NXT is expanding and its next move is to take over the whole continent of Europe.
The plan for WWE NXT has always been global expansion. Prior to the restructuring of the brand in 2021, there were once major plans for an NXT India. However, as the structure of WWE behind the scenes continues to change in the wake of Vince McMahon's retirement, WWE has officially announced its plan to launch NXT Europe.
As reported by Fox News, the NXT UK brand will go on hiatus for several months as NXT Europe prepares to launch, and the final event will be NXT Worlds Collide on Sunday, September 4, 2021, at 4 p.m. eastern time.
STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced that the NXT brand will grow internationally with the creation of an all-new NXT Europe, with the launch planned for 2023.
“Following the success of our live events and talent identification efforts throughout all of Europe, we believe this is the perfect time to expand NXT beyond the UK,” said Shawn Michaels, WWE Vice President of Talent Development Creative.
Launched in 2016, NXT UK has received critical acclaim and developed WWE main roster talent such as Rhea Ripley, Doudrop, Gunther and Butch. NXT Europe will reimagine the brand and its talent pipeline with a Pan European focus.
Prior to the debut of NXT Europe, Worlds Collide, a premium live event featuring NXT and NXT UK Superstars, will be presented live on Sunday, September 4 at 4 p.m. ET on Peacock in the United States and WWE Network everywhere else.
Recently, NXT UK Superstars such as Gallus, Tyler Bate, and Blair Davenport appeared on NXT 2.0 television with Bate even having a stare-down with Bron Breakker.
According to the report, the internal plan for NXT Europe is to reimagine the brand and talent pipeline with a new focus on all of Europe.
Shawn Michaels, who is in charge of the NXT, explained his excitement for the expansion, and what to expect moving forward, while being interviewed by Fox.
"So some of it, like everything with the WWE and NXT, that pipeline is always fluid. It’s going to be one of those situations where we’re going to have a lot of representation going into Worlds Collide," Michaels told Fox News Digital. "It’s what NXT has always been and that is to be a pipeline for the WWE in support of RAW and SmackDown. That process is going to continue. We’re going to use the UK talent that we can to go into Worlds Collide and keep that representation out there for as long as we can. As we move things over here in the process, we’ll make all those decisions in 2023 about who’s a part of NXT Europe and who continues to stay here in NXT in hopes of getting a main roster call up."
Michaels also noted in the interview that he would like to go to Venice with this new brand. He also wants to hit up Paris, France, and Germany as well.
We will have more on this new brand’s launch as more details are known.
