NXT (WWE brand) explained
NXT is a brand of the American professional wrestling promotion WWE that was introduced on February 23, 2010. Brands are divisions of WWE's roster where wrestlers are assigned to perform on a weekly basis when a brand extension is in effect. Wrestlers assigned to NXT primarily appear on the brand's weekly television program, NXT. It serves as a developmental brand for Raw and SmackDown, which are WWE's primary brands considered as the main roster. Due to its developmental status, NXT operates regardless if there is a brand extension in effect or not.
In its original incarnation, NXT was a reality-based television show in which rookies competed to become a star in WWE. In 2012, NXT was relaunched as a separate brand and replaced the now-defunct Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) as WWE's developmental territory. Primarily holding its events in the Orlando, Florida area since its relaunch, the brand would be expanded upon over time, having embarked on national and international tours. Wrestling critics and fans came to view NXT as its own distinct entity during this period, with the brand's shows being praised for their high-quality matches[4] [5] and storylines. It is also praised for its increased focus on women's wrestling as its women's division is presented as legitimate wrestlers and not as eye candy in the past, eventually giving way to the WWE Women's Evolution.[6] [7]
In September 2019, NXT's weekly television series was expanded to a two-hour format and moved to USA Network. The brand faced direct Nielsen ratings competition from All Elite Wrestling's flagship show, Dynamite, during this period as part of the "Wednesday Night Wars". In April 2021, NXT's television series moved to Tuesday nights, and the brand would relaunch under the "NXT 2.0" banner later that September, reinstituting its original function as a developmental brand. A year later, the brand would revert to its original "NXT" name.[8] In addition to NXT's main television program, the brand's wrestlers also appear on the supplementary show, Level Up; some NXT wrestlers also occasionally appear on Raw's supplementary program, Main Event, typically when they are in consideration to being promoted to the main roster. From 2014 to 2021, the brand held its major events under the NXT TakeOver series, but this event series was discontinued with the rebranding to NXT 2.0. WWE also operated a subsidiary brand under NXT called NXT UK, which was based in and produced for wrestlers in the United Kingdom; the brand is currently on hiatus and will relaunch at a later time as NXT Europe to become a Pan-European brand. In spite of this, WWE still sends talent to live performances under the NXT brand name, one example being an NXT-branded show at the F&M Arena in Clarksville, Tennessee, on February 4, 2024. Another subsidiary brand, 205 Live, existed under NXT from 2019 until 2022 when 205 Live was dissolved.[9]
History
See main article: WWE brand extension.
See also: Ohio Valley Wrestling and Florida Championship Wrestling.
Launch
See main article: WWE NXT (seasons 1–5). NXT formed in 2010, following the dissolution of the ECW brand. Initially, a dispute occurred over the "NXT" trademark between WWE and Scotland's Scottish Wrestling Alliance (SWA), whose developmental division was called "NXT".[10] WWE worked with SWA to secure the NXT trademark for their new series, and SWA renamed its developmental branch to "SWA: Source".[11] In February 2010, WWE debuted the NXT television program - it featured rookies from WWE's Tampa, Florida-based developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) competing to become members of WWE's main roster.
Early history as a developmental territory
In June 2012, WWE ceased operating FCW, and instead started running all of its developmental events and operations at Full Sail University under the NXT banner.[12] The television show would also be revamped the same month to focus exclusively on developmental talent.
On February 27, 2014, NXT held a live, two-hour event, NXT Arrival, serving as the first live wrestling event for the newly launched WWE Network service.[13] [14] After the second live event in May 2014, NXT TakeOver, the "TakeOver" name would be used for future live NXT events airing on WWE Network.
In March 2015, NXT promoted its first live event outside of Florida with an event in Columbus, Ohio.[15] On August 22, 2015, NXT held its first TakeOver event outside of Full Sail University, with at New York City's Barclays Center—acting as a support event for SummerSlam. In December of the same year, NXT held its first TakeOver event outside of the United States with . By 2016, NXT was running approximately 200 shows per year between the United States and overseas.[16]
Bill DeMott controversy
In late February and March 2015, several former NXT trainees previously working within WWE developmental system alleged misconduct by head trainer Bill DeMott, with Judas Devlin and Brandon Traven publicizing complaints which they claimed they had submitted to WWE management about DeMott back in March 2013 when they were still employed with WWE.[17] [18] Meanwhile, other ex trainees like Briley Pierce, Derrick Bateman and independent wrestler Terra Calaway also made allegations in 2015,[17] [18] [19] [20] while previous allegations made in 2013 by Chad Baxter and Chase Donovan were also noted.[21] They accused DeMott of making trainees perform dangerous drills,[17] physically assaulting and bullying trainees,[17] [18] using homophobic and racial slurs amongst other derogatory terms[18] [21] and condoning sexual harassment.[19] WWE released statements regarding some of the claims that came to light in 2013 and 2015, saying that investigations were done and no wrongdoing was found.[17] [21] On March 6, 2015, DeMott denied the allegations, but resigned from WWE.[19]
The Wednesday Night Wars
See main article: Wednesday Night Wars. On August 20, 2019, it was announced that the NXT television series would move to USA Network—the current broadcaster of WWE's flagship Monday Night Raw—and expand into a two-hour, live broadcast on Wednesday nights beginning September 18, 2019. The timing of the premiere coincided with SmackDowns move to FOX in October. As a result of the move, the show would compete with All Elite Wrestling (AEW)'s weekly show, Dynamite, on TNT; marking the beginning of the "Wednesday Night Wars".[22]
On October 18, 2019, it was announced by Drake Maverick that NXT and the 205 Live brand and NXT would begin a talent exchange.[23] [24] In an interview with VultureHound Magazine on September 12, executive producer Paul "Triple H" Levesque would confirm that both the 205 Live and NXT UK brands would essentially be subsidiaries to NXT, with their respective talents and personnel falling under the NXT banner.[25]
On October 31, 2019, it was announced that NXT would take part in that year's Survivor Series, competing directly against Raw and SmackDown.[26] In 2020, after winning that year's women's Royal Rumble match, Charlotte Flair chose to challenge Rhea Ripley for the NXT Women's Championship at WrestleMania 36, establishing that NXT championships were also options for Rumble winners to choose as they are guaranteed a world championship match of their choice at WrestleMania.
During this time period, some at NXT referred to the promotion as WWE's 'third brand',[27] [28] [29] although many journalists still referred to NXT as developmental, with Raw and SmackDown viewed as WWE's "main roster".[30] [31] WWE wrestler Matt Riddle called NXT a "small ocean", while "when you get to the main roster you are in the ocean".[32] Reflecting on the Wednesday Night Wars in a 2022 interview, Levesque said, "People put so much pressure on [this] 'competitive war'...it never was that. ... they beat our developmental system, good for them". This effectively retracted the view that NXT was one of their top three brands during that time.[33]
Move to Tuesday nights
The Wednesday Night Wars came to an end in April 2021 when NXT was moved to Tuesday nights.[34] After 12 NXT wrestlers were released from their contracts that August, Dave Scherer and Mike Johnson of Pro Wrestling Insider reported there had been internal talks of major changes to the brand, such as: "a new logo, new lighting, a focus on younger talents and a different format to the TV shows."[35] Dave Meltzer reported that NXT would likely go back to its developmental roots, with "talent that are [sic] younger, bigger and that could someday main event at WrestleMania".[36] WWE President Nick Khan subsequently confirmed that NXT would undergo a "complete revamp" overseen by Levesque.[37] However, due to undergoing heart surgery in September, Levesque stepped away from the brand[38] and Shawn Michaels stepped in to oversee the creative aspect of the brand.[39]
Dubbed NXT 2.0, the revamp began on the September 14 episode of NXT.[40] WWE NXT and 205 Live would emanate from a fully redesigned venue at the WWE Performance Center to coincide with the revamp, dropping the "Capitol Wrestling Center" name.[41] The NXT TakeOver series would also be discontinued, with that year's WarGames event being the brand's first PPV to not be held under the "TakeOver" name.[42] [43] [44] Since its revamp, many of the NXT wrestlers were released en masse in November 2021 due to budget cuts and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that involved administrative staff, plant and wrestlers.[45] [46] This fractured further in January 2022, several backstage workers were released, most of them known for their work with Levesque, including NXT General Manager William Regal and writer Ryan Katz.[47] On February 15, PWInsider reported that WWE was ceasing the production of 205 Live episodes, replacing the series with a new supplementary show for NXT called Level Up, which premiered on Peacock and the WWE Network on February 18.[48]
Briefly in 2022, talents from NXT appeared on Monday Night Raw similar to the ECW talent exchange in 2007. Meltzer reported that Raw-NXT crossovers were a way to help boost the programs' ratings, since they both air on the USA Network.[49]
In September 2022, Michaels was promoted to Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative, responsible for both creative and development at NXT, and for the expansion of NXT UK into NXT Europe at a later time.[50] At the conclusion of the September 13, 2022 episode of NXT—which marked the one-year anniversary of the revamp—an updated logo for the brand was unveiled, dropping the "NXT 2.0" title and adopting a gold color scheme reminiscent of the original NXT branding.[51]
In late-2022, after Triple H became chief content officer of WWE, NXT wrestlers began to increasingly make appearances on WWE's mid-card program Main Event. These crossovers came as part of efforts to increase the profile of NXT's talent, and evaluate their performances with members of WWE's main roster.[52] [53]
In 2024, WWE began a wider talent exchange with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). Several TNA wrestlers would make appearances on NXT's weekly television series and livestreaming events.
Championships and accomplishments
The colors and symbols indicate the brand of the champions (if they are not part of the NXT roster).
