“One thing that has consistently bummed me out about WWE in recent years is that there’s been a *wealth* of incredible talent in that company, but they rarely seem to really know what to do with any of it. This latest wave of releases is a truly stunning reflection of that issue.”
Punk gave a scathing reply and gave a detailed explanation of why he feels WWE is “trash” and why some fans keep watching.
“It’s like a movie with a blockbuster budget and cast, but if it’s written by creatively bankrupt nincompoops specifically for an audience of one, in a language nobody understands anymore, it’s…..trash. But people watch it because they like movies.”
Punk has been a vocal critic of WWE creative over the years. This language is harsh and shows he’s among the many people who have grown disenchanted with WWE programing.
It’s like a movie with a blockbuster budget and cast, but if it’s written by creatively bankrupt nincompoops specifically for an audience of one, in a language nobody understands anymore, it’s…..trash. But people watch it because they like movies. ?????
Mil Muertes has signed a new contract with MLW. According to MLW boss Court Bauer, the former Lucha Underground champion re-upped with a multi-year deal that runs through at least 2023. Bauer tweeted:
“One of the most popular wrestlers since The Restart is staying with @MLW for years to come as I have signed @Mesiasaaa to a multi-year deal. Let the body count continue!”
Mil Muertes quickly established himself as one of the top stars in MLW. He will have a big role in MLW’s Azteca Underground storyline, which featured a massive cliffhanger ending at MLW Fusion’s recent season finale.
MLW has discussed a significant roster refresh during this ‘off season’ period. The MLW Open Draft is ongoing, with new signings being announced each week.
MLW officially returns Saturday, July 10th at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, PA. Fans will be in attendance for the first time since the pandemic. Tickets are now on sale at MLW2300.com.
TV ratings are in for Monday’s Memorial Day edition of WWE Raw on the USA Network. According to PWTorch, the 5/31 edition of Raw averaged 1.418 million viewers and a 0.44 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic.
Here’s the hourly breakdown:
Hour 1: 1.536 million
Hour 2: 1.549 million
Hour 3: 1.168 million
Update (6/3): John Pollock of POST Wrestling reports that WWE’s internal ratings show that Hour 3 averaged 1.586 million viewers, not the alarmingly-low 1.167 million. This would bring the 3-hour average up to 1,557,000 viewers.
ShowbuzzDaily, the website that has been the wrestling media’s primary source of television viewership data over the past several years, has been out of action for the past several weeks.
It's a sign of the serious issues that continue to keep https://t.co/48CQBQzLQo down that we can't even post this update on the site itself. Despite our efforts over the past week, we continue to be unable to add content onto the site.
— Mitch Metcalf/Salem (@ShowBuzzDaily) May 24, 2021
Wrestling journalist David Bixenspan provides some additional context to the updated figures provided by POST Wrestling:
Granted, it was a holiday. Raw also had stiff competition from the NBA playoffs. However, these are all-time low numbers for WWE. Even within the context of a ‘holiday’ show, these numbers are cause for concern.
Lana posted a short, but candid statement on Twitter thanking the fans who have supported her over the years.
“I will never forget the fans, and the love they showed me,” she wrote. “Whether it was a tank, power-suits, flags, CRUSH, Rusev, 900 partners, weddings or tables: I tried to always entertain you, and you definitely elevated me. Thank you.”
She embedded photos of memorable moments from her 8-year WWE career.
I will never forget the fans, and the love they showed me. Whether it was a tank, power-suits, flags, CRUSH, Rusev, 900 partners, weddings or tables: I tried to always entertain you, and you definitely elevated me. Thank you. pic.twitter.com/n7W5i5KAMI
Lana’s husband, AEW star Miro, also addressed her departure. He posted the following on Twitter, joking that Lana might be better off exploring other options.
You can’t soar with the eagles if you’re hanging with the turkeys.
Buddy Murphy is the latest WWE Superstar to speak publicly about his release from the company on Wednesday.
Murphy issued a statement on Twitter, calling his 8-year run with WWE a crazy ride. He says through all the highs and lows, he always gave a hundred precent.
“So Today ends my 8 years with WWE! What a crazy ride! Highest of Highs, Lowest of Lows, but weather I had 3 minutes or 20 minutes I put all my effort into my performances! Nothing is harder when all you want to do is wrestle but you can’t!”
The Australian grappler says wrestling fans still have not seen the best of what he has to offer. He’s grateful he got a chance to work with such talented people in WWE, but assures fans that the best is yet to come.
“In my opinion I haven’t even hit my peak yet and I’m excited to see what the next adventure holds. I was lucky enough to work with some of the best talent in the world and learnt a tremendous amount. But trust me… the whole world will know what I meant by ‘Best Kept Secret” Thank you all!’
During his time with WWE, Buddy Murphy held the NXT tag team championships (with Wesley Blake), the Cruiserweight championship and the Raw tag team championships (with Seth Rollins).
yet and I’m excited to see what the next adventure holds. I was lucky enough to work with some of the best talent in the world and learnt a tremendous amount. But trust me… the whole world will know what I meant by “Best Kept Secret” Thank you all! ? pic.twitter.com/WijweDBfCp
Aleister Black was among the six Superstars released by WWE on Wednesday.
Just hours after the news went public, Black held a live stream on Twitch to address his release and some other topics. Here is a recap of what he spoke about:
Aleister Black said WWE told him that “budget cuts” were the reason he was being let go. He enjoyed a few great years with WWE, but said the past few years were a “slow death” for him.
After a successful run in WWE, things fell apart when he was moved to the main roster. “Whose fault that was, I don’t know.” He’s taking an, “it is what it is” attitude.
He’s appreciative of all the guidance he received from Vince McMahon, Triple H, Paul Heyman, Bruce Prichard and others in management. He defended WWE’s writing team, calling them creative and talented people.
Black praised Roman Reigns, calling him, “honest to god, one of the best locker room leaders I’ve had in my life.” He also had positive things to say about the Usos and Apollo Crews.
He expressed interest in working with Andrade again, calling him “one talented MF’er.”
Someone in WWE pitched that Black win the United States title during the Thunderdome era, but Vince McMahon squashed the idea because they didn’t want him to have such a big career milestone without fans in attendance.
Regarding the other wrestlers released today, he was surprised by Bruan Strowman and was generally bummed about everyone who got left go.
Ironically, WWE recently had new theme music made for him. He was very involved in the composition of the song. Hopefully that sees the light of day at some point. 2
Check out Aleister Black’s post-WWE release Twitch stream below.
WWE shocked the wrestling world again on Wednesday by announcing the release of six talented performers.
Braun Strowman, Alesiter Black, Lana, Ruby Riot, Buddy Murphy and Santana Garrett have all been let go by the company.
Strowman is perhaps the most surprising release of the bunch, since he had the most success in WWE and held the Universal Championship just a year ago.
He took to social media to comment on his departure from WWE.
What a chapter in life. Thank you!!!!!
— The Monster of all Monsters (@Adamscherr99) June 2, 2021
He posted a similar message on Instagram, accompanied by a tour bus photo with his former travel companions. Amazingly, Bray Wyatt is the only man in the photo who is still under contract with WWE.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CPoJ3QIBtsR/
Braun Strowman had been with WWE since 2013. His accolades include holding the Universal Championship, the Intercontinental Championship and the Raw tag titles with two different partners (Seth Rollins and Nicolas).
He also won the Greatest Royal Rumble, Money in the Bank (2018) and the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal (2019).
Braun Strowman’s final match for WWE took place at the recent WrestleMania Backlash pay-per-view. He competed in triple threat main event along with Drew McIntyre and WWE Champion Bobby Lashley
Things are looking good for AEW. Figures for the final AEW Dynamite before the PPV might have been the lowest in company history, but Double or Nothing set that right. Initial figures are showing that the show was the second most successful event in AEW’s history.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CPipmyfBeWV/
Double or Nothing 2021 had over 134,000 buys according to US streaming sources. This was announced by Dave Meltzer and the Wrestling Observer. The current record PPV for the company remains March’s Revolution which featured the much talked about barbed wire deathmatch.
This was the third Double or Nothing show and is one of the four main events each year. Looking at the figures, the 2021 show is 12% up on the same show in 2020. Coming at the end of a month of big announcements and marquee signings for the company, the consistent increase in viewership numbers all point towards a bright future.
What is interesting to note is that both Revolution and Double or Nothing took place on a Sunday evening. The next two core shows for the company, All Out and Full Gear, are being held on a Saturday. It will be interesting to see how these two shows compare.
On top of the great online sales numbers, Double or Nothing took place in front of a capacity crowd. This further confirms the growing interest in the AEW brand.
With more shows and special events planned in the coming months and years, AEW is certainly pushing thing forward at a fast pace.
WWE announced the release of six more Superstars on Wednesday morning. The news was first reported by Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.
As of this writing, the following people have been released:
Bruan Strowman
Aleister Black
Lana
Ruby Riott
Buddy Murphy
Santana Garrett
WWE has since confirmed the news with a brief statement on the company website: “WWE wishes them the best in all of their future endeavors.”
Braun Strowman is the biggest name to get cut, but these releases are all about trimming fat (costs) from WWE’s budget. Strowman signed a monster 5-year contract in 2019, just as AEW was getting off the ground. The deal was estimated to be worth in excess of $1 million per year, making the ‘Monster Among Men’ a costly investment.
Reactions to WWE Releases
Aleister Black issued the following statement about his release:
Im gathering my thoughts as this was a complete left field for me as obviously we just started the dark father character but this was it, thank you so much WWE universe for allowing me to create and give you small bits of myself.
Here are some additional instant-reactions from the wrestling world:
The only way I can rationalize the kind of cuts is for an eventual sale. Several of these people signed big contracts before the pandemic when WWE were in talent hoarding, lock em up for years mode
— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) June 2, 2021
What a horrible mismanagement of some really talented people. Sucks.
Braun Strowman was also a victim of booking. He was surprisingly successfully built into a monster in 2016/2017, and the trigger should have been pulled on him to beat Lesnar then. Instead, he consistently lost. Never recaptured that momentum, even when he won the title. #WWE
Aleister Black released by #WWE right as he was making his return. He deserves far better than he was ever given by that company and I hope he makes them choke on it. @WWEAleister will be an asset wherever he lands.
These names cut today so far by WWE definitely tells a story….you make cuts to maximize profits before selling a company and this has that look…..it may not be too long before we have new ownership of WWE
The National Wrestling Alliance will allow fans back into the studio this weekend for the first time since the onset of the global pandemic. The promotion has announced that a small number of fans will be permitted to attend this weekend’s PPV and Powerrr tapings.
The NWA will be taping inside the Georgia Public Broadcasting Studio in Atlanta, GA June 5 – 7.
“After an extensive process we are happy to announce we are now able to sell tickets to a small group of fans to be in attendance for the upcoming taping. We understand that this is coming at short notice but we assure you the National Wrestling Alliance has been working very hard for weeks to get plans in place that included having fans in the building,” reads the event description on Eventbrite.
Fans who purchased tickets to a canceled event and did not receive a refund can contact [email protected] to have their tickets transferred to the upcoming tapings.
Masks will be required and temperature checks will be done at the door. Having previously received a vaccine or negative COVID-19 test is recommended but not required.
“The Million Dollar Man” Ted Dibiase was once WWF Champion…sort of. Immediately after Andre the Giant defeated Hulk Hogan to win the title on The Main Event in 1988, he quickly surrendered it to Dibiase. The Hebner brothers were involved as well. It was a fairly controversial night.
