Trevor Lee, formerly known as Cameron Grimes in WWE, has signed with Major League Wrestling (MLW).
Lee told Fox News about his signing with MLW and that he looks forward to the opportunities the promotion can provide especially with their association with CMLL and NJPW.
“I’m just excited to be able to really kinda do anything. These past couple of years I’ve just been kinda waiting on a good opportunity and I feel like MLW is kind of presenting that opportunity. I really like the ability to be able to work with CMLL, to be able to work with New Japan. So, it’s really cool to see what what’s going to come out of this.”
Lee discussed the promotion’s efforts towards crowd engagement influencing his decision to sign with them.
“I think what really entices me to want to work with MLW is they do have a great production. When you watch the product, it looks good, the crowds are big, the crowds are loud. You know that’s really what you’re asking for, when you take a kind of a step down, MLW isn’t WWE but they’re not an indie either, you know what I mean? They’re right there. So, it’s nice to be able to be in a place that can represent you well, show you well and also give you a good batch of talent to work with as well with so many different companies that can come through there.”
Lee emphasized his goals for MLW is to have elite tier matches while proving he’s more than a comedy act.
“My goals for MLW is just to keep showing what I’m good at, right. 32-years-old with still a lot of time left on the clock, hopefully. So, with MLW I want to be able to show that I’m more than just a comedy promo act. I can have these elite tier matches.”
Lee has been competing on MLW since 2024 not long after his WWE release. He was mostly associated with NXT before being drafted to SmackDown in 2023 for barely a year before his exit.
Trevor Lee — the former Cameron Grimes in WWE — is coming to MLW soon.
Lee will debut for MLW at Slaughterhouse 2024, the promotion announced today. The event is taking place from the Coliseum in St. Petersburg, Florida on Friday, October 4. An opponent for Lee has not been announced.
This April, the 30-year-old Lee was released from his WWE contract. He was let go around the same time that Jinder Mahal, Xia Li, Veer, Sanga, Xyon Quinn, and Von Wagner were also released from the company. Lee had a successful NXT run while with WWE but was never heavily featured after being called up to the main roster. He has been competing on the indies since his release and is still a free agent.
Former WWE wrestler Donovan Dijak also recently arrived in MLW. Dijak departed WWE in June when his contract was not renewed.
No matches have been made official for Slaughterhouse 2024 yet. The show will air live for free on MLW’s YouTube channel.
Trevor Lee, FKA Cameron Grimes, is headed to Germany this summer.
wXw has announced Lee will return to the promotion for the first time since 2016 at Shortcut to the Top on August 10. The show is scheduled for the Turbinenhalle in Oberhausen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Erster Teilnehmer für wXw Shortcut to the Top – Trevor Lee!
Wir starten mit einem Paukenschlag! Nach dem WWE-Aus kehrt @CGrimesWWE bei #wXwSttT am 10. August erstmals wieder nach Deutschland zurück. Zuletzt stand er 2016 bei #wXw16Carat im wXw-Ring.
Lee was released from WWE in April after having been with the company since 2019. Shortly after, he’d tell Busted Open Radio that “a pretty high executive” in WWE told him he didn’t need to worry about losing his job.
Lee will also return to Elevation Pro Wrestling in Lexington, Kentucky this summer. He’s been announced for their show on July 26.
wXw has not announced a lineup for Shortcut to the Top as of yet. Lee is the first talent confirmed for the show. It will be his first time working for the promotion since entering the 16-carat Gold tournament in March 2016. He was eliminated by Angelico in the first round. Zack Sabre Jr. won the tournament that year, defeating Ludwig Kaiser in the finals. Other participants in the single-elimination tournament in 2016 included Will Ospreay, Gunther, Drew McIntyre, Sami Callihan, Timothy Thatcher, Ilja Dragunov, Mike Bailey, and Swerve Strickland. Lee wrestled two more dates on the tour after being eliminated. He dropped a four-way match and then teamed with Marty Scurll to beat Ospreay and Bailey to close out the tour.
Elevation Pro Wrestling announced that Grimes, reverting to his Trevor Lee name, will appear for their Homecoming event that will take place on July 27.
🚨SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT🚨
Elevation Pro Wrestling presents:
“HOMECOMING ”
Join us as we WELCOME HOME former WWE superstar TREVOR LEE!
🗓️: Saturday JULY 27, 2024
📍: Elevation Pro Wrestling Arena 599 S. Railroad St. Lexington, NC 27292
— Elevation Pro Wrestling (@TheElevationPro) May 5, 2024
Grimes was part of a wave of releases that took place at the end of April, before the WWE Draft. As part of last year’s Draft, Grimes was part of the SmackDown brand but only appeared a few times on the main roster. His last match in WWE was on the April 12 edition of SmackDown when he lost quickly to Bron Breakker.
In an interview with Busted Open Radio, Grimes said a “high executive” told him just days before his release that he’d always have a job in WWE.
