Tonight’s WWE NXT live on USA Network from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
WWE NXT Stand & Deliver PLE – Saturday April 6 from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
CARD
Carmelo Hayes vs. Trick Williams
NXT CHAMPIONSHIP
Ilja Dragunov (c) vs. Tony D’Angelo
NXT WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP
Lyra Valkyria (c) vs. Roxanne Perez
NXT NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP
Oba Femi (c) vs. Dijak vs. Josh Briggs
NXT TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
The Wolf Dogs (c) (Baron Corbin & Bron Breakker) vs. Axiom & Nathan Frazer
Thea Hail, Fallon Henley & Kelani Jordan vs. Jacy Jayne, Kiana James & Izzi Dame
Joe Gacy vs. Shawn Spears
Tonight’s episode of WWE NXT in Orlando, Florida at the Performance Center on the USA Network:
Tonight’s WWE NXT on USA Network from the Performance Center in Orlando Florida.
Scheduled for tonight’s WWE NXT on the USA Network:
Tonight’s WWE NXT special Roadblock on USA Network from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando Florida.
A familiar face returned to “WWE NXT” on Tuesday night, albeit, with a new name from the last time he was in the promotion.
Shawn Spears, formerly known in the company as “The Perfect 10” Tye Dillinger, made his return on the show after he left AEW at the end of 2023. Spears appeared after the phrase “Truth will ultimately prevail but there is pain bringing it to light” appeared on the video screens while Ridge Holland was in the ring addressing the fans. He appeared behind Holland and bashed him with a chair before pulling back his hood to reveal his identity.
Spears announced in December that his time with AEW had come to an end, due to an amicable split between him and the company. Prior to the announcement, he hadn’t been seen on TV since the Over Budget Charity Battle Royale during the pre-show for All Out. He had, however, according to Dave Meltzer, been portraying one of The Devil’s masked henchmen before his departure. Spears put out a statement thanking AEW for his five years of growth and development and said it was a personal choice for him. He took time to focus on life away from the ring, as he and his wife, Cassie Lee (the former Peyton Royce in WWE) announced they were expecting their second child.
Backstage Update On Shawn Spears’ WWE NXT Return
Fightful Select has some additional details on how the deal came together, including confirmation that he’s keeping the Spears moniker.
Most talent was unaware of Spears’ return and, during rehearsals for last night’s show, Shawn Michaels served the role that Spears would later fulfill. Additionally, Spears’ name was kept off rundowns of the show and he remained hidden backstage until the big moment.
The report cited AEW sources that said Spears asked for his release last year. Spears announced in December that he was leaving AEW following more than four years with the company after the veteran hadn’t been used since August. There were reports that he was one of the masked attackers in the “Devil” storyline from last year, but he never wound up being involved in the storyline. Spears was said to have signed with WWE before the “Three Faces” vignettes began airing in recent weeks.
Spears initially signed with WWE in 2006, spending a few years in the promotion’s developmental system. He later began making appearances on “ECW” but was released in 2009. Spears then returned to WWE in 2013, gaining some traction as the Dillinger character on “NXT” before getting lost in the shuffle on the main roster. After asking for his release, the company let Spears go in 2019, and he would later join AEW starting with the company’s inaugural pay-per-view.
In addition to his name, another aspect of the Spears character seems to have been carried over from his time in AEW: an affinity for steel chairs. Spears was known as “The Chairman” for some time in AEW, and he appropriately attacked Ridge Holland with one of the “foreign objects” upon his return.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
Here is the lineup for tonight’s episode of WWE NXT in Orlando, Florida at the Performance Center on the USA Network:
With the WWE crew heading overseas for Elimination Chamber this week, the company pre-taped this week’s episodes of “WWE NXT” and “WWE SmackDown” last Tuesday and Friday, respectively. As a part of the second taping for “NXT,” “SmackDown” star Shotzi was slated to challenge Lyra Valkyria for the “NXT” Women’s Championship. Unfortunately for Shotzi, her title pursuit would be cut short, as she sustained a knee injury in the midst of the action.
Following the news of her injury, Shotzi confirmed the severity of it in a lengthy Instagram post, in which she can be seen lying in a hospital bed. “I tore my ACL which means I will be out of action for about nine months,” Shotzi wrote. “Thank you to everyone who has checked up on me. I am so sorry if I haven’t responded. I am just extremely devastated and angry. Some of you know, I have been through a lot the last few years and it has been so hard to keep up with what I think is expected of me and honestly my mental health had been at an all-time low. But I’ve pushed through, and I was feeling motivated and like myself again. I was hoping to go to NXT to prove myself again, earn some respect, build back my confidence, and start putting the heartache from the past two years behind me.”
While she may feel defeated right now, Shotzi noted that the setback has also sparked a greater sense of motivation. As she now looks ahead at her recovery journey, Shotzi intends to utilize her time off the road as an outlet to not only grow physically stronger, but mentally as well.
Following her title shot against Valkyria, Shotzi was scheduled to battle Tiffany Stratton in a Women’s Elimination Chamber qualifying match on last week’s episode of “SmackDown.” Due to her injury, though, Shotzi would be unable to compete, prompting WWE to name Zelina Vega (who was previously set to face Naomi) in her place, while Naomi took on Alba Fyre instead.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
Wrestling News Blog 