ECW Press, which often works with WWE on new books, has announced "NXT: The Future Is Now" for an April 2017 release. The book will be written by Jon Robinson and will focus on the creation and rise of the WWE NXT brand.
The following was issued today:
NXT: The Future is Now by Jon Robinson (April 1, 2017, ECW Press) follows the rise of NXT from its conception to becoming WWE’s newest global brand. Learn how NXT came to be, from the opening of the WWE Performance Center to WWE’s new, forward-thinking approach to talent development. See how Seth Rollins, Bray Wyatt, Paige, Charlotte and other new stars have broken into WWE more prepared than any generation before. Get an inside look into WWE’s future as new and exciting performers hone their skills, personalities, and so much more under the watchful eye of Paul “Triple H” Levesque. With new, insightful interviews from Triple H, NXT trainers, Superstars and Divas, fans will learn how the future is indeed now!
NXT: The Future is Now is scheduled for a Spring 2017 release by ECW Press, in partnership with WWE. Over the past fifteen years, ECW has been a leading publisher of wrestling books, including autobiographies of Jimmy “The Mouth of the South” Hart, Larry Zybyszko, and The Missing Link, as well as The Death of WCW and The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame series.
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March 7, 2016
Official Book to Focus on the Creation and Rise of the WWE NXT Brand
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 6, 2016
#DoTheWork
Landed at 2am
— Triple H (@TripleH) March 7, 2016
Sleep at 3am
Boxing 9am-12pm #DoTheWork pic.twitter.com/Td6dmA9wmo
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.
Hulk Hogan And Gawker Head To Court Monday, Potential Jurors Uneasy About Having To Watch Sex Tape
Hulk Hogan's lawsuit against online media company Gawker is set to begin on Monday, March 7, 2016. The $100-million defamation and invasion of privacy trial will take place near Hogan's hometown in St. Petersburg, Florida.
In 2006, Hogan had sex with Heather Clem, the wife of radio personality, Bubba 'The Love Sponge' Clem. The sexual encountered was captured on video and Gawker published portions of the sex tape six years later. Hogan claims that Gawker has violated his privacy, damaged his reputation, and caused him severe emotional and mental distress.
The New York Times paints the legal battle as an unprecedented conflict between personal privacy and freedom of expression in the Internet Era. On one hand, Hogan claims that the privacy of every American is at stake in the trial, as nothing would be private if Gawker prevails. On the other hand, Gawker avers that the freedom of the press will be further eroded if Hogan is victorious.
Carmella Talks Transitioning from a Manager to a Wrestler, the Divas Revolution in WWE, Capturing the Womens Title in NXT, More
WWE NXT Diva Carmella recently spoke with Fansided and below are some interview highlights:
You came into the NXT organization as a manager for the tag team of Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady. Now you have transitioned to become a big part of the women’s roster. Was it difficult for you to make that switch?
I don’t think so, no. It’s just so crazy though. I was a cheerleader for the most of my life and going out there with the boys was just so much fun. I mean, we get along so great and they are my friends. Now, roles have changed a little bit. Instead of people just cheering Enzo and Cass on they get to cheer me on as well and see what I am all about. The roles have definitely changed a bit. I have to be on my game and show the audience and my peers that I’m not just a manager on the sidelines.
It’s still cool, though, that even though I’m with the boys at times I’m still training five days a week inside the ring. People might be a little impressed with me every time I step into the ring, I’m not going to lie. They will see what hard work have been putting in over the last two and a half years.
The main roster is featuring more and more of the Divas division recently. How have you seen the women in the WWE not only grow individually but as a group since you started in the company in 2013?
Well when I first started the Divas Revolution was just beginning. So to see how far it’s come, such as [with] Sasha and Bayley with the match of the year, it’s amazing. I have been put in a great situation where I was No. 1 contender for the Women’s title. It’s just that looking back on where I was and where I’m at now is mind blowing. The fact thatTriple H is giving us the opportunities to show the skills and talent we have is humbling and gives you the motivation to put on the best performance.
Capturing the Women’s Championship would be amazing. Looking at Bayley, who is my best friend and whose taught me so much, and [if] I was to win the title one day I would love for it to be against her. I don’t come from a wrestling background even though my father was one and being a dancer and cheerleader doesn’t turn into wrestling skills. That’s really a testament to our trainers at the Performance Center as well as all the hard work I am putting in. The hard work has gotten me to this point and I will continue to put in the time and the effort to continue chasing my goals.
Professional Wrestling Legend Hayabusa Dies At 47
From WWE.com:
WWE is saddened to learn of the passing of Eiji Ezaki, better known to fans around the world as Hayabusa, at the age of 47.
An innovative high-flyer who helped inspire a generation of Superstars, the mysterious, masked Hayabusa was known for throwing caution to the wind. Ezaki created daring moves like the Phoenix Splash, which to this day can be seen in the repertoire of daredevil competitors, including former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins. A major star in Japan in the mid to late ’90s, Hayabusa competed in one major American match, teaming with Jinsei Shinzaki (known as Hakushi in WWE) in a losing effort against Sabu & Rob Van Dam at ECW’s Heat Wave 1998 event. Although his career was cut short by injury in 2001, Ezaki never strayed far from the industry, where he continued to impart his knowledge.
The Golden Age of Independent Wrestling Is Right Now: Don't Be Left Behind
There is an awakening. Can you feel it?
Last weekend, there were four independent wrestling promotions running within 45 minutes of each other in New York City - CHIKARA, SWA, House of Glory and NYWC. All four featured good live crowds and in the case of at least three of the events, they sold out. NYWC and House of Glory had so many fans, there weren't enough chairs with a number of fans choosing to pay to stand and watch the shows. In The Carolinas, there were multiple events with upwards of 1,700-2,000 fans showing up to see The Rock N' Roll Express battle the Powers of Pain in a Steel Cage for Big Time Wrestling while CWF Mid-Atlantic presented a 105 minute bout that everyone is raving about featuring Trevor Lee and Roy Wilkins. Multiple shows in California for promotions APW and Revolution Pro were sold out. Beyond Wrestling sold out two back to back shows in Rhode Island that received great reviews.
This weekend, Northeast Wrestling is expected to have close to 2,000 fans at their Wrestlefest event in Newburgh, NY. Pro Wrestling Guerrilla will present their latest big events, All Star Extravaganza in Reseda, CA that will undoubtedly draw raves and a sellout crowd. MCW in Baltimore will have another big house in Joppa, MD. There are countless other promotions running this weekend as well.
Wrestlemania weekend, there will be no less than TEN independent wrestling events with everyone from SHIMMER to EVOLVE to CZW to the NWA to VIP Wrestling to Queens of Combat to Kaiju Big Battel presenting shows. That number, by the way, does not include Ring of Honor. Most of these events, if not all, will be packed and will feature a lot of great in-ring wrestling. The biggest wrestling event of the year and ten events will be there as the alternative for the 100,000 fans in Dallas.
Mind you, none of what I wrote about mentions other promotions that are currently trying to build their foundation and brand name. AAW in Illinois. AIW in Cleveland. FIP in Florida. Tier 1 in NYC. WrestlePro in New Jersey. Atlanta Wrestling Entertainment in Georgia. Wildkat Sports in New Orleans. There are more quality independent wrestling promotions right now, at the same time, in the United States than at any point before this era.
Nor am I talking about promotions that can be seen in some vein, nationally, on cable. Championship Wrestling Hollywood. Paragon Pro Wrestling....or the countless ones that can be found on Youtube. Just this week, On Point Wrestling in New Jersey launched their own series online.
Now, let's open our scope to include Europe. WXW in Germany. OTT in Ireland. IPW-UK, Revolution Pro, PROGRESS in Great Britain. [Note from Mike: Or ICW, which many fans wrote me about after I neglected to list them here. Sorry!] The level of wrestling and the sheer amount of stuff out there is staggering, even for someone like me, who loves to follow as much as he can.
Holy sh**!
Don't say it's a revolution. Don't say it's aberration. There is no doubt about it. We are living in the golden age of independent professional wrestling, and it's pretty awesome.
So, why is it happening now? There's always been an independent, undercurrent to what mainstream professional wrestling is. Independent wrestling used to be a dirty word. Back in the territory era, anyone who didn't run without permission were considered "outlaw" shows and if those shows crossed the wrong promoter, The National Wrestling Alliance members would team up to trounce them.
When the WWF national expansion took place, suddenly the rules had changed. One, the territory rules no longer applied. Two, many of the smaller towns and venues that had previously been home to spot shows from the larger companies or now-defunct promoters were available. The era of the independents had begun.
