It looks like AEW purchased commercial time during WWE NXT and WWE SmackDown this week.
Fans on Twitter noted that they saw commercials for AEW on TNT during Tuesday’s SmackDown and during tonight’s NXT premiere on the USA Network.
The commercials aired in various markets, and it looks like DirecTV was the main provider.
You can see a few of the AEW ads on WWE TV below:
Source: Wrestling Inc.
History will be written this Wednesday when NXT expands to two hours and makes its live USA Network debut. The action kicks off at 8/7 C on USA Network and then continues on the award-winning WWE Network at 9/8 C.
WWE NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler recently spoke with Muscle & Fitness and said the NXT USA Network premiere on September 18 will be the most important day in the history of the brand. She was asked what changes she has noticed since first walking through the NXT doors in 2017.
“There’s a lot of things,” Baszler responded. “I think I got into NXT at a very historic time. And I don’t mean just the USA [Network] stuff. NXT on USA is probably the most important day in our history. We’ll look back on it as the key day, but even going back to the first ever Mae Young Classic, I’ve been such a huge part of these historic moments with NXT and WWE that I’m so excited to see what’s next.
“I was sitting [backstage] at the Mae Young Classic and was thinking to myself wow, this is a pretty historic moment, and not thinking ahead to the next historic moment. But then you know, here we are with NXT on USA and I can’t wait to see what’s next!”
Baszler also talked about previously living with fellow MMA Horsewoman Ronda Rousey, and how they helped each other out. Baszler was asked if they provided each other with support or advice when they were both active in WWE at the same time.
“Yeah, a little bit,” she responded. “Rather than giving advice, it was just nice to have someone to talk about it [being in WWE] with. So, it was like sharing in the uniqueness of what we were both going through. Then, of course, Ronda getting to the position where she was in WWE, mirrored what I was going through in NXT, where we were both kind of at the top of the division. We would get together and train, of course, and we always did that in MMA too, so it was more like getting together and just sharing in the process of it, rather than tips and tricks.”
Baszler made her WWE debut in the 2017 Mae Young Classic, losing to Kairi Sane in the finals that September. Her official NXT debut came in August, before the finals, but on October 3 it was officially announced that she had signed and reported to the WWE Performance Center. Baszler would get her first taste of gold just 6 months later by defeating Ember Moon for the NXT Women’s Title at NXT “Takeover: New Orleans” during WrestleMania 34 weekend. She held the title for 132 days and then lost it to Sane at “Takeover: Brooklyn IV” in August of last year. The Queen of Spades would go on to make history by becoming the first-ever two-time NXT Women’s Champion by regaining the title from Sane at WWE Evolution in October 2018. She has held the title ever since, for 315+ days and counting. Baszler was asked how proud she is to be the first Superstar to hold the NXT Women’s Title on two occasions.
“In my opinion, the NXT Women’s title is a very prestigious title to have,” Baszler said. “So, the fact that I’m the only person to have ever held it twice is a huge thing that I definitely add to my list of accomplishments and I am very, very proud of it.”
Source: Wrestling Inc.
WWE is scheduled to make significant changes to the announce teams, according to @Wrestlevotes.
We’ve noted how WWE is looking to have more brand exclusivity, with everything from announcers to rosters to storylines, after SmackDown premieres on Fox Friday nights on October 4. The announce team changes are set to be made then.
There’s no word yet on the exact commentary team changes, but word is that all shows will be impacted, including RAW. It was also said that the return of the two-man booth is coming.
As noted, there’s been talk of Renee Young becoming exclusive to SmackDown because she will be hosting the FS1 WWE studio show on Tuesday nights. Corey Graves is expected to call either RAW or SmackDown, but not both shows. Nigel McGuinness has left the 205 Live announce team, to call WWE NXT with Mauro Ranallo and WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix each week. 205 Live is now being called by Aiden English, Vic Joseph and NXT Superstar Dio Maddin (Brennan Williams) each week.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
As noted, last night’s WWE Clash of Champions go-home edition of SmackDown Live from Madison Square Garden saw Shane McMahon “fire” Kevin Owens to close the show.
Owens took to Twitter after the show and posted a cryptic tweet that seems to indicate that he may be headed back to the WWE NXT brand.
He wrote, “14-24-20”
Speculation is that each number corresponds to a letter in the alphabet, to spell out N-X-T. They could do a storyline where Owens was fired from SmackDown and RAW, but the ruling doesn’t apply to NXT.
