Baron Corbin Discusses Triple H’s Success With NXT

Baron Corbin did an interview with Denver’s KS1075 and discussed Triple H’s impact on NXT:


On Triple H’s influence on NXT’s success: “He’s extremely hands on, and I think that plays in part of the success, with what Triple H has created. Just with the [WWE] Performance Center, and giving these guys the opportunity to be—Shawn Michaels is there now, that’s insane—it’s crazy that you’re given these opportunities in a place like that. The coaches and the quality of the facility; there’s seven rings, a weight room, training staff, rehabilitation for injuries, all of those things. You’re given every opportunity to succeed and Hunter is extremely hands on. He’s there at every NXT taping, every NXT live event, he helps guys grow. He’s one of the greatest there’s ever been, and he’s still going. He’s in touch with what’s going on. He’s competing next week in Australia [at WWE Super Show-Down] against The Undertaker, so you have a guy that’s still in the moment of everything WWE is doing, helping to mold the younger talent. It’s unbelievable.”

WWE Discovers Baron Corbin Is Involved In A Major NFL Concussion Lawsuit

We reported recently that Baron Corbin's sudden burial from Mr. Money In The Bank and subsequent removal from the WWE SmackDown Live main event picture was in part due to a recent incident backstage incident in which Corbin got into an argument with Dr. Maroon who was giving the talent a talk on the connection between CTE and concussions. 

We can now reveal via Wrestling Observer Newsletter that WWE learned in the last month that Corbin is involved in a rather high profile lawsuit against the NFL. For those unaware Corbin is a former National Football League (NFL) player who played offensive line for both the Indianapolis Colts and Arizona Cardinals.  

The exchange between Corbin and the Dr. was said to be 'awkward’ and ‘uncomfortable’ with many in the room feeling Corbin should have aired his concerns away from everybody else in private.

In addition, Corbin has existing heat on him for the way he was conducting himself on twitter in regardings to fans and fellow professional wrestlers, including an army veteran who he later apologized to. 

Rumor Mill - Baron Corbin’s WWE Push Stalling, NXT Takeover Crowd Picks Up on Reports of Corbin’s Backstage Heat, News on Enzo Following SSlam

Speculation has been that Baron Corbin’s current WWE push has stalled due to backstage heat on him for a number of reasons, the main reason being recent behavior on social media.

It appears as if the NXT Takeover Brooklyn crowd picked up on the reports of Corbin having heat, as they directed a “you f**ed up” chant at The Lone Wolf when he appeared in front of the live crowd.

On the most recent edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer confirmed Corbin definitely has backstage heat on him, and that was made clear by the way he was booked in a “basic” opening match against John Cena at SummerSlam. Meltzer added that WWE officials are very high on former NXT Champion Bobby Roode, and it’s possible WWE might be called up to Smackdown Live to replace Corbin’s spot/push.

News on Enzo Following SummerSlam

In related news, for reasons not yet known, Enzo Amore’s backstage heat seems to have worsened, as Meltzer noted “everybody” in WWE hates him. Meltzer added the fact that the crowd is staring to cool on Enzo is bad news for the Raw star, as that was one of the few things saving his spot in the company.

Baron Corbin Talks WWE World Title, Using His Physical Tools To Dominate, Triple H And WWE NXT, More

In this week's ESPN "Off The Top Rope" segment with Jonathan Coachman interviews Baron Corbin:

Coach asks about winning the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 32. Corbin says he's walked out of NFL tunnels in front of large crowds but the WrestleMania experience was surreal. Corbin says the walk to the ring was unbelievable and seemed like the longest walk of his life. Corbin has tried explaining the feeling to people but he can't. He says you spend a lifetime chasing that feeling because it was so unreal.

Regarding WWE NXT, Corbin says they started with a small group of guys in Tampa until Triple H got on-board and wanted to take them to another level. Corbin praises Triple H for building the WWE Performance Center and giving talents the tools they need to make it. Corbin says the Superstars took Triple H's efforts to heart and took it as a challenge to really become something special. Corbin say everyone has put in a ton of work and grind non-stop to make NXT what it is today.

More?

Baron Corbin Talks His WrestleMania 32 Moment, What WWE Fans Need to Know About Him, His Success in NXT and More

Baron Corbin, one of the most recent WWE main roster call-ups from NXT, recently spoke with TheState.com to promote this weekend’s WWE NXT live events in the Carolinas, and below are some highlights:

Who Baron Corbin is and what fans need to know about him:

“He’s a no-nonsense guy who usually gets what he wants. It doesn’t matter who’s in his way. He’s not afraid to get his hands dirty. He gets it done as violent as possible.”