Independents used to be, for the most part small, fly by night promotions. They ran shows that were pretty much the equivalent of the circus coming to town for a day. There would be a few names that fans recognized - The Jimmy Snukas, The Terry Funks, The Big Bossmans, The Abdullah The Butchers - either former nationally known names or renowned wild men who were their own men - responsible for drawing the house. Underneath would be a litany of locals, some talented, some not. Most of the locals never made it past that level. The promotions would come in, put on a show and be done. The shows might be good, they might be bad but most often, unless it was a specific promoters, it was likely a haphazard show. How haphazard? I once witnessed Terry Funk beat Abdullah the Butcher in a Texas Death Match...by DQ. These were shows designed to get money and get out. There was no foundation.
Now, following on the blueprint that promotions like ECW, IWA Mid-South and Ring of Honor created, we have independent promotions running regularly in the same venues, with the same talents, telling storylines that exist over multiple months. Some of them are still running and promoting the old grass-roots style and having great success with it. Big Time Wrestling and Wildkat Sports routinely draw good crowds without seeking online audiences. There are also companies building their momentum on DVD sales, digital downloads and streaming websites. We are seeing promotions making good money with multiple revenue streams. They aren't anywhere close to destroying WWE's place as the top wrestling company in the world, but they are making money for themselves and in many cases, thanks to t-shirt companies like ProWrestlingTees.com, the wrestlers have regular additional income coming in for themselves.
So, why are things so hot again? A cross-sectional check-in with independent promoters and personalities show that there's a number of different reasons that all seem to be hitting at just the right time.
March 3, 2016
Rumor Mill - Shane McMahon Wanted To Buy Newcastle United
New reports suggest Shane McMahon tried and failed to buy Newcastle United football club.
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter notes this week that the son of WWE owner Vince McMahon attempted to put together a consortium to take over the club, but ultimately a deal never materialised.
Rumours from a few years ago actually suggested Vince McMahon wanted to buy the club but at the time it appeared to be fanciful journalism, but may now have stemmed from a real situation where Shane McMahon wanted to buy out Mike Ashley. The deal wouldn’t have had any WWE connection, it would have been a Shane project.
Whether he’ll one day return with a bid for an English Premier League football side is unknown. He’s back with WWE for a short term run as a performer, but he’s in no way back in the wrestling business.
Shane also considered buying the MMA group RINGS, and there were also rumours that he thought about buying PRIDE before UFC stepped in.
He’s always wanted to prove himself, whether it was in WWE or outside WWE. However, he’s still waiting for his first major business success. As for WWE, Stephanie McMahon and Triple H are now firmly established in the heir to Vince McMahon spot.
March 2, 2016
Kevin Nash Says He Will Donate His Brain And Spinal Cord To CTE Research
ESPN is reporting ex-WWE and WCW Champion Kevin Nash will donate his brain and spinal cord to benefit CTE research after his death.
Nash told ESPN why he decided to make the donation, saying:
“Chris Nowinski started the program and I’ve had several concussions throughout my life and had scans done and stuff and knew that somewhere down the line, I’ve already had short-term memory problems,” Nash said. “I decided to go ahead. The only way you can diagnose this is after you’re dead.
I went ahead and gave my spinal cord and my brain to the study and I carry a card in my wallet that my brain and spine goes to them. It’s in my will. Of course, my wife’s aware of it.”
Nash added that he’s been knocked out during a match a few times and described the feeling:
“Several times. Yes, several times. You’d flash and just wake up and are so disoriented and then you come back and you’re nauseous and you have a headache and you have a headache and you can’t focus on the TV. But you just think, the old school is that you got your bell rung. No, dude, your brain got slammed against your skull.”
Nash talked about the risks involved in any contact sports, saying:
“I always knew when I got involved in this. I got upended in a basketball game and landed on my head and got knocked out. Anything you do in sports, go ice skate and fall and bang your head. It doesn’t take much for your brain to bang off the inside of your skull.
Anything you do in life that’s athletic that has any degree of contact whatsoever there’s that risk that you could be injured or have a concussion. I don’t blame anything except it is my endeavors.”
Former WWE star and Concussion Legacy Foundation’s Chris Nowinski also commented on Nash’s decision, telling ESPN:
“It’s so powerful when icons like Kevin Nash are willing to pledge their brain for research and talk about it publicly. Brain donation is really driving our growing knowledge of CTE and the long-term effects of brain trauma. And so I’m hoping that we solve this problem before Kevin’s time comes but Kevin announcing this means that other families are aware that this research is important and that if they lose somebody, they may think of the concussion legacy foundation.”
