NXT Unleashed! The New and Improved NXT

[sportsfanmas]

May 2020

 

The pro wrestling world was in shock when WWE Owner Vince McMahon made the announcement that would not only change the pro wrestling industry, but also the status of his very own family.

 

"Effective immediately, I am closing the doors to NXT and NXT:UK. What started out as developmental companies have now seen NXT turn into a company that most people don't even realize is still affiliated with WWE. My son in law has turned NXT into something it was never supposed to be. NXT was never supposed to be it's own brand. It was always supposed to be a brand for them to develop workers so that I could call them up to my baby, the WWE. I am putting NXT down before they get any bigger. All NXT talent will become part of the WWE roster. This includes in-ring and out of ring staff."

 

Triple H, the man who had been behind NXT for the last several years, had these comments.. after destroying his custom built man cave. "Vince, you old, senile bastard. This is the last straw. You have made my life a living hell since I married your daughter. Now you are taking my company, my livelihood. You will not get away with this, old man!"

 

Of course these words sparked a bigger war of words between Triple H and Vince McMahon. Caught in the middle was daddy's princess and Triple H's wife, Stephanie McMahon. To the surprise of some, but not all, she sided with her father Vince, which led to a battle like no other between husband and wife. The end result was a very, very messy divorce. There was no doubt Triple H was at odds with Vince and Steph.

 

But what about Shane McMahon, who for many years played an on-screen role against his father and sister. Would that role continue off-screen? Or would he side with his family. The answer came when Shane spoke. "My father, who quite frankly should have retired years ago, and my spoiled sister, have gone too far this time. I love the WWE, and I loved NXT. It was getting bigger, but have you actually stopped to watch RAW and Smackdown lately? My god they are terrible. The writers my dad has hired to run those shows... hell, me and Triple H could do a better job."

 

So it's clear that this was a family divided. Vince and Stephanie, well they still had WWE. Shane and Triple H, who were now working together, had nothing. Or did they? What Vince and daddies princess Stephanie didn't know was that Triple H had an ace up his sleeve, an ace that would further shock the wrestling world...……

 

*stay tuned, part 2 of this backstory comes later today. For those curious, I am using TheWho87's Real World Updates, and I'm using the latest update, June 2020.*

[sportsfanmas]

<p><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">June 1, 2020</span></strong></p><p> </p><p>

It was just a few days ago when the shock announcement came that <strong>Vince McMahon</strong> was shutting down NXT and NXT:UK. The fallout of that decision was the break-up and divorce of <strong>Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley</strong> and <strong>Triple H, Paul Levesque</strong>. There was now pure hatred between the McMahon family and Triple H, all except for Shane McMahon, who chose to side with Triple H. They set to work on a plan to get back at Vince and Stephanie, and the perfect plan finally came to fruition.</p><p> </p><p>

*Triple H steps to the podium*</p><p> </p><p>

I am the game, I am Triple H. You see, about 10 days ago was the worst day of my life. I divorced my wife, I wanted to do bodily harm to my ex father in law, but then I talked to my attorneys, and Shane McMahon talked to his attorneys, and I'm about to drop a big bombshell on you.</p><p> </p><p>

You see, I had mine and my ex-wife who doesn't deserve to be mentioned nuptials revised, and in there was a key piece.... NXT. *holds up a contract* Zoom in, so you can see this, because this is very important. *camera zooms in to a line in fine print that reads, "The sole and rightful owner of NXT Wrestling, in the event of a custody battle, belongs to Triple H."* "You see, old senile Vince, and my spoiled slut of an ex-wife, you can try to shut down NXT, but this document right here says you don't have the power. I own NXT and everything that comes with it."</p><p> </p><p>

Of course the McMahon's didn't take too kindly to this, and an emergency appeal was filed, but the appeal went in favor of Triple H. NXT belonged to Triple H, as well as all the trademarks and wrestlers and staff that were involved with NXT at the time of shutdown. This of course did not make daddy dearest and daddies little princess happy, but they had no leg to stand on.</p><p> </p><p>

"I am The Game, Triple H, and this is the reopening of NXT. No more developmental territory for NXT, they are their own company now. I don't answer to Vince, I don't answer to Stephanie, I don't answer to anybody else when it comes to NXT. What I do is my decision, and mine alone. Well... of course Shane O Mac gets a say too."</p><p> </p><p>

And with that the reformation of NXT was underway. I hope you enjoyed the backstory, I wanted to get this done today, hence the reason for no graphics. </p><p> </p><p>

I will say that graphics won't be a big part of this dynasty, it'll be mostly text based. I will look to write the best dynasty I can. I retained most of the roster from NXT, but there are a few members that I took from WWE. I also hired a couple new talents. The roster will be revealed over the next couple days, probably tomorrow. Hope you enjoy.</p>

[Dalton]

Good luck mate

[sportsfanmas]

<p>Here are the highlights from a press conference that <strong>Triple H</strong> had as he announced the reformation of NXT.</p><p> </p><p>