His WrestleMania Moment after winning the third annual Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal:

“It was unbelievable. We had over 100,000 people there. I was the last one standing in the ring and I got the trophy. My family was up front. It was pretty surreal. The noise, the energy, the atmosphere was untouchable. The feeling you get from that is just unreal.”

What NXT means for the business and fans:

“NXT has grown immensely in the last year, year and a half to where we’re traveling now, we’re doing overseas tours. The atmosphere we get with NXT and NXT fans, they’re a die-hard group. They care deeply about NXT. It’s a very unique experience when you come to it. It’s like when you find that local band you love playing at a small place and there are 50 people there. You continue to watch them and it grows to arenas. That’s what NXT is doing.”

Apollo Crews and Baron Corbin Debut on Raw

WWE NXT Superstar Apollo Crews, who reported to the WWE Performance Center in April 2015, made his RAW debut on tonight's show from Dallas. The former Uhaa Nation defeated Tyler Breeze.

Third Annual Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal winner Baron Corbin made his WWE RAW debut tonight in Dallas. He went to a double count out with Dolph Ziggler and left Ziggler laying on the floor with End of Days after the match

Interview with Austin Aries

Austin Aries recently spoke with the Wrestling Compadres, talking about everything from his long journey to the WWE, when he thought about stepping away from wrestling a few years back, and his thoughts on Baron Corbin attacking him. Click here to listen to the full interview, and you can read a few excerpts below:

Austin Aries on his debut:
“Before I went out, Bayley was backstage and I joked with her “If I walk out there and it’s crickets and nobody knows me, just come out and give me a hug.”

Aries on Baron Corbin:
“For a former NFL lineman, the guy moves pretty fast. He got me good. But he’s going to realize that he cut his own nose off to spite his face”

Aries on his journey:
“You can’t measure passion. Everything I’ve ever achieved in the business has been because of passion”.

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.

WWE Breaking Ground Season One Finale Recap

WWE NXT Matches and More Announced for WrestleMania 32 Ticket Party at AT&T Stadium

WWE has announced a WrestleMania 32 ticket on-sale party for November 5th at AT&T Stadium in Dallas with WWE NXT matches and more. Below are details:

One night before WrestleMania 32 tickets go on sale to the general public, WWE Universe members in the Dallas area will have an opportunity to score tickets at the official On-Sale Party at AT&T Stadium! This one of a kind event is FREE and open to the public.

Join WWE Hall of Famers, Superstars and Divas on the Dallas Cowboys field Thursday, Nov. 5, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. CT, as The Road to WrestleMania heats up.

The party will feature live NXT matches and include special appearances by “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Lita, Booker T, Lana and Mark Henry, as well as Dallas Cowboys Executive Vice President and Chief Brand Officer Charlotte Jones Anderson and Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams. Corey Graves, Fan Axxess emcee Christian Litke and Greg Hudson will co-host the big event.

The following NXT matches will take place during the evening:

* Samoa Joe vs. Baron Corbin
* Apollo Crews vs. Tye Dillinger
* Asuka vs. Peyton Royce
* The Hype Bros. vs. Blake & Murphy
* Carmella vs. Alexa Bliss

In addition to WrestleMania 32 tickets, select WrestleMania gear will also be available for purchase at AT&T Stadium on Nov. 5. Fans can bring one item to the stadium to be autographed, but must adhere to the AT&T Stadium bag policy.

WrestleMania 32 tickets will be available at the AT&T Stadium box office beginning at 4 p.m. CT. Doors to the stadium open at 5 p.m. CT for the Party. Fans can enter through Entries A, C, K, & H. Complimentary parking will be available at the stadium. Don't miss the biggest WrestleMania On-Sale Party in history!

Complete List of NXT Battle Royal Participants

NXT held a battle royal during last night’s TV tapings to name a new #1 contender to the NXT Title. The following talents will compete in the battle royal, which will air on next week’s edition of NXT:

Samoa Joe
Johnny Gargano
Tommaso Ciampa
Apollo Crews
Scott Dawson
Dash Wilder
Blake
Murphy
Rhyno
Baron Corbin
Enzo Amore
Colin Cassady
Bull Dempsey
Zack Ryder
Mojo Rawley
Tyler Breeze
Tye Dillinger

WWE NXT Takeover: Unstoppable Results

Recap of WWE NXT at San Jose State University

WWE NXT held their biggest event yet on Friday night at San Jose State University with between 4,500 and 5,000 fans in attendance. Thanks to Ryan Aziz and Corey Montgomery for the following results:

* JoJo sang the National Anthem and even before that there was a crazy buzz in the air. The crowd was fired up and ready to go. Corey Graves came in the ring to kick off the show but was met with "you f--ked up" chants because his mic didn't work. Graves talked about how far NXT has come and got a chant going.

