Daily Update: NXT on USA, NWA tapings, Nick Newell

DAILY UPDATE

Latest News:
- NXT UK results: Ohno vs. Scala British Rounds match
- ‘Blue carpet’ show airing before WWE SmackDown’s FOX debut
- Brock Lesnar advertised for September 30 episode of WWE Raw
- Kevin Owens set for WWE house show tour despite firing angle
- WWE SmackDown video highlights: Brock Lesnar appears
- WWE 205 Live results: Oney Lorcan vs. Tony Nese
- One-hour Starrcade special to air live on WWE Network on December 1
- Brock Lesnar challenging for WWE title on SmackDown’s FOX debut
- AEW reveals bracket for Tag Team title tournament
- WWE SmackDown live results: New Day vs. Orton & The Revival
Latest Audio:
- Pacific Rim: Liger-Suzuki, Japan WON HOF ballot, more 9/18
- B&V&C: Retro Raw and Nitro from 19 years ago this week! 9/17
F4W NEWSLETTER: The Fiend challenging for Universal title at HIAC Joseph Currier looks at how quickly Wyatt’s Fiend character has been elevated to the title picture. Plus, Bryan Rose’s notes on Japan, and Vinny’s TV reviews.
With an upcoming Universal title shot at Hell in a Cell, WWE seems poised to elevate Bray Wyatt’s Fiend character to the absolute top of the company.
Sunday’s Clash of Champions pay-per-view ended with an angle to kickstart The Fiend’s program against Seth Rollins. After Rollins retained the Universal Championship against Braun Strowman in the main event, The Fiend appeared and attacked Rollins as he was celebrating on the stage. The lights went out during the celebration, with The Fiend then hitting Sister Abigail on Rollins and putting him in the Mandible Claw.
The next night on Raw also included an angle with The Fiend. At the start of the show, it was confirmed that Rollins will defend his Universal title against The Fiend inside of Hell in a Cell at next month’s PPV. In the main event segment, The Fiend put Kane in the Mandible Claw after Kane made an appearance in Knoxville, Tennessee and saved Rollins from Robert Roode, Dolph Ziggler, AJ Styles, Luke Gallows, and Karl Anderson. The Fiend then taunted a terrified Rollins, and the show ended with a distorted version of the Firefly Fun House theme song and intro video.
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WON NEWSLETTER: Anthem buys AXS TV plus tons of news
In a move that has great ramifications in pro wrestling, Anthem Sport and Entertainment has purchased a majority interest in AXS TV and HDNet Movies and will begin running the two channels.
The deal also includes purchasing the AXS TV library of concerts, pro wrestling and MMA content, which would include U.S. broadcast rights to old ROH, many years of New Japan, WOW, and some defunct MMA promotions as well as countless smaller MMA shows.
Mark Cuban, who founded the stations, and AEG, his partners, will continue to own a minority interest. Part of the purchase team included Anthem, headed by Leonard Asper, and entertainer Steve Harvey, who will enter into a strategic content development agreement.
The company will continue operating from studios in Los Angeles and Denver, as well as use Anthem studios in Toronto, Nashville and Europe. The office in Dallas was closed down.
While not stated in the sales press release, as noted over the months this day has been in play, that if it was to go through, that Impact would move from The Pursuit Channel, where it has been dying on the vine, and move to AXS.
The deal actually first started with an attempt by Anthem to get Impact on AXS when they got word in the latter stages of 2018 that they weren’t going to be renewed by Pop TV. AXS turned down the initial deal, since Impact did not have a good reputation in the wrestling world at the time and AXS had its own wrestling franchise with New Japan.
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WEDNESDAY NEWS UPDATE

WWE
- A new era for NXT begins as the brand makes its live USA Network debut tonight. For the first two weeks, the first hour of the show will air live on USA Network and the second hour will be live on WWE Network. That’s due to the USA series “Suits” airing its final two episodes tonight and next Wednesday. NXT will begin airing on USA for the full two hours starting on October 2.
- Tonight’s NXT episode has Velveteen Dream defending his North American Championship against Roderick Strong, Mia Yim vs. Bianca Belair vs. Io Shirai vs. Candice LeRae to determine Shayna Baszler’s next challenger, and a street fight between Matt Riddle and Killian Dain. Dream vs. Strong will be part of the USA Network portion of the show, while Riddle vs. Dain has been announced for the WWE Network hour.
- The set-up for NXT at Full Sail tonight has a slightly updated look. There’s also a new location for the commentary team.
- Newsweek interviewed Belair about her match on tonight’s show. Belair also spoke to Channel Guide Magazine.
- Adam Cole spoke to Sports Illustrated and FOX News ahead of tonight’s premiere.
- The Orlando Sentinel published a story on NXT coaches Sara Amato and Matt Bloom.
- ESPN has an article on 2018’s TakeOver: New Orleans and it being a night that changed NXT forever.
- Roman Reigns will be a guest star in season three of the Disney Channel animated series “Elena of Avalor.”
- Ali, Apollo Crews, and other WWE wrestlers will appear on the episode of FOX’s “25 Words or Less” game show that’s airing this Friday.
- For Hispanic Heritage Month, WWE uploaded a video of Andrade talking about his family’s lucha libre legacy.
Pro Wrestling
- The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) have been added to night two of the NWA’s TV tapings in Atlanta on October 1.
- Billy Corgan revealed the NWA’s logo for the tapings.
- In addition to the apology he issued for this past weekend’s WrestlePro incident, Big Cass tweeted: “I’m sorry. I’m going to keep fighting. Promise me you’ll do the same. We are all in this together.”
- MLW announced that they’ve signed Dominic Garrini to a multi-year deal. Garrini made his MLW debut at their War Chamber tapings earlier this month.
- This year’s Revolution Pro Wrestling British J-Cup will take place at York Hall in London on November 24.
- NJPW’s English-language website interviewed Jon Moxley. Moxley said he plans to be at Wrestle Kingdom 14: “100% I plan to be at the Tokyo Dome. I don’t know who I’ll be facing, whether I’m still US Champion. But I’ve been in Wrestlemania, in the G1, and this is the next step. Anyone who’s anyone in Japan has competed in the Tokyo Dome, so I absolutely plan on being there.”
- An 18-year-old Milwaukee man was charged with vandalizing the city’s Crusher statue.
- The Young Bucks uploaded a new episode of “Wrestlers on the Road Ordering Room Service” with SoCal Uncensored.
UFC/MMA
- Nick Newell has officially signed a multi-fight deal with Bellator.
- UFC fighter David Branch has been suspended for two years by USADA. Branch tested positive for ipamorelin in a test that was taken in May.
- Gunnar Nelson vs. Gilbert Burns is set for the UFC’s Fight Night show in Copenhagen on September 28.
Daily Pro Wrestling History: WWE Night of Champions 2011
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