It looks like the WWE NXT commentary team has added someone new to the roster, and fans will get their first look tomorrow night. According Fighting selection, WWE has hired freelance commentator Blake Chadwick to join the NXT commentary team, and he will be known as Blake Howard on WWE TV. He officially started with WWE this week and filmed with them on Tuesday, and he will make his TV debut alongside Byron Saxton on Friday’s episode of NXT LVL UP. Howard previously worked for companies including WrestleCade, West Coast Wrestling Connection, VCW and Combat Fights Unlimited, and we’re excited to see how the new team sounds this week.
Howard will team up with Saxton this Friday, but it’s unclear if he’ll also be a regular part of Tuesday’s NXT episodes. Currently NXT’s commentary team includes Vic Joseph and Booker T, so WWE could either just be looking to bolster their roster in case they need people to jump in on the fly, or they could shake up another show and do move Joseph or Booker T. on.
That said, Joseph and Booker T have been fantastic on NXT and have apparently been well received by fans as well. The tag team consisted of Joseph and Wade Barrett, but Barrett moved to SmackDown to join Michael Cole after Pat McAfee pulled out to do College GameDay. McAfee has returned to the Royal Rumble, but it is not yet known if he will return full-time to SmackDown.
On Raw, commentary is withheld by Kevin Patrick and Corey Graves. Raw’s previous team was Graves, Jimmy Smith and Byron Saxton, but the team was shaken up last year. It remains to be seen if any of the other teams will change in the near future, but at least we know that NXT LVL UP will be a little different this Friday.
WWE NXT recently held its latest premium live event in Charlotte, and Vengeance Day delivered several surprises. While the NXT Championship and the NXT Women’s Championships did not change hands, the two Tag Team Championships surprisingly did. The NXT Tag Team Championship Fatal 4-Way caused The New Day to lose their titles to Gallus, which I don’t think anyone saw coming.
On the side of the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship, Kayden Carter and Katana Chance lost their titles to the upstart tag team of Fallon Henley and Kiana James, although there was some controversy. James was able to help Henley by holding down Carter’s legs while Henley pinned her, and the referee never saw what happened. James and Henley got the win but Chance and Carter have already faced them, and Henley is ready to give them a rematch.
What do you want to see next for NXT? Let us know in the comments and as always, you can talk all things wrestling with me on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!