“So I was told by a high executive last week on Friday that I would always have a job here. I would never have to worry about losing my job here, after expressing my concerns like that to him. And then five days later, they called me and told that I do lose the job. So I don’t know.”
Other main roster stars that were released that week include Jinder Mahal, Veer, Sanga, Xyon Quinn, and Von Wagner. NXT releases took place this past week, with Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson being the biggest name.
United States Champion Logan Paul was among the people who reached out to Cameron Grimes following his release from WWE.
During a Thursday appearance on Busted Open Radio, Grimes was asked if he was shocked by anyone who reached out after his release. Grimes said, with Paul being the level of star he is, he thought it was cool that Paul contacted him.
“This is going to sound like weird because the level of star he is,” Grimes said. “Logan Paul actually reached out to me. And I thought that was pretty cool because, you know what I mean, he’s a megastar really — and even beyond past wrestling. He reached out to me and said some stuff to me. So that helps me feel good.”
Grimes noted that he helped put together some of Paul’s WWE matches, including Paul’s title defense against Randy Orton and Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 40.
“And over the past year, Shane Helms, I want to go ahead and put his name out there, he’s always been very pivotal in my career. And he did so much for me. In the past year — he’s the guy behind Logan Paul. No one knows that because he doesn’t want to say it, but he’s the guy behind Logan Paul. Every time Logan’s going to have a match, he’s the one that’s helping him,” Grimes said.
“In the past couple matches, I was Shane’s helper to Logan. So I got to be around them and kind of help that. So that was something that was really cool. This WrestleMania, I got to help be a part of that triple threat match and help kind of put some pieces together for that. So that was incredible for me. Literally two weeks ago I was at the biggest WrestleMania of all time and I was sitting in Gorilla [position] for a match that I got to help kind of — I didn’t put the whole thing together but I got to help put pieces to that.”
Grimes was released from his WWE contract this Tuesday. Jinder Mahal, Xia Li, Veer, Sanga, Xyon Quinn, and Von Wagner have also been released from the company in advance of the 2024 WWE Draft.
The draft begins on SmackDown tonight. With Paul being United States Champion, he isn’t eligible to be drafted. Paul will remain part of the SmackDown roster.
Just days before being released by WWE, Trevor Lee was told that he didn’t need to worry about losing his job.
The former Cameron Grimes was released from his WWE contract this Tuesday. During an appearance on Busted Open Radio today, Lee said a “pretty high executive” told him last Friday that he would always have a job in WWE:
Literally the last time I was at TV, I had a pretty high executive tell me — because, you know, I was worried. Starting this stock market gimmick, it made me see businesses in a different light, you know what I mean? Following these companies and playing with stocks, I would see things in a different light. So I knew that I haven’t worked in over a year and I’m making a decent salary. So I knew that if someone was to look at the books, I’m going to be the first person that’s going to be cut. If you’re looking at it strictly as money-wise. But if you’re looking at it as like, ‘Ok, well if this is a talent that can do something for us.’ You know what I mean, they’re going to keep me.
So I was told by a high executive last week on Friday that I would always have a job here. I would never have to worry about losing my job here, after expressing my concerns like that to him.
And then five days later, they called me and told that I do lose the job. So I don’t know.
Lee said he always joked with the locker room that he would be the next person gone. With the WWE Draft coming up, he had joked that he would be drafted to Thursdays when TNA Impact comes on television.
Jinder Mahal, Xia Li, Veer, Sanga, Xyon Quinn, and Von Wagner were also released by WWE in advance of the draft.
Though being released sucks, it’s something that Lee says he kind of knew was coming. He knew the only way he would get a chance in WWE is by getting released and then proving himself elsewhere. Lee loved working for WWE, and it’s the only thing he’s ever wanted to do.
Lee had a successful stint in NXT but was never heavily used after being called up to the main roster. He was always told that WWE didn’t really have an idea for him at the moment:
I was just always told that they just didn’t really have an idea for me at the moment. I pitched a bunch of different ideas. I pitched a bunch of different character ideas, because I had a feeling that the money thing just wasn’t going to work up there. They had already kind of tried it with [Baron] Corbin before I had got up there with the JBL thing. I feel like that was very much because of the success that I had with the character of Cameron Grimes in NXT. I think that’s why they kind of went with that storyline…
Over the past few months I had been going to writers and stuff and saying like, ‘Hey, I just want to work. At the end of the day, I just want to work. I just want to work.’ And I would hear that that would make me kind of sound bitter. I don’t understand that process. I don’t understand how I came off as being kind of bitter. I guess every week when you’re asking to work, I guess it starts to start annoying people, you know? I mean, I guess I could see that.
When asked about people who reached out after his release, Lee said that Logan Paul was one of them.
Lee mentioned wrestling in Japan as something that he’d really love to do. Impact Wrestling and PWG are among the promotions he wrestled for before signing with WWE in 2019.