<span style="text-decoration:underline;">Roster</span></p><p> </p><p>

About 90% of the roster consists of people that were currently working for NXT or NXT:UK when old senile Vince shut them down. Not everybody was retained. There are a few new members to the roster, but Triple H didn't reveal names, saying we would all find out soon.</p><p> </p><p>

<span style="text-decoration:underline;">Schedule</span></p><p> </p><p>

The first show that the revised NXT will hold will be the first round of the 2020 Mae Young Classic. More on the tournament format later. NXT has also launched their own network, the NXT Network. In addition to all NXT events being shown on NXT Network, the soon to premiere NXT Unleashed tv show will air on the Network on Thursday nights. The first NXT Takeover under the revised regime will be NXT Takeover: Championship Night, in which all 5 titles will be decided. This will take place in a few weeks.</p><p> </p><p>

<span style="text-decoration:underline;">Titles and Tournaments</span></p><p> </p><p>

NXT will have 5 titles, the same ones they had when they were shut down. The NXT Title, NXT North American Title, NXT Cruiserweight Title, NXT Women's Title, and NXT Tag Team Titles. The winner of the 2020 Mae Young Classic will be crowned the new NXT Women's Champion. The winner of the 2020 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic will be crowned the new NXT Tag Team Champions. The Mae Young Classic and Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic will be held every year, but specific months for the events have not been given. 1 will be held between January-June, and the other will be held between July-December.</p><p> </p><p>

<span style="text-decoration:underline;">Tournament Formats</span></p><p> </p><p>

With NXT being the land of opportunity, all active wrestlers currently signed to NXT will participate in a tournament. The Mae Young Classic will have 24 wrestlers. 8 of the wrestlers have been seeded, and they will receive byes into the second round. Seeding was down based on popularity in the United States, as well as experience and Triple H's preference. It will be a standard single elimination tournament.</p><p> </p><p>

The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic will of course feature 8 tag teams. Those 8 teams have been seeded based on the same seeding criteria as the Mae Young Classic. Going forward, Triple H has announced that the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic will be a double elimination tournament.</p><p> </p><p>

The NXT, NXT North American, and NXT Cruiserweight Tournaments will all have 12 participants. These tournaments will not be seeded, but instead the participants were randomly drawn into 3 groups of 4. The group play is round robin, each wrestler faces every other wrestlers in the group once, for 3 group matches. Wrestlers earn 3 points for a win by pinfall or submission, 2 points for a win by DQ or countout, 1 point for a time limit draw or Double DQ or Countout, and 0 points for a loss of any kind. The group winners will then compete in a 3 way elimination match to determine the champions. It is said that Triple H may allow the top 2nd place finisher of the groups to participate, making it a 4 way elimination, but that has not been decided yet. This is the format that all 3 of the male singles tournaments will use.</p><p> </p><p>

<span style="text-decoration:underline;">Going Against WWE</span></p><p> </p><p>

Triple H admitted that putting a show on Monday or Friday nights to go head to head with RAW or Smackdown would be a grave mistake. Companies have tried, companies have failed, and NXT won't be doing that. He did say, however, that NXT would take every available opportunity to fire a shot at WWE, so expect a fair amount of dirty tricks both ways. Triple H said he would be shortlisting all WWE in and out of ring personnel and trying to steal wrestlers from WWE when they legally could.</p><p> </p><p>

<span style="text-decoration:underline;">Relationships with Other Companies</span></p><p> </p><p>

Triple H said that he has established working relationships with several companies, including AEW, Impact Wrestling, MLW, NWA, NJPW, and ROH. In addition, currently NXT will have talent trading agreements with AEW, Impact, NWA, and NJPW. There have been talks of starting an alliance and having alliance titles, but nothing has been set yet.</p><p> </p><p>

And now it is time to reveal the tournament group seeding and brackets for the 5 tournaments. Stay tuned!</p>

[sportsfanmas]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Dalton" data-cite="Dalton" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="50788" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Good luck mate</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Thanks!</p>

[sportsfanmas]

<p>It's time to reveal the brackets and groups for the 5 tournaments.</p><p> </p><p>

<strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">NXT Title Tournament</span></strong></p><p> </p><p>

Pool A- Finn Balor, The Velveteen Dream, Keith Lee, Dexter Lumis</p><p>

Pool B- Ryback, Matt Morgan, Rusev, Karrion Kross</p><p>

Pool C- Roderick Strong, Damian Priest, Dominik Dijakovic, Titus O'Neil</p><p> </p><p>

These are some stacked pools, and it's hard to determine just who will come out on top. </p><p> </p><p>

<strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">NXT North American Title Tournament</span></strong></p><p> </p><p>

Pool A- Zack Gibson, Daniel Vidot, Bronson Reed, Cal Bloom</p><p>

Pool B- Ridge Holland, Isaiah Scott, Cameron Grimes, Joaquin Wilde</p><p>

Pool C- Dave Mastiff, Alexander Wolfe, Ariya Daivari, Jack Gallagher</p><p> </p><p>

Not a lot of star power in this tournament, expect several of the wrestlers in the NXT Title Tournament to make a bid for the NXT North American Title. Also several of the participants in the NXT North American Title Tournament are Cruiserweights.</p><p> </p><p>

<strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">NXT Cruiserweight Title Tournament</span></strong></p><p> </p><p>

Pool A- Tyler Breeze, Kona Reeves, Robbie E, Travis Banks</p><p>

Pool B- Tony Nese, Jake Atlas, Drake Maverick, El Hijo de Fantasma</p><p>

Pool C- Mansoor, Morgan Webster, Noam Dar, Raul Mendoza</p><p> </p><p>

Nice group of cruiserweights here, gotta think the winner will come from Pool A or Pool B. Drake Maverick might be the sentimental favorite, but I like Tyler Breeze or Robbie E to come out on top.</p><p> </p><p>

<strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic (Winner becomes NXT Tag Team Champions)</span></strong></p><p> </p><p>

<a href="imgur.com/HiMhc8n.html" rel=""><img alt="HiMhc8n.jpg" data-src="https://imgur.com/HiMhc8n.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></a></p><p> </p><p>

A nice mix of teams here! The reunion of #DIY has to make them the favorites, but don't sleep on the team of Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin, or The BroserWeights. When you have reDRagon and Moustache Mountain as the 4 and 5 seeds, you know you've got a stacked tournament. For those that don't know:</p><p> </p><p>

#DIY are Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa</p><p>

European Union are Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel</p><p>

Moustache Mountain are Trent Seven and Tyler Bate</p><p>

reDRagon are Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly</p><p>

The BroserWeights are Matt Riddle and Pete Dunne</p><p>

Burch and Lorcan are of course Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan</p><p>

Gable and Benjamin are Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin</p><p>

Badd Boys are Chase Parker and Matt Martel</p><p> </p><p>

<strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Mae Young Classic (Winner becomes NXT Women's Champion</span></strong></p><p> </p><p>

<a href="imgur.com/aUZ1PN3.html" rel=""><img alt="aUZ1PN3.jpg" data-src="https://imgur.com/aUZ1PN3.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></a></p><p> </p><p>

It's hard to think that an unseeded woman will win the Mae Young Classic. The top 8 seeds are really, really strong. Welcome Dana Brooke to NXT who comes in as the #6 seed. A bit of a curious move. This is a tough one to call as well.</p>

[sportsfanmas]

There will be prediction contests, normally they will be January-June and July-December. This first prediction contest will include 2 shows in June, as well as 4 or possibly 5 NXT Takeovers. TV shows will not be up for prediction, just the events such as NXT Takeover. There will be 6-7 shows for each prediction contest. I haven't decided on prizes yet. I'd still like to do a Fan Challenge Series, but I'm not sure I'll have enough people predicting regularly to do so. We'll see how the first few prediction shows go and then go from there.

[sportsfanmas]

<p><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">2020 Mae Young Classic- First Round Preview</span></strong></p><p> </p><p>

This will be the first televised event in the new NXT era. The era of no longer being a developmental company. It will feature the first round of the 2020 Mae Young Classic. Very exciting match-ups coming your way, so let's look at the card:</p><p> </p><p>

Sarah Logan vs. Chelsea Green</p><p>

Comments:</p><p> </p><p>

Scarlett Bordeaux vs. Isla Dawn</p><p>

Comments:</p><p> </p><p>

Kacy Catanzaro vs. Raquel Gonzalez</p><p>

Comments:</p><p> </p><p>

Deonna Purrazzo vs. Vanessa Borne</p><p>

Comments:</p><p> </p><p>

Jessamyn Duke vs. Kay Lee Ray</p><p>

Comments:</p><p> </p><p>

Marina Shafir vs. Xia Brookside</p><p>

Comments:</p><p> </p><p>

Shotzi Blackheart vs. Piper Niven</p><p>

Comments:</p><p> </p><p>

Sara Lee vs. Santana Garrett</p><p>

Comments:</p><p> </p><p>

<span style="text-decoration:underline;">bonus questions (4 points each)</span></p><p> </p><p>

Please predict who you think will win each tournament.</p><p> </p><p>

Mae Young Classic Winner:</p><p>

NXT Title Tournament Winner:</p><p>

NXT North American Title Tournament Winner:</p><p>

NXT Cruiserweight Title Tournament Winner:</p><p>

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Winner:</p><p> </p><p>

I'm planning on running this show tomorrow, then the first edition of NXT Unleashed will air, but the NXT Unleashed shows will not be part of the prediction contest, so hopefully I can knock them out quick.</p>

[sportsfanmas]

Last chance to get predictions in, this show will run this afternoon

[vladjarca]

Sarah Logan vs. Chelsea Green

Comments:

 

Scarlett Bordeaux vs. Isla Dawn

Comments:

 

Kacy Catanzaro vs. Raquel Gonzalez

Comments:

 

Deonna Purrazzo vs. Vanessa Borne

Comments:

 

Jessamyn Duke vs. Kay Lee Ray

Comments:

 

Marina Shafir vs. Xia Brookside

Comments:

 

Shotzi Blackheart vs. Piper Niven

Comments:

 

Sara Lee vs. Santana Garrett

Comments:

 

As for tournament winners:

Mae Young Classic: Scarlett

NXT Title: Velveteen Dream

NA Title: Zack Gibson would be absolutely great

Cruiserweight: Hard choice between Breeze, Banks and Hijo Del Phantasma, I'll go with Breeze.

Dusty Classic: #DIY

[sportsfanmas]

Mae Young Classic First Round - Monday, Week 3, June 2020 - Show Review

 

Uneventful Show Leads to Drop in Size for NXT

 

The highlight of this show was Triple H introducing the fans to the new NXT. It drew a 71 rating. After that though, the show was a complete dud. 8 First Round matches. No angles, no interviews, no nothing. To say that this was a bit of a throwaway show is a complete understatement.

 

The best match of the show was Sarah Logan beating Chelsea Green. It drew a 29 rating. The Kay Lee Ray-Jessamyn Duke match drew a 26 rating. Nothing else drew more than a 22 rating.

 

The final show rating was a dismal 28. It's a good idea for Triple H to have the first 2 rounds of the Mae Young Classic as separate events, then move the Quarterfinals and Semifinals to the new television program, NXT Unleashed. However, more star power is needed. Next weeks show should be a little better, as we'll get the 8 seeded wrestlers, but even then, it would be wise of Triple H to have some male star power on the show, someone besides just himself.

 

As a result of the low show rating, NXT, who came into the night as a medium sized promotion, dropped down to a small size promotion. They are now in shock for the next few weeks. Hopefully they can put on good shows throughout, which shouldn't be a problem with all the male star power coming up in the other tournaments.

 

Full Results

 

 

Post Show Comments

 

Ok, well this was a complete disaster. As it stands, we are right where I want to be size wise. I wanted NXT to start as a small company, just forgot to change it. I'm going to cap the size at small for now, so that I can develop some workers. Right now, only about 12 wrestlers of a recognizable perception. The rest are all unimportant. That will change in due time no doubt, but for now, we need to run as a small company.

 

I've given referee DA Brewer 2 months paid time off. His refereeing in the Mae Young Classic was not up to par with all the other referees, and it showed. On the flip side, I wanted to just use female road agents for the women's matches. Sara Amato did a fine job, but Paige, not so much. I'm hoping to hire Trish Stratus as a road agent, and give Paige some time off.

 

Believe it or not, I'm already looking into a child company for NXT, as we have a lot of talent that could benefit from more development. I know, I know, the reason I started this new dynasty was because I didn't like WWE taking my good talent when I was running NXT as a developmental company. But when I run a developmental company, I do it a little different. I have a mix of established veterans and undeveloped workers paired together in the child company, getting the best of both worlds. Again, a child company won't happen until the tournaments are all over.

[vladjarca]

Damn, why were the ratings so low? I get the Shafyr, Duke & Vanessa matches not setting the world on fire but the other match ups should have easily been in the at least in the 30-45 range if you ask me

[sportsfanmas]

Damn, why were the ratings so low? I get the Shafyr, Duke & Vanessa matches not setting the world on fire but the other match ups should have easily been in the at least in the 30-45 range if you ask me

 

Well for starters, I am a horrible booker lol. But I have yet to truly understand how the ratings work. As far as actually diving into the in-depth details of this game, I've never really done that. I've just booked the way I wanted to book, trying not to worry about ratings too much. Hence the reason why I've opened the NXT Network. I can have all my shows on there and not worry about them being cancelled.

 

But I really don't know how to improve my ratings. The only road agent notes I really use are picking a winner, once in a while I'll use keep strong or domination, or open match, but I hardly ever mess with the match aims or anything like that.

[sportsfanmas]

NXT Unleashed - Thursday, Week 3, June 2020 - Show Review

 

Strong debut of NXT Unleashed, highlighted by a mild upset and a mysterious video to end the show

 

The debut edition of NXT Unleashed was a much, much better delivery than the Mae Young Classic First Round. Group A matches in the NXT Title, NXT North American Title, and NXT Cruiserweight Title took place, as well as 2 First Round matches in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. The surprise of the night was The Velveteen Dream beating Finn Balor in a Group A match in the NXT Title Tournament. This was the main event of the show, and it didn't disappoint, getting a rating of 51, the highest rating for a match on the show.

 

The real drama took place after the main event though, when the arena went black, and a video started playing on the TitanTron. This brought out NXT Owner Triple H, who was visibly frustrated, trying to get the video stopped. In the video, a group of dark masked people with their voices disguised, claimed they would be invading NXT in the very near future, and that NXT needed a culture shock. It appeared that the group consisted of 4 males and 2 females, but nothing could be officially determined.

 

Either way, whether this was part of an angle, or an actual shoot, it was a great way to end the debut edition of NXT Unleashed, as fans are already buzzing about who this mystery group could be. Could it be 6 members of WWE that Vince McMahon sent to NXT to disrupt things? Could it be current members of NXT looking to create a buzz? Or could it be outsiders not invested with WWE or NXT? Free agents? Time will tell. In any case, the show was viewed very well by the fans, and it is a step in the right direction.

 

 

Post Show Comments

 

It is very evident to me that if I worry about ratings, I will drive myself crazy. No way should an episode of NXT that had that much star power on it get a 48 show rating. As it stands, I just have to concentrate on booking, and telling the stories I want to tell.

 

The big question right now is the mystery video. Work? Shoot? Angle? Let's just call it a worked shoot. I have a group of people in mind that I want to be behind this. I'd like to not call it a ripoff of the nWo angle, because of the mystery behind it. However, call it what you want.

 

Velveteen Dream over Finn Balor is creating a lot of buzz. Look, I like Finn, a lot, but Velveteen Dream is a top future talent. Finn had no problem putting Dream over, but trust me, I have plans for Finn.

 

I have decided to delay the Second Round of the Mae Young Classic for a couple weeks, because quite honestly I want to get a couple more regular shows booked today. Because the Mae Young Classic Second Round will be the final prediction show for a while (until NXT Takeover: Championship Night, which is several weeks away), I will run that show sometime next week. I'd like to get Groups B and C of the tournaments done this weekend.

 

Any questions or comments, as always, let me know. You know I'm always up for interaction, sometimes to a fault.

[sportsfanmas]

NXT Unleashed - Thursday, Week 4, June 2020 - Show Review

 

War between NXT and Mystery Group Intensifies, More is Learned About Mystery Group, 4 Title Tournaments Resume

 

A wild episode of NXT Unleashed gave us new information on the mystery group that posted a video on last weeks show. Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Shane McMahon, and William Regal left last weeks show convinced that the mystery group was part of a WWE takeover. With a recent war of words between NXT and WWE, it would only make sense. The 4 NXT power members vowed to put up the strongest defense possible against this mystery group. Before the main event, the mystery group had another video, much the same as last weeks video, but this time offered up some new information. We now know that all of the members of the mystery group are second generation superstars. Males and females will be part of the group, and the group will be small, but powerful. It appears NXT has more than 1 war on their hands.

 

Meanwhile, Isaiah Scott pulled double duty tonight, winning both matches. He beat Ridge Holland in a scheduled match, then beat Cameron Grimes in an impromptu match that was supposed to be Grimes vs. Wilde. No explanation has been given as to what happened to Wilde, but we are being told it was nothing more than just a communication issue.

 

Ryback and Rusev had strong debuts in NXT, both winning their matches in Group A of the NXT Title Tournament. El Hijo de Fantasma scored a mild upset over crowd favorite Drake Maverick in the NXT Cruiserweight Title Tournament. No surprises in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic this week, as both the team of Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin and the team of the BroserWeights won their matches.

 

Another solid show, and the intrigue continues to mount as to who exactly is involved in this mystery group, and when they will make their actual debut in the company.

 

 

Post Show Comments

 

Well, the big screw-up this week was me booking Isaiah Scott twice. Total accident, apparently I just didn't have Joaquin Wilde's name clicked when I booked the match. The Cameron Grimes-Joaquin Wilde match will be added to next weeks show, which will also feature Group C matches in the NXT Title, NXT North American Title, and NXT Cruiserweight Title Tournaments. There will be no matches in the Mae Young Classic or the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic next week.

 

I have released Jason Jordan, who just wasn't cutting it as a road agent. I have also signed Debra Miceli (Madusa) to be a road agent, as I wanted another strong female road agent for the Mae Young Classic. I haven't decided how many more episodes of NXT Unleashed I will run before I schedule the Mae Young Classic Second Round event, which will be a prediction event. I know at least 1 more, maybe 2 or 3. We'll see how the weekend goes. I want to get a good jump on this and get some posts, and hopefully attract some followers and more predictors.

[sportsfanmas]

NXT Unleashed - Thursday, Week 1, July 2020 - Show Review

 

An Invitation is Accepted, a New Video is Shown, and the Mystery Group Reveals More Plans

 

NXT is focusing around 2 things right now. The biggest being the mystery group that has shown videos on the NXT video board for the last 3 weeks. This weeks episode of NXT Unleashed started with Triple H finding an anonymous note telling him to be in the ring before the show ended. When Triple H came to the ring, he was met with a live (but still darkened and disguised) video of the Mystery Group. We've learned that every member of the group is a 2nd generation superstar, and that starting with Sunday's episode of the Mae Young Classic, each member would record a short video with hints as to who each member is. When Triple H tried to ask a question about the group, the feed cut off.

 

Also, the tournaments are starting to take shape. This episode featured Group C matches in the NXT Title, NXT North American Title, and NXT Cruiserweight Title Tournaments. The main event saw Roderick Strong, now on his own, get a big win over a very tough Damian Priest. An interesting altercation took place backstage between Shane McMahon and Jeff Jarrett, who talked about the WWE/TNA wars that never came to fruition. Jarrett admitted the dumbest thing he ever did was go head to head against WWE, and he was happy to hear that NXT would not be broadcasting on Monday nights. The next show will be the Second Round of the Mae Young Classic. Stay tuned.

 

 

Post Show Comments

 

Not a lot to talk about right now. As the review mentioned, the focus is on the NXT/Mystery Group angle, as well as the tournaments.

 

Kudos to Roderick Strong, who really took Damian Preist under his wing last night, and worked with him to put together a quality match. This is the kind of leadership we need more of.

 

I'm still finalizing the 2nd Generation stable, looking for 1 more male member. The group will have 5 males and 3 females, at least starting out

[sportsfanmas]

2020 Mae Young Classic- Second Round Preview

 

This is the second prediction show of the 2020 prediction contest. Keep in mind that going forward, there will be 2 six month prediction contests. At this time, unless I get more people predicting, I'm not going to be able to do the fan challenge series that I was hoping to do. I do still plan on having a prediction contest though, and hopefully once I get more involved with this dynasty, I'll get more people predicting regularly.

 

On to this show. The 8 first round winners will meet up will the 8 seeded wrestlers. Also, we are being told that the 3 female members of the Mystery 2nd Generation Stable will each be showing an individual video throughout the night, and each video will have a couple hints as to who they might be. When all the videos are done, you guys will have the opportunity to guess who all the members are. For now though, let's get to the card. The numbers in brackets represent the seed of the wrestler.

 

Sarah Logan vs. (1) Dakota Kai

Comments:

 

Scarlett Bordeaux vs. (8) Tegan Nox

Comments:

 

Raquel Gonzalez vs. (5) Toni Storm

Comments:

 

Vanessa Borne vs. (4) Rhea Ripley

Comments:

 

Kay Lee Ray vs. (3) Mia Yim

Comments:

 

Marina Shafir vs. (6) Dana Brooke

Comments:

 

Shotzi Blackheart vs. (7) Io Shirai

Comments:

 

Santana Garrett vs. (2) Candice LeRae

Comments:

 

bonus question (2 points)

 

How many of the seeded wrestlers will be upset in the Second Round?

 

I will be running this show sometime tomorrow afternoon, so if you want to get your predictions in, do so. The show will run tomorrow no matter what.

[sportsfanmas]

Mae Young Classic Second Round - Sunday, Week 1, July 2020 - Show Review

 

Lots of Upsets and Three Mystery Women Make For Much More Interesting Show!

 

Coming into the Second Round of the Mae Young Classic, one had to think the 8 seeded wrestlers looked to be in pretty good shape. Without knowing exactly when the 3 women of the 2nd Generation mystery group would reveal their videos, everybody was a little bit on edge, and the result was 4 Second Round upsets, including the #1 and the #2 seeds going down! The biggest upset of the night saw Sarah Logan beat #1 seed Dakota Kai, but the upsets didn't stop there. Santana Garrett beat #2 seed Candice LeRae, Raquel Gonzalez stunned #5 seed Toni Storm, and Scarlett Bordeaux beat #8 seed Tegan Nox.

 

With the tournament field now wide open, the Quarterfinals should be quite intense. Kudos to Sarah Logan and Dana Brooke, who Triple H managed to steal from WWE. They have both come into the company showing they mean business. Santana Garrett and Scarlett Bordeaux, fairly new to NXT themselves, also made good showings. At this point, one would think the favorite would have to be former NXT Women's Champion Rhea Ripley, but the way the Second Round went, nothing is for certain!

 

The biggest suspense of the night was in fact when the 3 mystery women would reveal their videos. The first video came after the Scarlett Bordeaux/Tegan Nox match. Mystery Woman #1 gave us these clues: "Might as well reveal the manager of the group first, right? My father was the manager of one of the greatest tag teams ever. I have competed in the Mae Young Classic before, but am currently on the shelf. Until I'm healthy, I will be the brains behind the operation.

 

Video #2 was shown after the Raquel Gonzalez/Toni Storm match. Mystery Woman #2 gave us these clues: "I am probably the least known of all the members of this group, but don't take me for granted. My father was one of the strongest men in wrestling, and he was a force in the Mid-South and Japan, among other places. He was a part of one of the bloodiest, intense, tag team feuds in Texas. My father is no longer around, but rest assured, I will make sure nobody ever forgets the family name."

 

And in a twist, video #3 was shown before the main event, the Santana Garrett/Candice LeRae match. Here's what Mystery Woman #3 had to say: "I come from a wealth of experience. My father was a member of the greatest faction in wrestling history. People may dispute, but there is no denying just how powerful this faction was. My step-father was also a well known-wrestler before serious injuries ended his career. My father is currently a manager, and I am a former and current champion. I will prove that I am the best women's wrestler in the world."

 

It sounds like the 3 female members of this 2nd Generation group are going to bring a lot of fire power to NXT! We haven't met the male members yet, but we will be getting clues about them in the upcoming weeks. The show itself pulled in a solid rating, much better than the First Round of the Mae Young Classic. The company is definitely going in the right direction. Everybody loves suspense and mystery, and NXT has plenty of that right now!