Current championships
NXT |
---|
Championship | Current champion(s) | Reign | Date won | Days held | Location | Notes | |
---|
NXT Championship | | Ethan Page | 1 | July 7, 2024 | | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Defeated previous champion Trick Williams, Shawn Spears, and Je'Von Evans, who Page pinned, in a fatal four-way match at Heatwave. | |
NXT Women’s Championship | | Roxanne Perez | 2 | April 6, 2024 | | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Defeated Lyra Valkyria at Stand & Deliver. | [54] |
NXT North American Championship | | Oba Femi | 1 | January 9, 2024 | | Orlando, Florida | align=left | Defeated SmackDown's Dragon Lee in his NXT Breakout Tournament contract cash-in match on NXT. | [55] |
NXT Women's North American Championship | | Kelani Jordan | 1 | June 9, 2024 | | Enterprise, Nevada | align=left | Defeated Sol Ruca, Lash Legend, Fallon Henley, Jaida Parker, and Michin in a six-woman ladder match to become the inaugural champion at Battleground. | [56] |
NXT Heritage Cup | | Charlie Dempsey | 2 | August 13, 2024 | | Orlando, Florida | align=left | Defeated Tony D'Angelo by 2–1 on NXT. | [57] |
NXT Tag Team Championship |
| Chase University
| 2 (2,1) | August 13, 2024 | | Orlando, Florida | Defeated Nathan Frazer and Axiom on NXT. | [58] |
WWE Women's Tag Team Championship | | The Unholy Union | 1 | June 15, 2024 | | Glasgow, Scotland | Defeated previous champions Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill in a triple threat tag team match, which also involved the team of Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark, who they pinned, at . | [59] | |
- The WWE Women's Tag Team Championship is defended across Raw, SmackDown, and NXT.
Previous championships
Other accomplishment(s)
Television show
See main article: WWE NXT. The WWE Network was the main broadcaster of NXT's eponymous television program in the United States from 2014 to 2019. Regular episodes ran for one-hour and aired on tape delay, while live NXT TakeOver events were produced periodically. Beginning on May 17, 2012, WWE began filming NXT at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida, with the venue being billed on air as "Full Sail Live".[60]
In its original format from 2010 to 2012, the series was a seasonally-broadcast competition series that was filmed in large venues during the SmackDown tapings. The series saw "NXT Rookies" paired with "WWE Pros", with the pairs competing in challenges until one sole winner remained. As with WWE's main programming, the series followed scripted storylines, where wrestlers portrayed heroes, villains, or less distinguishable characters that built tension and culminated in a series of matches or challenges. Results were predetermined by WWE's writers, while storylines were produced on the weekly series.[61] [62] Over the course of its five-season run, the winners of each season were Wade Barrett (Season 1), Kaval (Season 2), Kaitlyn (Season 3) and Johnny Curtis (Season 4). After NXT Redemption, the show's seasonal format was dropped.
Pay-per-view and WWE Network events
See also: NXT TakeOver.
Event | Date | Venue | Location | Main event | Ref. |
---|
Arrival | | Full Sail University | Winter Park, Florida | Bo Dallas (c) vs. Adrian Neville for the NXT Championship | [63] |
TakeOver | | Adrian Neville (c) vs. Tyson Kidd for the NXT Championship | [64] |
TakeOver: Fatal 4-Way | | Adrian Neville (c) vs. Sami Zayn vs. Tyler Breeze vs. Tyson Kidd for the NXT Championship | [65] |
TakeOver: R Evolution | | Adrian Neville (c) vs. Sami Zayn in a Title vs. Career match for the NXT Championship | [66] |
TakeOver: Rival | | Sami Zayn (c) vs. Kevin Owens for the NXT Championship | [67] |
TakeOver: Unstoppable | | Kevin Owens (c) vs. Sami Zayn for the NXT Championship | [68] |
TakeOver: Brooklyn | | Barclays Center | Brooklyn, New York | Finn Bálor (c) vs. Kevin Owens in a Ladder match for the NXT Championship | [69] |
TakeOver: Respect | | Full Sail University | Winter Park, Florida | Bayley (c) vs. Sasha Banks in a 30-minute Iron Man match for the NXT Women's Championship | [70] |
TakeOver: London | | SSE Arena | Wembley, London, England | Finn Bálor (c) vs. Samoa Joe for the NXT Championship | [71] |
TakeOver: Dallas | | Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center | Dallas, Texas | Finn Bálor (c) vs. Samoa Joe for the NXT Championship | [72] |
TakeOver: The End | | Full Sail University | Winter Park, Florida | Samoa Joe (c) vs. Finn Bálor in a Steel Cage match for the NXT Championship | [73] |
TakeOver: Brooklyn II | | Barclays Center | Brooklyn, New York | Samoa Joe (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the NXT Championship | [74] |
TakeOver: Toronto | | Air Canada Centre | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Samoa Joe for the NXT Championship | [75] |
TakeOver: San Antonio | | Freeman Coliseum | San Antonio, Texas | Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Bobby Roode for the NXT Championship | [76] |