Distinguished WWE figurehead Jack Tunney ultimately vacated the championship due to the controversy. A tournament to crown a new champion was set for WrestleMania IV, with Dibiase making it to the finals against the winner, “Macho Man” Randy Savage.
Dibiase now wants his ‘phantom’ title reign to be made official. This despite the fact he never actually beat anybody to win it. He has issued a petition to make his reign official.
“In February of 1988, Ted enslisted the services of the legendary Andre The Giant to assist with capturing the WWF Championship,” reads a description of the petition. “Andre was successful in pinning Hulk Hogan at the Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, IN. In the history books WWE has decided not to recognize this title reign even though Ted defended the championship at a live show against Bam Bam Bigelow.”
Dibiase did wrestle Bam Bam Bigelow at several WWF house shows in February of 1988 before Tunney had officially declared the title vacant.
“Support Ted by signing this petition asking WWE to #MAKEITOFFICIAL.”
#MakeItOfficial
Although WWE does not recognize Dibiase’s short WWF Championship reign, he has held several other titles. Along with IRS, Dibiase’s Money Inc team are 3x WWF tag-team champions. In 1989, he would declare himself the Million Dollar Champion. He even had his own belt commissioned.
Thousands of fans have signed the petition already and I didn’t buy a single one! Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!
WWE NXT Superstar and former PROGRESS Champion Pete Dunne recently spoke to Mike Johnson of PWInsider. The Bruiserweight discussed a number of topics, including a potential bout between himself and the NXT Champion, Karrion Kross.
“With my style being as physical as it is, and the way the Kross wrestles, I think it does mesh together quite well” Pete Dunne would begin, discussing the potential match. “He’s somebody that I had my eye on just before he got to the company, and then seeing the way he’s come in, and he’s breezing through so fast.”
“Obviously, he had the injury” Dunne added, alluding to the injury Kross suffered after winning the NXT Championship for the first time. “But to come back and do it all over again is impressive; and I definitely would like to work with him down the line.”
Pete Dunne on Karrion Kross
“And for me personally, it’s just a case of, I’ve been in NXT now for coming up to five years, I had that obviously long run in the UK with the UK title; I had a brief run with Matt Riddle as the tag champion” Dunne added.
The Bruiserweight finished by discussing how his current work compares to his time in NXT UK and the independents; saying that he is producing the best work of his career.
“But I really do feel like now I’m here, I’m in the best shape of my life” Pete Dunne noted. “I’m doing the best work I’ve ever done, and it’s time to take that next step. And if Kross’ is who I’d do that against, then so be it. I can’t wait to get rolling” The Bruiserweight concluded.
WWE has been making some major changes over the past few weeks. With speculation that the company is looking for a sale, it comes as no surprise that even more cuts are expected to be announced any day now.
According to Fightful Select, multiple sources in WWE have confirmed that another round of releases is set to take place as soon as this week. Surprisingly, there are some “major names” on the chopping block this round.
“There is an ongoing list, though in the recent past, WWE has changed their mind on cutting certain people at the last minute,” the report states.
Out of respect to the talent involved, no names will be made public until the talent is informed.
Over the past few months, we’ve already seen big names depart including The IIconics, Andrade, Velveteen Dream, Samoa Joe, Chelsea Green and Mickie James, as well as broadcasters Tom Phillips and Adnan Virk.
For what it’s worth, Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men Podcastsays he’s heard NXT UK will be letting talent go.
WWE Gearing Up for a Sale?
As mentioned, all of these moves could be considered as an early indicator that the they are looking to sell. It’s always been on the cards, but with the company having made record profits in 2020, now would be a great time to consider takeover discussions
WWE recently did a significant house cleaning, with dozens of employees fired and several divisions consolidated. It’s worth noting the recent ‘cost cutting’ measures did not yield positive results on Wall Street. The stock has dropped a few percentage points since news of the latest releases went public.
