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Tag: NXT

  • WWE NXT Breaking Ground; Eva Marie KO’s Carmella

    Submitted by: Ryan Pike

    WWE NXT Breaking Ground Episode 6: Road Trip

    Key Takeaway: The NXT gang goes on a road trip to Louisville and Nashville in an episode that shines a spotlight on Bayley, Carmella, Jason Jordan and Baron Corbin, then climaxes with Eva Marie kicking Carmella right in the head and knocking her out mid-match.

    Show Recap: Aside from saying goodbye to Cal Bishop, who Canyon Ceman released at the end of the last episode, and making a brief stop to meet new NXT signee Lovepreet Singh in Orlando, the entire episode is spent with the touring NXT crew as they visit Louisville and Nashville.

    A lot of time is spent with Carmella and Bayley this week, really emphasizing that they’re best friends and that Bayley’s success in NXT, and likely recall to the main roster before too long, is pushing Carmella to improve. Bayley gets a new challenge on the road trip: producing a match, as Matt Bloom has her produce a match between Alexa Bliss and Eva Marie in Louisville. She seems to be adjusting to her role as a mentor to the younger talent, but also expresses her excitement in learning new things so she’s not just someone known for hugging. Carmella notes that there’s a big gap between Bayley and the rest of the girls on the roster, and she’s eager to take a leap in her development. She’s fighting a cold and works a match with Eva Marie in Nashville. And mid-way through the match, with her boyfriend (Colin Cassidy) and her best friend (Bayley) watching, Carmella gets her wits kicked out of her by Eva Marie in the episode’s cliffhanger ending.

    Lesser News: Jason Jordan’s excited about his raise. He and Chad Gable get to work with Cassidy and Enzo in Nashville. Jordan feels like his team has momentum and his goal is to get him and Gable to the main roster and established as a dependable tag team that can do anything they need them to do.

    Also we spend a bit of time with Baron Corbin, who still really thinks he should be on the main roster. Bloom’s assessment: “Baron wants all the privileges of being a top guy, but I don’t think he knows what it takes to be a top guy right now.” Specifically, Corbin’s facials aren’t great in the ring, and he notes after being trained to suppress emotions as an NFL player, he’s having to adjust to the differences. Away from the ring, the NXT crew also visits an abandoned sanitarium and Corbin visits an oddities shop with a buddy of his in Nashville, buying a fragment of a human skull. Corbin’s a weird dude, but at least they’re trying to make him seem like a person.

    Final Thoughts: The focus on Bayley and Carmella really helped elevate this show, as Bayley comes across amazingly likeable, even when trolling Jason Jordan when he jokingly asks for an autographed photo. Spending time with the touring crew and focusing on the shows themselves and how they’re put together made the half-hour a lot more compelling than some of the earlier episodes.

  • Sami Zayn set to face Finn Balor in WWE NXT return

    A further update from yesterday’s report on the comeback of Sami Zayn is that his  first match back will be a single match with Finn Balor for the NXT title tomorrow night in Newcastle, England.

    Zayn returns from six months out due to shoulder surgery on the NXT U.K. tour which runs from 12/10 to 12/16 and will be in the main event of several shows on the tour including the opener.

    He is not announced for a match on the live Takeover special on 12/16 in London, but is advertised as appearing on that show as well.

    The information was first reported on Talksport in the U.K.

  • Sami Zayn returns to the ring for NXT’s December tour

    Former WWE NXT Champion Sami Zayn, who has been promoted for the U.K. tour of NXT that starts on Thursday in Newcastle, is scheduled to be wrestling on the tour.

    Zayn, who is returning after shoulder surgery six months ago, is advertised for these dates:

    – Thursday in Newcastle
    – Friday in Glasgow
    – Saturday in Sheffield
    – Sunday in Blackpool
    – Monday in Nottingham
    – Tuesday in Cardiff
    – Wednesday in London (live NXT Takeover special)

    The only match he’s advertised in is for Sheffield — a three-way match for the NXT title with champion Finn Balor and Baron Corbin. Also advertised on that show is Bayley vs. Emma for the women’s title and Samoa Joe vs. Apollo Crews.

    Zayn was last seen feuding with Kevin Owens, dropping a NXT title rematch to him by ref stoppage on May 20th at TakeOver: Unstoppable. Zayn suffered his shoulder injury during a match with then-U.S. Champion John Cena on the May 4th edition of WWE RAW in Montreal, Canada.

  • FREE! WOL 12/6: Latest WWE survey comparing NXT to Raw, more!

    Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive is back today with tons to talk about including your latest WWE survey, this time comparing NXT to Raw, notes on Chikara’s biggest show of the year, WrestleMania and Raw after Mania tickets, calls, emails, texts and more!

    This is a FREE SHOW so please spread the word! Wrestling Observer Live airs daily at noon PT/3 ET on Sports Byline USA, available free through TuneIn Radio, iHeart Radio and more. A full affiliate list is available at sportsbyline.com Subscribers have full access to commercial-free downloads plus over 7,000 new and archived shows! Dave and Bryan do minimum three shows per week in addition to as many as 20 other weekly members-only shows. Sign up at wrestlingobserver.com for all of this new audio content, plus over 7,000 archived shows dating back to 2005!

