WWE Breaking Ground Season One Finale Recap

Full 2015 PWI Female 50 List Revealed

Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s annual Female 50 issue has been released digitally, revealing the entire 2015 list.

As previously announced, Nikki Bella tops the list, followed by Paige, Sasha Banks, Santana Garrett and Gail Kim.

View the full list below. Last year’s placement is in parenthesis:

1. Nikki Bella (24)
2. Paige (1)
3. Sasha Banks (-)
4. Santana Garrett (15)
5. Gail Kim (3)
6. Charlotte (10)
7. Naomi (39)
8. Cherry Bomb (26)
9. Courtney Rush (8)
10. Taryn Terrell (36)
11. Bayley (19)
12. Brie Bella (16)
13. Sexy Star (-)
14. Cheerleader Melissa (4)
15. LuFisto (5)
16. Nicole Matthews (30)
17. Becky Lynch (41)
18. Kimber Lee (28)
19. Natalya (9)
20. Jessicka Havok (13)

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NXT TakeOver: Respect Results

Notes From Triple H's 'NXT TakeOver: Respect' Media Call: Finn Balor - TNA, Working With NJPW, Vince

Triple H conducted his usual NXT TakeOver media call this afternoon. You can check out several highlights below.

* Triple H was a little tardy getting to the call. He says that he was late due to wishing Bruno Sammartino a Happy Birthday.

* HHH says that the "Respect" theme for this week's TakeOver has a double meaning. It's for the women, as well as a tribute for a all of the respect the NXT roster has for the late Dusty Rhodes.

* Triple H expects this week's Sasha Bank vs. Bayley match to be better than the one in Brooklyn.

* He compares the demographic of NXT to punk rock and hip hop, and the WWE to pop music in that WWE gets a much wider demographic.

* He says he's more than open to speaking to New Japan Pro Wrestling and other promotions about bringing in talent like they did with Jushin Thunder Liger.

* HHH says that all of the Divas made the Divas revolution possible, not just one.

* Finn Balor sent Triple H the picture of him doing the "suck it" crotch chop outside TNA offices in Nashville and asked if he could post it on social media. Triple H approved because he thought it was funny and anyone who had an issue with it takes this all too seriously.

* Vince McMahon has no say about anything that goes on in NXT. He could overrule Triple H if he wanted but he never does. He claimed Vince told him he's looking forward to the Bayley vs. Banks match. Vince McMahon watched NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn and liked it.

* They debated calling the Bayley vs. Sasha Banks Iron Man match an "Iron Woman" match and Lita told them she thought it would be demeaning to do so.

* He likes the idea of Evolve as a feeder system.

Triple H Talks NXT’s Presence on the WWE Main Roster, Talks Sting Wrestling On Raw, Night of Champions, Bayley vs Banks and More

WWE And Triple H Officially Announce 30-Minute Ironwoman Match For WWE NXT Takeover

WWE and Triple H have officially announced Sasha Banks vs. Bayley in a 30-Minute Ironwoman Match for the main event of the October 7th NXT Takeover special:

.@SashaBanksWWE and @itsBayleyWWE are exactly where they belong...in the MAIN EVENT. #NXTTakeOver 10/7/15 #WeAreNXT pic.twitter.com/eNDmt9VYqY

— Triple H (@TripleH) September 10, 2015

On the heels of their groundbreaking, show-stealing battle at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn, Bayley and Sasha Banks are set to make history once again. NXT General Manager William Regal has confirmed that the two will clash once again in the main event of NXT TakeOver on Oct. 7 in a 30-Minute Iron Man Match for the NXT Women's Championship!

This title match will go a full half-hour. Whoever scores the most pinfalls, submissions, disqualifications or count-outs will win the match and be declared NXT Women's Champion.

The rivalry between these two Divas runs deep. After months of coming up short in championship matches, Bayley finally found the champion's spirit within, going on a tear through the best competition NXT had to offer, defeating Emma, Charlotte and Becky Lynch to earn a title match with Sasha in Brooklyn. While the match meant everything to Bayley, The Boss dismissed her challenger before the bell even rang. Having been called up to WWE's main roster as part of the Divas Revolution, the Team B.A.D. member brushed Bayley off, saying that she wasn't worth her time.

