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Showing posts with label Matt Bloom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Matt Bloom. Show all posts

March 31, 2024

WWE: Next Gen debuts April 1 on Roku

September 3, 2021

Update On Vince McMahon’s Role In The WWE NXT Revamp

The weekly WWE NXT show will reportedly not be directly produced by WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon and Senior Vice President & Executive Director Bruce Prichard with the upcoming revamp that kicks off this month.

It was reported this week, via Wrestling Observer Live, that McMahon and Prichard were to produce the weekly NXT TV show beginning with the September 14 live episode. The report noted that McMahon and Prichard will be behind the big decisions for the NXT brand, but not the smaller ones. They will also be responsible for marketing, promotion and direction of the NXT brand. It was also said that NXT will be like “the old NXT” moving forward, which appears to be a reference to how the brand was at its peak, around 2015-2018 or so.

In an update, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that WWE held a meeting with talent and staff where they were told the story of McMahon and Prichard directly producing the weekly NXT TV show is incorrect. Word is that McMahon and Prichard simply do not have the time to produce another weekly TV show.

While McMahon and Prichard won’t be directly producing the weekly NXT TV show, Vince remains in charge of everything in WWE, and there have been, and will continue to be more big-picture decisions on the NXT brand that are made my higher-ups in the company, those outside of the NXT circle, including decisions related to creative, branding and marketing. 

The people making these decisions, on their own, will be a group made up of McMahon, Prichard, President & CEO Nick Khan, Talent Relations head John Laurinaitis, and Executive Producer & Chief of Global Television Distribution Kevin Dunn. This group will have more influence on whoever they want pushed or protected in NXT, but it was noted that they likely will not be involved in weekly booking since they already have so much going on.

Regarding the changes in NXT, <b>Fightful Select adds that numerous WWE sources have effectively denied the original story on McMahon and Prichard directly producing NXT</b>

It was also noted that McMahon and Prichard were not at the recent set of NXT TV tapings. However, influential WWE Producer Jamie Noble has been seen at the WWE Performance Center more often than usual as of late. Furthermore, Prichard is scheduled to be at the Performance Center this weekend. There’s no word on what Prichard’s Saturday visit is for, but talent is not mandated to be there.

It remains to be seen exactly what this NXT revamp will mean for WWE’s Executive Vice President of Global Talent Strategy & Development Triple H and his crew. We noted earlier this week that the NXT brand will still be “very much in the hands” of Triple H and his team, which includes Trainer & Assistant Coach Shawn Michaels, Director of Talent Development & Head of Global Recruiting William Regal, Head Coach & Vice President of Talent Development Matt Bloom, and others. Word was that the day-to-day operations of NXT won’t change too much, but that the revamp will mean at least some loss of power for Triple H.

The original report on McMahon and Prichard producing NXT led to a “#RIPNXT” hashtag trending worldwide on social media.

January 21, 2019

Robby Brookside And Matt Bloom On The Evolution Of Wrestling

WWE trainers Robby Brookside and Matt Bloom sat with Vulture Hound‘s Lee Hazell & talked about WWE’s new NXT UK Performance Center. The two also talked about how their own training differed from that of today’s WWE Superstars.

Brookside reminisced about what he learned from legendary UK star Johnny Saint, “‘I remember when I was 16/17, a great thing for me is doing a TV match with Johnny Saint and to travel around with him, and he was one of the many that used to go, ‘Slow down!’ Because when you’re young you’re like, ‘Oh I’ve learnt this new move, I want to try and do it.’ Once you get older and you figure it out, you realize it’s just like pouring another pint of water into a pint of beer. You just don’t need it.” Brookside also stressed the importance of being trained the correct way, “It’s hard sometimes when you get someone from the indies who have been trained the wrong way. Their footwork and their balance and their facial expressions aren’t up to it and to try and get them to change that, at times it’s harder to teach them. We got eight Chinese Nationals who couldn’t speak any English, and it was easier in some ways to train them from scratch than getting someone from the indies who’s been working for 12 years. Well, obviously they’ve been going to the wrong places because that’s not how we do things here.”
Matt Bloom didn’t even train in a wrestling ring, “I trained in a boxing ring with one air conditioner in the wall, up four flights of stairs to get there. It was tough, man. It was a lot different than it is now. Actually, Triple H and I trained in the same facility with Killer Kowalski. The training game has evolved a lot.”

