NXT UK (WWE brand)
Product type | Professional wrestling Sports entertainment |
---|---|
Owner | WWE |
Produced by | Paul "Triple H" Levesque |
Country | United Kingdom |
Introduced | 15 December 2016 (as United Kingdom) 18 June 2018 (as NXT UK) |
Discontinued | 4 September 2022 (as NXT UK) |
Related brands | Raw SmackDown NXT 205 Live ECW |
Previous names: United Kingdom (2016 – 2018) | |
General Manager: Johnny Saint (7 June 2018 – 4 September 2022) Assistant to the General Manager: Sid Scala (12 December 2018 – 18 August 2022) |
NXT UK is a brand of the American professional wrestling promotion WWE that was introduced in June 2018. Brands are divisions of WWE's roster where wrestlers are assigned to perform on a weekly basis. Wrestlers assigned to NXT UK primarily appear on the brand's weekly television program, NXT UK. The brand serves as a sub-brand of WWE's developmental territory, NXT, with NXT UK wrestlers also occasionally appearing on its show, NXT. Unlike WWE's other brands, NXT UK is produced exclusively in the United Kingdom and is specifically centered on wrestlers from the country. The brand will go on hiatus beginning in September 2022, and in 2023, it will be expanded to include all Pan-European countries and will be relaunched as NXT Europe.
History
In a press conference at The O2 Arena on 15 December 2016, Paul "Triple H" Levesque revealed that there would be a 16-man tournament to crown the inaugural WWE United Kingdom Champion. The tournament was held over a two-day period, 14 and 15 January 2017, and aired exclusively on the WWE Network. The championship was intended as the top championship of a new WWE Network show, produced in the United Kingdom (the show and its premiere date had yet to be revealed by the WWE at the time).[1][2] Tyler Bate won the inaugural tournament to become the first WWE United Kingdom Champion.[3]
On 19 May 2017, WWE held a follow-up to the United Kingdom Championship tournament,[4] titled United Kingdom Championship Special.[5]
On 7 April 2018, a second United Kingdom Championship Tournament event was scheduled for 18 and 19 June at the Royal Albert Hall.[6][7][8] On 7 June, Johnny Saint was appointed General Manager of WWE's United Kingdom brand.[9][10]
On 18 June 2018, it was announced that WWE's United Kingdom brand would begin filming a new show titled NXT UK in July 2018, and that championships for the brand's women's and tag team divisions would be introduced.[11] The brand was in turn officially established as NXT UK.[12][13]
On 17 October 2018, the inaugural episode of NXT UK aired on the WWE Network at 8 p.m. UK time/3 p.m. Eastern Time.[14]
On 31 December 2019, WWE announced that NXT UK would begin airing on BT Sport in the United Kingdom. [15] On 21 January 2020, it was announced that NXT UK would also air on Paramount Network UK on a six-day delay after its WWE Network and BT Sport broadcasts.[16]
On 10 September 2020, WWE announced the relaunch of the NXT UK brand following production of shows for the brand being paused since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[17]
On the 19 August 2021, it was announced that WWE would be a sponsor of Enfield Town F.C.—a seventh-tier football club in the same borough as its WWE Performance Center facility—in the 2021–22 season, with their kits carrying the NXT UK logo.[18]
On 18 August 2022, WWE announced that NXT UK would be rebranded as NXT Europe in 2023 after the brand takes a brief hiatus. WWE stated that NXT Europe would "reimagine the brand and the talent pipeline" with the intent of having a renewed focus on Pan-European countries. "Given the success of NXT UK, we felt like it was time to expand beyond that", Shawn Michaels said, in his role as Vice President of Talent Development Creative. With the planned launch of NXT Europe, NXT UK will go on a "brief hiatus", and the final NXT UK event will be at Worlds Collide on 4 September 2022. Michaels said the company would work with the staff and talent to launch NXT Europe "bigger and better".[19]
Champions
Tyler Bate won the inaugural tournament to become the first WWE United Kingdom Champion.[3] The first title change, as well as first defense to air live, took place on 20 May 2017, at NXT TakeOver: Chicago, where Pete Dunne defeated Bate to become champion.[20]
Rhea Ripley won the inaugural tournament to become the first NXT UK Women's Champion.[21]
The NXT UK Tag Team Championships were announced on 18 June 2018.[22] At the 13 October 2018 NXT UK tapings, Triple H and NXT UK General Manager Johnny Saint unveiled the championship belts.[23]
On November 26, 2020 episode of NXT UK, A-Kid won the NXT UK Heritage Cup tournament to become the inaugural NXT UK Heritage Cup Champion. It is defended just like any other championship but has a special stipulation in which all matches are contested under British Rounds Rules.[24]
Current championships
Championship | Current champion(s) | Reign | Date won | Days held |
Days recog. |
Location | Notes | Ref. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NXT United Kingdom Championship | Tyler Bate | 2 | 7 July 2022 | 814 | 758 | London, England | Defeated Trent Seven in an eight-man single-elimination tournament final for the vacant title on NXT UK. Aired on tape delay on September 1, 2022. |
[25] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NXT UK Heritage Cup | File:Noam Dar April 2019.jpg | Noam Dar | 2 | 7 July 2022 | 814 | 765 | London, England | Defeated Mark Coffey on NXT UK. Aired on tape delay on August 25, 2022. |
[26]
PersonnelTelevision showThe WWE Network broadcasts NXT UK's eponymous television programme in the United Kingdom and internationally. The inaugural tapings of NXT UK occurred on 28 and 29 July 2018, at the Cambridge Corn Exchange, and began airing on 17 October 2018. Since March 2021, NXT UK is broadcast on Peacock in the United States, due to the American version of the WWE Network merging under Peacock.[27] WWE Network events
See alsoReferences
External links |