Fueled by Sasha's disrespect, Bayley laid it all on the line at the sold-out Barclays Center. Despite The Boss' best attempts to re-injure her hand, the happy-go-lucky Diva fought through the pain, and several nasty spills, to connect with a reverse hurricanrana off the ropes and a Belly-to-Bayley Suplex to capture the title.

Having finally reached the top of the mountain, Bayley stood tall with the NXT Women's Championship in hand, soon to be joined in celebration by Charlotte and Becky. Sasha got back in the ring and hugged her rival, before the four Divas who changed the face of women's wrestling took a curtain call at NXT's biggest event ever.

As it turns out, the last chapter in this grueling rivalry hadn't been written yet. Bayley and Sasha Banks will have another opportunity to change the game at NXT TakeOver. Who will go the distance in a grueling 30-Minute WWE Iron Man Match and walk out of Orlando with the NXT Women's Championship? Find out Wednesday, Oct. 7, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, only on WWE Network!

Paige Talks WWE and the Diva’s Revolution, Triple H’s Influence, Which Diva Does She See Having The Most Promise in WWE?

WWE Diva Paige recently spoke with Doug Mortman and (filling in for Dave LaGreca,) Larry Dallas, of Busted Open interviewed WWE Diva Paige recently.

Paige talks WWE and the recent “Divas Revolution”, Triple H’s influence on the movement, which Diva she sees with the most promise, and much more. You can hear Busted Open on SiriusXM Rush 93 and on the SiriusXM app. Visit BustedOpenNation.com. for all things Busted Open. Here are some highlights from the interview:

On HHH’s influence on the Diva’s Revolution:

Paige: Just seeing him come in and completely take what was then called FCW like under his wing and make it into this huge brand to the point where it sold out in Brooklyn – 15,000 people are coming to watch NXT – that’s MIND BLOWING … and it’s all because of that guy. He really wanted to make it a success and he really did, especially with the Divas. He really did give the Divas a chance in NXT – like me and Emma, the first network show that we did – he really gave us a chance on there and it just progressed. He killed it. He knocked it out of the park with it. We’re all extremely thankful for the opportunity that he gave every single one of us.

On which young Diva Paige sees having the most promise:

Paige: Even though she’s on the opposing team, I would say Sasha Banks. I’m a huge fan of hers. And I’ve always said it. I’ve always said Sasha Banks. She’s just the full package to me. She can promo, she can wrestle, she looks good … she definitely shows the most, I think.

On whether she sees either of the remaining two Divas on Tough Enough becoming a big name in NXT and eventually the main WWE roster:

Paige: As much as I like Sara Lee, and everyone thinks I pick on her, I would have to say Amanda – and it’s not being biased because you know how I’m like with both of them, I’m brutally honest with both of them. Amanda is kind of the full package too – she can talk, she’s really starting to get things in the ring, and she’s really embracing that heel role that she’s got going on. She really doesn’t care what people think of her and that’s cool to me, I like that, she doesn’t care about being liked or not. She’s not afraid of being different, she’s not afraid to be herself. She does great in the ring. She takes control as well, especially with her and Sara’s match she really took control of it. That’s cool. I like that about her.

On the winners of Tough Enough and their eventual transition to the NXT roster:

Paige: (laughs) It’s definitely going to be hard transition for them because they’re going to have to start working extra hard … especially because there are a lot of people on NXT that have worked their whole lives to get where they are. To be honest with you, they DO work hard, but they’re doing it on a reality show and then they get handed the contract at the end of the day. I can see a few jealous people [in NXT] but everyone is cool and cordial and they’ll be fine.

Sasha Banks Talks Accidentally Hitting Vince McMahon Backstage The Night Of Her RAW Debut, Triple H

On a recent episode of Talk Is Jericho, current NXT Women's Champion Sasha Banks talked about Triple H's commitment to the future of professional wrestling and his involvement in the Divas Revolution. Also, Banks told a story about meeting Vince McMahon for the first time.

In the interview, Banks stated that Triple H "cares so much about the future" of professional wrestling and women's wrestling in particular. Banks said that Triple H is the reason that the female wrestlers get so much TV time and that she is afraid to let him down.

"We definitely don't want to let him down and we haven't," Banks said. "Every [NXT] Takeover, I have a little breakdown because I just don't want [WWE brass] to be like, 'this is the match, this is why [the Divas division] can't have time."

During the interview, Banks called meeting Vince McMahon for the first time a very nerve-racking experience and noted that he still scared her.

According to Banks, the night of her RAW debut, she accidentally hit McMahon backstage when she was talking with her hands while explaining something to her Team BAD partners, Naomi and Tamina. "And I was like, 'oh my God!' He's [Vince] like, 'are you guys excited [for Team BAD's debut]? Are you guys ready for this?'," Banks explained. "He's so intimidating!" she added.

In a wide ranging interview, Banks and Jericho talked about the late great Eddie Guerrero, how Banks came up with 'the Boss' gimmick, and many other topics. Click here to check out the entire podcast.

WWE Unveils the Ultimate SummerSlam Experience at Barclays Center

WWE (NYSE: WWE) and Barclays Center announced today the addition of several fan events to take place at Barclays Center as part of the Ultimate SummerSlam Experience in Brooklyn. Tickets will be available this Saturday, August 1, at noon EST through Ticketmaster.

On Friday, August 21 and Saturday, August 22, WWE will host “WWE Superstar Meet and Greets” at 40/40 CLUB & Restaurant at Barclays Center. These exclusive sessions will give WWE fans an opportunity to get autographs and photos with their choice of WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins™, Randy Orton®, Roman Reigns®, Dean Ambrose®, Bray Wyatt™, WWE Divas Charlotte™, Paige™ and Becky Lynch™, WWE Legend Sting™ and WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels®.

On Saturday, August 22, a special “SummerSlam Panel” will take place at Barclays Center, giving fans a chance to ask questions directly to WWE Superstars. The topic of the panel will be NXT®, where WWE Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events and Creative Paul “Triple H®” Levesque, WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins™, NXT Champion Finn Bàlor™, NXT Women’s Champion Sasha Banks™, WWE Superstar Kevin Owens™, WWE commentator Corey Graves™ and host Byron Saxton™ will discuss the evolution of one of the hottest entertainment brands in the world seen every Wednesday night at 8 p.m. on WWE Network.

The “SummerSlam Panel” will feature a 90 minute discussion and Q&A with fans in attendance. General admission and a limited number of VIP tickets will be available. The VIP ticket includes priority floor seating, a professional photo with select panel Superstars and an exclusive, autographed limited edition poster.

Tickets for “WWE Superstar Meet and Greets” and the “SummerSlam Panel” will be available this Saturday, August 1, at noon EST and can be purchased online by visiting http://www.barclayscenter.com, http://www.ticketmaster.com, or by calling 800-745-3000. Tickets can also be purchased at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center on Monday, August 3 at noon. For more information on SummerSlam Week activities, please visit www.SummerSlam.com.

In addition, WWE NXT will make its historic debut in New York City on Saturday night, August 22, as NXT Takeover: Brooklyn will emanate live from Barclays Center. NXT Takeover: Brooklyn is NXT’s biggest event to date, and will be broadcast live on WWE Network. The main event will feature Finn Bàlor™ defending his newly crowned NXT Championship against former Champion Kevin Owens™. The event will also include appearances by NXT Women’s Champion Sasha Banks™, Samoa Joe™, Rhyno™, Enzo Amore™, Big Cass™, as well as a special appearance by international superstar Jushin “Thunder” Liger. Tickets for NXT Takeover: Brooklyn are currently available through Ticketmaster.