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  • WWE NXT house show results 12/5 Citrus Springs, FL: Cameron win streak continues

    By JJ Williams

    Elias Samson beat Josh Woods. Elias was the face tonight, as Woods interrupted his song about Citrus Springs. Hard hitting match. Woods has a lot of impressive wrestling ability.

    Cameron beat Aliyah and Billie Kay in a triple threat match. Aliyah was the face in peril during this match against two heels. Cameron scored the pin on Aliyah after a few hope spots.

    Bull Dempsey beat Angelo Dawkins. Comedy early on with Bull doing jumping jacks to annoy Dawkins. Seated splash off the top by Bull for the win.

    In ring interview with Noah Kekoa, says he’s here for the people and this is his friend zone. Acting shy and naive.

    Asuka and Carmella beat Alexa Bliss and Emma. Stat reaction for Asuka. Entertaining match as the faces were very over. Asuka caught Alexa with her submission for the win.

    Tye Dillinger beat Tino Sabatelli. Tye was the face tonight, got worn down by Tino early on before hitting his exposed knee finish for the win.

    Rich Swann and Levis Valenzuela beat Marcus Louise and Sawyer Fulton. Another great performance by Swann. After a lot of punishment by the heels, Swann made the hot tag to Levis who got the win with the windup punch.

    Tucker Knight beat Axel Tischer with a butterfly suplex. Crowd was in to Knight here, a group of fans cheer for him at a lot of house shows, chanting for his silver boots and singing songs for him. Good match, a lot of hard hitting action.

    The Vaudevillains beat Dash and Dawson by DQ in the main event. Back and forth match, well worked, finish came when English had hit the swanton and Dash pulled the ref out. Post match saw Enzo and Cass clear out Dash and Dawson, celebrating with the crowd to send them home happy.

    That’s a wrap on 2015 for the Florida shows.

  • WWE NXT results, Largo, FL 12/4: Cameron works and wins a match

    Thanks to Chris Hughes and J.J. Williams

    – Samoa Joe and Bayley were advertised but didn’t appear.
    – Return date is January 29.

    1. Levis Valenzula Jr. def. Angelo Dawkins with a knockout punch.  Some comedy with Valenzula dancing while applying a headlock and Dawkins losing his headbands.

    2. Chad Gable & Jason Jordan def. The Vaudevillans when they hit their finisher on English.  Jordan has a towel that says “CALL ME JAY JAY” to go along with Gable’s. Vaudevillans were working as the heels. Great hot tag spot to Jordan where he cleaned house with a t-bone suplex and a belly to belly.

    3. Nia Jax def. Daria the Jersey Devil (from Tough Enough).  Daria was dressed as an MMA fighter. Nice hope spot where Daria got a triangle on but Nia power bombed her out of it. Total squash otherwise. Nia cut a promo on Bayley afterwards.

    4. Hugo Knox def. Tino Sabatelli. Knox is huge but can move.  He hit a jumping enziguri and a split leg moonsault off the top for the win.

    5.  Bull Dempsey def. Sawyer Fulton.  Tons of comedy.  Bull had a Santa hat and Fulton stomped on it for heat.  The story was Bull couldn’t slam him all match, but after a hulk up, he slammed him and hit the Whoopie cushion.

    6. Asuka and Carmella def. Emma and Alexa Bliss.  Asuka got Bliss with the chicken wing on a roll-up reversal.  Asuka got a star reaction.

    7. Apollo Crews def. Noah (Kekoa).  Quick match.

    8. Cameron def. Peyton Royce with some sort of neckbreaker.  Not a lot of heat on Cameron for someone who was on the main roster for so long.

    9. Finn Balor, Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady def. Tye Dillenger, Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson.  Long heat segment on Enzo.  Dash and Dawson have become great tag workers.  They should have a great match at Takeover.  Balor won with the foot stomp on Dillenger.  Match of the night by far.

  • B&V 12/4: In-studio guest Antonio “The Promise” Thomas joins us to talk NXT and Raw, plus Granny!

    What an amazing edition of the Bryan & Vinny Show we have tonight! We’ve got a special IN-STUDIO GUEST this evening, former WWE Superstar ANTONIO THE PROMISE THOMAS~! to talk NXT from Full Sail, Raw from Monday night, plus our weekly visit with Granny discussing how to get over your next bout of the cold or flu! A fun show as always so check it out~!

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  • WWE NXT Orlando house show results: Finn Balor, Apollo Crews, and Tye Dillinger team up

    Submitted by JJ Williams

    – Rich Swann beat Axel Tischer via an incredible standing splash maneuver

    Great showing by Swann here. Instantly won over the crowd and worked a fast paced crisp match.

    – Asuka, Adrien Reese and Aliyah beat Emma, Cameron and Billie Kay

    Asuka caught Billie in the Asuka Lock.

    – Tough Enough Josh promo segment where he was heelish and said his name is Bronson Mathews.