Earlier this week, WWE announced three new key hires to the executive leadership team. This has fueled chatter that WWE President Nick Khan is getting the pieces in place for an eventual ownership transition.
The story of Cameron Grimes in NXT has been an interesting one to follow. Since coming into money, he has been brought face to face with his greatest adversary yet. The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase. The pair have met in numerous situations over recent months, with DiBiase coming out on top each time.
Many believed it would be inevitable that Grimes would become a protégé to the Million Dollar Man. However, recent events added another name to that shortlist, LA Knight. Both men have caught the eye of DiBiase when each cost the other a match in consecutive weeks on NXT.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CPmThLRMQiY/
Now, the pair will face off, one-on-one, at the upcoming NXT In Your House PPV.
The prize will be more than a victory, it will be more than bragging rights. The pair are fighting for the right to carry on the Million Dollar Man’s legacy.
With Ted DiBiase watching the match, it is widely believed that the winner will earn his favour. An experienced ring general, his helping hand could be exactly what both men need to push ahead and take their career to the next level.
Both Cameron Grimes and LA Knight are heels in NXT, so working with a legendary bad guy like Ted Dibiase would be an easy transition. Great characters are always fun to watch, and they don’t come much larger or more entertaining than the Million Dollar Man.
Will the In Your House PPV finally see Cameron Grimes come out on top, or will Ted Dibiase once again be a thorn in his side?
WWE officials have told main roster talents to participate in workout sessions at the performance center to prepare for the company’s return to touring in July.
According to reports from PWinsider, wrestlers were told at Monday’s Raw that they are expected to take part in in-ring workouts at the performance center in the next several weeks.
These training sessions could begin as early as next week. Wrestlers will be taking part in drills and possibly even matches on days they are not booked for TV to make sure their ring work is sharper.
The edict is believed to have come from the WWE chairman Vince McMahon and everyone from top stars to people lower on the card are expected to be asked to partake in the training sessions.
Backstage Raw News On Jimmy Smith And Molly Holly
Many talents are looking forward to getting their timing and in-ring work ‘back to normal’ after only wrestling once a week for more than a year.
The report notes that the average person may have not been able to spot any noticeable changes in their performance, but many talents ‘who know better’ have felt that their timing has been somewhat ‘off’ in the recent while.
AEW star Joey Janela has revealed that he is dealing with an injury that is expected to keep him out of action for the whole month of June.
The hardcore star posted a video on his Twitter to make the revelation. Though he did not provide a lot of details on his condition and just said that he is currently not medically cleared to compete.
Janela confirmed that he won’t be able to compete at some upcoming announced dates. He noted that he will not be able to wrestle at Saturday’s GCW show in NJ, though he will be doing commentary at the event.
The AEW star also mentioned that he will be missing the GCW show in Laramie, WY on June 19 but he is ‘almost sure’ that he will be cleared for the July 10 GCW show from Dallas, Texas.
Joey Janela hasn’t been out of action for long and he wrestled at this past Friday’s episode of AEW Dynamite. Janela competed in a singles match against Adam Page and lost the bout.
There is no word yet on when or where he suffered the damage and the severity of his injury is not known yet. We will keep you posted on his health.
With 11 different reigns with the tag team championship in WWE with his partners at New Day, Xavier Woods has created a legacy for himself as one of the greatest tag team wrestlers of all time.
The UpUpDownDown host recently had an interview with Chris Van Vliet where he talked about a number of things including his gig with G4TV and more.
When asked which his own favorite tag team is, Xavier took an interesting name and he picked a forgotten tag team from the ending days of the Attitude Era:
“I’m bad at picking the greatest, my favorite is Billy and Chuck, mainly because of their matches with the Hardys. It was the first time I noticed that The Hardys are not huge but they could still knock the huge guys down. In my teen head I was like this is how wrestling should be.