TakeOver: Orlando | | Amway Center | Orlando, Florida | Bobby Roode (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the NXT Championship | [77] [78] |
TakeOver: Chicago | | Allstate Arena | Rosemont, Illinois | The Authors of Pain (Akam and Rezar) (c) vs. DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa) in a Ladder match for the NXT Tag Team Championship | [79] |
TakeOver: Brooklyn III | | Barclays Center | Brooklyn, New York | Bobby Roode (c) vs. Drew McIntyre for the NXT Championship | [80] |
TakeOver: WarGames | | Toyota Center | Houston, Texas | Sanity (Alexander Wolfe, Eric Young, and Killian Dain) vs. The Authors of Pain (Akam and Rezar) and Roderick Strong vs. The Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Bobby Fish, and Kyle O'Reilly) in a WarGames match | [81] [82] |
TakeOver: Philadelphia | | Wells Fargo Center | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Andrade "Cien" Almas (c) vs. Johnny Gargano for the NXT Championship | [83] [84] [85] |
TakeOver: New Orleans | April 7, 2018 | Smoothie King Center | New Orleans, Louisiana | Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa in an unsanctioned match | [86] [87] |
TakeOver: Chicago II | June 16, 2018 | Allstate Arena | Rosemont, Illinois | Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa in a Chicago Street Fight | [88] [89] |
U.K. Championship | June 26, 2018 | Royal Albert Hall | Kensington, London, England | Pete Dunne (c) vs. Zack Gibson for the WWE United Kingdom Championship | [90] |
TakeOver: Brooklyn 4 | August 18, 2018 | Barclays Center | Brooklyn, New York | Tommaso Ciampa (c) vs. Johnny Gargano in a Last Man Standing match for the NXT Championship | [91] [92] |
TakeOver: WarGames | November 17, 2018 | Staples Center | Los Angeles, California | Pete Dunne, Ricochet, and War Raiders (Hanson and Rowe) vs. The Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Bobby Fish, Kyle O'Reilly and Roderick Strong) in a WarGames match | [93] [94] [95] |
TakeOver: Phoenix | January 26, 2019 | Talking Stick Resort Arena | Phoenix, Arizona | Tommaso Ciampa (c) vs. Aleister Black for the NXT Championship | [96] [97] |
Halftime Heat | February 3, 2019 | WWE Performance Center | Orlando, Florida | Aleister Black, Ricochet and Velveteen Dream vs. Adam Cole, Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa | [98] |
TakeOver: New York | April 5, 2019 | Barclays Center | Brooklyn, New York | Johnny Gargano vs Adam Cole in a two-out-of-three falls match for the vacant NXT Championship | [99] |
TakeOver: XXV | | Webster Bank Arena | Bridgeport, Connecticut | Johnny Gargano (c) vs. Adam Cole for the NXT Championship | [100] |
TakeOver: Toronto | | Scotiabank Arena | Toronto, Ontario | Adam Cole (c) vs. Johnny Gargano in a two-out-of-three falls match for the NXT Championship | [101] |
TakeOver: WarGames | | Allstate Arena | Rosemont, Illinois | Tommaso Ciampa, Keith Lee, Dominik Dijakovic, and Kevin Owens vs. The Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Bobby Fish, Kyle O'Reilly, and Roderick Strong) in a WarGames match | [102] [103] |
TakeOver: Portland | | Moda Center | Portland, Oregon | Adam Cole (c) vs. Tommaso Ciampa for the NXT Championship | [104] |
TakeOver: In Your House | | Full Sail University | Winter Park, Florida | Charlotte Flair (c) vs Rhea Ripley vs Io Shirai for the NXT Women's Championship | [105] |
TakeOver XXX | August 22, 2020 | Keith Lee (c) vs. Karrion Kross for the NXT Championship | [106] |
TakeOver 31 | October 4, 2020 | Capitol Wrestling Center at the WWE Performance Center | Orlando, Florida | Finn Bálor (c) vs. Kyle O'Reilly for the NXT Championship | [107] |
TakeOver: WarGames | December 6, 2020 | The Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Kyle O'Reilly, Roderick Strong, and Bobby Fish) vs. Team McAfee (Pat McAfee, Pete Dunne, Danny Burch, and Oney Lorcan) in a WarGames match | [108] |
TakeOver: Vengeance Day | February 14, 2021 | Finn Bálor (c) vs. Pete Dunne for the NXT Championship | [109] |
TakeOver: Stand & Deliver | April 7, 2021 | Io Shirai (c) vs. Raquel González for the NXT Women's Championship | [110] |
April 8, 2021 | Kyle O'Reilly vs. Adam Cole in an unsanctioned match |
TakeOver: In Your House | June 13, 2021 | Karrion Kross (c) vs. Kyle O'Reilly vs. Adam Cole vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Pete Dunne in a Fatal 5-Way match for the NXT Championship | [111] |
TakeOver 36 | August 22, 2021 | Karrion Kross (c) vs. Samoa Joe for the NXT Championship | [112] [113] |
WarGames | December 5, 2021 | WWE Performance Center | Orlando, Florida | Team 2.0 (Bron Breakker, Grayson Waller, Tony D'Angelo, and Carmelo Hayes) vs. Team Black & Gold (Johnny Gargano, L. A. Knight, Pete Dunne, and Tommaso Ciampa) in a WarGames match | [114] |
Stand & Deliver | April 2, 2022 | American Airlines Center | Dallas, Texas | Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. Bron Breakker for the NXT Championship | |