* Hideo Itami defeated Tyler Breeze in the opener after GTS. This was an awesome match, maybe it was just the setting but this was a lot better than their recent TV matches. The crowd was chanting for GTS early on and Itami went for it during the match, finally nailing it after a big corner dropkick. Itami got the win and was really fired up feeding off the crowd.

* Jason Jordan defeated Bull Dempsey after an Exploder suplex. Dempsey got decent heel heat for this entrance and controlled most of the match. Jordan looked alright in the ring but he didn't get much of a reaction at all.

* Alexa Bliss and Bayley defeated Dana Brooke and Becky Lynch in a great Divas bout. Bayley came out to a huge hometown reaction that carried on. Bayley hit her suplex on Becky for the win and had a pretty big celebration after the match. She was interviewed by Greg Hamilton I believe it was and called it the coolest night of her life. Becky Lynch was really impressive in this match and played the heel role well.

* Solomon Crowe defeated Kalisto by submission with a Stretch Muffler. They did a lot of back and forth wrestling and a lot of mat wrestling but it was done well. They eventually made their way to the ropes and the floor. Crowe blocked a splash and put Kalisto into the Muffler for the win. Crowe also got a good reaction.

* Baron Corbin defeated Rhyno with End of Days. Rhyno got a huge pop when he came out and ECW chants. They brawled like two big men should after Corbin got warmed up. Rhyno finally went for the Gore but Corbin countered and hit End of Days. Corbin turned around after the match to a Gore from Rhyno to another big pop. The crowd really loved Rhyno as he was not advertised before.

* Intermission

* Corey Graves comes out and introduces Triple H, who gets a massive reaction and "thank you" chants. Triple H is clearly having fun. Triple H called NXT the hottest thing in town and said everyone from Vince McMahon to Shawn Michaels to Sean Waltman, Stephanie McMahon and others are backstage watching. He also pointed out Jim Ross in the front row and JR's name got a massive pop, way bigger than Vince and the others. He praised NXT as the future and got another big NXT chant going.

* WWE NXT Tag Team Champions defeated Enzo Amore & Big Cass and The Vaudevillians in an Elimination Match. Carmella, Enzo and Cass got a reaction that rivaled that of Rhyno and Itami, their schtick is over like crazy. All three teams worked well and played their roles with the crowd really well. That's one of the best parts about NXT is just about everyone seems to connect in some way. Big Cass pinned one of The Vaudevillians and they were eliminated first. Carmella then tried to get involved but it backfired and Cass got hit with a cheap shot while he checked on her.

* WWE NXT Women's Champion Sasha Banks defeated Charlotte by submission with the Bank Statement. The crowd has stayed hot all night but cranked it up a notch for these Divas. They chanted "this is wrestling" and "this is awesome" more than once. Lots of back and forth action several times but Charlotte's babyface comebacks were really cool. Sasha broke a pair of Figure Fours and they traded several pin attempts before Sasha dropped Charlotte into the Bank Statement and made her tap out. This was an amazing match, like Natalya vs. Charlotte. It's hard to do justice with words but hopefully this becomes available somewhere in the near future. Charlotte got a "thank you Charlotte" chant after the match.

* Sami Zayn came out to a big pop and a chant. He admitted he ha some health issues that aren't too serious but he's not cleared to compete. He talks about the NXT revolution until NXT Champion Kevin Owens interrupts on the stage. Owens cuts a promo on Sami and then the fans after they give him the "what?" treatment. Owens brags about taking Sami's title and they had more words. Sami took credit for Owens even being in NXT. They teased a fight but Owens backed off and mentioned his own recent surgery. Sami promised to get the NXT Title back once Owens is cleared. With both of them injured, they made the best of things and pulled off a really good promo segment.

* Finn Balor came out in full body paint for the main event against Adrian Neville and got a "holy s--t" chant from the crowd, who was still hot. There was a better than WrestleMania chant at one point and many other chants as they tore the house down. Balor ended up moving out of the way of Red Arrow and hitting the big stomp for the win.

New WWE NXT Tag Team Champions Crowned, Update on the NXT #1 Contender's Tournament

Baron Corbin defeated Bull Dempsey and Adrian Neville defeated Tyson Kidd on this week's WWE NXT to advance in the #1 contender's tournament. Next week's episode will feature Neville vs. Corbin and Finn Balor vs. Hideo Itami in the semi-finals. The winners of those two matches will face at the February 11th Takeover special to determine the new #1 contender to NXT Champion Sami Zayn.

WWE NXT TakeOver: R Evolution Results