    – Bull Dempsey beat Tino Sabatelli with a seated splash off the top

    Comedy early. Bull did jumping jacks to upset Tino.

    – Marcus Louis beat Oscar The Luchador with a rock bottom type slam

    – Enzo, Big Cass w/ Carmella, and Levis Valenzuela beat NXT Tag Champions Dash & Dawson and Elias Samson

    Pre match promo by Zo and Cass about taking the titles at Takeover. Long match. Cass hit a side slam followed by a top rope splash on Samson for the win. Post match, Cass told them to play Levis’ music and it was time to fiesta!

    – Hugo Knox defeated Tucker Knight via spinning heel kick

    Back and forth match.

    – Nia Jax beat Daria in a squash

    Tough Enough Daria was out to cut a promo but before she could start, Nia Jax interrupted and challenged her to a match. 

    – NXT Champion Finn Balor, Apollo Crews, and Tye Dillinger beat Baron Corbin, Constantine, and Riddick Moss

    Long match, a lot of heat on Baron, crowd was behind Finn all the way. He received the the hot tag and finished off the match with the dropkick to the corner and the double foot stomp off the top.

  • WWE Breaking Ground Episode 5: Call It A Comeback

    Breaking Ground Episode 5: Call It A Comeback

    Recap by Ryan Pike (@RyanNPike)

    Key Takeaway: A really unfocused episode of Breaking Ground, checking in with a lot of NXT personalities just to remind you that they exist, finishes off with three individuals getting raises from WWE executive Canyon Ceman and another getting released in the last scene of the episode.

    Show Recap: We quickly check in with a few loose ends from last episode. An absolutely gassed ZZ gets a stern lecture from Jason Albert about his conditioning and the need to push himself past his limits to improve. Meanwhile, Jason Jordan steps up and has a strong performance as he and Chad Gable (who is working with an ankle injury) beat the Hype Bros to move on in the Dusty Rhodes Classic and earn a spot on the upcoming Takeover special.

    From there, the episode jumps around a lot.

    Cal Bishop gets back into the ring following his third shoulder injury (and second surgery). They even show footage of his shoulder blowing out in the ring in December 2014 (in his first match back from his first surgery). He says been much more keen with his rehab work and paying attention. He’s about a week away from getting medically cleared. He has an in-ring workout. It goes well, but he’s limited by his arm, and Albert and the rehab trainer express concerns about his ability to lift opponents with confidence.

    Next we check in with Nia Jax. She explains her character by declaring “I am the main bitch and nobody’s going to mess with me.” She does mention that her cousin is The Rock, and that seeing his match at WrestleMania 28 made her want to become a wrestler. She discusses some concerns she has about her size, but also notes that her unique look, size and background help her stand out in a really crowded NXT womens division. We transition to a segment with Nhooph via the revelation that she and Nia are road buddies, which is a web series that we need to see – the tiny young girl and The Rock’s cousin traveling around America wrestling at shows. Anyway, Nhooph gets a ring name – Aaliyah – and has a meeting with William Regal to share her ideas for her character. She wants to emphasize her Middle Eastern background to stand out and Regal encourages her, noting that unless she is thinking and feeling her character and bringing it out through her eyes, fans will see right through her. Tyler Breeze appears, sitting down with the new girls in the ring and going over psychology – what drives their characters, why do they walk the way they do, how do they move or orient themselves – and it seems to blow their minds. (Later on, the coaches praise Breeze’s ability to connect with the new talent and his great attitude given his lengthy developmental tenure.) After a video session where the females sit with Sara Amato and go over old WWE promos, Nia has an evaluation with Amato that goes pretty well.

    The episode ends with Canyon Ceman arriving and everyone freaking out (since in every episode he’s appeared in somebody’s gotten cut), culminating with a montage with Apollo Crews, Jason Jordan, Nia Jax and Cal Bishop being summoned to meetings. Crews, Jordan and Jax each get raises, while Bishop is released to end the episode.

    There’s also a storyline with Tino Sabbatelli getting his brother a try-out that doesn’t go anywhere, as his brother blows his knee out on an indie show five days before the try-out and they have to re-schedule.

    Final Thoughts: The episode attempted to build towards a dramatic climax where they wanted the audience to wonder which talent would get released. Unfortunately, it felt really hollow, as the three wrestlers that aren’t Cal Bishop are all on NXT television right now, so there was absolutely no tension. It was a bit frustrating that they went so far out of their way to sell Bishop as a hard-working guy with terrible luck, while at the same time showing ZZ to be a waste of time and real estate in the Performance Center.

  • WOR 11/29: UFC in Korea, Sapp vs. Akebono II, AJ Styles injury update, NXT and ROH, more!

    Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer returns today to talk all the news in wrestling and MMA including a full review of a very fun UFC in Korea show on Fight Pass, the Fight of the Century signed again, some very interesting Ronda Rousey PPV notes, an update on AJ Styles back injury, ROH and NXT TV notes from this past week, Dave’s notes on the passing of Tommy Gilbert, plus the mailbag and more! A fun show as always so check it out~!

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