Archive Piece about Kayla Inlay / Kiana James

(originally published 2/2/22 on E2GSports.com)

This week on “WWE NXT 2.0”, Kayla Inlay made her WWE NXT debut in a match against Sarray. It was the biggest match of her career thus far, as this was her first time wrestling on national television for a major pro-wrestling company.

From Iowa, Kayla Inlay has a gymnastics and cheerleading/dance background. Before entering the pro-wrestling industry, she was a member of the Cheerleading & Dance Team team at Morningside University from 2015-2019.

Kayla Inlay earned NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletes) All-American honors in competitive cheer in 2017. In 2018, she was named to the All-Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Competitive Cheer Team and received honorable mention All-GPAC recognition in competitive dance.

In 2019, Kayla Inlay was selected as the Hauff Mid-America Sports/GPAC Cheer Athlete-of-the-Year.

Kayla Inlay has given high praise to NAIA. “Competing in the NAIA can be so competitive so stepping up to the next level is great.”

Pro-wrestling training
Kayla Inlay’s transition to pro-wrestling began at the Florida-based Flatbacks Wrestling School, being trained by owners AEW star Shawn Spears and former WWE Superstar Tyler Breeze.

Last year, current Impact Wrestling star Cassie Lee tweeted a video of Kayla Inlay training.

Kayla Inlay. pic.twitter.com/wpI1UxUSS3

— Cassie Lee (@CassieLee) August 5, 2021

Other wrestlers who have been students at Flatbacks Wrestling School include AEW talents Cezar Bononi and Colten Gunn, and WWE talents Xia Li and Erica Yan. This shows that Kayla made a good choice in terms of a school with a good track record.

Pro-wrestling career begins
Kayla Inlay attended a WWE tryout in March 2020, but ultimately AEW was where she had her first match, making her debut in September 2021 versus The Bunny on an episode of “AEW Dark“, wrestling as, “Xtina Kay”. This is the ring name that Kayla has been using until her appearance on, “WWE NXT 2.0” this week.

Later that month, Kayla experienced the independent scene, wrestling in the Florida-based Coastal Championship Wrestling (CCW), where she had a match with Valentina Rossi, another wrestler who is in the early part of her career and has trained at Flatbacks Wrestling School.

In October 2021, Kayla returned to AEW, teaming up with Diamante to face Leyla Hirsch & Ryo Mizumani on, “AEW Dark: Elevation“, and going against Riho on, “AEW Dark“.

Former WWE/NXT/Impact Wrestling Talents to Participate in World Strongman Games 2023

World Strongman Games 2023 (also known as, "Sood Classic") will begin this month on February 26, taking place at Chandigarh University in India. According to Rajvinder Singh Sodhi, President of United Intercontinental Strongmen Federation of India (UISFI), "The World Strongman Games are the first edition of games to be hosted at the campus of Chandigarh University and will comprise of WWE matches, Arm Wrestling matches for women and men, boxing and bodybuilding competitions,"

More than 500 participants will take part in the event from places including India, the UK, Uganda, USA, Italy, Kazakhstan, and France. Among them will be former Impact World Tag Team Champion Gunner (who also wrestled in WWE/NXT as, "Jaxson Ryker") and Satender Dagar, who wrestled in NXT as, "Jeet Rama".

Along with the Impact World Tag Team Championship, Gunner's other championship accomplishments include the TNA King Of The Mountain Championship. He currently co-hosts "Wrestling For The Faith", an Apple Podcast on which Gunner discusses pro-wrestling, current events, family, and Christianity.

A highlight of Satender Dagar's time with WWE was when he had the opportunity to wrestle WWE Superstars AJ Styles at WWE Superstar Spectacle in 2021, with Styles having words of encouragement for Dagar after their match. Today, Dagar trains wrestlers of tomorrow at Jeet Wrestle Square Pro Wrestling Training Academy in India, which will also be involved with World Strongman Games 2023.

BIG BLUE: The Place to Buy American Pro-wrestling Goods (WWE, AEW, NXT, PWG) While in Japan

There are many places to buy pro-wrestling goods in Japan. However, stores that mainly sell American pro-wrestling goods are not as easy to find. This is an issue because there are many people in Japan who are fans of WWE and AEW, as well as America's upper-level independent wrestling scene.

BIG BLUE is a pro-wrestling goods store that is perfect for these fans. It's located in Tokyo, but purchases can also be made via mail order. All of BIG BLUE's American pro-wrestling DVDs and Blu-rays are English versions, so all of them are in English. And if you want to pay by credit card, they not only accept Japan's JCB, but also VISA, Mastercard, Diner's Club, and American Express.