This is where you put your ego aside and have this good match.” said Xavier Woods, “I’ve always been a fan of tag team wrestling. But I like groups too. I was into 3 Count in WCW too. I love so many teams for so many reasons.”
The New Day member also told the story of how and why he started playing the trombone on WWE TV, which has since become an iconic trope of his character.
Xavier Woods revealed that WWE actually wanted the trio to sing on TV after a big win. However, Woods asked if he could play the song on trombone instead and the rest is history.
Wrestling veteran Sting competed in his first live match since 2015 at the Double or Nothing PPV and after the bout, he not only received praise from fans but his fellow wrestlers as well.
According to reports from PWinsider, the Icon received a ‘huge pop’ from the wrestlers backstage after he returned to the locker room following his bout.
The people within AEW were said to be impressed with the 62-year-old Sting’s performance during his tag team match at the big show.
The wrestling icon made his AEW debut in December 2020, marking his first appearance on TNT since the final episode of WCW Nitro in 2001.
Sting aligned himself with Darby Allin. The former WCW star wrestled his first match for the promotion when he teamed with Allin to face Team Taz in a cinematic street fight at Revolution in March earlier this year.
The duo then started a feud with the team of Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page which led a match between the two on the company’s latest PPV this past Sunday.
Sting won this match for his team after hitting the Scorpion Death Drop on Sky. He received praise from fans for his performance in the match despite his age.
Former WWE and current Impact Wrestling star TJP revealed on Instagram that he suffered a nose injury recently and underwent surgery to repair the damage.
The high-flying star noted in a post that he had been performing with a fractured nose for a few weeks. According to him, he broke his nose about a month ago and had been wrestling with it being ‘broken and kinda loose’
TJP had held off the surgery because of his packed schedule in the past month and finally went under the knife after completing the latest set of Impact tapings:
The upcoming episode of Impact wrestling will see the former WWE cruiserweight champion competing in a historic 60-minute ironman match for the X Division title.
TJP will challenge the current Impact X Division champion Josh Alexander in the bout that will start on Before The Impact and culminate on the broadcast of the show on Thursday.
The former champion also has a scheduled match at the upcoming NJPW Strong show on Friday night where he will be facing Kevin Knight in a singles match.
The exact time for his recovery is not known. However, considering that TJP waited for his schedule to free up, it doesn’t seem likely that he will be off Impact programming for a significant amount of time, if at all.
When Mark Henry signed with AEW, he also ended his 25 year-long run with WWE and closed a chapter of his long-standing relationship with his former employer Vince McMahon. During the latest episode of Busted Open Radio, the former world champion opened up about his decision to leave the company and the conversation he had with the Boss about it.
Henry first discussed how his decision to leave the company came about. The former champion explained that after the expiry of his contract, he started feeling like he could do more. He wanted to join the office and be in an executive position as well instead of being just a talent:
“I felt like I wanted to do more. I always wanted to do more. You know me, I’m a busybody. If I’m not doing what I know I can do, especially if I feel I can do it better than somebody else. If I can’t get that opportunity, I have to start looking for that somewhere else. And I did.”
Mark Henry then discussed having the conversation with the boss and he claimed that their talk was not negative. He explained that whatever he said to Vince was like a conversation between two brothers.
— SiriusXM Busted Open (@BustedOpenRadio) June 1, 2021
The world’s strongest man revealed the reply he got from Vince McMahon and according to him, the chairman told him that he was going to be successful:
“And man, it was just like the coolest thing. He was like ‘man, you know everything you need to know. You go and if you feel like you need to go, (I) don’t necessarily want it, but if you feel like you need to go, then go. I know you’re going to be successful.’ That’s what you want.”
Mark Henry made a surprise appearance at the AEW Double Or Nothing PPV this past Sunday. The company has since announced that he has signed a multi-year deal with the promotion as a commentator and coach.