In an emotional video on Tuesday, the 30-year-old Grimes (Trevor Lee) announced that he’s been released from his WWE contract. Jinder Mahal, Xia Li, Veer, Sanga, Xyon Quinn, and Von Wagner were also released by the company in recent days.
The releases were made in advance of the 2024 WWE Draft beginning this Friday.
Grimes said he loved working at WWE and it’s the only thing he’s ever wanted to do. But if he needs to go somewhere else now to show that WWE missed out, then that’s what he has to do:
This is Trevor Lee, also known as Cameron Grimes. I just got off the phone with WWE, and unfortunately I’ve been released from my contract. Five years ago, the last thing that I was able to tell my father Tracy Caddell was that I signed with the WWE. I loved working here. I loved working at the WWE. I want to thank absolutely everybody that’s helped me. I could sit here and name off the list of people, but the video might be a little bit too long. Even though you guys haven’t seen me in the past year, I’ve been trying my best to learn from everybody that comes through, everybody that would let me sit there and listen.
But if you’re a fan of mine, I’m here to let you that there’s a damn fire lit under my ass, man. All I want to do is work. All I’ve ever wanted to do is work. This is all I got, man. But, hey, the good news is there ain’t gonna be no stopping Trevor Lee now, baby. Let me tell you that.
I love you guys. If you’re watching this, I love you. We’re gonna figure this out. This isn’t what I wanted to do at all. The WWE is all I’ve ever wanted to do and be. But if I have to go somewhere else now to show them that they missed out, I guess that’s what I gotta do. Thank you guys.
After beginning his career on the North Carolina indies, Grimes became a standout for PWG and Impact Wrestling before signing with WWE in 2019. He had Million Dollar Championship and North American Championship reigns in NXT but was never heavily featured on the main roster after his call-up.
Grimes’ last WWE match was a quick defeat to Bron Breakker on the April 12 episode of SmackDown.
Three former North American Champions return to NXT tonight for a fatal four-way bout.
To earn a North American title match against Dominik Mysterio, Wes Lee has to defeat Johnny Gargano, Bronson Reed, and Cameron Grimes tonight. Dominik refused to grant Lee a title shot and said the only way he could earn the opportunity is by defeating Gargano, Reed, and Grimes.
The NXT Tag Team titles will be on the line as Tony D’Angelo & Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo defend against Angel Garza & Humberto Carrillo. Garza & Carrillo ambushed D’Angelo & Stacks last week after a D’Angelo Family dinner.
Two more wrestlers will earn their spots in the Iron Survivor Challenge matches at NXT Deadline. Tonight’s qualifying matches are Bron Breakker vs. Eddy Thorpe and Kelani Jordan vs. Kiana James. This week’s participants were chosen by Jerry “The King” Lawler.
Dijak, Trick Williams, and Josh Briggs have already qualified for the men’s Iron Survivor Challenge. Tiffany Stratton, Lash Legend, and Blair Davenport are the first three names to be confirmed for the women’s Iron Survivor Challenge.
Our live coverage starts at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
The show opened with the Tag Team title match competitors brawling on their way to the ring as Vic Joseph & Booker T welcomed us to NXT.
NXT Tag Team Champions Tony D’Angelo & Stacks Lorenzo defeated Angel Garza & Humberto Carrillo to retain the titles
Tony D & Stacks retained in a solid outing. Both have improved greatly in the last year-plus, and Garza & Carrillo have been fantastic for years.
Tony D & Stacks dominated the early part of the bout. They teased the Pwer & Glory/FTR superplex splash spot, but Garza & Carrillo cut them off and took over. Garza & Carrillo worked Stacks over through a picture-in-picture ad break.
Tony D got a hot tag after the break. Stacks tagged back in and got cut off again. Garza hit a nice missile dropkick off the top as Carrillo held Stacks for a near fall.
Garza hit a low blow and covered Stacks for a two count. Stacks hit a low blow to Garza in kicking out.
Tony D & Stacks hit the Bada Bing Bada Boom. Tony D launched Stacks out of the ring onto Carrillo on the floor, then covered Garza for the pin to retain the titles.
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A backstage confrontation between NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov & Nathan Frazer from earlier in the day aired setting up a match between the two. This video also aired on WWE’s social media channels earlier in the day.
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A Johnny Gargano hype video aired highlighting his NXT career.
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They aired Jerry Lawler announcing the Iron Survivor Challenge qualifying matches for the night in a video from his home that dropped Monday on WWE’s YouTube channel.
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Fallon Henley, Josh Briggs, and Brooks Jensen were celebrating Briggs qualifying for the Iron Survivor Challenge backstage. Briggs did some heel turn foreshadowing here.
Lexis King entered and congratulated Briggs on advancing thanks to his help, then hit on Henley and mocked Jensen for not being chosen for a qualifying match. Jensen made a crack about King’s beard.
Briggs continued his slow burn heel turn by volunteering Jensen for a match against King later tonight.
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Videos of Nikkita Lyons kicking, stretching, and kicking on her social media channels aired. Lyons was then shown in the crowd and it was announced that she will return soon from injury.
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A Cameron Grimes hype video played.
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Iron Survivor Challenge qualifying match: Kelani Jordan defeated Kiana James
They kept this simple until it was time for Jordan’s comeback when she started to incorporate more of her athleticism. A fine match with a terrible finish.
Jordan used headlocks and basic offense to control the first part of the contest. James sent Jordan into the announce table to take control prior to an ad break.
Jordan’s comeback began during a picture-in-picture commercial break. Jordan hit an axe kick and a rocker dropper for near falls.
James blocked a superplex and hit a 401K for a near fall.
For the finish, Roxanne Perez rang the ring bell. This distracted James and allowed Jordan to hit a kick and split-legged moonsault for the pin.
This gave Jordan a nice win and furthered the Perez-James issue, but Perez is booked like an obnoxious jerk and not the old school babyface that she was born to play. It’s fascinating.
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Alpha Academy challenged Meta-Four to a six-person mixed tag team match for next week’s episode and said they wanted an answer by the end of the night.
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Video aired from the NXT Anonymous social media account showing Lexis King following Trick Williams prior to Trick being attacked last month. The prime suspects as to who attacked Trick still appear to be King & Carmelo Hayes.
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Andre Chase breaks his silence —
Chase stepped to a podium with Thea Hail, Jacy Jayne, and Duke Hudson beside him. He thanked the investigators for their communication as they investigated Chase U.
Chase said that Chase U was being accused of misappropriating funds to pay gambling debts. Chase said this was true, and he’s taking full responsibility. He said that the scandal is endangering the future of Chase U, but that he is working hard to pay back the debt.
Chase refused to say how much money he owed, but that it was “significant.” He also declined to say who he was in debt to.
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Iron Survivor Challenge qualifying match: Bron Breakker defeated Eddy Thorpe
This was at a different level than everything else on the show to this point. Just the crispness and confidence with which these guys run the ropes, their polish, their movement and positioning, everything.
This wasn’t quite a squash as Breakker gave Thorpe a little bit of offense, but it was a showcase for Breakker.
Breakker dominated with his throws, shoulder tackles, and suplexes. Thorpe hit a series of suplexes as he made his comeback, but sold his taped-up ribs in landing each one.
Breakker cut him off with a spear for the pinfall.
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A brawl broke out in the women’s locker room as Roxanne Perez learned that there will be a last chance women’s Iron Survivor Challenge qualifying match on next week’s episode. Ava (Simone Johnson) delivered the news to Perez. RIP to The Schism.
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A hype video for Bronson Reed played.
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Trick Williams & Carmelo Hayes discussed the Lexis King video from NXT Anonymous and agreed that King is their next collective target.
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NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov defeated Nathan Frazer in a non-title match
This was practically a squash. Dragunov won after hitting three H-Bombs.
Baron Corbin appeared on the video wall after the bout and said that he and Dragunov will go face-to-face next week.
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Hall of Famer McKenzie Mitchell interviewed NXT Women’s Champion Lyra Valkyria about her next potential challenger in the winner of the Iron Survivor Challenge.
Fallon Henley interrupted and said she intends to win the Last Chance qualifying match next week.
Tatum Paxley peeked around the corner during Valkyria’s interview and insinuated that she was going to challenge Valkyria.
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A Karmen Petrovic hype video aired. She promised to defeat Arianna Grace. Their match is next.
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Meta-Four accepted Alpha Academy’s mixed tag challenge for next week’s episode in a pre-taped promo.
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Joe Gacy cut a promo from under the ring and said he is ready to unleash on his next enemy, though he may or may not know who that is. This was odd.
Booker and Vic discussed which of them should go under the ring to see if Gacy was still under the ring. I think they should both go under the ring and stay there. Don’t take the mics with you. Just go.
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Arianna Grace defeated Karmen Petrovic
This was a wrestling school match that served more as a backdrop for the Gacy angle.
Gacy climbed out from under the ring and stole the bell prior to an ad break.
Grace and Petrovic continued to set the women’s evolution back decades after the commercial. They pulled each other’s hair, then Grace used an eye rake that the referee missed and a fireman’s carry slam for the pin.
There was no bell.
Gacy rang the bell like a maniac from the audience. The crowd loved this.
This Gacy character is no bueno. This show dove off a cliff after Dragunov’s match.
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Wes Lee cut a promo with McKenzie backstage & promised to become the new number one contender to the North American title tonight.
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Lexis King defeated Brooks Jensen
Carmelo Hayes & Trick Williams were shown watching this on a backstage monitor.
This was techinically fine. King cut Jensen off. Jensen made a Shawn Michaels comeback complete with an inverted atomic drop and sweet chin music.
Hayes ran in and distracted Jensen and the referee under the guise of trying to distract King, but this could be taken either as Hayes messed up, or Hayes and King are in cahoots.
King hit the Coronation on Jensen for the pin.
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A video package played explaining the Iron Survivor Challenge rules for Deadline, and detailed that there was one spot left in both the men’s and women’s matches. Those spots will be decided in Last Chance fatal four-ways next week.
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Dominik Mysterio joined the commentary desk prior to the number one contender’s match main event, which is up next.
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NXT North American Championship number one contender’s four-way: Wes Lee defeated Bronson Reed, Johnny Gargano & Cameron Grimes
A fun main event with a ton of action. This was well laid-out with spots designed for everyone to have their own showcase moments. Reed was arguably the star of the match even in defeat.
The match began and they immediately went to a picture-in-picture commercial break.
Reed dominated with a delayed vertical suplex, a uranage, and more power offense. The other three teamed up to send Reed outside. Grimes got sent outside and Gargano & Lee shook hands before squaring up.
Reed climbed back in and all three again teamed up. Gargano hit Reed with a low blow and Reed again rolled to the floor. Grimes hit a double tijeras on Gargano & Lee. Lee hit a dive. Grimes hit a dive. Gargano hit three dives on all three of the competitors as the crowd chanted for Johnny Wrestling.
Lee hit meteoras on Grimes and Gargano. Reed cut Lee off as he went for a meteora and hit a DVD for a near fall on Lee. Grimes came off the top with a crossbody on Reed for a near fall.
Gargano went for a satelite DDT on Reed, but Reed blocked. Reed held Gargano in a powerslam position, then Grimes climbed on his back in Samoan drop position, then Lee climbed on Grimes and Reed hit all three with a Samoan drop for a near fall. The crowd went nuts for the triple Samoan drop spot.
The other three teamed up to powerbomb Reed off the second rope out of the corner. Reed rolled outside again as the other three traded strikes in the center of the ring. Lee and Grimes had some miscommunication on a spot. They tred it again and hit it.
Gargano used a submission on Grimes, but Lee broke it up. Reed hit a buckle bomb on Lee and sentons on Gargano and Grimes.
Reed hit a pop-up slam on Lee, throwing him into Grimes and Gargano.
Reed went to the top for Tsunami, but Ivar of the Viking Raiders ran in and attacked Reed. Those two fought off to the back.
Lee hit a crucifix bomb on Grimes for two. Gargano hit a superkick. Grimes hit Cave-In for a near fall on Gargano, then Lee hit Grimes with the Kardiac Kick for the pin.
Lee and Mysterio has a stare-down.
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Roxanne Perez & Kiana James brawled in the parking lot as security tried to pull them apart as the show closed.
Next week —
Ilja Dragunov & Baron Corbin face-to-face ahead of their NXT Championship match at Deadline
Iron Survivor Challenge Last Chance qualifying match: Carmelo Hayes vs. Tyler Bate vs. Joe Coffey vs. Eddy Thorpe
Iron Survivor Challenge Last Chance qualifying match: Fallon Henley vs. Roxanne Perez vs. Kiana James vs. Thea Hail
Alpha Academy (Chad Gable, Otis & Maxxine Dupri) vs. Meta-Four (Noam Dar, Oro Mensah & Lash Legend) in a mixed tag match
Tuesday’s NXT marks the final show before Saturday’s Stand & Deliver premium live event.
Grayson Waller is set to respond to Johnny Gargano’s challenge for a unsanctioned match at NXT Stand & Deliver. Waller agreed to sign the contract as long as Gargano was banned from the building. Gargano gave the contract to friend and NXT commentator Vic Joseph for safekeeping, agreeing to the stipulations.
A battle royal will determine the fifth and final competitor in the upcoming five-way match for the NXT North American Championship at Stand & Deliver. Men such as Dijak and Jinder Mahal told Lee on last week’s NXT that they will be the ones to fill that final slot.
Tuesday’s NXT will also have a Last Chance Qualifying match, with Indi Hatwell, Sol Ruca, and Ivy Nile vying for the final spot in the Women’s Championship ladder match at Stand & Deliver. All three women previously failed in their efforts to qualify for the match, but now have one final shot.
Join us for live coverage starting at 8 pm ET.
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Opening the show is the battle royal to determine the final competitor for the North American title bout.
Apollo Crews gets an entrance to start the show, and the other wrestlers are already in the ring. North American Champion Wes Lee is ringside at the announce desk for guest commentary.
Scrypts jumps over the ropes into the ring as Crews is posing in a corner. Scrypts’ leaps onto Axiom, and that is the spark that ignites the powder keg. A melee erupts and the battle royal is underway.
Axiom wins a 20-man battle royal to qualify for the NXT North American Championship match at Stand & Deliver
Quincy Elliott was the first eliminated, mere seconds after the match begins. Nathan Frazier is the last eliminated. Lots of clubbering in between.
The battle royal goes through a commercial break. Axiom outlasts the field, which has been a story they have been telling for weeks. He finally qualifies for the five-way title match at Stand & Deliver.
Some other stories are weaved into general chaos of the battle royal. A grudge is established between Dijak and Odyssey Jones. An enraged Dijak attacks Jones after Jones helps to eliminate Dijak. Jones is pulled out of the ring, and Dijak sends him crashing into the ring steps. Jones is rolled back into the ring, and moments later Jones is eliminated by Jinder Mahal.
Mahal ends up on the apron, where he fights off Malik Blade and Edris Enofe. Mahal is named by the announcers as an odds on favorite to win. He is the superstar and whatnot, plus a former WWE champion.
Scrypts jumps Axiom at the start, but Axiom gets the last laugh as he eliminate Scrypts. This adds another layer to their simmering feud.
Hank Walker and Drew Gulak come to blows, and they get into a brawl after both are tossed out by Charlie Dempsey. Walker had Gulak in a sleeper on the apron, and Dempsey dumps out Walker. That in turn also eliminated Gulak, who takes his anger out on Walker. They brawl their way off the soundstage, and they would meet again in a singles match later tonight.
Crews was the only one to get a full entrance before the match, and he also gets the Diesel treatment. He throws guys out left and right, but he is ultimately eliminated by Dabbo-Kato. They were among the final six.
Last six remaining are Dabbo-Kato, Mahal, Dempsey, Axiom, Crews, and Nathan Frazier. Kato throws out Crews, leaving five in the ring. Team work helps to eliminate Mahal, as Frazier gets an assist from Axiom to eliminate Mahal. The team works is not over.
Having a final four lasts only seconds, as the the last three all team up to toss out Dabbo-Kato. He gets a touch of the Andre the Giant treatment for his elimination, and he glares a hole through Wes Lee after the match.
Things gets really good in the closing moments. Dempsey eats a missile dropkick from Frazier, and Dempsey is clotheslined over the ropes by Axiom. They trade strikes, leading to a double down. Dempsey had already went over the ropes, so Axiom just boots him off the apron. Dempsey hits the floor, and he is out.
Last two remaining are Axiom and Frazier, and they tear it up. Breakneck speed and intricate high spots. These two are tremendous together. Great counters and reversals. Frazier skins the cat to escape touching the floor, but Axiom nails him with a dropkick in the closing moments. Axiom then throws out Frazier, and Axiom wins the battle royal.
North American Champion Wes Lee gets into the ring after the match to join Axiom. Out comes Dragon Lee, Ilja Dragunov and JD McDonagh. All five have a standoff and they stare down each other ahead of their five-way title match this weekend.
Pretty Deadly, wearing fancy hats, host a Stand & Deliver preview show, with clips sprinkled into this episode where they run down the card for Saturday.
Andre Chase and Tyler Bate cut a promo ahead of Bate’s match tonight. Thea Hail is also there, and she is pumped up as usual. Hail is full of school spirit. Duke Hudson though, not so much. He tags along anyway. but is is far from excited about it.
Tyler Bate (with Chase U) defeated Von Wagner (with Mr. Stone)
Bate pinned Wagner after interference by Mr. Stone backfired. Thea Hail also gets involved, after she counteracts the interference.
Wagner is a monster heel, and he works over Bate. Comeback by Bate, and he tries to fall the big timber. Wagner won’t go down. Yet, Bate is on a roll, until Mr. Stone interferes by hooking Bate’s leg. Bate goes after Stone, and Stone seeks sanctuary in the ring. Thea Hail jumps in and she is a house of fire on Stone. Hail boots Stone out of the ring just before the finish.
Bate is thrown over the ropes by Wagner, but Bate turns it into a dive on Stone. Duke Hudson gives a reluctant high five to Bate. Back in the ring, Bate climbs the turnbuckles for his finisher where he does a corkscrew into a swanton.
Bate and Chase U pose in the ring after the match. The lights go out for a sudden promo from The Schism. They have a match on Saturday against Chase U, with control of the university gimmick on the line as a stipulation.
NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez is backstage, much to the surprise of the announcer team. At least they sold it that way, as Perez has been out with an injury. Perez heads to the office of Shawn Michaels, where Perez lobbies to be included in the women’s title ladder match at Stand & Deliver. There is some bad acting here in this skit, but their hearts are in the right place.
Perez wants to climb the ladder and retrieve the title she never lost in the ring. Perez pleads with Michaels, and Perez talks about wanting to overcome her anxiety. Michaels relents, and he agrees to add Perez to the ladder match at Stand & Deliver, but Perez must get checked out again by the doctors.
Elektra Lopez defeated Valentina Feroz
Lopez pinned Feroz after a sit-out tree slam. This match was set up weeks ago, and Lopez wins in dominate fashion. Feroz got some offense, but this match seems more designed to get Lopez over.
Eddy Thorpe defeated Myles Borne
Thorpe (Karl Fredericks) pinned Borne, in what is Thorpe’s debut match in NXT. Thorpe finished off Borne with a Saito suplex, followed by twisting neckbreaker. Thorpe looked good here, but he will need some character development. I’m assuming the new name is a play on Jim Thorpe, a Native American athlete who was a cultural icon.
NXT Tag Team Champion Gallus cut promos in an interview with McKenzie Mitchell. Gallus vow to retain their tag titles at Stand & Deliver.
Indi Hartwell defeated Ivy Nile and Sol Ruca in a “Last Chance Qualifying” match
Hartwell pinned Nile to win the match. In winning,Hartwell qualifies for the women’s title ladder match at Stand & Deliver.
Sol Ruca got to shine, and she sure shined with her athleticism. As they are heading home, Nile catches Hartwell in a Dragon Sleeper. Ruca leaps in and springboard into her “Sol-snatcher” finisher (springboard flip into a stunner). Hartwell boots Ruca with a kick, knocking Ruca out of the ring. Hartwell then hits Nile with a sliding forearm, and Hartwell covers Nile for a three count.
Much like earlier in the show in the build to the men’s multi-person title match, all the competitors in the NXT Women’s Championship ladder match have a staredown inside the soundstage.
Pretty Deadly, and their hats, are back with more of their Stand & Deliver preview. They focus on the women’s ladder match.
Hyping the NXT Championship match at Stand & Deliver is a “Prime Target” segment. A video package previews the title match main event for Saturday. This was really good stuff, and it might be one of the better Prime Target segments.
Drew Gulak defeated Hank Walker
Gulak pinned Walker, after outside interference by Charlie Dempsey.
Walker trades submission holds with Gulak early on in the match. Walker was holding his own when Gulak cuts him off. Walker being so good on the mat forces Gulak to venture outside his normal method of attack. Gulak even jumps off the top rope. Walker fires up and he makes a comeback.
Walker pulls down the straps on his singlet. He hits the ropes for an Ultimate Warrior shoulder tackle, but Gulak kicks out for a near fall. Gulak counters to apply a crossface. Walker escapes, and moments later he has Gulak trapped in a cross armbreaker. Gulak manages to get his foot on the bottom rope, thus breaking the hold.
Walker and Gulak are tied up near the ropes when Charlie Dempsey runs down to ringside. Dempsey hops on the apron, and he Dempsey bashes Walker in the back of the head. Gulak then traps Walker in a small package for a pinfall.
Pretty Deadly preview the men’s and women’s tag team title matches at Stand & Deliver.
Tony D’Angelo & Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo defeated Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen
D’Angelo pins Jensen to win the match. There is drama, and an angle after the match, with the Kiana James and Fallon Henely. Their sage with Briggs & Jensen continues.
A skit earlier in the show established a stipulation that if Briggs & Jensen win this match then they are added to the tag title match at Stand & Deliver. Kaina James in storyline is the one that got them the opportunity, much to the chagrin of Fallon Henley. Doesn’t really matter anyway, as Briggs & Jensen lose the match tonight.
The tag match tonight goes through a commercial break. Briggs & Jensen are standing tall as the show cuts to the break. Stacks & Tony D. turn the tables by the time the show returns from commercial, and they work over Jensen.
In an unintentionally funny moment, Stacks & Tony D. do the old Demolition finisher, except Stacks jumps off the top rope for the flying elbow. Booker T on commentary repeatedly hollers, calling it the “Doomsday Device.” I laughed out loud.
Hot tag and Briggs proceeds to clean house. Briggs tags out, and he lifts up Stacks into an electric chair. Jensen then leaps off the top rope with a spinning heel kick. D’Angelo jumps in to break the count for a near fall.
Briggs and D’Angelo have a slugfest, and Briggs is sent outside with a Kevin Nash spot where he misses a big boot. Stacks & Tony D. then execute a stereo slam where they both give Jensen a big back bump, and D’Angelo craddles Jensen for the deciding pinfall.
After the match, Fallon Henley gets into the ring alongside Kiana James. They are still the NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions, but Henley wants to settle an issue. Henley tells Jensen there is something James needs to tell you. Henley is alluding to James being unfaithful. James says instead of telling Jensen, she will show him. James walks over to Jensen and kisses him. The announcers sell it like this is the first time Jensen has ever kissed a girl. Henley is the only one not happy.
Johnny Gargano brawls with Grayson Waller
Grayson Waller enters the soundstage, and he heads to the announce desk where Vic Joseph is waiting with a contract. Johnny Gargano gave the contract to Joseph for safe keeping, as Gargano is banned from the building per Waller’s request. The contract is for a match at Stand & Deliver. Waller is supposed to sign it, but first he must talk about it a lot.
Waller takes the contract from Joseph, and Waller cuts a promo on Joseph. Waller then grabs a microphone as he gets into the ring. Security guards are flanking Waller as he addresses the audience. Waller cuts a promo that includes him heeling on the crowd. He goes on to blame the fans.
Waller brings up War Games, where he jumped off the top of the cage. He wanted that spot to go viral, but everyone was talking about “Johnny Wrestling” instead. Waller says that is his justification for attacking Gargano two nights later on NXT. That angle wrote off Gargano from WWE television at the time. Gargano would eventually return to WWE, but on the main roster instead of NXT.
Waller calls Gargano “the biggest mark in this business.” I guess we are supposed to believe he is shooting now. Anyway, Waller basically claims he got himself more over by attacking Gargano.
Waller continues cutting his promo, until he is interrupted by Gargano’s theme music. The song was somewhat of a red herring. Waller was looking for Gargano to come down the entrance ramp, but Gargano has a surprise.
Dressed as a cameraman, Gargano is already in the ring. He sits the camera down and takes off his disguise. Stone Cold Gargano then attacks Waller, and they are separated by security in a pull-apart brawl. The go-home show goes off the air with them being held back.
Cameron Grimes is waiting on WWE to develop a creative direction for his main roster debut.
The 29-year-old has not wrestled since the November 8, 2022, edition of WWE NXT, when he lost a singles match to Joe Gacy. The original plan had been for Grimes to be called up after his feud with Gacy concluded.
Cameron Grimes was finishing up in NXT because he was being called to the main roster and right now what’s going on is that they are waiting for an idea on the main roster so he’s in limbo. He’s finished with NXT, he’s supposed to be on the main roster but they don’t have a story for him so they haven’t debuted him yet and they’re waiting to come up with a story for him.
Grimes wrestled a match on Main Event in October, defeating Akira Tozawa. He only wrestled twice more on NXT following this. The Cameron, North Carolina native is a former NXT North American Champion, Million Dollar Champion, three-time X-Division Champion, and once won the TNA Tag Team Championships along with Brian Myers.
Wrestling Observer Live with Mike Sempervive is back to talk about all of the news in professional wrestling including a full review of last night’s AEW Dynamite show.
Plus, Taryn Terell’s exit from the NWA, Chris Jericho and The Bunny both expanding their horizons, Cameron Grimes being called up, and much more. A fun show as always so check it out~!
Cameron Grimes has been tabbed for the WWE main roster, according to Dave Meltzer.
During a review of Tuesday’s WWE NXT on Wednesday’s Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer said he was told Grimes will be called up after his current feud with Joe Gacy wraps up.
Grimes lost to Gacy on Tuesday’s show which appeared to indicate that time might be now. It’s unknown which brand he will head to or the timeframe for that final move.
He recently made his main roster debut, defeating Akira Tozawa on an October episode of WWE Main Event.
The 29-year-old has been under contract since 2019 after a run in Impact Wrestling and indies like PWG. He’s a former three-time Impact X-Division Champion and Impact Tag Team Champion.
In his three years in WWE NXT, Grimes held the North American title once and also held the briefly revived Million Dollar title during a feud with LA Knight that involved Ted DiBiase.
More main roster talent has been announced for this week’s WWE NXT episode.
The OC’s Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson will team with Cameron Grimes on Tuesday’s NXT show, facing The Schism’s Joe Gacy, Rip Fowler, and Jagger Reid in a trios bout.
Grimes appeared on Monday’s Raw show to recruit Gallows and Anderson for his Tuesday bout.
Earlier in the show, NXT’s Cora Jade appeared in a segment to recruit Rhea Ripley as Roxanne Perez’s “Pick Your Poison” opponent on this week’s NXT. Jade is set to take on Raquel Rodriguez on NXT in a match set up on Friday’s SmackDown show.
Tuesday’s NXT show will go head-to-head with AEW Dynamite.
Here is the updated lineup for NXT:
The Schism (Joe Gacy, Rip Fowler, and Jagger Reid) vs. Cameron Grimes, Luke Gallows, and Karl Anderson
Alba Fyre vs. Sonya Deville
Channing ‘Stacks’ Lorenzo vs. an opponent of Tony D’Angelo’s choosing
Cameron Grimes is reportedly scheduled to be at WWE Raw on Monday.
According to a report from PW Insider, the 29-year-old will be at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City for the show and will likely take part in the tapings for Main Event that night.
Several NXT wrestlers have appeared on Main Event over the last two weeks. Von Wagner and Carmelo Hayes each wrestled dark matches on last week’s show from the Barclay’s Center in New York. Fallon Henley, Josh Briggs, & Brooks Jensen also appeared on the show the week prior from Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Grimes hasn’t wrestled since dropping a match to Joe Gacy on the September 14 NXT taping. The match aired on September 27.
Grimes has been with the company since 2019. He previously wrestled as Trevor Lee (real-name Trevor Lee Caddell) for promotions such as PWG, OMEGA, and Impact Wrestling where he is a former three-time X-Division Champion and once held the promotion’s tag titles along with Brian Myers. Grimes is also a former NXT North American Champion and won the Million Dollar Championship at TakeOver 36 last year.