 

 

Post Show Comments

 

I know that some of the results were quite surprising, but I believe in opportunity. Let's be honest, Sarah Logan and Dana Brooke did not get the opportunity they deserved in WWE. Here in NXT, everybody gets a chance to prove themselves. I'm very pleased with how the mystery video turned out, and you can tell by the fact that it tied for the highest rating on the show, Mystery Woman #3 definitely brings a lot to the company.

 

Toni Storm was disappointing. I had high hopes for her, but she was really, really off her game. Of course to be fair, she's spent most of her time in Europe, and now she is trying to get acclimated to being in the States full time. Not to mention, everybody has to get used to having their home base be in Washington instead of Connecticut. It'll take some time, but I truly believe we are on the right path.

 

No predictions for this show, but that's ok, I'm still going to move forward. I hope to get a few shows knocked out over the next few days. The next show where I'll be taking predictions will be NXT Takeover: Championship Night, but that is still weeks away. As always, any comments, questions, concerns, feel free to let me know.

[sportsfanmas]

NXT Unleashed - Thursday, Week 2, July 2020 - Show Review

 

So I had a nice review written out for the show, but I hit the wrong button and lost it. Would you guys be alright with going forward, for the tv shows, if I just screenshot the show results and then have some post show comments? That's what I'm looking at doing, and saving the longer write-ups for the NXT Takeover Events. Anyways, here are the results of this weeks NXT Unleashed!

 

 

Post Show Comments

 

There was one segment that didn't get included. Apparently segments with minor impact don't get rated or included in the show recap. I had HBK Shawn Michaels came out to do guest commentary on the Lee/Balor match. That would have helped the show rating a little bit. But.. at the same time, I did say I'm going to try not to worry so much about show ratings, and just book the way I want to book. After all, I've locked NXT into small status for a while, and I have opened up the NXT Network, so I don't really have to worry about other broadcasters.

 

The biggest news is some out of ring news. Apparently Tyler Breeze and Santana Garrett have been having an affair. Tyler is now divorced from his wife, who is no longer in the wrestling business, and Tyler and Santana are now in a committed relationship. I'm going to do my best to stay out of personal affairs, but it has been brought to my attention that a couple of the ladies backstage have issues with one of the mystery women I am bringing in. Now this, I might meddle in. I'd prefer not to have any bad relationships in my company.

 

Next weeks episodes of NXT Unleashed will feature the semifinals of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, as well as Group B Matches in the NXT Title, NXT North American Title, and NXT Cruiserweight Title Tournaments. As you can tell with my shows, the majority is matches. Not a lot of angle time. i'll be honest, I hate booking angles, unless it is interviews or something like that. So I have the product set up to a 75/25 match to angle ratio. I didn't want to do all matches, because let's face it, angles are an important part of pro wrestling. Microphone and charisma are very important, and we need some of that in NXT.

[vladjarca]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="sportsfanmas" data-cite="sportsfanmas" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="50788" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">NXT Unleashed - Thursday, Week 2, July 2020 - Show Review</span></strong><p> </p><p> So I had a nice review written out for the show, but I hit the wrong button and lost it. Would you guys be alright with going forward, for the tv shows, if I just screenshot the show results and then have some post show comments? </p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Sure!</p>

[sportsfanmas]

<p><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">NXT Unleashed - Thursday, Week 3, July 2020- Show Recap</span></strong></p><p> </p><p>

<a href="imgur.com/XKOZ5rN.html" rel=""><img alt="XKOZ5rN.jpg" data-src="https://imgur.com/XKOZ5rN.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></a></p><p> </p><p>

<strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Comments</span></strong></p><p> </p><p>

I had a feeling the tag matches would dominate the show, and they did. The Ryback/Rusev match surprised me a bit. The angles have been disappointing. Other than Triple H calling out 2nd Generation, the rest of the angles just aren't producing. Another reason why I enjoy booking mostly matches. I do have some plans for a potential ranking system, but much different than AEW is doing. Wins and losses would matter, but there would be a points system as well.</p><p> </p><p>

Anyways, more on the show. Remember that impromptu Isaiah Scott vs. Cameron Grimes match a few weeks ago? Well, I've decided that rather than have them wrestle again, since they've already wrestled, that result will count in the NXT North American Title Tournament Group B standings. That means Scott and Grimes have both wrestled their 3 matches, and Joaquin Wilde will be the group B winner no matter what happens in his match against Ridge Holland. So the NXT North American Title Tournament 3 way elimination match will be Bronson Reed vs. Joaquin Wilde vs. the Group C winner. Not exactly a lot of star power there, but there are some big plans happening.</p><p> </p><p>

I've decided to have the 5 male members of the group 2nd Generation (3 singles members, 1 tag team) all give their clues during the NXT Takeover: Championship Night PPV. It'll be easier to write out that way, since I'm not doing show reviews for the NXT Unleashed shows anymore.</p><p> </p><p>

As I said, big news coming. I'll reveal at a later date. Hope you all are enjoying.</p>

[sportsfanmas]

NXT Unleashed - Thursday, Week 4, July 2020 - Show Recap

 

 

Comments

 

We decided to go to WWE land for this show, and I had signs to hand out to fans, anti-WWE signs. Unfortunately that backfired, as many of them snuck in pro-WWE signs, got them on tv, and really made us look bad. Needless to say, I won't be doing that again. We'll be laying off the dirty tricks for a while and focus on our company, and make ourselves better.

