WWE: NXT’s Backstage Mood, Ariya Daivari on Vince’s Mood Towards NXT During COVID, Mercedes Martinez

Current Backstage Mood Within NXT

As noted before, WWE released thirteen talent from their NXT brand and developmental system this past Friday. These releases were part of the new plans from Vince McMahon for major changes to be made to WWE’s NXT brand and developmental system going forward.

WrestleVotes reported on Twitter that their sources within NXT stated that the general mood backstage at the Performance Center on Wednesday was not good. It was reported that tensions were running high backstage prior to the taping of NXT’s show that night due to the recent wave of releases and news of major changes on its way for the brand.

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Ariya Daivari Comments on Vince McMahon Not Wanting NXT Talent in WWE Locker Room During Pandemic

A recent episode of the Straight Shooting podcast had former WWE talent Ariya Daivari as the guest. One of the topics discussed included Daivari’s thoughts on Vince McMahon not wanting any NXT talent to be around WWE’s main roster locker room during the coronavirus pandemic.

“The whole reason 205 Live got moved back to NXT is because NXT was having a little bit of a COVID issue compared to the main roster. A handful of guys were getting coronavirus and this was around the time where nobody really knew exactly how serious this was. They are having a COVID issue in NXT and I believe someone on the main roster got infected. Word got out and it basically boiled down to, ‘NXT is giving main roster guys coronavirus.’ I forget who I was going to wrestle but we were going to do an episode of 205 Live at the ThunderDome and all of a sudden they came up to me and were like, ‘We’re changing the card. These three guys gotta go.’ They kicked some NXT guys out of the locker room and sent them home because this is when we were still in Orlando for the ThunderDome.

Me and Isaiah Scott had to do a 15-minute match on 20 minutes notice. He was wrestling someone else, I was wrestling someone else, both of our opponents got sent home, so we put this match together. After that, what I was told was Vince was like, ‘No more NXT guys on the main roster during the pandemic.’ Guys were just coming up to 205 Live. He said, ‘No more NXT guys in the locker room.’ I was told NXT was having too many cases of COVID and Vince didn’t want NXT guys in the SmackDown locker room because they might bring COVID.”

Transcript h/t: Fightful.com

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Mercedes Martinez Comments on Her WWE Release

As noted before, WWE released thirteen talents from their NXT developmental system this past Friday. Among those released included Mercedes Martinez.

Martinez recently reflected on Twitter about her release from WWE and the future of her wrestling career.

“My life..I never thought I would ever make it to the WWE. I stayed dedicated, hustled, grinded, and sacrificed more than I could ever imagined to reach that goal. It took 20yrs…..but I wouldn’t change anything bc the universe has a way of making things work out. I never fit the mold ANYWHERE but I stayed TRUE to myself, ALWAYS. “The diamond in the rough” so to say….

I truly want to thank @tripleh @wwe and @WWENXT for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime. I understand this business is never a guarantee for anything, and that sometimes the risk is higher than the reward. I’m grateful, blessed and humbled. Thank you to all that have text, messaged, emailed, called, and to those that put me on blast on social media..lol.

The overwhelming love does not go unnoticed. But…….DONT COUNT ME OUT! The BEST of me is still yet to be unseen. I’m rebuilding myself and I know my worth, always have. My drive, dedication, perseverance and my hard knocks stubbornness says I have more to prove. I’m looking forward to THE NEXT CHAPTER!……