration will be showcased live on WWE Network,” Triple H said.

WWE began their working relationship and talent exchange with WWN Live’s EVOLVE promotion back in 2015. Booker Gabe Sapolsky now works behind-the-scenes for NXT and the WWE Performance Center.

Many fans have pointed to how the WWE Network EVOLVE stream is airing on the same night as AEW’s Fight for the Fallen event from Jacksonville, FL. This event will have a portion of the proceeds donated to victims of gun violence.

It should be noted that the EVOLVE 131 date was first announced back in mid-May. We don’t know when WWE began negotiating for the livestream. AEW first announced the details on Fight for the Fallen during the first week of March.

AEW Executive Vice President Kenny Omega has fans talking on social media today after a tweet he made on the EVOLVE – WWE special. He apparently called out WWE for working with Saudi Arabia.

“If lining your pockets with blood money is okay, then what’s wrong with trying to undermine a charity show for victims of gun violence? I hear that healthy competition is supposed to be a good thing and yet I can’t help but feel like I’m gonna be sick,” Omega wrote.

Omega has deleted his original tweet that apparently knocked WWE for their working relationship with the Saudis. His new tweet, also seen below, reads like this: “I’ve said my piece and it opened the door to a very toxic environment. It wasn’t a message to fans, or the boys, just the decision makers. I wish everyone wrestling on any show that day all the best. That is all.”

You can see Omega’s full tweets below:

If lining your pockets with blood money is okay, then what’s wrong with trying to undermine a charity show for victims of gun violence? I hear that healthy competition is supposed to be a good thing and yet I can’t help but feel like I’m gonna be sick.

— Kenny Omega (@KennyOmegamanX) June 26, 2019

https://twitter.com/KennyOmegamanX/status/1143980930203312133

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1143954386592423937

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE NXT Preview 6/26/19

NXT, streaming tonight at 8 ET on WWE Network.

* Shayna Baszler and Io Shirai take their rivalry into the steel cage

* Street Profits tangle with Forgotten Sons

* Joaquin Wilde faces Angel Garza in the NXT Breakout Tournament

* Bask in the glory of Keith Lee