Owens originally made his WWE debut on the NXT brand back in December 2014. He made his last appearance for the black & yellow brand in August 2015, and has been a member of the blue or red brand ever since.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
WWE announced today that two new talents have reported to the Performance Center in Orlando, FL to begin working for WWE NXT – Jorge Bolly and Edgar Lopez.
Bolly is known to pro wrestling fans as El Hijo del Fantasma or King Cuerno of Lucha Underground fame. He is a second generation talent. Lopez is a former soccer player from the Monterrey Institute of Technology’s Borregos Salvajes team. He worked the December 2018 WWE tryouts in Santiago, Chile.
Below is WWE’s full announcement on Bolly and Lopez signing:
Acclaimed luchador Jorge Bolly, former football player Edgar Lopez join WWE Performance Center
Second-generation luchador Jorge Bolly — better known to ring fans by the aliases El Hijo del Fantasma and King Cuerno — has arrived at the WWE Performance Center.
The 198-pounder from Mexico City boasts two decades of in-ring experience. A veteran of Mexico’s CMLL and AAA promotions, Bolly has held singles and trios titles during his career, and he won AAA’s Antonio Peña Cup in 2017. The son of legendary luchador El Fantasma, Bolly is proficient in classic lucha libre techniques, combining speed and aerial maneuvers, including arguably sports-entertainment’s most daring tope suicida.
Bolly isn’t the only new signee to be announced. Also joining the WWE Performance Center is Edgar Lopez, also of Mexico. Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 250 pounds, Lopez played football on the Monterrey Institute of Technology’s Borregos Salvajes squad, where he served as the offensive captain. WWE talent scouts discovered Lopez during last December’s tryout in Santiago, Chile.
Last month, the WWE Performance Center welcomed nine new signees, including EVOLVE Champion Austin Theory and former Mae Young Classic competitor Santana Garrett.
Below is photos of Jorge Bolly as King Cuerno and El Hijo del Fantasma:
The first two live episodes of NXT TV will be split, with the first half airing on USA and the second airing on WWE Network.
WWE announced the following:
The historic debut of WWE NXT on USA Network is fast approaching, and WWE.com has you covered with important details on how to catch all the action of the first two live episodes.
The episodes on Wednesday, Sept. 18 and Sept. 25, will air as follows:
- The first hour will air live on USA Network starting at 8/7 C
- The second hour will stream live on the award-winning WWE Network at 9/8 C. The second hour will then be immediately available for on-demand viewing on WWE Network.
Already announced for the Sept. 18 episode is a huge NXT North American Title bout between champion Velveteen Dream and challenger Roderick Strong of The Undisputed ERA, as well as a Triple Threat Match featuring Bianca Belair, Io Shirai and Mia Yim to determine the next challenger to NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler.
The first live episode of NXT will feature Mia Yim vs. Bianca Belair vs. Io Shirai in a three-way match to determine the #1 contender to the NXT Woman’s Championship, as well as Roderick Strong vs. Velveteen Dream in a North American title match.
According to PWInsider, the full two-hour live show will begin airing on USA starting October 2. This is the same day and time AEW’s show premieres on TNT.
There’s no word yet on why the first two weeks are being split between the USA Network and the WWE Network, but we will keep you updated. This appears to be a recent change in plans as the original press release on NXT moving to USA stated that the two hour show would begin airing on USA with the September 18 episode.
NXT, tonight at 8 ET on the WWE Network.
* Jordan Myles receives the opportunity of a lifetime
* Velveteen Dream battles The Finest
WWE has denied that they have had recent talks with Enzo Amore and Big Cass about a return to the WWE NXT brand.
We noted yesterday, that Enzo and Cass had talks about returning to be top stars of NXT. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter originally reported that WWE had been in talks with Enzo and Cass about a possible return to work as top stars for the WWE NXT brand, but there was no word on if they had accepted the offer.
WWE told the media that the story is incorrect. WWE says that there is no basis for the story, and that they have had zero discussions with Enzo and Cass, according to PWInsider.
Big Cass (CaZXL) took to Twitter with what appears to be a simple response to the reports that WWE dismissed on a possible return to the company for he and Enzo Amore (nZo).
Cass took to Twitter after WWE denied the story and wrote, “Idiots [laughing emoji]”
I guess we will just have to wait and see if there is any truth to Enzo and Cass returning to WWE NXT.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
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