Worlds Collide (2022)
The 2022 Worlds Collide was the third Worlds Collide professional wrestling livestreaming event produced by WWE. While the event was held primarily for wrestlers from the promotion's NXT and NXT UK brand divisions, Worlds Collide also featured some wrestlers from WWE's main roster brands, Raw and SmackDown. It took place on Sunday, September 4, 2022, at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, and was the first Worlds Collide to air on the livestreaming service Peacock. This was the first Worlds Collide event since 2020 and also the final event for NXT UK, which will relaunch as NXT Europe in 2023. This was also NXT's last major event in which the brand was referred to as "NXT 2.0", as nine days later, the "2.0" moniker was dropped.
| Worlds Collide | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Promotional poster featuring Bron Breakker and Tyler Bate | |||
| Promotion | WWE | ||
| Brand(s) | NXT NXT UK | ||
| Date | September 4, 2022 | ||
| City | Orlando, Florida | ||
| Venue | WWE Performance Center | ||
| WWE Network event chronology | |||
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| Worlds Collide chronology | |||
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Seven matches were contested at the event, including two dark matches that were later streamed on Level Up. All five matches that took place at the actual event were interbrand championship matches and three saw all but one of NXT UK's championships unified into their respective NXT championship counterparts. In the main event, NXT Champion Bron Breakker defeated NXT United Kingdom Champion Tyler Bate to unify both championships. Other prominent matches saw NXT Women's Champion Mandy Rose defeat NXT UK Women's Champion Meiko Satomura and Blair Davenport in a triple threat match to unify both women's championships, and Pretty Deadly (Elton Prince and Kit Wilson) defeated NXT Tag Team Champions The Creed Brothers (Brutus Creed and Julius Creed), NXT UK Tag Team Champions Brooks Jensen and Josh Briggs, and Gallus (Mark Coffey and Wolfgang) in a fatal four-way tag team elimination match to unify both tag team championships. The NXT UK Heritage Cup was the only championship that was not unified into an NXT championship and was the only championship between the two brands that was not defended at the event.
Production
Background
Worlds Collide is a series of professional wrestling shows that began on January 26, 2019, when WWE held an interbrand tournament featuring wrestlers from the NXT, NXT UK, and the now-defunct 205 Live brands.[1][2][3] After not being held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, WWE announced on August 18, 2022, that Worlds Collide would return on September 4, 2022, and be held at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. It was the third Worlds Collide event and primarily featured wrestlers from the NXT and NXT UK brands. The announcement also confirmed that this would be the final event for NXT UK; following the event, the brand went on hiatus and will relaunch as NXT Europe in 2023. In addition to the WWE Network in international markets, it was available to livestream on Peacock in the United States, due to the American version of the WWE Network merging under Peacock in March 2021.[4][5]
Storylines
| Role: | Name: |
|---|---|
| Commentators | Vic Joseph |
| Wade Barrett | |
| Spanish commentators | Marcelo Rodríguez |
| Jerry Soto | |
| Ring announcer | Alicia Taylor |
| Referees | Adrian Butler |
| Chip Danning | |
| Joey Gonzalez | |
| Dallas Irvin | |
| Derek Sanders | |
| Pre-show panel | Sam Roberts |
| McKenzie Mitchell |
The card included matches that resulted from scripted storylines, where wrestlers portrayed heroes, villains, or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches. Results was predetermined by WWE's writers on the NXT and NXT UK brands, while storylines were produced on the NXT and NXT UK television programs.[6][7]
After NXT Champion Bron Breakker successfully retained his title at Heatwave, NXT United Kingdom Champion Tyler Bate appeared to confront Breakker.[8] On the August 23 episode of NXT, both Bate and Breakker signed a contract for a championship unification match to take place at Worlds Collide.[9]
On the August 23 episode of NXT, NXT Women's Champion Mandy Rose confronted Blair Davenport and demanded respect from her. NXT UK Women's Champion Meiko Satomura joined the confrontation, and the two champions argued who was better. The champions then agreed to a title unification match at Worlds Collide, with Davenport also being added to the match due to being the number one contender for the NXT UK Women's Championship, thus making it a triple threat title unification match.[9]
On the August 30 episode of NXT, NXT Women's Tag Team Champions Katana Chance and Kayden Carter were confronted by Doudrop and Nikki A.S.H. from Raw, who challenged the champions for the titles at Worlds Collide, which was made official.[10]