Robby Brookside opened up about an early experience has had after he was accused of labeling wrestling as ‘fixed.’  The incident led to a successful career for Brookside, “I got invited, in inverted commas, to a wrestling club on the outskirts of Liverpool – a big factory called English Electric. My mother and father hated wrestling, everyone thought I was a weirdo because I packed in football to watch wrestling. So anyway, my mate went to this amateur wrestler and said ‘That kid down there thinks it’s all fixed.’ He was only a little fella. Then my mate comes back, says we’re invited to a show on Sunday.” Brookside continued, “So, I go up and its strange because people are still working in the factory. So I get to the utility room and there’s a big, old sugar matt with all these old fellas all around. The little fella sees me and gets all excited. I’m 14, he’s 32/33. He says, ‘Right lads, this kid thinks it’s all fixed.’ He tells me to get on the matt. I get on the matt and to this day I have never felt pain like it. I remember I hit the matt as he took me down and I didn’t know where I was. I remember all the dust going in my face. That could probably get a factory closed down now. I could probably get them all charged with abusing a 14-year-old. He ripped my head off my shoulders. My ear was bleeding and it wasn’t very nice. There was just a sink to smother your face and that was it.”
Brookside remained undeterred, “I went, ‘I’m not having it. I’ll go back the next week.’ And they did it again. I went back the third time they decided I had a bit of bottle. But that’s what it was. The facilities were disgraceful. They’d be condemned now. Just being at the Performance Center now and seeing that evolve and the way it grows and grows and grows. Just the facilities that the talent have. The way WWE treats their talent is light years ahead of what we’ve gone through. "

August 10, 2017

Matt Bloom Reveals What WWE Looks For in Their Trainers



WWE Performance Center trainer Matt Bloom recently spoke to Sports Illustrated and revealed what exactly WWE looks for in a trainer:

“A lot of people don’t understand that just because you were a great wrestler does not automatically make you a great coach, but that is true,” Bloom said. “What I’m looking for in a coach is, first of all, if they can fit into our team. This is the best team in the game. We have Norman Smiley, who is an encyclopedia of moves, and we also have Terry Taylor and Shawn Michaels here teaching. We have Steve Corino and Adam Pearce here. They had some companies behind them when they worked, but they never had WWE behind them, yet they still kept their names prominent around the world and accomplished that by doing it the right way. Scotty Too Hotty is Scott Taylor, and he’s a kid from Maine who did pretty well in this business. He knows what he’s doing, and he has the entertainment side of this well understood. We have an amazing team who complement each other very well.”

He added, “We look for character in the coaches. What type of person are you? Are you patient? How will you represent us? Do you understand that this is not a race? This is a marathon, not a sprint. We have talent here from all over the world, most of whom have relocated and left their families behind. We need our coaches to be caring and understanding toward that. We need to realize that everyone isn’t always going to grasp a concept on a particular day, so can you pick people up and dust them off so that they can understand better the next day? Also, everyone realizes that there is simply no room for complacency. That cannot exist here and it is not allowed. We know we don’t want you here if you’re not a good person. No ego and a lot of humility. No one is bigger than the team. We all complement each other so well.”

November 11, 2016

Matt Bloom On Communicating With Triple H, What It Takes To Go From NXT To WWE


You’ll remember Matt Bloom for his in-ring appearances with WWE as Prince Albert, Albert and A-Train. You might even remember him as Lord Tensai. Matt Bloom played in the National Football League for the San Diego Chargers, from there he became a schoolteacher at Revere High School and was trained professionally to wrestle by the late Killer Kowalski. Now, Matt Bloom is the head trainer at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida for NXT.

I got to talk with Matt about his relationship with Triple H, who off camera acts as the Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events and Creative for WWE. We discussed what goes into an NXT Superstar being called up the the main roster as a WWE Superstar and what it’s like having Shinsuke Nakamura as the NXT Champion.

“Keep him healthy, the main thing I do with Shinsuke Nakamura, is don’t get him hurt because when he gets the chance to be a WWE Superstar, he’s going to tear the world down,” Bloom said.

Matt also thinks the Patriots will be returning to the Super Bowl, something he says he expect every season. Being from Boston, Matt always expects the local teams to be playing for and winning championships.

Listen to the interview below:


July 5, 2016

Stephanie McMahon On Having Shane Back In WWE, If Shane Had Impact On WWE - China, HHH - NXT, CWC

Recently on The Wrestling Compadres Slamcast, Stephanie McMahon addressed a number of topics including Shane McMahon's WWE return, WWE's expansion in China, NXT's success, and WWE's Cruiserweight Classic.

With respect to her brother Shane, Stephanie said it is nice having him around once again, as him being away from WWE for seven years was "unusual".

"It [has] been pretty cool, I have to say. Shane and I grew up in WWE and not having him around for seven years was unusual, so it's awesome having him back. We're having a lot of fun together."