Sheamus suffered a gruesome injury during this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw in his second match of the night against Humberto Carrillo.
Reports later revealed that the Celtic Warrior has broken his nose. This revelation made many wonder about the future of the US championship the Raw star currently holds.
Though now Sheamus himself has confirmed the fate of the title. He made a tweet to reveal that he will not be vacating the title due to his injury:
The Irish star pulled double duty on last night’s episode of Raw where he competed against Ricochet and then Humberto Carrillo in singles matches.
Sheamus got busted open from a hard strike from Carrillo during the second bout. He was seen bleeding heavily after this but he still completed the match as planned.
It has since been confirmed that he will not be requiring any time off due to the damage. The Raw star will only be off TV if the company decides to sell his injury.
There is no word yet on what the company is planning for him next. Considering the current storylines; it’s possible that we will see a triple threat match between Sheamus, Ricochet and Humberto Carrillo in near future.
The June 1, 2021 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center.
WWE NXT Results
Pete Dunne vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Kyle O’Reilly ended in a no contest.
Kushida def. Carmelo Hayes to retain the WWE NXT Cruiserweight Title.
The Way (Candice Le Rae & Indi Hartwell) def. Zoey Stark & Zayda Ramier to retain the WWE NXT Women’s Tag Team Championships.
MSK def. Raul Mendoza and Joaquin Wilde to retain NXT Tag Team Titles.
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
Quick Title Match
The Way (Candice Le Rae & Indi Hartwell) defeated Zoey Stark & Zayda Ramier to retain the WWE NXT Women’s Tag Team Championships.
This was an unadvertised match that came across as a random match for the champions to win. It didn’t last long and while Stark and Ramier did have some offense, it was mostly a one-sided affair for the champions.
Stark continues to be a star that WWE pushes yet beats her on a regular basis.
Ember Moon called out NXT Women’s Champion Raquel Gonzalez and the champ answered the call so they started brawling. Moon got the better of her and Raquel was backed up by Regal as well as security.
This led to Dakota Kai coming out and attacking Moon from behind. Regal checked on Moon at ringside. While this was a random segment, it was a wild and fun way to continue the hot start to the show.
Clearly, it looks like Moon vs. Gonzalez is happening at TakeOver.
Eli Drake worked a match against Jake Atlas on this show. While making his entrance, Drake cut a promo about how he is facing a guy who beat Cameron Grimes two weeks ago in Atlas.
He bragged about dropping Grimes last week in a segment that also featured Ted Dibiase and said that he had it on good authority that the WWE Hall of Famer was watching.
They worked a solid match. Ted came out and watched on from ringside. Grimes also joined him. The two wrestlers had a lot of time to work for a TV match. Atlas went over with cartwheel DDT.
Legado del Fantasma’s Raul Mendoza and Joaquin Wilde challenged NXT Tag Team Champions MSK for the titles on this show.
As expected, this was a chaotic match with the pace always moving faster and faster. MSK did some outside dives before the first commercial break. The heels beat down the champs for a few minutes. At one point, Santos Escobar got involved in a near fall. Bronson Reed took out Escobar at ringside. MSK made a comeback to retain their titles.
Johnny Gargano vs. Pete Dunne vs. Kyle O’Reilly in a triple threat match opened the show with the winner moving on to challenge for the WWE NXT Championship at TakeOver: In Your House later this month.
The match started with some early submission attempts by Kyle and Dunne. Gargano picked up the pace coming out of the first commercial with a few dives in and out of the ring. The fans were hot for this match. There was a cool spot where Dunne had a rear-naked choke in on Kyle, who sold it with his eyes rolling back into his head. In the middle of the ring, Adam Cole, who hasn’t been seen in several weeks, came out and laid out the competitors.
Karrion Kross had been in a feud with Finn Balor over the title with both times having the result which was Kross standing tall with the championship.