If you're interested in action figures, BIG BLUE has what you're looking for, whether you're a fan of WWE or AEW. If you want to relive WrestleMania 38 or have never seen SummerSlam 1992, they have those and many other WWE DVDs available. And they have many AEW DVDs available as well.

If you're more interested in wrestling-related apparel, you can choose from BIG BLUE's selection of clothing which includes AEW hoodies, and WWE/NXT-related clothing.

Perhaps you're also interested in popular independent promotions, such as PWG. BIG BLUE sells PWG DVDs and Blu-rays, and is currently accepting pre-orders for PWG's Battle of Los Angeles events that took place earlier this month, featuring AEW star Konosuke Takeshita, former IWS World Heavyweight Champion Mike Bailey, AEW star Bandido, AAA Mega Champion El Hijo del Vikingo, and many more.

Along with many other pro-wrestling goods, BIG BLUE also sells UFC, non-UFC MMA, and boxing goods as well. BIG BLUE is located at
2-chōme-16-8 Unoki, Ota City, Tokyo 146-0091

Io Shirai's heel turn signifies time for a new, "Quest"

NXT viewers recently saw Io Shirai turn heel. With a new look and mindset, now would be a prime opportunity for her to be on the main WWE roster in a big way. This is not Io's first time as a heel- she began a run as a heel in 2016 while in the Japan-based Stardom, during which time Io also started her own heel faction, "Queen's Quest". When Io left Stardom to join WWE/NXT, Queen's Quest continued on, but the current WWE landscape presents a situation where the, "Genius of the Sky" turned, "Darkness of the Sky" can begin a new, "Quest" with which she can seek dominance on the main roster.

Of course, Io Shirai would desire to gain the Women's Championship for herself. But in order to truly be dominant in WWE, she would need to focus on other championships as well. And that is where Kairi Sane and Asuka would fit in the picture. Currently managed by Paige, The Kabuki Warriors have been in pursuit of the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship. However, Kairi and Asuka have fallen short of their goal thus far. It's commonly said that when a goal is not achieved, management is to blame. Going by that logic, now would be a good time for The Kabuki Warriors to begin, "The Quest" anew by dropping Paige and seeking new leadership by joining forces with Io.

At that point, there would be members of The Quest to go after all of the women's titles, but no faction can be truly dominant unless they go after the WWE Championship as well. Shinsuke Nakamura pursued the Championship from 2017-2018 but did not succeed in capturing it. As a part of "The Quest", Nakamura could renew his hunt for the Championship, this time with new allies.

The Quest could later broaden their focus to the WWE Intercontinental Championship, bringing Kushida into the fold upon his eventual elevation to the main roster. They could even turn their attention towards 205 Live's WWE Cruiserweight Championship, bringing Akira Tozawa on board- he captured the Championship before, surely he can do it again, this time as a member of The Quest.

The remaining title for The Quest to peruse would be the WWE Tag Team Championship. Similar to how Bullet Club eventually recruited a Japanese member into their faction in New Japan, it would now be time for The Quest to recruit non-Japanese members into their faction. And coincidentally, Club members Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson would fit well in this position as members of The Quest.

[DVD][PREVIEW] WWE: Best of NXT Takeover 2018

"WWE: Best of NXT Takeover 2018 " presents NXT's picks for the best Takeover matches of 2018. Matches on this DVD are as follows:

Extreme Rules Match
Aleister Black
vs.
Adam Cole

NXT Championship Match
Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas (NXT Champion)
vs.
Johnny Gargano

NXT North American Championship Ladder match
Adam Cole (NXT North American Champion)
vs.
EC3
vs.
Killian Dane
vs.
Lars Sullivan
vs.
Velveteen Dream
vs.
Ricochet

Velveteen Dream
vs.
Ricochet

Chicago Street Fight
Tommaso Ciampa
vs.
Johnny Gargano

NXT Tag Team Championship match
Undisputed Era (NXT Tag Team Champions)
vs.
Moustache Mountain

North American Championship match
Adam Cole (North American Champion)
vs.
Ricochet

NXT Women’s Championship Match
Shayna Baszler (NXT Women’s Champion)
vs.
Kairi Sane

Johnny Gargano
vs.
Aleister Black

NXT Championship match
Tommaso Ciampa (NXT Champion)
vs.
Velveteen Dream

WarGames match
Undisputed Era
vs.
Pete Dunne
Ricochet
War Raiders

Global Localization: How Big Can NXT Get in the Pro-Wrestling Industry?

