NXT Arrival: Where Are They Now?

NXT Arrival: Where Are They Now?

December 11, 2024

By Ryan Porzl

Many promotions have popped up this century from big ones like AEW, TNA, ROH, and MLW to popular indie promotions like PWG, SHIMMER, SHINE, GCW, among others. One of the bigger and popular ones would be NXT. Originally starting in 2010 as a goofy reality show type concept, NXT eventually settled into becoming WWE's developmental territory in 2012. Mostly operating out of Florida, the promotion has grown from cult like status on the WWE Network to occasionally being considered a third brand alongside RAW and Smackdown on national TV. Many of WWE's current stars had runs in NXT at one point before moving up to the main roster. However, despite NXT beginning in 2012, it wouldn't be until 2014 when they began running big PPV like cards. The first one would be called NXT Arrival and took place at Full Sail University on February 27, 2014. It's now been over ten years since that event so I figured it be fun to do one of my favorite type of articles which is a "Where Are They Now?" In this article, we'll take a look at some of the early stars of NXT and see where they ended up. Who went to big success? Who fell to obscurity? Let's find out.

Note: I don't own any photos. Credit to WWE or whomever owns them.

WWF Brawl For All: Where Are They Now?

WWF Brawl For All: Where Are They Now?

May 27, 2024

By Ryan Porzl

The Brawl For All. If you are a long time wrestling fan or at least an Attitude Era fan, you're well aware of this infamous concept. Created in the summer of 1998, the Brawl For All was a sixteen man tournament. However, instead of being a scripted wrestling tournament that you would expect from the WWF, it was actually a legit toughman contest where wrestlers would put on boxing gloves and attempt to legit knock out their opponents. To say the Brawl For All was a disaster would be an understatement. Just about every way you can think of to make something like this a disaster: injuries, lack of audience interest, wrestlers losing credibility, failing to produce stars, and the man the promotion wanted to win not only did not but saw his reputation go down the toilet just as he was starting, this tournament had it. The BFA was a disaster. However, there were some silver linings as it did produce good ratings especially with talent most fans didn't care about and the eventual winner found doors opened for opportunities in Japan when the WWF had no further use of him. This summer will mark 26 years since the infamous tournament took place and since I didn't think of this idea a year ago, I'll do it now as we'll take a look at the participants, their backgrounds, and what became of them.

Note: I don't own the pictures, I found them on Google. Credit to WWE or whoever the owners are. I apologize for not knowing who owns what.

Impact Wrestling's first show: Where Are They Now?

Impact Wrestling's first show: Where Are They Now?

September 12, 2022

By Ryan Porzl

In 2001, the wrestling landscape in America changed forever when WWF purchased rival WCW while number three ECW went bankrupt. In the aftermath, many promotions would attempt the fill the void. While many wouldn't last, one has lasted longer than anyone thought it would and that was Impact Wrestling. Originally known as NWA-TNA, Impact launched on June 19, 2002 and attempted to fill the void by giving fans a different option. Over the past 20 years, the promotion has gone through it's ups and downs with the downs being considered embarrassing and what made it a punching bag to the wrestling critics and journalist while it's ups saw it provide a nice option to fans not into the WWE while also launching or reviving many careers and providing new matches, innovative ideas, and great shows. In this article, we'll take a look at the participants of the first Impact show and see where are they now.

I don't own any pictures as I found them on Google Credit to TNA/Impact or whomever owns them.

ECW Barely Legal: Where Are They Now?

ECW Barely Legal: Where Are They Now?

May 31, 2022

By Ryan Porzl

1997 will go down as one of American wrestling's greatest years. Business was booming and creatively, things seem to be at an all time high with much watch television from both WWF and WCW. 1997 saw WCW as the undisputed #1 promotion in the country riding off big success with concepts like the nWo to the cruiserweight division to Sting's reinvention with the Crow gimmick while WWF was slowly but surely putting everything together for a big comeback and had stars like Steve Austin, The Rock, HHH, and Mick Foley ready to burst while Undertaker got his opportunity to run with the championship, Bret Hart was doing his critically acclaimed anti-USA/pro-Canada Hart Foundation stuff, and Shawn Michaels was about to put together D-Generation X. However, while the big two were fighting it out, we saw the number three ECW have their own memorable year with the biggest moment being they were about to make the leap to Pay-Per-View. On April 13, 1997, ECW broadcasted their first PPV called Barely Legal from the ECW Arena in Philadelphia having one of the more memorable events of the year. With this year being the 30th Anniversary of ECW and April 13th marked the 25th Anniversary of Barely Legal, we'll close our 30th Anniversary celebration of ECW by looking back at the participants at that show, the key players, and where they are now.

Note: I don't own any of the pictures. I found them on Google. Credit to WWE or whomever owns them

ROH The Era of Honor Begins: Where Are They Now?

ROH The Era of Honor Begins: Where Are They Now?
February 27, 2022

By Ryan Porzl

2001 was a dark time in the American wrestling scene as the WWF was left the only major game in the country after buying WCW while ECW finally fell into bankruptcy. In the aftermath, many promotions began popping up like Main Event Championship Wrestling, the X Wrestling Federation, and World Wrestling All-Stars. However, these promotions, for one reason or another, failed and faded away, almost as quickly as they came. Then in 2002, two promotions would make their start. One was Total Nonstop Action (TNA) and the other would be Ring of Honor (ROH). Founded in February 2002, ROH was originally to not only fill the void in wrestling but also hold events for RF Video to sell their merchandise after ECW closed. Originally a DVD promotion, ROH quickly became the darling of the hardcore wrestling fans who focused on workrate and matches instead of over the top presentation and the cartoonish side of wrestling. While ROH has spent it's history as either the third or fourth top promotion in America, it's made it's mark as an option for fans that tired of the WWE and would be responsible for launching or enhancing the careers of many legends, some of which still wrestle to this day. With February 23rd being the 20th Anniversary of ROH's first event which was The Era of Honor Begins, we will close our look back at ROH history for the month of February by looking back at the participants and key players of that event and see where they are now.

Note: I don't own the pictures. I got them off Google. Credit to AEW or ROH or whomever owns them