Stephanie said that her brother Shane had no involvement with WWE's recent inroads into the Chinese market other than laying some of the groundwork before his departure from WWE seven years ago.

"China [has] been on our map for, on our radar, rather, for a really long time. Certainly given its scale and culture, it's seems a natural fit for WWE. And as a part of the Eisenhower Fellowship, last year, I partook on a trip to China and then our executive leadership team has really been invested for quite some time working with multiple partners and so the timing was right. And it's very exciting and again just to be able to do this."

The former WWE Women's Champion seemed pleased to share that WWE held tryouts in China recently. Notably, WWE Performance Center head trainer Matt Bloom studied Mandarin for a year to be able to conduct the tryouts.

"We had a whole talent recruitment effort there. Yes, and that took place at the Mercedes-Benz Arena for four days. And I believe we're vetting a number of different talent who came out of that tryout and it's the first of it's kind. It's really cool because Matt Bloom, the head trainer, actually took some Mandarin for about a year so that he could be able to coach up these talent as they came through and it was all different athletes from all different backgrounds and they did really, really well, so it's an exciting opportunity from a talent development standpoint as well."

On the topic of NXT, WWE's Chief Brand Officer said that she could not take any credit for it, as it was Triple H's idea.

"I can take no credit whatsoever for NXT. That was all my husband's vision and his team. And he has really created the [WWE] Performance Center, he [has] fostered the partnership along with the executive leadership with Full Sail University, but the brand itself, the storylines, the characters, I mean, really, I could not be more proud of my husband and the team he has built and what they are doing with that brand, it is absolutely remarkable. I think it has surprised a number of executives here. It doesn't surprise me because I have so much faith and I know what my husband can do. I know that he was surprised when we were doing the first live event outside of Florida, around WrestleMania 31, and I know he was surprised that we sold out that venue, and then, a few months later, he had scaled the tickets so that it went to Barclays Center before SummerSlam fully expecting to only sell part of the bowl. And when he sold out Barclays [Center], that was the first stake in the ground of our audience saying, 'we love this brand and we're here to stay and it's going to be bigger than any of you ever imagined because we are NXT' and I think that's such a huge part of the NXT brand is that the audience is a part of it. They are a part of NXT's success. They are a part of why these stars are making it to the main roster and they know it."

Stephanie McMahon Talks Wardrobe Malfunction On WWE RAW, Advice From Vince, Favorite TV Moment
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Stephanie McMahon Talks Wardrobe Malfunction On WWE RAW, Advice From Vince, Favorite TV Moment

During the interview, the Boston University graduate acknowledged that the upcoming Cruiserweight Classic series was the brainchild of Triple H. Also, Stephanie teased another project involving female performers.

"Yep, I mean, that's how I certainly heard about it. [Triple H] sort of started pitching ideas, 'what do you think about this?' He percolates ideas and you can tell he's thinking about something, but he doesn't necessarily come out with it right away. He likes to formulate it a little bit more. He did actually pitch another idea that has to do with the women that I'm not going to get into. So definitely, there are different things in progress and the Cruiserweight Classic is one that made sense on all different levels and we're doing it!"

April 1, 2016

Top WWE Names at WWN Live Tryout


WWN Live has issued the following:

April 1st: Top WWE Officials William Regal, Matt Bloom and Canyon Cemen made an unprecedented visit at yesterday’s WWN Seminar/Tryout. They each lectured the participants with invaluable knowledge. Regal even got involved with the in ring training. Bloom paid WWN Seminar/Tryout Head Trainer Drew Gulak the ultimate compliment by saying “Drew shows you the WWE way.”

Cemen, Regal and Bloom had a lengthy discussion with WWN’s Sal Hamaoui and Gabe Sapolsky about the future of the relationship. We can reveal now that many exciting and interest possibilities were put on the table. The next few months are going to be very interesting as the relationship moves forward. There is no telling what will happen next. We could see the ramifications as early as this weekend’s EVOLVE and WWN Supershow events.

We would like to thank Mr. Regal, Mr. Bloom and Mr. Cemen for their visit yesterday. This proves that WWE is proactive about strengthening the future of pro wrestling and the independent undercurrent.

Triple H announced on yesterday’s NXT conference call that Zack Sabre Jr. will be in the WWE Global Cruiserweight Series. The tests start for Zack Sabre Jr. this weekend with the conclusion of his “Best In The World Series.” It’ll be Sabre Jr. vs. Will Ospreay at today’s EVOLVE 58, vs. Matt Riddle at tomorrow afternoon’s EVOLVE 59 and vs. Chris Hero at tomorrow night’s WWN Supershow. Is Zack Sabre Jr. the new Best In The World? Watch all three matches at www.WWNLive.com on live iPPV to follow Zack’s road to the WWE Global Cruiserweight Series.