In Your House | June 4, 2022 | WWE Performance Center | Orlando, Florida | Bron Breakker (c) vs. Joe Gacy for the NXT Championship | |
Worlds Collide | September 4, 2022 | WWE Performance Center | Orlando, Florida | Bron Breakker (c) vs. Tyler Bate (c) to unifiy the NXT Championship and NXT UK Championship | |
Halloween Havoc | October 22, 2022 | WWE Performance Center | Orlando, Florida | Bron Breakker (c) vs. Ilja Dragunov vs. JD McDonagh for the NXT Championship | |
Deadline | December 10, 2022 | WWE Performance Center | Orlando, Florida | Bron Breakker (c) vs. Apollo Crews for the NXT Championship | [115] |
Vengeance Day | February 4, 2023 | Spectrum Center | Charlotte, North Carolina | Bron Breakker (c) vs. Grayson Waller in a Steel Cage match for the NXT Championship | [116] |
Stand & Deliver | April 1, 2023 | Crypto.com Arena | Los Angeles, California | Bron Breakker (c) vs. Carmelo Hayes for the NXT Championship | [117] |
Battleground | May 28, 2023 | Tsongas Center | Lowell, Massachusetts | Carmelo Hayes (c) vs. Bron Breakker for the NXT Championship | [118] |
The Great American Bash | July 30, 2023 | H-E-B Center at Cedar Park | Cedar Park, Texas | Carmelo Hayes (c) vs. Ilja Dragunov for the NXT Championship | |
No Mercy | September 30, 2023 | Mechanics Bank Arena | Bakersfield, California | Becky Lynch (c) vs. Tiffany Stratton in an Extreme Rules match for the NXT Women's Championship | |
Deadline | December 9, 2023 | Total Mortgage Arena | Bridgeport, Connecticut | Ilja Dragunov (c) vs. Baron Corbin for the NXT Championship | |
Vengeance Day | February 4, 2024 | F&M Bank Arena | Clarksville, Tennessee | Ilja Dragunov (c) vs. Trick Williams for the NXT Championship | |
Stand & Deliver | April 6, 2024 | Wells Fargo Center | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Trick Williams vs. Carmelo Hayes | |
Battleground | June 9, 2024 | UFC Apex | Enterprise, Nevada | Trick Williams (c) vs. Ethan Page for the NXT Championship | |
Heatwave | July 7, 2024 | Scotiabank Arena | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Trick Williams (c) vs. Je'Von Evans vs. Ethan Page vs. Shawn Spears in a fatal four-way match for the NXT Championship | |
No Mercy | September 1, 2024 | Ball Arena | Denver, Colorado | | | |
Notes and References
- WWE. WWENetwork.
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- WWE NXT Preview - We Are NXT - Only on USA Network. USA Network. YouTube. September 18, 2019. December 1, 2019.
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- News: Beougher. Wyatt. December 15, 2014. NXT Is the Best Weekly Episodic Wrestling Show Today, Period. 411mania.com. 411mania. 2 June 2021.
- News: Oster. Aaron. February 26, 2015. NXT, Where the Women Work. rollingstone.com. Rolling Stone. 13 July 2021.
- Web site: The Magnificent Seven: The Top 7 WWE Moments of 2015. December 28, 2015. Chin. Mike. 411Mania. May 26, 2023.
- Web site: Beth Phoenix on how NXT 2.0 changes affected the announce team. November 22, 2021. Harris. Jeffrey. 411Mania. May 26, 2023.
- Web site: Sullivan . Kevin Christopher . 15 February 2022 . WWE cancels 205 Live - reports . 10 May 2024 . Sportsskeeda.
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- Web site: WrestlingNewsWorld.com. WWE Settles Dispute Over NXT Trademark. 2 June 2021. Wrestling News World.
- Web site: WWE News: FCW name being phased out. August 14, 2012. Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online.
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- Web site: Caldwell. James. WWE news: NXT "Arrival" live tonight on the Network – Cena & HBK, two title matches, big names on Pre-Show. PW Torch. March 4, 2014.
- News: Caldwell. James. January 14, 2015. WWE taking NXT out of Florida for big road show. PW Torch. 2 June 2021.
- Web site: Triple H on NXT's ever-shifting role in the WWE universe. 2016-12-23. ESPN . en. 2019-08-22.
- Web site: Heavy allegations levied against WWE's Bill DeMott, WWE's official response. 2 June 2021. pwinsider.com.
- Web site: Second letter of allegations against nxt's Bill DeMott leaks online, Chris Jericho, EC3, others comment on situation. 2 June 2021. pwinsider.com.
- Web site: WWE News: Bill DeMott resigns, interim replacement (updated). 2 June 2021. Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online.
- Web site: WWE News: Developmental head trainer is under fire again. 2 June 2021. prowrestling.net.
- Web site: Powell. Jason. NXT investigation regarding claims made against Bill DeMott, statement issued by WWE. 13 July 2021. prowrestling.net.
- Web site: WWE moves NXT to USA Network, expands show to two hours starting in September. 2021-06-14. CBSSports.com. August 20, 2019 . en.
- Web site: 411MANIA. 2021-06-14. Csonka’s WWE 205 Live Review 10.18.19. en-US.
- Web site: Vishwakoti. Anish. October 18, 2019. 10/18 WWE 205 Live results: Anish V's review of Tony Nese vs. Oney Lorcan vs. Ariya Daivari in a Triple Threat, Jack Gallagher vs. Brian Kendrick, The Singh Brothers vs. Justin Alexander and Justin Morris. September 20, 2021. Pro Wrestling.