On the August 30 episode of NXT, during a six-person mixed tag team match pitting Fallon Henley and NXT UK Tag Team Champions Brooks Jensen and Josh Briggs against Pretty Deadly (Elton Prince and Kit Wilson) and Lash Legend, Gallus (Mark Coffey and Wolfgang) interfered in favor of Legend and Pretty Deadly and helped them to win. On the same episode, after Joe Coffey, Mark Coffey, and Wolfgang defeated Damon Kemp and NXT Tag Team Champions The Creed Brothers (Brutus Creed and Julius Creed), a brawl started between both teams, and Pretty Deadly, Briggs, and Jensen joined the fight. This led to a fatal four-way tag team elimination match being scheduled between The Creed Brothers, Briggs and Jensen, Gallus, and Pretty Deadly at Worlds Collide, which would also be a title unification match.[10]
On the August 30 episode of NXT, NXT North American Champion Carmelo Hayes, alongside Trick Williams, discussed how no one could match Hayes' level. Ricochet from SmackDown then appeared to challenge Hayes for the title at World Collide, which was made official.[10]
Aftermath
Tyler Bate opened the following episode of NXT to talk about his loss to Bron Breakker, only to be interrupted by Gallus (Joe Coffey, Mark Coffey, and Wolfgang). They attacked Bate and also took out security guards. Breakker made the save, and a tag team match pitting Breakker and Bate against Joe and Mark was scheduled for that episode's main event, where Breakker and Bate won. Afterwards, they were attacked by JD McDonagh, who wanted another shot at the NXT Championship[11] after losing to Breakker at Heatwave.[8] This set up a match between Bate and McDonagh to determine the number one contender for the title on the September 20 episode of NXT where McDonagh was victorious.[12]
On the September 13 episode of NXT, The Creed Brothers (Brutus Creed and Julius Creed) took on Pretty Deadly (Kit Wilson and Elton Prince) in a Steel Cage match for the NXT Tag Team Championship. After interference from Damon Kemp, who handcuffed Julius to the top of the cage, Wilson and Prince pinned Brutus following a second Spilt Milk (a spinebuster/neckbreaker combination) to retain the titles.[13] An ambulance match between Julius and Kemp would later be scheduled for Halloween Havoc, with the added stipulation that Brutus must leave NXT should Julius lose.[14]
For costing them the NXT Women's Tag Team Championship, Toxic Attraction (Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne) faced Doudrop and Nikki A.S.H. on the following episode of NXT in a losing effort.[11]
For costing him the NXT North American Championship, Trick Williams took on Ricochet on the following episode of NXT in a losing effort.[11]
On the September 27 episode of NXT, Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen defeated Gallus (Mark Coffey and Wolfgang) in a Pub Rules match. Following the match, Mark, Joe Coffey, and Wolfgang attacked security guards and a referee before they were arrested as NXT ended.[15] Afterwards, it was announced that Gallus were suspended indefinitely.[16] Gallus made their return at NXT: New Year's Evil on January 10, 2023, where they won a gauntlet match to become the number one contenders for the NXT Tag Team Championship.[17]
This was the last livestreaming event in which the NXT brand was referred to as "NXT 2.0". At the end of the September 13 episode of NXT, a video package aired that summarized the past year of NXT's "2.0 era" and was narrated by Shawn Michaels. He talked about the brand consistently evolving with a focus on the future. Afterwards, a new gold-and-white logo was introduced, with the "NXT" logo remaining unchanged but the "2.0" moniker dropped.[13][18]
Results
Fatal four-way tag team elimination match
| Elimination | Wrestler | Team | Eliminated by | Elimination move | Times[19] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brooks Jensen | Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen (NXT UK) | Mark Coffey | Pinned after an enziguri/suplex combo | 4:45 |
| 2 | Wolfgang | Gallus | Julius Creed | Pinned after a Doomsday Cannonball Device | 8:37 |
| 3 | Julius Creed | The Creed Brothers (NXT) | Elton Prince | Pinned after a Backstabber from Damon Kemp | 15:34 |
| Winners: | Pretty Deadly | ||||
References
- WWE.com staff (January 24, 2019). "WWE Worlds Collide to stream on Saturday, Feb. 2". WWE. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
- "NXT, 205 Live and NXT UK Superstars to battle in the first-ever WWE Worlds Collide Tournament at Royal Rumble Axxess". WWE.com. January 10, 2019. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
The WWE Worlds Collide Tournament, which will be taped for a WWE Network special, kicks off with a 15-Superstar Battle Royal on Saturday, Jan. 26, at the 8 a.m. session of Axxess.
- Joseph Currier (January 10, 2019). "WWE WORLDS COLLIDE TOURNAMENT SET, WILL BE TAPED FOR NETWORK SPECIAL". Wrestling Observer. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
- Defelice, Robert (August 18, 2022). "WWE Announces The Impending Launch Of 'NXT Europe' Final NXT UK Event To Be 'Worlds Collide' On 9/4". Fightful. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
- WWE.com Staff (March 8, 2021). "WWE Network to launch on Peacock March 18". WWE. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- Grabianowski, Ed (January 13, 2006). "How Pro Wrestling Works". HowStuffWorks. Discovery Communications. Archived from the original on November 29, 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
- "Live & Televised Entertainment". WWE. Archived from the original on February 18, 2009. Retrieved March 21, 2012.