March 7, 2016

WWE And NXT ASF 2016 Coverage Day Two: Samoa Joe, Balor, Bayley Steals Gimmick, Q&As, Tryouts, More


Matches

* Apollo Crews defeated Tino Sabbotelli.

* Chad Gable defeated Riddick Moss.

* Dan Matha vs. Aiden English kept seeing interference from Simon Gotch, so Dylan Miley ran in. William Regal showed up and made it a tag team match, which Miley and Matha won, to the shock of the crowd. Matha and Miley are really plain, but they're brand new to live events, too.

* Tye Dillinger defeated Kishan Raftar. Dillinger chopped the living hell out of Raftar, who messed up an armdrag. It was surprising to see Raftar, Matha and Miley, because last year most of the talents we saw were almost TV ready.

* Bayley defended the Women's title and beat Nia Jax in an NXT TakeOver London re-match. Eva Marie got beaten up by Bayley after the match. Again, Bayley was over. The barricades were rushed as soon as her music hit. During the match, Bayley grabbed the T-shirt and "10" sign that Dillinger left and totally stole his gimmick.

* Jason Jordan defeated Johnny Gargano with a half nelson suplex. Johnny Gargano was really over, as he's an Ohio guy. These two had a good match.

* Apollo Crews defeated Riddick Moss. This was the kind of match both guys had been having all weekend, which was good for the live crowd.

* Billie Kay defeated Alexa Bliss. Poor Alexa Bliss can't get a win in her own hometown. The crowd always popped for her when she came out, but she'd end up heeling them. I have no idea what the Billie Kay gimmick is, but her entrance theme is pretty cool.

* Chad Gable defeated Scott Dawson with a deadlift German suplex. Their partners were fanning them off with the signature towels before they locked up. A really good match, great chemistry.

* Asuka & Peyton Royce defeated Mandy Rose & Emma via the Asuka Lock. I don't think I saw Mandy Rose really mess up all weekend, which says a lot considering she was on a reality show a few months ago. She's learning quickly by the looks of it.

* Finn Balor and Sami Zayn defeated Samoa Joe and Baron Corbin. All of these guys felt like stars in this. This was an outstanding tag team match, which saw Balor get the pin after a Bloody Sunday on Corbin, following a Helluva kick from Sami Zayn. Much like yesterday, it was really impressive to see.

Q&As

* Mark Henry said he didn't know what he's doing at WrestleMania, and might jump someone to get involved. He said he wouldn't mind being in the Andre the Giant memorial battle royal, and tells a story about Andre picking him up after being pushed down at an event. He singles out Apollo Crews as an NXT talent he'd like to face and says he pushed for him. He called the Mae Young era the most fun in his career and said she was a good kisser, before singling out the Undertaker at WrestleMania 22 as his favorite opponent.

* Sara Del Rey, Matt Bloom and William Regal did a great Q&A. They said that nobody from last year's ASF tryouts was still with WWE, and the ones we see are abbreviated to give us an idea. Sara says that she and Matt are like a brother/sister team, while Regal says he coaches a lot of footwork and evaluates talent. Regal says there's no cutoff for age if someone has a supreme skill set, but for someone new, 30ish is the general range. Sara tells us that in her opinion, Bayley should be the next to go up to the WWE roster, and fans thank and clap for Sara's part in the Diva's revolution. They're asked about ZZ, and they say that he's working hard and getting better. William Regal says that he's hopeful that there will be a new season of Breaking Ground, and that he's very excited for Shinsuke Nakamura. Bloom says he's excited to see him and not get kicked this time. Sara closes by saying she'd love women's tag titles in NXT or the main roster.

Familiar Faces

- We mentioned yesterday that several wrestling personalities were around for the Arnold Classic, and today was no different. Former WCW talent Bill Kazmaier met with fans at the event.

Also, Hardcore legend Sabu was there signing and taking photos.

Other notes

- As was the case yesterday, several talents were signing autographs. While the lines didn't reach anywhere near the length of yesterday's they were still pretty long. Eva Marie was a big hit, and was very personable and friendly, taking pictures with people and adding them to her snapchat. Gable and Jordan are also incredibly friendly with individuals in the crowd.

- During yesterday's match with American Alpha, The Revival and made fun of them, calling them the "American Males."

- Tom Phillips is a pro and seems like he loves his job. Dasha Fuentes is a pretty good ring announcer, and they did a great job hosting today.

- Sunday's crowd was much smaller, much easier to navigate and the like. The place was buzzing about Saturday night's UFC.

- Regarding the tryouts, we saw the same names as yesterday there. If they do well, they're invited to a full tryout at the Performance Center.

- Tommaso Ciampa didn't wrestle, but did sign autographs. He wasn't using crutches, slings, or anything to indicate he was severely injured.

March 5, 2016

WWE And NXT ASF 2016 Coverage Day One: Triple H & Arnold, Exclusive Interviews, TNA Stars, More


Wrestling Inc was live on the scene today in Columbus, Ohio as the WWE and NXT held the second WWE Experience at the Arnold Sports Festival. The show was full of matches, surprises, Q&As and autograph signings. Wrestling Inc even spoke to a few of the NXT stars. We'll have full day two coverage tomorrow as well!

- Corey Graves, Tom Phillips and Dasha Fuentes welcome us to the event, and Corey Graves makes the crowd boo Phillips because his mic won't work.

Matches

* Apollo Crews defeated Dylan Miley with a standing moonsault. This was a really slow paced match which Miley controlled with a lot of grounded holds.

* Billie Kay defeated Mandy Rose with a kick to the face. Mandy Rose worked as a babyface during the match.

* Johnny Gargano submitted Riddick Moss with Garano Escape. Dasha accidentally called Gargano Tommaso Ciampa.

* Bayley retained the NXT Women's Championship over Emma with a Bayley-to-Belly. Bayley is over beyond comprehension in Columbus. She gave her shirt to a girl in the crowd, who broke down in tears.

* American Alpha defeated the Vaudevillains with Grand Amplitude. Gable and Gotch put on a mat wrestling clinic in the opening moments. American Alpha are also over big time.

* Finn Balor retained the NXT Championship over Baron Corbin with Bloody Sunday. Seeing Balor pull off Bloody Sunday on Corbin was really impressive.

* Eva Marie defeated Peyton Royce. This was not a good match. Eva Marie still doesn't look live crowd ready.

* Tye Dillinger defeated Tino Sabbotelli. Tino looks a lot like Jessie Godderz in person.

* Asuka submitted Alexa Bliss via the Asuka Lock. Bliss got a big pop from her hometown crowd, then heeled them. This was an excellent match.

* The Revival retained their NXT Tag Titles over the Protein Brothers (King Constantine & Thomas Kingdon) when they cheated. Protein Bros did not look ready to be in the ring, but Dash and Dawson are really good, so it wasn't easy to tell.

* Kishan Raftar defeated someone whose name I'm still trying to find out.

* Nia Jax defeated Billie Kay via leg drop.

* Apollo Crews defeated Riddick Moss and said he expects gold around his waist in 2016. This match was really long.

* Tye Dillinger defeated Johnny Gargano with his finish. Dillinger heeled it up and turned on the crowd after working as a babyface earlier.

* American Alpha defeated The Revival via DQ in a title match. This was a fantastic match.

* Peyton Royce submitted Alexa Bliss, making the hometown girl 0-2.

* Sami Zayn defeated Samoa Joe via pinfall after the Helluva Kick in an awesome match. Easily the best singles match of the show.

Wrestling Inc Interviews

- Wrestling Inc was able to talk to Chad Gable & Jason Jordan, who told us about their Steiner Brothers inspired gear.

- We also spoke to Alexa Bliss, who is a hometown girl in Columbus. She talks about competing at the Arnold Sports Festival in the past, her relationship with Blake & Murphy, as well as possibly moving to the main roster.

Surprises

- Triple H showed up, which was a big surprise, and had Arnold Schwarzaneggar with him. Arnold loved the crowd and spouted off his one liners, including "IT'S NOT A TUMOR."

Arnold says he watches WWE all the time. He also snapchatted in the ring. They talked a little bit about Arnold hosting Celebrity Apprentice soon. They also held a Q&A, where Triple H is asked about several things. He says Arnold was his hero, and he loves his one liners. He mentions that his favorite match is the Hell in a Cell match with Undertaker. A "pinch me" moment was 2,000 kids chanting his name in India. When asked about the Diva's revolution, he says he never saw a difference between men and women, and is open to the idea of a Divas tag division.

Q&As

- Braun Strowman was the first Q&A and says that he'd like to see Matt Bloom inducted into the Hall of Fame for all of the contributions he's made in NXT. He says that traveling is the worst part of wrestling, and eats 7-8 times a day, taking in about 5-6 pounds of meat. When asked about Brock Lesnar, he says he hopes to lock horns with him in the near future. He also says that his size gained him a unique opportunity to bypass NXT, and he seized it. He also said the Wyatt Family has taught him friendship.

- Gable & Jordan did an impromptu Q&A, and Graves told the crowd they'd rather be American Alpha 1.0 than Team Angle 2.0. Jordan says his favorite superstar was Mr. Perfect, and Gable's was Sting. Gable tells the crowd if he could face any team, it'd be the Rock N' Roll Express.

* Cesaro did a Q&A and said that he'd be back in a couple of months. He's most proud of his feat of strength of swinging Great Khali. He hopes Tyson Kidd will be back in action, but he needs another check up. He remembers Sami Zayn and Daniel Bryan arguing for two hours, only for Zayn to agree with him when they get to the venue. He hopes he can get to the main event, but says that fan support is crucial.

- Eva Marie and Mandy Rose's Total Divas Q&A went a couple of minutes, and Eva Marie showed up late for it. They both say Charlotte is the Diva they'd want to face because she has the title.

Familiar Faces

Several familiar faces were at the Arnold Sports Festival. Even though he didn't appear for WWE, David Otunga was there, and stopped by to see former WWE Divas Champion Kaitlyn.

Also, TNA stars Bobby Lashley and Jessie Godderz were in the house.

Kurt Angle was also there, as he was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame.

Tryouts

- Much like last year, WWE held live tryouts in front of the crowd. They were conducted by Matt Bloom and mainly consisted of drilling. There weren't any big indy names or anything of the like that I heard of.

Autographs

Most of the NXT stars participated in autograph signings, which for the second year in a row, had the longest lines of the entire expo. The line went all the way around the stands, then people had to line up going up the stairs as well.

January 23, 2016

Triple H On WWE Being Like A Traveling Family, Matt Bloom On Expecting Results From Talents, More


George Diaz of The Orlando Sentinel recently did a story on the WWE Performance Center. You can see their video and the full article at this link. The story features quotes from Triple H, head coach Matt Bloom, WWE NXT Women's Champion Bayley and NXT star Tino Sabatellli, known to NFL fans as former Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Sabby Piscitelli. Below are a few highlights:

Triple H on what he told Vince McMahon when asked to get more involved with the company and report back with his observations:

"I think the biggest gap we have is that we're doing all these amazing things to grow our business and our company, except: How are we finding these guys for the future? We're a victim of our own success. Territories don't exist; the outside places to do this are less and less. How do you want to do that?"

Bloom on the talents living in Orlando:

"They get paid well. We expect results. They do very well. I can tell you we take the hustle out of the game of the independent circuit where you have to live week to week and hope you get bookings. We now enable these men and women to come in and do what they love."

Triple H on the coolest thing about the business:

"The business has always been — I hate saying this — a traveling circus because I feel like most people say that in a derogatory way, but it's like a traveling family. They're all learning together at different levels and they are there to support each other, and that's what I always stress to the talent. The coolest thing about this business is that when you're a star, you can reach down and try to help a kid who is trying to become a star and help him or her."

October 25, 2015

WWE Breaking Ground Series Premiere

August 18, 2015

Jushin 'Thunder' Liger On How His WWE NXT Takeover Appearance Was Signed, Tyler Breeze, More


Enuhito.com has a translation of a recent interview wrestling legend Jushin "Thunder" Liger did with the New Japan Pro Wrestling website to promote this Saturday's match against Tyler Breeze at WWE NXT "Takeover: Brooklyn."

Liger revealed that he was at a ROH show last March in Philadelphia, where NXT was running that same week and wanted to go to NXT to see Finn Balor wrestle. He had a NJPW agent contact NXT head coach Matt Bloom, the former Tensai who also wrestled in New Japan. Bloom was able to secure a seat for Liger at the NXT event in Philadelphia and he attended. It was noted that nobody recognized Liger being there because he attended without his mask on.

Liger noted that Balor worked a great match against Neville that night and thanked him for coming afterwards. A few weeks later, William Regal, Bloom and Balor called the NJPW offices and asked for Liger's e-mail address. Liger does not use a computer so NJPW put them in touch with a representative and that's how the Takeover match was made.

Liger confirmed that he's not working under a "double contract" and that his Takeover appearance is a one-time deal. Liger said he does not know much about Tyler Breeze but will be researching him. He seemed impressed when the interviewer mentioned that Breeze was trained by Lance Storm.

May 19, 2015

Triple H NXT Media Call Recap: Sami Zayn And Hideo Itami Update, NXT Touring Plans, Samoa Joe, More


* Triple H apologizes for his voice and says "with a nose like mine, changing allergy zones three times" is a bad thing.

* HHH puts over Charlotte and Sasha Banks headlining an NXT live event last week. He wants them to change the perception of what women do in the industry.

* The NXT tours will continue. He's looking at festival touring and some international shows as well. He wants NXT to be a full brand by next year.

* HHH thanked ESPN and Jeremy Schapp. He said he hopes that they can work together more, or produce more of those for the Network.

* Sami Zayn has been cleared, an will compete.

* HHH thinks Becky/Sasha could steal the show.

* Matt Bloom has been promoted to permanent head coach at NXT. Sara Del Rey is assistant head coach now.

* Sara Del Rey is still working as a road agent as well.

* He already considers NXT an additional brand. He wants to find what's best suited for NXT. Things that work on the main roster may not work in NXT.

* Triple H wants NXT on the road 3 days a week by 2016. He wants NXT to have a two-tour function eventually. He doesn't want to lose the homegrown fans in Flordia, either.

* Triple H doesn't care if someone has indy experience or not, but having experience helps.

* He doesn't know if NXT will become a cable TV show. He's happy where they are on the WWE Network. Triple H sees NXT as a selling point for the Network, too.

* Hideo Itami will be represented, but will not be wrestling tomorrow night.

* While NXT is a third brand, it's still there to get people ready for the main roster, Triple H says. He says the best problem he can have is Vince calling him in the middle of a hot angle and asking for that star.

* Triple H says that there are several talents in NXT ready for the main roster, but there aren't spots for them, or else they'd be there.

* HHH says WWE developmental is a young man's game. He says it takes a while for them to get talent up to speed.

* Triple H says he likes Ring of Honor and Dragon Gate. He says he's not trying to make NXT a direct competition to them. He wants to make the best roster that he can. He thinks if NXT's business grows, so will RoH's. He said he'd love to help support ROH and grow.

* Triple H says there are talents that said they turned down NXT deals for ROH. He says they haven't spoken to those talents on any level.

* Triple H says he wanted to make NXT an individual brand from day 1, but didn't tell anyone that.

* Triple H thinks Samoa Joe is a phenomenal talent. Says he was at the performance center a month or two ago. He doesn't know if they'll do business. He said they only spoke for about five minutes, and it was mostly pleasantries.

* He says there are plenty of talents that won't make it on the main roster, and gimmicks that won't work on the main roster.

* Vince McMahon doesn't see all of NXT. Triple H shows him bits and pieces.

* HHH doesn't see Cena going anywhere. He thinks it's great that Cena is confident enough to give younger stars a time to shine. Time pushes people to move to different roles.

* Someone asks about Emma. Triple H says it's more than possible for her to get back in the title picture.

* Triple H says Vince McMahon was blown away by the NXT show WrestleMania weekend. Triple H didn't know Vince would be there until last minute. McMahon messaged him and said he'd be there. Triple H said that several WWE executives came and were impressed, and wanted to do more with it.

* Triple H puts over the progress of Sami Zayn working without a mask and Baron Corbin.

* There aren't plans of an all-female NXT show or special, but it could happen.

* Nothing in NXT was by accident. He had a vision for this.

* The majority of the fans dictate what they do.

New Head Coach and Assistant Head Coach named for NXT, WWE's developmental system


WWE today announced that Matt Bloom has been promoted to Head Coach of WWE’s developmental system, NXT, and Sara Amato has been promoted to NXT’s Assistant Head Coach. Bloom previously held the position of Interim Head Coach and Amato was previously an Assistant Coach.

Bloom, a former WWE Superstar and Intercontinental Champion, made his WWE debut in 1999 as Prince Albert. After an eight-year stint in Japan, Bloom returned to WWE in 2012 as WWE Superstar Tensai. Bloom retired from in-ring action in 2014 and was named an NXT Assistant Coach, working at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., where he also spent time as a color commentator for NXT programming on WWE Network. He was named NXT’s Interim Head Coach in March 2015.

Amato joined WWE in 2012 as Sara Del Rey after spending more than a decade working on the independent circuit. Since then, she has been responsible for training, creating and developing some of the most athletic, charismatic and confident Divas, including current WWE Divas Paige, Summer Rae and Emma, as well as NXT Divas Charlotte, Sasha Banks, Bayley, Alexa Bliss, Becky Lynch and Carmella. In addition to coaching at the WWE Performance Center, Amato will also work with WWE Superstars and Divas on the main roster as both a producer and agent.

"I have the utmost confidence in Matt and Sara’s ability to train and lead the next generation of Superstars and Divas at the WWE Performance Center," said Paul "Triple H" Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President, Talent, Live Events & Creative. "With each having more than 15 years of experience in the business, Matt and Sara will continue to be invaluable resources to our developmental system. The trust and respect that they have gained throughout the years by both our talent and training staff puts NXT in a great position for future success."