Video: Stephanie McMahon launches a revolution in the Divas division by introducing Becky Lynch, Charlotte and NXT Women's Champion Sasha Banks on Raw

Three NXT Divas Debut On Tonight's WWE RAW

Sometimes all you need is a spark to start a revolution. - Triple H

Interview with Sasha Banks

Sasha Banks was interviewed by Sam Roberts recently for the Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast. You can read highlights below, or see the full video above:

* Sasha Banks talks about how excited she was to main event NXT in Philadelphia. She thought they were joking and was surprised that they were trusted. She also says she cried because she was so nervous. She said the reaction there was the best of her life.

* Sasha talks about how embarrassed she was when she was younger and her mom would see bra & panties matches, and question if Sasha wanted to really do that for a living. Sasha said she tried to explain to her mother that she'd rather be a female Eddie Guerrero.

* Sasha Banks says when she gets on the main roster, women will be main eventing the shows there, too.

* She puts over training with Sara Del Rey, Joey Mercury, Billy Gunn, Norman Smiley.

* Sasha says that Billy Gunn was not a fan of women's wrestling, and training with the NXT girls made him enjoy it.

* Sasha Banks says many didn't expect the "boss" gimmick to take off, but she says when she started to see so many "boss" shirts, she knew it would work.

* She says that Snoop Dogg is actually her cousin, and he calls her "Little Boss." She wasn't around him a lot, but went to a lot of his concerts. She said she begged him to take her to WrestleMania 24. She said she thought she was going to get signed at 16, and was so nervous she had Snoop ask the superstars for the pictures. She said that he is really proud of her, especially since she didn't ask him for help and did it on her own.

* The WWE NXT schedule is set, but they're able to get additional ring time if they want. She said she likes helping out the younger girls who are starting out. She got to teach the women's class one week when Sara Del Rey was on the road.

* Sasha Banks says she wants to be in WWE forever, and doesn't care about the money. She worked on the indies for free for a long time because she loves it.

* There are times she surprises herself, like doing a moonsault.

* Sasha Banks thought the crowd was chanting "Sasha's rat sh*t" instead of "rachet" at first.

* It's always been her dream to be on the WWE main roster, but loves it in NXT. She says she's done main roster loops, and there's no comparison to the NXT crowd.

* She said she marked out for Joey Styles, screamed "Oh my god," then ran away from him. She said she thought it was really cool that Mick Foley wanted a picture with her. Foley traveled four hours to watch her and Charlotte wrestle.

* She wanted to be a wrestler since she was ten. She missed sleepovers, funerals and family holidays just to watch WWE Smackdown.

* She used to hunt, but now she feels bad about it because she loves animals. Sam Roberts says deer are horrible because they run across highways and get hit by cars.

* Eddie Guerrero was her favorite wrestler. She tried to to a frog splash and missed the crash pad and busted her face on the mat. She says maybe she'll bust one out at a WrestleMania.

* She's also a big fan of Kurt Angle, Dean Malenko and lucha-style.

'The Four Horsewomen' of NXT: Sasha Banks, Charlotte, Bayley and Becky Lynch on how they're changing women's wrestling

If you’ve watched WWE NXT any time in the past year (and you really should be watching WWE NXT), you’ve likely noticed something: The women’s division is really damn good.

Bolstered by out-of-nowhere performances by the likes of NXT Women’s Champion Sasha Banks and more, the ladies of NXT have blown up to main-level attractions under the guidance of WWE COO Triple H. As NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable approached, and just hours before Sasha and Ric Flair progeny Charlotte main-evented NXT’s first Live Event in Philadelphia, Charlotte, Sasha, Bayley and Becky Lynch sat down for a roundtable interview with WWE.com. The division’s “Four Horsewomen” opened up on how they got to where they are, where they see themselves going (hint: WrestleMania) and why someday they’ll tell the boys to “Follow that.”

So without further ado, sit back and enjoy some straight shooting from the show-stealin’, wheelin’-dealin’, high-flyin’, revolutionizin’, hug-givin’, match-winnin’ and (onetime) Irish-jiggin’ women — key word — of NXT. Click here.

WWE NXT Takeover: Unstoppable Results

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.

