NXT, tonight at 8 ET on the WWE Network.
* Where do The Viking Raiders, and the NXT Tag Team Titles, go from here?
* Kushida readies for Act II
* An ERA in dispute
* Can Jessie fog The Vision?
* “Limitless” Keith Lee returns to action
Tag: NXT
Dominik Dijakovic Undergoes Knee Surgery
NXT wrestler Dominik Dijakovic went under the knife this week to have his knee repaired.
Dijakovic shared a video on Wednesday in which he says his knee was surgically repaired this week in Orlando. “I know that many of you, you’d consider this a burden or a setback, but not me,” he explained in the video.
“I consider this a gift. I’m happy that I had a tear in my meniscus. Because this represents sacrifice, this represents discipline, I had to rip away the weakness to rebuild it to be stronger than ever using my blood,” Dijakovic said while focusing the camera on his knee.
No word at this time on when the injury was suffered or how long he’s expected out of action.
Watch the video below.
https://twitter.com/DijakovicWWE/status/1126230636744859651
Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet
Mauro Ranallo Reportedly Signs New WWE Contract
Mauro Ranallo recently signed a new deal with WWE.
The contract will keep Mauro as the lead announcer on the WWE NXT brand, according to PWInsider. The terms of the deal were agreed on about a month ago.
The deal will also allow Ranallo to continue working non-WWE gigs in the world of MMA.
Mauro first signed with WWE to work SmackDown in December 2015. He briefly left in April 2017, but returned in June to become the voice of NXT. It was reported then that Ranallo had signed a multi-year deal with the company.
Ranallo has also called the Cruiserweight Classic, and 205 Live for WWE. He does commentary work for Bellator MMA and the Showtime Networks.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
WWE NXT Preview 5/8/19
NXT, tonight at 8 ET on the WWE Network.
* The Battle at Winter Park – Matt Riddle vs. Adam Cole.
* Mia Yim vs. Bianca Belair
* Riddick Moss vs. Raul Mendoza
Tyler Breeze Moved Back To WWE NXT?
Tyler Breeze has apparently moved back to the WWE NXT brand.
While still listed under the RAW roster on the official WWE website, Breeze has worked nothing but NXT shows since WrestleMania 35. Going into WrestleMania, Breeze would often work WWE Main Event tapings and some non-televised live events, but he had not appeared on RAW this year.
Breeze has worked several NXT live events since WrestleMania, picking up wins over Kona Reeves and Shane Thorne. The win over Thorne came at last night’s live event in Melbourne, FL. Breeze also teamed with NXT North American Champion The Velveteen Dream last month, for a win over The Forgotten Sons, and lost a singles match to Dream.
Breeze worked Wednesday’s NXT TV tapings at Full Sail University and began a new TV feud with Dream. It looks like Breeze may challenge Dream for his title at the next NXT Takeover event on Saturday, June 1. That match has not been confirmed.
Breeze had been teaming with Fandango on the main roster until Fandango suffered a shoulder injury in July 2018. Fandango is expected to be back in action soon and has been back training since March.
The Breeze vs. Dream title feud is very interesting because WWE recently began a TV feud between Dream and Dominik Dijakovic. It was believed that Dijakovic would be the next one to challenge Dream for the title. Dijakovic’s status is currently up in the air as he did not work Wednesday’s TV tapings and there was no mention of the feud with Dream. We will keep you updated on any news about Dijakovic’s status. We know he worked the April 18 NXT live event, defeating Kona Reeves, and the April 19 live event, losing to Dream.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
Beth Phoenix Joins NXT Commentary Team
The NXT announce desk has undergone a minor shakeup, as Beth Phoenix is now part of the team.
Phoenix’s addition to the broadcast team was announced at the top of the NXT TV tapings on Wednesday when she joined Mauro Ranallo and Nigel McGuiness behind the headsets.
As you may recall, Beth has been doing commentary more frequently in WWE. This includes the second Mae Young Classic and Mixed Match Challenge. She also recently returned to the ring at WrestleMania alongside Natalya when they competed for the Women’s Tag Team titles.
No word on what this means for Percy Watson’s role going forward.
Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet
Recent NXT Signees Make Debut Appearances At Full Sail TV Taping (PHOTOS)
Trevor Lee and Shane Strickland — who recently signed with WWE — made their first appearances on Wednesday night at an NXT TV taping.
The two wrestlers faced-off against each other this evening in Florida, with Trevor Lee picking up the win. Unfortunately, fans in attendance seem to think it was likely a dark match.
As you may recall, Lee’s signing was announced in February with wrestlers like Jonah Rock and Elliot Sexton. Strickland’s WWE arrival was made official earlier this month.
Check out a few photos from their first Full Sail appearance below.
https://twitter.com/MrJacobCohen/status/1123717289222770689
https://twitter.com/MrJacobCohen/status/1123717529753530370
https://twitter.com/HurriOwl/status/1123719516926746625
Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet
Killian Dain Being Sent Back To WWE NXT
Killian Dain is headed back to WWE NXT from the main roster.
Dain’s roster move may come as soon as tomorrow’s NXT TV tapings from Full Sail University. Dave Meltzer noted on F4Wonline.com that Dain is headed back to the black & yellow brand after what happened to SAnitY in the 2019 WWE Superstar Shakeup.
As we’ve noted, SAnitY leader Eric Young was sent to RAW from SmackDown with no mention of SAnitY. Alexander Wolfe recently made his NXT UK debut and will be making his new home there. Dain is headed back to the main NXT brand from SmackDown.
WWE has not officially announced a brand for Nikki Cross, who is married to Dain, but Meltzer notes that WWE has confirmed that she will be on RAW. There’s no word yet on when Cross will make her return to the RAW storylines.
SAnitY spent some time together in NXT before being called up to the blue brand in June 2018. They have rarely been used since getting called up, having only made sporadic appearances on SmackDown Live.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
Next NXT TakeOver Event Likely To Be Moved Due To Saudi Arabia Show, WWE Staying Quiet On The Event
WWE has yet to officially announce their next event in Saudi Arabia, although it’s rumored to take place on Friday, June 7th.
Triple H had officially announced in March that the next Takeover event will be on Saturday, June 8th from the San Jose State University Event Center in San Jose, California, which would be one day after the Saudi Arabia event. Dave Meltzer reported on Wrestling Observer Radio that he has been told that Takeover will most likely be moved. WWE will be taping NXT television this Wednesday and Thursday which would run through Takeover, so a final decision will most likely be made by then.
Despite the rumored Saudi Arabia event being less than six weeks away, WWE has been keeping very quiet about it. On last Thursday’s earnings call with Vince McMahon and WWE Co-Presidents, George Barrios and Michelle Wilson, Saudi Arabia was never mentioned by name by WWE brass. When asked about WWE’s second quarter and if the Saudi Arabia event would be part of it, Barrios gave a brief response.
“We’re going to stay away from guiding on specific elements of the quarter,” Barrios said, “So obviously, we’ll talk about it once we report.”
When asked again later in the call about when the Saudi events would be taking place, Barrios replied, “We’re not going to talk about that again, so our guide obviously reflects the best assumption, best knowledge we have right now.”
WWE has put tickets on sale for RAW and SmackDown live events in California on Sunday, June 9th in Stockton and Fresno, two days after the expected Saudi show. The Undertaker, who is expected to face Elias at the Saudi event, is also still advertised for the Niagara Falls Comic Con that Sunday.
WWE NXT Referee Breaks Leg During Live Event, Finishes Match (VIDEO)
NXT referee Tom Castor broke his leg during at a live event on Thursday, and still somehow managed to finish the match!
The injury occurred during a match between Tyler Breeze and Velveteen Dream at a show in Omaha, which Castor somehow managed to count the pinfall on before receiving medical attention.
“Our [NXT WWE] Ref [Tom Castor] broke his leg last night, still counted 3 and then threw up the “X” for himself,” WWE producer Scott Armstrong wrote on Twitter. “Shout out to Tom for being a true Pro and keeping his focus!”
The final moments of the match can be seen in the video below.
https://twitter.com/briantheguppie/status/1121711985492676608
Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet
