WWE NXT Archives - NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage

WWE star Thea Hail’s “Happy Sunday” bikini photo shoot

Aaron Rift — Sun, 09 Aug 2026 20:19:41 +0000

WWE NXT star Thea Hail traded in her wrestling gear for a bikini, sharing a pair of beach photos on Instagram with the caption “Happy Sunday.” Hail posed with the ocean and dunes in the background, while Ivy Nile commented on the post, writing, “Omg period.” Kiana James also posted fire emojis.

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WWE NXT Great American Bash going head-to-head with AEW Forbidden Door 2026

Aaron Rift — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 17:24:50 +0000

Shawn Michaels announced on social media that NXT Great American Bash will take place on Sunday, June 28th 2026 and will air live on The CW Network at 7:00 PM ET. The event will mark the first NXT Premium Live Event to air on CW following the expiration of WWE’s Peacock deal earlier this year, while NXT Stand & Deliver was streamed on YouTube. A location for the show has not yet been announced.

Great American Bash will face competition from two other wrestling events on the same day, as TNA Slammiversary begins at 3:00 PM ET and AEW Forbidden Door starts at 8:00 PM ET.

Michaels stated the following…

“Hello boys and girls. Now I know everybody’s used to seeing me these days do my crazy posts on Instagram and TikTok, but everybody’s been asking me, when is the first PLE on the CW Network? Well, that’s what this announcement is for. June 28th, CW Network and NXT are going to bring you the Great American Bash. This partnership is moving forward. The Great American Bash on June 28th will have a special start time of 7 PM.”

Excited to finally share this one.@WWENXT and @TheCW present The Great American Bash Sunday, June 28 at 7e/4p.

See you tonight for #WWENXT at 8/7c pic.twitter.com/iFbEGgm8wl

— Shawn Michaels (@ShawnMichaels) June 2, 2026

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Details regarding the wrestlers that debuted on the April 28th 2026 edition of WWE NXT

Aaron Rift — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 12:07:52 +0000

As seen during the April 28th 2026 edition of WWE NXT, several wrestlers debuted with the brand. Here are details regarding the newcomers…

* EVIL is a Japanese professional wrestler who previously worked for New Japan Pro Wrestling. During his time in NJPW, he became a member of the Bullet Club faction and later led the sub-group House of Torture. He is a former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, having won the title in 2020, and has also held multiple other championships in NJPW, including the NEVER Openweight Championship and tag team titles.

* Lizzy Rain previously competed on the UK independent wrestling scene, including appearances in PROGRESS Wrestling. She wrestled under the name Rayne Leverkusen prior to joining WWE.

* Tristan Angels, real name Nathan Angel, worked across the independent circuit before signing with WWE. His background includes experience in WWE EVOLVE and appearances in Lucha Libre AAA, as part of his development before being brought into NXT.

* Kam Hendrix, real name Anthony Luke, is a WWE Performance Center recruit who also appeared in WWE LFG and WWE EVOLVE prior to his NXT debut. He has been part of WWE’s developmental system for several years leading into his television appearance.

* Will Kroos is a British wrestler who competed on the UK independent scene. He held the PROGRESS Atlas Championship and also wrestled internationally, including appearances in Pro Wrestling NOAH in Japan, before joining WWE.

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WWE receives public backlash over the alleged use of AI technology in NXT video package

Aaron Rift — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 11:43:17 +0000

As seen during the April 28th 2026 edition of WWE NXT, a video package was shown that recapped the Sol Ruca vs. Zaria feud. The segment ended up being criticized by social media users over the alleged use of AI technology.

Viewers pointed out odd-looking facial details, unnatural textures, and awkward transitions—common signs associated with generative AI content. Online reactions were largely negative, with some fans labeling the segment “AI slop” and criticizing WWE for what they saw as a shortcut rather than investing in traditional production.

Media personality Adrian Hernandez wrote, “WWE has one of the most talented video departments across sports, entertainment, etc etc. This right here though… Shameful.”

Ibou of Self Made stated, “Taz cut some of the coolest promos of all time in Paul Heyman’s basement in front of a black bed sheet. If you’re too lazy/cheap to have production people put together a vignette, tell shawty to go in front of a wall and just cut a promo, I promise it’ll resonate with the fans more than Chat GPT generating an Aquaman scene.”

Zaria will scorch EVERYONE in her way!! @ZariaWWE_ pic.twitter.com/EVBnaqOu2k

— WWE (@WWE) April 29, 2026

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Official announcement regarding the future of WWE NXT premium live events in 2026

Aaron Rift — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 13:38:26 +0000

The CW Network and WWE issued the following press release…

THE CW NETWORK ACQUIRES EXCLUSIVE BROADCAST RIGHTS TO WWE® NXT PREMIUM LIVE EVENTS IN MULTI-YEAR DEAL

Network Will Air 20 NXT Premium Live Events Over Next Several Years, Including Stand & Deliver, The Great American Bash, Deadline & Vengeance Day

NXT Premium Live Events Join NXT Weekly Shows Live on The CW Every Tuesday, Bringing All NXT Programming Together Exclusively on the Network

BURBANK, CA (April 28, 2026) – The CW Network and WWE, part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO), today announced all NXT Premium Live Events (PLEs) will now air exclusively on The CW. Beginning with The Great American Bash later this summer, The CW will broadcast 20 PLEs in their entirety live on both coasts over the next several years, including Stand and Deliver, Deadline, and Vengeance Day. With the addition of NXT PLEs to The CW’s lineup, the network is now the exclusive home for all NXT programming – which showcases WWE’s hottest up-and-coming Superstars – also airing weekly live NXT installments every Tuesday night. WWE will continue to produce all PLEs.

“WWE NXT has energized our Tuesday nights by consistently delivering a loyal and passionate fanbase to The CW every week,” said Brad Schwartz, President, The CW Network. “Adding WWE NXT Premium Live Events to our schedule is a natural fit, providing one broadcast destination for audiences to watch all their favorite Superstars, storylines and championship matches.”

The CW entered a five-year deal with WWE in October 2024 to bring NXT to broadcast television for the first time in the show’s history. Its broadcast television debut delivered the largest audience for the program since October 2023 and was The CW’s #1 telecast of the year among adults 25-54 and 18-49. As the exclusive home of NXT, The CW airs 52 live weekly events throughout the season every Tuesday night from 8:00-10:00pm ET/PT. NXT programming features a stacked roster of up-and-coming talent including NXT Champion Tony D’Angelo and NXT Women’s Champion Lola Vice.

“The CW has played an integral role in raising the profile of our up-and-coming Superstars, and we are excited to bring NXT Premium Live Events to broadcast television for the first time ever,” said Shawn Michaels, WWE Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative.

Launched by WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque, NXT has aired weekly since 2012 and features the brightest young talent in sports entertainment. Several WrestleMania® 42 participants were developed under the NXT banner, including Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch. Led by Michaels, NXT on The CW has showcased the rise of several ascending WWE Superstars, including Oba Femi, Trick Williams, Tiffany Stratton, Roxanne Perez, Je’Von Evans, and Sol Ruca.

We’ve been building something special. Now it all comes together in one place.#WWENXT Premium Live Events and weekly TV. Only on @TheCW this summer. pic.twitter.com/Pxp50uc1c3

— Shawn Michaels (@ShawnMichaels) April 28, 2026

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News regarding which NXT stars might be called up to the WWE main roster after WrestleMania 42

Aaron Rift — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 14:54:25 +0000

Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline.com noted that much of the discussion in NXT right now centers on potential call-ups to the WWE main roster following WrestleMania 42. With Lola Vice and Tony D’Angelo picking up championship wins, it appears they are no longer part of that conversation. Meltzer stated that Ethan Page, Ricky Saints, Blake Monroe, and Jacy Jayne have all been heavily discussed, along with Sol Ruca who made a strong impression at Saturday Night’s Main Event in December of 2025.

Meltzer wrote the following about Joe Hendry’s status…

“Hendry is about due for such a call-up given the longer it doesn’t happen, the farther away you are from when his cult popularity peaked in 2024 and he’s 37 years old. If he’s not called up it would seem to mean they aren’t confident the act will at this point work on the big stage, although his act with the heavy entertainment and crowd participation is the type of something different that often works on the main roster as a non-main event gimmick personality.”

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WWE NXT star Thea Hail speaks out against “disgusting” behavior from social media users

Aaron Rift — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 01:16:52 +0000

In a video published to her YouTube channel, WWE NXT star Thea Hail spoke out against “disgusting” behavior from social media users…

“I’ve been wanting to touch on this subject for a long time now, and I just haven’t felt like I should, and now my opinion has changed.

I’m a 22-year-old girl. Think about that for a second. I wouldn’t have even graduated college if I were that. I moved away in the middle of high school to pursue my dream because I valued that over comfortability, and most people could never fathom to do that.

Every day to look at my Twitter timeline or look at social media and see negative comments about me as a human being is disgusting. I’ve worked my ass off for five years for the biggest moment of my career, and you all take it as a joke. You act like I’m the worst human being in the world for my one ounce of success that I finally had. It sucks.

I don’t think you understand every day that I wake up happy, sad, miserable. I don’t care. I put professional wrestling above everything. And for five years, I have valued this industry to such an extent, and I valued others’ opinions. And it is exhausting.

I love this more than anything. But what I don’t love is to constantly be torn down by other people, by other human beings. At the end of the day, I am a person. I am a 22-year-old girl who is getting to live my dreams. And for some reason that’s wrong.

And for some reason you guys decide that you want to go hate on somebody else because you’re not happy with yourself. You feel the need to tear somebody else down to build yourself up. Are you serious? I don’t understand it. I don’t understand the level of hate in professional wrestling today.

And for just one second, I would love for you guys to internally think, ‘Would you like for somebody to say this about me?’ Think about that.

So please take an extra 10 seconds before you put something on social media, please. And remember that the person on the other end of it is also a human being.

So I don’t know what to tell you. Happy Sunday. Go to church.”

spread positivity. too much hate is in this world, don’t add anymore to it. pic.twitter.com/CM5wgrT5jr

— Thea Hail (@theahail_wwe) March 8, 2026

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The 2026 Stand and Deliver PLE won’t be held during WrestleMania weekend

Aaron Rift — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 16:42:30 +0000

WWE sent out the following press release…

ST. LOUIS TO HOST WWE® STAND & DELIVER ON SATURDAY, APRIL 4

Tickets On Sale Wednesday, March 4 at 10am Local

Presale Access Begins Tuesday, March 3 at 10am Local

Friday Night SmackDown Takes Place at Enterprise Center in St. Louis on April 3

February 25, 2026 – As announced earlier today by WWE Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative Shawn Michaels, Stand & Deliver, NXT’s annual marquee event, will emanate live from The Factory at The District in St. Louis on Saturday, April 4.

The Premium Live Event will feature high-stakes championship matches and showcase the brightest young talent in sports entertainment, including NXT Champion Joe Hendry, NXT Women’s Champion Jacy Jayne, NXT North American Champion Myles Borne, NXT Women’s North American Champion Izzi Dame and others.

Tickets for Stand & Deliver will go on sale starting Wednesday, March 4 at 10am local via Ticketmaster.com. Fans can purchase tickets during an exclusive presale by visiting Ticketmaster.com starting Tuesday, March 3 at 10am local.

Additionally, Friday Night SmackDown will take place from Enterprise Center in St. Louis on Friday, April 3. Tickets are still available via Ticketmaster.com.

Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com noted the following about the change…

“The show had been internally planned for Vegas initially. The feeling was that by moving the show up to 4/4, Stand and Deliver would have a stronger chance of standing alone (no pun intended) and wouldn’t be lost in the sea of other WWE broadcast events taking place, plus the schedule change could also free up the WWE production crew from having to produce three events in a 24 hour time period (Smackdown, Hall of Fame, NXT) right before diving into Night One of Wrestlemania 42.”

Stand & Deliver stands on its own this year… and I couldn’t wait to tell you myself.

Our biggest night of the year. Saturday, April 4. Live from @thefactory_stl in St. Louis.

Presale begins March 3
Tickets on sale March 4#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/Nr6HMDmfZK

— Shawn Michaels (@ShawnMichaels) February 25, 2026

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Joe Hendry crowned new WWE NXT champion following the departure of Oba Femi

Aaron Rift — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 03:00:28 +0000

As seen during the February 3rd 2026 edition of WWE NXT, a ladder match took place to crown a new NXT champion following the departure of Oba Femi. The participants were Ricky Saints, Shiloh Hill, Sean Legacy, Dion Lennox, Keanu Carver, Evolve Men’s Champion Jackson Drake, and Joe Hendry.

For the finish, Hendry and Saints were both trying to grab the title at the top of the ladder. Hendry ended up knocking Saints off onto a ladder below, then retrieved the title to become the new champion.

AFTER A TUG OF WAR ON TOP OF THE LADDER

RICKY SAINTS FALLS DOWN ONTO THE BRIDGED LADDER

AND JOE HENDRY BECOMES NEW NXT CHAMPION!#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/XPGVDpIXyK

— The Movement – Pro Wrestling (@TheMovementXx) February 4, 2026

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Seth Rollins reveals that he was almost fired by Triple H at the start of his WWE career

Aaron Rift — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 15:33:14 +0000

While speaking to Jay Mohr, WWE star Seth Rollins revealed that he was almost fired by Triple H at the start of his WWE career…

“I was on the chopping block. They told me, ‘Yeah, one more. One more and you’re gone. One more. I don’t care how good you are. You’re not going to get a chance to show the world. We will fire you.’

I had that conversation with Triple H. I was sitting at Full Sail University — which is like a technological institute to arts and sciences type thing in Orlando. We taped our early episodes of NXT there. They were a great partner for us. There was a little auditorium. I remember sitting in the back, and he was like, ‘Hey, I don’t care how good you are. You’re being difficult with this guy. This guy thinks you’re difficult.’

[Who was it?] Terry Taylor. He and I butted heads quite a bit when he got down to Florida. Triple H didn’t appreciate it, and my attitude wasn’t appreciated. It was like, ‘if one more negative report comes back, we will fire you.’

I was like, ‘what am I doing here? What am I wasting my time for? This is nonsense. I can go do — I can go make more money elsewhere. I can go make a living.’ I was close.

I had a mentor down in Florida named Joey Mercury. He wrestled for WWE in the 2000s or so. He was one of the guys who talked me down and said, ‘Listen, just do this and good things will happen. Play the game.’

I had this feeling like I was betraying my authentic self. I had this sense that if I acquiesced to their wants and needs, I was somehow betraying my authentic self — selling out.

He painted it completely different for me. He was like, ‘Dude, when you go out to the ring, you’re not yourself. You play a character, right? It’s the same thing when you’re talking with these people. You’re playing a character.’

‘When you go home and you’re with your girlfriend and your dog, you’re still you. You’re still the same person. It’s all — it’s an act. It’s all an act. You’re always playing the game.’

And when I kind of framed it that way, it was much easier for me to be like, ‘Oh, okay. I can do that.’

And it worked.”

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