"It is truly an honor to be named the Head Coach of NXT and play a key role in creating and developing the WWE Superstars and Divas of the future," said Bloom. "I look forward to continuing my role in training and coaching the incredibly talented roster we have at the WWE Performance Center."

"This is a dream come true for me,” said Amato. “I’m so proud to be given the opportunity to train and lead the aspiring talent at the WWE Performance Center as we continue to expand the NXT brand globally."

May 7, 2015

WWE Performance Center Morale Update Since Coaching Change


It is being said that the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida been a much better environment since former head trainer Bill DeMott left the company. It’s also been noted that new head coach Jason Albert (Matt Bloom) has had positive reports since taking over.

March 6, 2015

More on the Bill DeMott Situation; New Interim Head Trainer


PWInsider.com has confirmed that Matt Bloom aka Jason Albert, formerly Tensai, has been named the interim Head Trainer and will take over DeMott's duties at the Performance Center and WWE developmental. Whether he is named to that position permanently will remain to be seen.

The change to Bloom was announced via an email from Mark Carano of WWE Talent Relations to the developmental roster shortly after DeMott issued his resignation publicly.

Among WWE developmental talents we've heard from, there was something of a celebratory feeling as the crew traveled to tonight's house show as DeMott was, as you might imagine based on everything that has come out, not beloved. What all involved should remember is that while DeMott had a lot of resentment among the talents, the position he was in was going to lead to that, as he was in charge and was going to be the one delivering the bad news when it needed to be delivered. Whoever ends up in what was formerly DeMott's position will also have to do the same, so it will be interesting to see how long it is, if ever, before they are seen in the same negative light as DeMott.

As of this evening, it appears WWE's only official statement on the matter will be that they retweeted DeMott's resignation announcement on their own social media accounts.

February 7, 2015

Corey Graves Hosting Special NXT, Rival Kickoff Pre-show News


A special edition of WWE NXT will premiere this Tuesday night at 9pm on the WWE Network. Corey Graves will host the show and look at the events leading up to NXT Takeover: Rival.

The NXT Takeover: Rival Kickoff Pre-show is now confirmed for 7:30pm EST on the WWE Network on Wednesday night. It will feature Renee Young, Byron Saxton, Jason "Tensai" Albert and Graves.

December 21, 2014

WWE’s Feelings on Finn Balor, HHH and Albert Bring “Big Fight Feel” to NXT


Triple H and NXT announcer Jason “Tensai” Albert came up with the idea to do individual, more diverse entrances with the NXT Superstars, which we saw more of at Takeover: R Evolution and the next set of TV tapings. This was done to differentiate the talents and bring a “big fight feel” to the matches, similar to what is done in Japan.

Finn Balor’s entrance at Takeover received rave reviews backstage and from WWE officials. The former Prince Devitt had everyone in the company talking about him. Officials are very high up on Balor and the excitement surrounding his character internally is “through the roof.”

February 7, 2013

Stats on RAW’s Switch to 3 Hours


With RAW going from two hours to three, matches now get 33% more time and there are 33% more matches per show. The amount of wrestling per show has doubled to 78%. Those benefiting with more TV time include Heath Slater, Alberto Del Rio, Primo, Epico, Sheamus, Cody Rhodes, Damien Sandow, John Cena, The Miz, Big Show and Dolph Ziggler. Those who have received less TV time with the switch are Tensai, Zack Ryder, David Otunga, The Great Khali and Santino Marella.

May 30, 2012

Rumor Mill - Tensai Reportedly Deemed A Flop By WWE Officials, Possibly Being Repackaged



Tensai failed to impress WWE officials in his pinfall victory over John Cena on the April 16 Raw SuperShow in London, England and was deemed "a flop" as a result. He was initially pegged to face Cena at the company's Over the Limit and No Way Out pay-per-view events but his poor showing in the main event match led to his push being curtailed and Big Show taking his place. WWE also canceled plans for summer live events to be headlined by Tensai and John Laurinaitis vs. Cena, instead replacing the former tattoo artist with Big Show.

Though Tensai has yet to be defeated on television, he suffered his first pinfall loss before a WWE crowd in in a dark match following Monday's Raw SuperShow—to Cena. He is being largely relegated to WWE Superstars while his character is retooled. He has already undergone tweaks as he appeared sans robe, competed more aggressively and had his named modified within the past two weeks. More changes could be in the works as there was talk this past week of additional modifications.

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Oderint Dum Metuant: Let Them Hate As Long As They Fear