Heading into this bout, Gargano lost the NXT North American Championship to Bronson Reed in a steel cage match two weeks ago while Dunne was in action on NXT last week where he defeated Bobby Fish.
Adam Cole Speaks
Cole came out at the top of the second hour to do a promo where he talked about how he took out three of the top stars in NXT in one night. He said that he wants his title back and it wasn’t by mistake that he held the title for such a long period of time.
Scarlett and Karrion Kross came out to the ring. Kross said that he understands why Cole did what he did. He said that no matter what Cole does, it won’t change anything for him. Cole called Kross overrated and Kross isn’t him. Kross is willing to fight all four wrestlers and so it is.
Carmelo Hayes, who is formerly known as Christian Casanova, made his debut on Tuesday’s episode of WWE NXT. He did so by answering the opening challenge issued by Cruiserweight Champion Kushida.
The back and forth match happened in the second hour of the show. It was an impressive showcase for the promotional newcomer as he hit some signature moves before ultimately falling to Kushida, who retained his championship as a result, with his submission finisher.
After the match, Kushida shook Hayes’ hand to show that he earned his respect.
Hayes started his career back in 2014 where he worked for several promotions such as Game Changer Wrestling, Beyond, and Black Label Pro. The Massachusetts native won the Limitless Wrestling World Championship in December of 2020. Back in February, it was announced that he had signed with WWE.
This came after the pre-NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day media call where Triple H stated that Rick Steiner’s son, Bronson Rechsteiner, and former University of Central Florida football player Parker Boudreaux would be part of this Performance Center class. Franky Monet was also in the class, who has already been used several times on TV.
A triple threat match on this week’s WWE NXT was supposed to determine Karrion Kross’ challenger for TakeOver: In Your House.
Last week, general manager William Regal announced that Kyle O’Reilly, Pete Dunne, and Johnny Gargano would face off in a triple threat number one contender’s match, which kicked off Tuesday’s show.
The match was about who could top who with everyone having their moments to shine. There were “this is awesome” chants early on and throughout the match. Adam Cole came out and laid out all three wrestlers before leaving on the demands of William Regal.
Later in the show after a promo segment with Kross and Cole, it was revealed that Kross will defend the title against Dunne, Cole, Gargano, and O’Reilly in a fatal 5-way match at TakeOver.
Up until this point, Kross had been in a feud with Finn Balor for the title as he dethroned “The Prince” at TakeOver: Stand & Deliver last month to win the NXT Championship. Kross also beat Balor in a rematch on last week’s episode of NXT when Balor passed out in the Kross Jacket.
WWE presents the NXT TakeOver: In Your House event on Sunday, June 13, 2021 in Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center..
Jon Moxley will host an upcoming episode of his wife’s podcast, Oral Sessions with Renee Paquette.
Renee is 9 months pregnant and set to deliver their baby soon. She will be very busy in the weeks while she figures out the whole “mom thing.” The former AEW Champion is stepping up to the plate to ensure Oral Sessions doesn’t skip a beat when she takes a week off.
Renee is asking her Twitter followers to send relationship and general ‘life’ questions to her “darling husband” by using the hashtag #AskMox.
Alright guys. Big ask here- my darling husband @JonMoxley is going to be guest hosting an episode of Oral Sessions while I figure out this whole mom thing. Let’s ask him for relationship/ life advice to answer on the show! Use #AskMox@TheVolumeSportspic.twitter.com/pUk6WoMxJD
This week’s episode of Oral Sessions features a conversation with AEW star “Powerhouse” Will Hobbs.
SEScoops wishes Renee Paquette good luck with the remainder of pregnancy.
In addition to being soon-to-be-parents, Jon Moxley and Renee Paquette will both be published authors in 2021. Renee’s cookbook, Messy in the Kitchen, is now available. Jon Moxley’s autiobiograpy, MOX, is now available for pre-order and will be released later this year. You can get both books from Amazon:
