Tag: dabba-kato

Tyler Bate vs. Dabba-Kato added to this week’s WWE NXT

Posted on by Ethan Renner

A Tyler Bate vs. Dabba-Kato singles match has been added to the lineup for the Tuesday, August 29 WWE NXT episode.

Dabba-Kato has targeted Bate with attacks on recent NXT episodes, including on last week’s show where he hit Bate with a chokeslam on the apron as Bate was cornering Nathan Frazier in a Heritage Cup match. 

A social media angle hinting at a women’s tag team match for this week’s episode was also shot on Sunday, with Dana Brooke & Kelani Jordan vs. Elektra Lopez & Lola Vice the likely outcome, although that match has yet to be made official. 

Already announced for Tuesday’s episode are the beginning of the Global Heritage Invitational, an NXT Women’s Championship number one contender’s match, a steel cage match, plus Eddy Thorpe vs. Dijak.

Here is the current official lineup for this week’s NXT show: 

  • Steel cage match: The Creed Brothers vs. The Dyad – if the Creed Brothers win, they are reinstated in NXT
  • Four-way match for NXT Women’s title number one contendership: Blair Davenport vs. Gigi Dolin vs. Kiana James vs. Roxanne Perez
  • Global Heritage Invitational tournament begins
  • Eddy Thorpe vs. Dijak
  • Tyler Bate vs. Dabba-Kato

Dabba-Kato returns at WWE NXT Vengeance Day, turns on Apollo Crews

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Dabba-Kato made his return to NXT at Vengeance Day, turning on his former friend Apollo Crews.

Kato returned towards the end of the Crews/Carmelo Hayes 2 out of 3 falls match that took place Saturday. Trick Williams was on the apron about to use a chair when Kato grabbed the chair from Williams. Crews acknowledged Kato but the distraction proved to be a costly one, as Hayes regained control and pinned Crews with a top rope legdrop, winning two straight falls.

After the match, Kato helped Crews up to his feet and the two hugged. However, it was a swerve, as Kato laid out Crews with a chokeslam on the steel chair.

Kato and Crews were a unit on the main roster back when Crews was Intercontinental Champion, with Kato using the name Commander Azeez. However, he was sent back to NXT last summer, working a handful of house shows since then. He had previously used the Dabba-Kato name prior to being called up.

Dabba-Kato returns as new character at WWE WrestleMania 37

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Dabba-Kato made his return to WWE television on night two of WrestleMania 37, aligning with Apollo Crews in Crews’ Intercontinental title win in the Nigerian Drum Fight. 

A PWInsider report states that Dabba-Kato is being repackaged as Commodore Azeez or Commodore Azez. WWE recently filed a trademark for “Commander Azeez.”

Intercontinental Champion Big E had Crews pinned after hitting a Big Ending. Dabba-Kato then appeared and broke up the pinfall. He connected with a chokeslam, then placed Crews on top of Big E for the pinfall and the title change. Dabba-Kato is of Polish and Nigerian descent, explaining the alignment with Crews as he plays a descendant of Nigerian royalty. 

Dabba-Kato was prominently featured on Raw during the late summer of 2020 in Raw Underground segments. He was drafted to the Raw brand in the WWE Draft in October 2020, but had not made an appearance since Raw Underground’s hiatus.  

Dabba-Kato was part of the WWE Performance Center class of April 2016.He had a career as a professional football player prior to joining WWE, playing in American football leagues in Europe for  nearly a decade. He was a late cut from the Minnesota Vikings in the 2015 NFL preseason. His highest-profile appearance prior to tonight was at the Greatest Royal Rumble in April 2018 under the Babatunde ring name. Additionally, he wrestled for EVOLVE while under WWE contract in 2019. 

Braun Strowman to face Dabba-Kato in WWE Raw Underground

Posted on by Bryan Rose

A new match for Raw Underground is set for next week.

Braun Strowman vs. Dabba-Kato was set after the two had a confrontation tonight on Raw Underground. Strowman insisted on being let inside on tonight’s show, telling Shane McMahon he wanted his best fighter.

Strowman proceeded to spend the night destroying people left and right, including Dolph Ziggler, Titus O’Neil and Riddick Moss. That was when Dabba-Kato showed up and the two ended up having a staredown. McMahon stopped the two from fighting, saying to save it for next week.

Although Strowman is part of the SmackDown brand, Michael Cole on commentary said that it was his understanding that anyone could enter Raw Underground, regardless of brand. 

Dabba-Kato has appeared on Raw Underground since its inception, destroying people left and right whenever he stepped up to the challenge. He has not appeared on any other WWE programming outside of Raw Underground.