- Web site: Franchomme. Steph. 2019-09-12. NXT, NXT UK, 205 Live: Triple H Discusses The Future of The Brands And Shows. 2021-06-14. VultureHound Magazine Entertainment & Wrestling. en-GB.
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- https://411mania.com/wrestling/road-dogg-on-nxt-becoming-wwes-third-brand/ Road Dogg On NXT Becoming WWE's Third Brand, Not Approving Of His Release, Admiration For Samuel Shaw - 411 Mania.com
- Web site: Who is the most influential figure in the Women's Evolution?. 2021-06-14. WWE. en.
- Web site: Finn Balor needed to break some WWE performance habits along journey back to NXT title contention. 2021-06-14. CBSSports.com. September 2020 . en.
- Web site: CARLITO, RHEA RIPLEY WWE UPDATES PWInsider.com. 2021-06-14. www.pwinsider.com.
- Web site: 2020-06-05. WOL: AEW vs. NXT ratings, New Japan announcement, NXT callups, more!. 2021-06-14. Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. en.
- Web site: Hart. Danny. 2021-08-10. Riddle unsure about Adam Cole's chances on WWE's main roster. 2021-09-20. www.sportskeeda.com. en.
- Web site: Carey . Ian . WWE's Triple H: AEW 'beat our developmental system, good for them' . . September 2, 2022 . September 2, 2022 . en.
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- Web site: Johnson . Mike . 12 WWE NXT Releases, Why This May Have Happened (Updated) . . August 6, 2021 . August 7, 2021.
- Web site: Nason . Josh . WWE NXT cuts led by Vince McMahon, changes coming to brand . . August 9, 2021 . en . August 8, 2021.
- Web site: Heydorn . Zack . Nick Khan details upcoming changes and revamping of NXT . . August 31, 2021 . 22 August 2021.
- Web site: Mooneyham . Mike . WWE sending signal with release of NXT staff, respected vets . . February 2, 2022 . January 22, 2022 . en.
- Web site: Matthews . Graham GSM . From NXT to NFTs: Shawn Michaels Is Helping Pave WWE's Future . . August 11, 2022 . August 13, 2022 . en.
- Web site: Reddick . Jay . NXT 2.0: A wrestling obituary or a rebirth? We'll find out tonight . . September 15, 2021 . September 14, 2021.
- Web site: Wrestlenomics Staff . The future of WWE NXT 2.0 on the USA Network . Wrestlenomics . November 10, 2021 . October 4, 2021.
- Web site: Aguilar . Matthew . NXT TakeOver is a No Show on WWE's Updated Calendar . . November 10, 2021 . October 22, 2021.
- Web site: Johnson . Mike . WWE PPV CALENDAR UPDATES . . November 10, 2021 . October 21, 2021.
- Web site: Thomas . Jeremy . UPDATED: NXT WarGames Set For December, Takeover Name Removed . 411mania . November 15, 2021 . November 9, 2021.
- Web site: Report: Karrion Kross, Ember Moon Among WWE Stars Released from Contracts. The Bleacher Report. EN. November 4, 2021. November 4, 2021.
- Web site: Wwe Nxt Releases Female Star . PWInsider.com . 2021-11-04 . 2022-05-13.
- Web site: Arboleda . Camilo . WWE terminó con el equipo a futuro de Triple H en el elenco principal . Solowrestling . January 8, 2022 . 8 January 2022.
- Web site: SAY GOODBYE TO 205 LIVE, NEW NXT SERIES TO BEGIN TAPING TONIGHT. Johnson, Mike. February 15, 2022. February 15, 2022. PWInsider.
- Web site: WWE is planning to do more Raw vs. NXT feuds. February 22, 2022.
- Web site: Shawn Michaels promoted to WWE senior vice president of talent development creative. Brookhouse. Brent. CBS. September 7, 2022. January 1, 2023.
- Web site: Renner . Ethan . WWE NXT changes logo, returns to black and gold color scheme . September 13, 2022 . September 14, 2022 . . en.
- Web site: Heydorn . Zack . 2022-12-21 . NXT talent appearing on Main Event strategy update . 2023-02-24 . Pro Wrestling Torch . en-US.
- Web site: Fight . Jonie . 2022-12-21 . NXT talent excited about WWE Main Event . 2023-02-24 . Superluchas . en.
- Web site: Moore. John. NXT Stand & Deliver results: Moore’s live review of Trick Williams vs. Carmelo Hayes, Ilja Dragunov vs. Tony D’Angelo for the NXT Title, Lyra Valkyria vs. Roxanne Perez for the NXT Women’s Title. Pro Wrestling Dot Net. April 6, 2024. April 6, 2024.
- Web site: NXT TV results (1/9): Moore's review of Tony D'Angelo and Channing Lorenzo vs. OTM for the NXT Tag Titles, Gigi Dolin vs. Cora Jade, the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament begins. January 9, 2024. Moore. John. Pro Wrestling Dot Net. January 11, 2024.
- Web site: Women's North American Champion to be crowned in Ladder match at NXT Battleground. April 30, 2024. Thompson. Andrew. POST Wrestling. April 30, 2024.
