WARNING:The info in this article likely containsSPOILERS.
Bray Wyatt is being advertised for a big match at WWE Hell in a Cell.
The Golden 1 Center in Sacramento tweeted an announcement on Tuesday saying, “Get ready [WWE] fans … “The Fiend” [Bray Wyatt] challenges [Seth Rollins] or [Braun Strowman] to a #HIACmatch! Get your tickets now, and stay tuned.”
This would seem to imply Wyatt will face the winner of Rollins vs. Strowman at Clash of Champions, though it’s possible WWE goes the other direction.
“The Fiend” made his debut at SummerSlam and quickly became the talk of the wrestling world. He was last used on WWE TV during an attack on Jerry Lawler.
WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin has been announced for the September 9 WWE RAW episode from Madison Square Garden in New York City.
This will be the final RAW episode before the WWE Clash of Champions pay-per-view on September 15.
The announcement was made today by MSG. You can see their promo below.
Austin took to Twitter and commented on his first MSG appearance in almost 20 years.
“I cannot believe it has been so long. Time flies by. The Garden is home to many of my favorite moments in my career. @BretHart in #survivorseries @undertaker in #summerslam #highwaytohell and stunning @VinceMcMahon for the very first time. Along with many others. Hell Yeah!,” Austin wrote.
It’s believed that WWE NXT Superstars will receive new contracts soon due to the move to the USA Network, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
There’s no word yet on details of the contracts but word is that they will see NXT talents receive pay that is closer to what main roster Superstars are making, at least the top tier talents from what they are making now. This has not been confirmed, but word going around is that all developmental deals will be changed over to main roster deals soon.
WWE will likely raise their offers to potential incoming talents from here on out.
Regarding potential changes to the NXT process now that the show is moving to the USA Network, word is that the brand will continue on its same path with Triple H in charge, and no Kevin Dunn or Vince McMahon.
It was noted that the WWE Chairman will likely stay hands-off for the most part, at least as long as the NXT ratings are good. Vince doesn’t have much free time as it is these days, and he will be even busier when his XFL football league launches in February 2020. Vince would likely get more involved if AEW ends up winning the Wednesday Night War ratings. A lot to do with NXT’s future is up in the air and open to change at this point, including a possible move out of Full Sail Live, the increased use of major main roster Superstars, and other ideas, suggestions or changes.
WWE is planning to launch their own podcast network, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The new network is expected to produce multiple podcast series with WWE Superstars. Full details on the podcast line-up will be announced at a later date.
WWE is partnering with Endeavor Audio for the new project. WWE currently works with Endeavor Streaming to power the WWE Network. Endeavor Audio already works with The Bella Twins on their Bellas Podcast.
“Storytelling is at WWE’s core and we are eager to add the audio genre to our portfolio,” said WWE Advanced Media Executive Vice President Jayar Donlan. “Partnering with Endeavor Audio, an expert in podcasting, will enable us to provide our fans with unique content and reach new audiences across the platform.”
Endeavor Audio Senior Vice President Moses Soyoola added, “We’re always looking to pair dynamic content with the best formats for listeners. Through our new partnership with WWE, we’re looking forward to tapping into their iconic event portfolio and talent base to create compelling audio content for their fans.”
An agency representing both CM Punk and WWE recently reached out to Fox officials about Punk possibly doing work with WWE once again.
Creative Artists Agency (CAA), which represents WWE and Punk, recently had an agent reach out to Fox higher-ups about having Punk serve as one of the co-hosts of the upcoming WWE in-studio talk show on FS1, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Punk would be working for Fox, not WWE, if a deal was to be reached. The Observer speculated that WWE would hate the idea. Word is that there have been zero negotiations regarding Punk possibly taking the gig. It was also noted by the Observer that this is only something Punk’s agent brought up, and not anything that Punk clearly wanted. Sources in WWE reportedly indicate that there’s nothing to the speculation.
The WWE FS1 in-studio show is set to air on Tuesday nights later this year. It’s been reported that Renee Young will be the main host, but plans may have changed since that was first reported earlier in the summer.
Below is new video of Triple H talking about WWE NXT moving to the USA Network.
As noted, the brand will premiere on USA on Wednesday, September 18 and will air live each week from 8-10pm ET, at Full Sail Live. WWE is reportedly making around $1 million per episode for NXT on the USA Network. The show will still air on the WWE Network, on Thursdays at 8pm ET, and Takeover specials will remain exclusive to the WWE Network.
Triple H was asked to describe the last 7 years and what it took to get to this point. He talked about how NXT went from needing main roster Superstars to create a show each week, to the brand becoming white hot on its own, selling out arenas and tours across the world. Triple H ended the interview by saying this is just the start for NXT, and the show will only get better with the move to the USA Network.
“Yeah, I mean it’s been a crazy journey, something that I don’t think most people thought would ever happen,” he said. “But this was kind of the vision of it. You know, from starting out with a partnership with Full Sail University and having to bring in main roster stars to get us to be able to have enough people to put the show on each week, to where they got to the point where they didn’t want to see those main roster stars anymore, to where we stopped calling it the main roster because NXT was just becoming white hot when we didn’t even have a distribution home for it. It was seen internationally but here in the US it was just clips.
“We were the first live show on the WWE Network. NXT Arrival was the very first sort of Takeover that we did. … So, the very first live product seen on the WWE Network. A year after that we were selling out, not just Full Sail University, but selling out the Barclays Center for Takeovers. Over that journey, selling out all over the globe, selling out live events all over the globe, Takeover after Takeover after Takeover, and now the opportunity to go on the #1 network in television, the USA Network, our partners, and I couldn’t be happier, I couldn’t be more proud.”
He continued, “I said it in the beginning, this was going to be their brand [the fans], that’s why we hashtag ‘#WeAreNXT’. As good as NXT is now, it’s only going to get better. This is going to expose a new side of NXT that people haven’t been able to see yet. I can tell you this about it – as excited as everybody is about this moment, this is the start. This isn’t the destination, this is the start. This brand is just getting started. So, I look forward to that day, I look forward to going live, and I look forward to showing the world that we are NXT.”
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