 

Badd Boys over reDRagon you say? I have my reasons for that. I'm not the biggest Undisputed Era fan. I do like Roddy Strong from his TNA days, but not so sold on the rest. Again the angles were disappointing, except the angle where I found Road Dogg laid out in the back. I think we all have a good idea who did that. 2nd Generation, I'm still calling you out.

 

That Cameron Grimes is a nut, isn't he? Does he really think he's going to get William Regal to pretend that match he had with Isaiah Scott never happened? There's a better chance of me and Shawn making a return to the ring. Wait.. on second thought, yea maybe not!

 

The tag teams take a back seat next week. We'll have quarterfinal matches in the Mae Young Classic, as well as the final Group A matches in the other tournaments. To nobodies surprise, The Velveteen Dream and Keith Lee will be main eventing next week.

 

I have some big, big signings coming up, besides just the signings that will be part of the 2nd Generation stable. Also, we have a plan in motion for what we are going to be calling our Ranking System, for lack of a better name. That will all be explained when we determine our initial champions.

 

Oh yea, we now have a training facility, the NXT Dojo. Not a big deal, but falls in line with some other plans we have. The biggest news is yet to come though. Stay tuned!

[sportsfanmas]

<p><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">NXT Unleashed - Thursday, Week 1, August 2020 - Show Recap</span></strong></p><p> </p><p>

<a href="imgur.com/Hi66DLX.html" rel=""><img alt="Hi66DLX.jpg" data-src="https://imgur.com/Hi66DLX.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></a></p><p> </p><p>

<strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Comments</span></strong></p><p> </p><p>

First and foremost, I have got to decide if I serious want to worry about ratings, match placement, etc etc, or just book. I made some changes to this show, like making the main event a longer match, with storytelling, and you can see how that went. I think I just need to tell myself what I've said all along. I don't care about ratings, I just want to book. I'd be interested to hear some of your guys take on it.</p><p> </p><p>

Now, to the show. Who would have thought <strong>Cal Bloom vs. Zack Gibson</strong> would be the highest rated segment of the night? Impressive. Our Pool A winners are as follows:</p><p> </p><p>

NXT Title Tournament- The Velveteen Dream</p><p>

NXT North American Title Tournament- Bronson Reed</p><p>

NXT Cruiserweight Title Tournament- Tyler Breeze</p><p> </p><p>

They have all advanced to their respective triple threat elimination championship matches. ALL matches count though, as I mentioned earlier, the point/ranking system has been decided upon, but I will explain that later. </p><p> </p><p>

It appears that even though the 2nd Generation mystery group isn't showing videos anymore, they are still leaving their mark. <strong>Road Dogg</strong> last week, <strong>Sarah Logan</strong> this week. You can't convince me they aren't involved. I don't know who they are, but rest assured, it will get dealt with.</p>

[sportsfanmas]

NXT Unleashed - Thursday, Week 2, August 2020 - Show Recap

 

 

Comments

 

We already knew that Joaquin Wilde was moving on to the NXT North American Title Championship match, but he made it official with his win over Ridge Holland. What is the deal with Cameron Grimes? The guy is a loose cannon who clearly thinks he was wronged. You know what, you lost to Isaiah Scott. It's that simple.

 

2nd Generation strikes again. This time they take out Shane McMahon. These guys are nothing more than cowards, and I can't wait until NXT Takeover: Championship Night in 2 weeks to reveal these bastards. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention. NXT Takeover: Championship Night will take place on Saturday of Week 4, August 2020.

 

Ryback has won Group B of the NXT Title Tournament. He will join The Velveteen Dream in that title match. Star power galore in that match. I'm currently looking for a new announcer and a new color commentator. I'll explain why at a later date.

 

Norman Smiley came to me the other day and said that he really likes the work Pete Dunne is doing. That's good to know. As always, any comments or questions, feel free to hit me up.

[sportsfanmas]

NXT Unleashed - Thursday, Week 3, August 2020 - Show Recap

 

 

Comments

 

Our 3 way Elimination NXT Title Match is set and it is a doozy! The Velveteen Dream vs. Ryback vs. Dominick Dijakovic. That is going to be sensational!

 

Our 3 way Elimination NXT North American Title Match is also set. Bronson Reed vs. Joaquin Wilde vs. Jack Gallagher. All I can say is whoever wins this title, probably won't hold it long. I definitely should have had more star power in the NXT North American Title Tournament.

 

Once again, 2nd Generation strikes. At least, we have to assume it's them. This time, they got me. I'm furious. There is going to be hell to pay at NXT Takeover: Championship Night.

 

I'm still recruiting new talent to add to the roster, and I'll pay big cash to take WWE talent. That's our way of competing with them right now, stealing their talent. We've already stolen 2 that will debut in the near future. Pretty big names too. We're working on a third. The cat will be out of the bag very soon on what is going on.