WWE Hires Indie Wrestler As New Seamstress

We noted before that longtime WWE seamstress Sandra Gray left the company a few weeks ago. She has been replaced by indie wrestler Sarath Ton, who is also the fiance of NXT Women's Champion Sasha Banks. He has been making ring gear for wrestlers for some time now, even doing gear for some of the NXT talents. He's on the road with WWE for the next three months and will be working with the main roster.

Big WWE Experience Event Announced For Arnold Sports Festival With NXT, WWE Legends, More

As noted, WWE will host a NXT live event during the Arnold Sports Festival weekend in Columbus, Ohio in early March. There will be a strong WWE presence at this year's Arnold Festival as WWE Experience has been announced. Below are the details:

WWE Experience at the Arnold Sports Festival

WWE Universe, don't miss your chance to take part in the WWE Experience at the Arnold Sports Festival March 5-8, 2015, in Columbus, Ohio!

NXT Live Event
For the first time in WWE history, NXT comes to Columbus, Ohio, as part of the Arnold Sports Festival! See WWE's Superstars of tomorrow, as WWE presents NXT Live at the LC Pavilion on Thursday, March 5! See NXT Champion Sami Zayn, NXT Women's Champion Charlotte, WWE Superstars Ryback and Big Show, WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair, Adrian Neville, Kevin Owens, Finn Bálor, Hideo Itami, Sasha Banks and many more!

Tickets will be available on Friday, Jan. 23, at 10 a.m. ET at the LC Pavilion Box Office and Ticketmaster.com.

Don't miss your chance to attend VIP Experiences, including ringside seats and exclusive meet-and-greets with Ric Flair, Ryback and Big Show!

WWE Experience Event
For a jam-packed weekend of action and entertainment, there's no better spot at this year's Arnold Sports Festival than the WWE Experience on Saturday, March 7, and Sunday, March 8.

Enjoy live matches, featuring some of the best up-and-coming talent from WWE and NXT. Meet the Superstars and Divas of WWE's next generation during autograph signings with Finn Bálor, Hideo Itami, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Tyler Breeze, Sasha Banks, Charlotte, Alexa Bliss and more, plus don't miss your chance to get up close and personal with WWE Legends during Q&A Sessions.

See what it takes to become a WWE Superstar and watch a live tryout. Will any of these recruits become the next breakout Superstar? Better yet, will you? If you're serious about a future in sports entertainment, stop by the WWE recruiting booth and tell us.

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First WWE NXT Event Outside of FL in Conjunction with Triple H's International Sports Hall of Fame Induction

The first-ever WWE NXT live event outside of Florida takes place on March 5th in Columbus, Ohio at the LC Pavilion. This is a 2,200 seat arena and it's part of the Arnold Classic expo weekend, where Triple H will be inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame. Stars advertised include Charlotte, Sasha Banks, Finn Balor, Hideo Itami, Kevin Owens, Adrian Neville and NXT Champion Sami Zayn.

WWE NXT Champ Charlotte Talks Reid Flair Being Her Inspiration, Triple H’s Support, Wanting to Be Respected in the Business & More

Speaking to The UK Sun in an exclusive video chat, NXT’s Charlotte emotionally hailed her late brother Reid as her ‘inspiration in everything she does’.

Charlotte also insisted she and her NXT colleagues go all out every time they hit the ring to prove they deserve to be regarded as the best at what they do, and she singled out HHH for helping build her confidence.

“We want it so bad.

We want to be considered just as good as the boys.

Every time I walk to that ring — I don’t want to say I have a chip on my shoulder — but I feel as if I want to prove that I belong, whether I’m a Flair or not.

I just want to be respected in this business, I feel I have to bring so much more to the table and I want to and I plan on doing that every single time.

You can’t help but say that Triple H one hundred per cent backs us up, believes in us and gives us those opportunities because he believes in us, so yeah — I would say he’s our biggest advocate, absolutely.

Just being in NXT has given me so much confidence as a person and a performer.”

And on WM appearance:

“It was me, Alexa Bliss and Sasha Banks and it was surreal.

Actually, Triple H sent the three of us framed and signed pictures of the entrance, with all the smoke.

Hearing that entrance music — please excuse my language — we felt like badasses!”

WWE NXT TakeOver: R Evolution Results