- Web site: Moore. John. NXT TV results (5/14): Moore's review of Sol Ruca vs. Izzi Dame, and Ivy Nile vs. Lash Legend in NXT Women's NA Title qualifiers, Charlie Dempsey vs. Tony D'Angelo for the NXT Heritage Cup, Je'Von Evans vs. Noam Dar. Pro Wrestling Dot Net. May 14, 2024. May 14, 2024.
- Web site: NXT TV results (4/9): Moore's review of the Stand & Deliver fallout show, Bron Breakker and Baron Corbin vs. Axiom and Nathan Frazer for the NXT Tag Team Titles. April 9, 2024. Moore. John. Pro Wrestling Dot Net. April 10, 2024.
- Web site: Powell. Jason. WWE Clash at the Castle results: Powell’s live review of Damian Priest vs. Drew McIntyre for the World Heavyweight Championship, Cody Rhodes vs. AJ Styles in an I Quit match for the WWE Championship. Pro Wrestling Dot Net. June 15, 2024. June 15, 2024.
- Web site: May 2012. Sold Out WWE Superstar Showdown. 13 July 2021. Full Sail Blog.
- Web site: Grabianowski. Ed. How Pro Wrestling Works. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20131129050844/http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/pro-wrestling.htm. November 29, 2013. September 20, 2021. HowStuffWorks. January 13, 2006. Discovery Communications.
- Web site: Live & Televised Entertainment. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20090218142749/http://corporate.wwe.com/company/events.jsp. February 18, 2009. September 20, 2021. WWE.
- Web site: JAMES'S WWE NXT "ARRIVAL" REPORT 2/27 – Week 87: Complete real-time coverage of WWE Network special, including all NXT Titles on the line, plus Overall Reax. Pro Wrestling Torch. 15 November 2015.
- Web site: James's WWE NXT TakeOver report 5/29: Complete "virtual-time" coverage of live special on WWE Network. Pro Wrestling Torch. June 2, 2014.
- Web site: Neville shocks, defies odds at NXT Takeover: Fatal 4 Way. Howell. Nolan. Canoe.ca. September 11, 2014 . SLAM! Wrestling. September 13, 2014.
- Web site: Caldwell's WWE NXT Takeover results 12/11: Complete virtual-time coverage of Neville vs. Zayn for the NXT Title, Itami & Balor, Charlotte, Kevin Steen/Owens's debut, Corey Graves retires. James. Caldwell. Pro Wrestling Torch. December 15, 2014.
- Web site: Hot crowd at Full Sail Live as Sasha Banks, Kevin Owens win WWE NXT titles; WWE NXT bound for Cleveland. Varsallone. Jim. Miami Herald. July 3, 2015.
- Web site: WWE NXT "TakeOver: Unstoppable" report 5/20: Owens vs. Zayn for the NXT Title ends in wild fashion with a major debut of Samoa Joe, plus spectacular NXT Women's Title match, more; Overall Reax. James. Justin. Pro Wrestling Torch. May 21, 2014.
- Web site: JAMES'S WWE "NXT TAKEOVER: BROOKLYN" REPORT 8/22: Balor vs. Owens ladder match for NXT Title, epic Women's match, Tag Titles, Samoa Joe, Liger, dignitaries in the crowd; Overall Reax. James. Justin. Pro Wrestling Torch. August 23, 2015.
- Web site: WWE NXT: Bayley vs. Sasha Banks IronMan match to headline TakeOver. f4wonline.com. September 11, 2015.
- Web site: WWE NXT results: Women's Champion Bayley battles Alexa Bliss. f4wonline.com. November 19, 2015 . November 19, 2015. Finn Balor vs Samoa Joe for the NXT Championship was made official for Takeover in December, plus next week they will sign the contract for their match.
- Web site: WWE NXT TakeOver comes to Dallas during WrestleMania 32 Week. WWE. Melok. Bobby. December 12, 2015.
- Web site: WWE announces next live NXT TakeOver special for this June, viewer numbers for "American Grit" premiere on FOX. Martin. Adam. wrestleview.com. April 16, 2016. May 3, 2016.
- Web site: WWE SummerSlam returns to Barclays Center in 2016 and 2017. WWE. September 28, 2015.
- Web site: NXT: TakeOver added to Survivor Series Weekend in Toronto. WWE. September 2, 2016.
- Web site: NXT TakeOver: San Antonio takes place during Royal Rumble weekend. WWE. November 28, 2016.
- Web site: Get WrestleMania 33 Travel Packages this Monday. WWE. October 27, 2016.
- Web site: NXT TakeOver: Orlando to take place on the eve of WrestleMania 33. WWE. December 12, 2016.
- Web site: NXT TakeOver: Chicago to take place on the eve of WWE Backlash. WWE. April 3, 2017.
- Web site: NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn returns to Barclays Center on Aug. 19. WWE. June 5, 2017.
- Web site: Kairi Sane to challenge for NXT Women's Championship at NXT TakeOver: Houston. WWE. September 13, 2017. September 12, 2017.
- Web site: NXT TakeOver: WarGames comes to the Toyota Center in Houston on Saturday, Nov. 18. WWE. October 4, 2017.
- Web site: Philadelphia to host 30th anniversary of WWE Royal Rumble in 2018. WWE. January 26, 2017.
- News: NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia comes to Wells Fargo Center on Saturday, Jan. 27. WWE. November 18, 2017. November 23, 2017.
- Web site: Williams. JJ. NXT TV TAPING SPOILERS: FATAL FOUR-WAY NUMBER ONE CONTENDER'S MATCH. F4Wonline.com. Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. November 30, 2017.
- Web site: WrestleMania returns to the Big Easy. WWE. January 10, 2017.
- News: WWE launches Superstars for Hope Campaign. WWE. 2017-12-04. en.
- Web site: WWE schedule, list of PPVs for 2018: Royal Rumble, NXT TakeOver date, location. CBS sports. December 10, 2017.
- Web site: NXT TakeOver: Chicago returns to Allstate Arena on Saturday, June 16. WWE. March 5, 2018.
- Web site: WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne def. Zack Gibson. June 26, 2018. August 20, 2018. WWE.
- Web site: SummerSlam Week to return to Brooklyn in 2018. WWE. August 14, 2017.
- Web site: NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn returns to Barclays Center on Aug. 18. WWE. May 7, 2018.
- Web site: NXT TakeOver: WarGames returns this November in Los Angeles, tickets available this Friday. WWE. July 16, 2018.
- Web site: WWE Survivor Series is coming to Los Angeles in 2018. Los Angeles Times. November 16, 2017. November 16, 2017.
- Web site: Los Angeles to host WWE Survivor Series in 2018. WWE. November 16, 2017.
- Web site: WWE fans, Royal Rumble 2019 is coming to Chase Field in Phoenix. AZ Central. January 24, 2018.
- Web site: NXT TakeOver: Phoenix tickets available now. WWE. October 22, 2018. November 6, 2018.
- Web site: WWE to counter-program Super Bowl LIII halftime show with six-man tag-team bout. January 28, 2019. January 28, 2019.
- Web site: 4/5 Powell's NXT Takeover: New York live review – Johnny Gargano vs. Adam Cole in a best of three falls match for the vacant NXT Championship, Pete Dunne vs. Walter for the WWE UK Championship, Velveteen Dream vs. Matt Riddle for the NXT North American Title, NXT Women's Title four-way, NXT Tag Title match. April 5, 2019. April 5, 2019.
- Web site: BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT TO HOST NXT TAKEOVER XXV. Joseph. Currier. Wrestling Observer. F4wonline. May 6, 2019. May 6, 2019.
- Web site: NXT TAKEOVER TORONTO LIVE RESULTS: ADAM COLE VS. JOHNNY GARGANO. Chris. Aiken. Wrestling Observer. F4wonline. August 9, 2019. August 9, 2019.
- Web site: WARGAMES RETURNING TO WWE NXT. pwinsider.com. 2019-03-19.
- Web site: Chicago to host Survivor Series in 2019. WWE. November 19, 2018.
- Web site: Garretson. Jordan. NXT Champion Adam Cole def. Tommaso Ciampa. WWE. February 16, 2020. February 16, 2020.
- Web site: NXT Takeover: In Your House to take place Sunday June 7. WWE. May 13, 2020. May 13, 2020.
- Web site: NXT TakeOver XXX to take place Saturday, Aug. 22. July 22, 2020. WWE. July 22, 2020.
- Web site: Melok. Bobby. NXT Champion Finn Bálor def. Kyle O'Reilly. WWE. October 4, 2020. October 5, 2020.
- Web site: WWE: NXT TakeOver WarGames. iN DEMAND Pay-Per-View.
- Web site: NXT TakeOver set to take place Sunday, Feb. 14. 2021-01-22. WWE.
- Web site: Lambert. Jeremy. NXT Announces Two-Night TakeOver Event; Night One On USA, Night Two On Peacock. Fightful. March 10, 2021. March 11, 2021.
- Web site: NXT TakeOver: In Your House set to take place Sunday, June 13. 2021-05-11. WWE. en.
- Web site: NXT TakeOver 36 slated for Sunday, August 22. WWE. July 20, 2021. July 20, 2021.
- Web site: Lambert. Jeremy. NXT Announces TakeOver 36 For August. Fightful. July 20, 2021. July 20, 2021.
- Web site: Guzzo . Gisberto . NXT WarGames 2021 Announced During 11/9 Episode Of NXT 2.0 . Fightful . November 10, 2021 . November 9, 2021.
- Web site: Currier . Joseph . WWE confirms NXT Deadline special for December 10 . . October 22, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221021174249/https://www.f4wonline.com/news/nxt/wwe-confirms-nxt-deadline-special-for-december-10 . October 21, 2022 . October 21, 2022.
- Web site: Defelice. Robert. Shawn Michaels Confirms NXT Vengeance Day 2023 Will Emanate From Charlotte, North Carolina. Fightful. December 8, 2022. December 29, 2022.
- News: WWE unveils 'Wrestlemania Goes Hollywood' week plans. Mitchell. Houston. LA Times. November 3, 2022. November 4, 2022.
- News: Defelice . Robert . Shawn Michaels Announces NXT Battleground 2023 Will Emanate From Lowell, Massachusetts . March 30, 2023 . Fightful . March 30, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230330195611/https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/shawn-michaels-announces-nxt-battleground-2023-will-emanate-lowell-massachusetts . March 30, 2023 . live.