- Moore, John (August 16, 2022). "8/16 NXT 2.0 Heatwave results: Moore's review of Bron Breakker vs. JD McDonagh for the NXT Title, Mandy Rose vs. Zoey Stark for the NXT Women's Title, Carmelo Hayes vs. Giovanni Vinci for the NXT North American Title, Tony D'Angelo vs Santos Escobar in a Street Fight, Cora Jade vs. Roxanne Perez". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on August 28, 2022. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
- Moore, John (August 23, 2022). "8/23 NXT 2.0 results: Moore's review of Brooks Jensen and Josh Briggs vs. Gallus for the NXT UK Tag Team Titles, Tiffany Stratton vs. Wendy Choo in a Lights Out match, NXT UK Champion Tyler Bate vs. Von Wagner in a non-title match, The Grayson Waller Effect with guest Apollo Crews". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
- Moore, John (August 30, 2022). "8/30 NXT 2.0 results: Moore's review of Apollo Crews vs. Grayson Waller, Josh Briggs, Brooks Jensen, and Fallon Henley vs. Lash Legend and Pretty Deadly, Diamond Mine vs. Gallus, NXT Women's Tag Team Champions Kayden Carter and Katana Chance vs. Ivy Nile and Tatum Paxley in a non-title match". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
- Hazelwood, Bruce Lee (September 6, 2022). "9/6 NXT 2.0 REPORT: Hazelwood's live report on Lee vs. McDonagh, Frazer vs. Axiom, Perez vs. Satomura, Ricochet vs. Williams, more". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
- Moore, John (September 20, 2022). "9/20 NXT results: Moore's review of Tyler Bate vs. JD McDonagh for an NXT Title shot, Grayson Waller vs. Oro Mensah, Von Wagner vs. Sanga, Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams vs. Andre Chase and Bodhi Hayward, Cora Jade vs. Wendy Choo, Axiom vs. Nathan Frazer in a best of three series match, Rip Fowler and Jagger Reid vs. Malik Blade and Edris Enofe". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved September 21, 2022.
- Wells, Kelly (September 13, 2022). "9/13 NXT 2.0 REPORT: Wells's report on anniversary show featuring Creed Brothers vs. Pretty Deadly, Carmelo Hayes vs. mystery opponent, D'Angelo & Stacks vs. Grimes & mystery partner, more". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
- Wells, Kelly (October 4, 2022). "10/4 NXT REPORT: Wells's live report on Toxic Attraction vs. Fyre & Stark & Lyons, Von Wagner vs. Andre Chase, Jade & Perez appear on "Grayson Waller Effect," more". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
- Moore, John (September 27, 2022). "9/27 NXT TV results: Moore's review of Wolfgang and Mark Coffey vs. Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen in a Pub Rules match, Ilja Dragunov vs. Xyon Quinn, NXT Women's Champion Mandy Rose vs. Fallon Henley in a non-title match, Tony D'Angelo vs. Wes Lee, Nikkita Lyons vs. Kayden Carter, Brutus Creed vs. Damon Kemp". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
- Mrosko, Geno (September 27, 2022). "Gallus suspended indefinitely by WWE". Cageside Seats. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
- Hazelwood, Bruce Lee (January 10, 2023). "1/10 NXT NEW YEAR'S EVIL REPORT: Hazelwood's live report on Breakker vs. Waller for title, #1 contender's battle royal, Pretty Deadly in the gauntlet, more". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
- Renner, Ethan (September 13, 2022). "WWE NXT changes logo, returns to black and gold color scheme". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- Moore, John (September 4, 2022). "NXT Worlds Collide results: Moore's live review of NXT Champion Bron Breakker vs. NXT UK Champion Tyler Bate in a unification match, NXT Women's Champion Mandy Rose vs. NXT UK Women's Champion Meiko Satomura vs. Blair Davenport in a unification match, Carmelo Hayes vs. Ricochet for the NXT North American Championship". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
- Billy Krotchsen (September 4, 2022). "Dark matches from Worlds Collide". PWInsider. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
- Bryant, Nathan (August 30, 2022). "Ricochet looks to reclaim the North American Title from Carmelo Hayes". WWE. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
- Bryant, Nathan (August 30, 2022). "Worlds collide in massive Fatal 4-Way Elimination Tag Team Championship Unification Match". WWE. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
- Bryant, Nathan (August 23, 2022). "Rose, Satomura and Davenport square off in colossal Title Unification Triple Threat Match". WWE. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
- Bryant, Nathan (August 30, 2022). "Katana Chance & Kayden Carter defend their titles against Doudrop & Nikki A.S.H." WWE. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
- Bryant, Nathan (August 23, 2022). "Bron Breakker and Tyler Bate set to determine the true champion in Title vs. Title Match". WWE. Retrieved August 24, 2022.