Pro-wrestling companies based in the United States having working relationships with pro-wrestling companies based in other countries is nothing new. ROH works with NJPW, a Japan-based company that has existed for 46 years and is continuing to grow. However, NXT has the potential to become the most international professional-wrestling promotion in the industry since World Championship Wrestling. WCW was not as recognized worldwide as WWE, but WWE usually focuses on only their own expansive roster and only has events outside of the United States on occasion. In the 1990's, WCW simultaneously had a working relationship with not only NJPW, but also AAA, one of the biggest pro-wrestling companies in Mexico. WCW and NJPW co-produced many PPV events, WCW took part in an NJPW-produced supercard in 1996, and the two companies traded talent on a regular basis. Meanwhile, WCW co-promoted a lucha libre PPV with AAA in 1994, and booked AAA talent for WCW events frequently in the mid-1990's. Out of all of the companies that defined themselves as being of worldwide status, WCW best represented that definition.

Now, NXT has positioned themselves where they can potentially be established in the same manner that WCW was as being a true GLOBAL promotion. At the 2018 Business Partner Summit, NXT producer Triple H introduced "Global Localization", his plan of creating NXT brands in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and South America. This plan began taking shape with NXT UK, and with the birth of this brand began relationships with PROGRESS and ICW, two major companies in the UK. This relationship enables NXT UK to present fans outside of the UK to names that they are familiar with as well as talent that they currently are unaware of but should know about. Not only does this legitimize NXT as a global brand, but it also gives PROGRESS and ICW increased exposure as well.

As the NXT brand continues to expand globally, NXT could be used to provide the unpredictability that pro-wrestling fans enjoy, and opportunity that all pro-wrestlers desire. With NXT currently having an NXT North American Championship, the NXT Championship could be elevated to world title status. The blueprint of NXT could be different from traditional pro-wrestling governing bodies, where the main brand stands at the top of the heap, while the affiliates are treated as the minor-leagues. In NXT, each territory could be treated as an equal. The next NXT World Champion could come from NXT. They could come from NXT UK, where Pete Dunne is making an impact. Or they could come from one of the other NXT brands that will be created as a result of the Global Localization project. NXT could feature a form of surprise and excitement that has not been seen in the industry for quite some time.

I look forward to seeing the Global Localization project continue as NXT expands worldwide. I currently reside in Japan, and there are many promoters and talents here who would be a great for WWE/NXT. It is only matter of NXT coming into contact with those people. Like I had mentioned in my blog post about WWE shining the spotlight on independent wrestling, every time NXT expands to a different area, people with knowledge of that pro-wrestling scene will need to be brought in if the Global Localization project is going to be a success, which of course WWE has the resources to accomplish.

[Blu-ray][PREVIEW] WWE: NXT Greatest Matches Vol.1

"WWE: NXT Greatest Matches Vol.1" presents NXT's picks for the best matches of 2017. Matches on this Blu-ray disk are as follows:

NXT Championship Tournament Final
Seth Rollins
vs.
Jinder Mahal

NXT Championship No Disqualification match
Seth Rollins (NXT Champion)
vs.
Big E Langston

Chris Jericho
vs.
Bray Wyatt

NXT Women’s Championship Tournament Final
Paige
vs.
Emma

Best 2 Out of 3 Falls match
Sami Zayn
vs.
Antonio Cesaro

William Regal
vs.
Antonio Cesaro

NXT Championship Ladder match
Bo Dallas (NXT Champion)
vs.
Adrian Neville

NXT Women’s Championship Tournament Final
Charlotte
vs.
Natalya

Sami Zayn
vs.
Tyson Kidd

NXT Championship match
Adrian Neville (NXT Champion)
vs.
Sami Zayn

NXT Women's Championship Fatal Four-Way match
Charlotte (NXT Women's Champion)
vs.
Sasha Banks
vs.
Becky Lynch
vs.
Bayley

NXT Championship match
Sami Zayn (NXT Champion)
vs.
Kevin Owens

Adrian Neville
vs.
Cesaro

Hideo Itami
vs.
Tyler Breeze

Enzo Amore
Colin Cassady
Carmella
vs.
Blake
Murphy
Alexa Bliss

NXT Championship match
Kevin Owens (NXT Champion)
vs.
Finn Bálor

NXT Women’s Championship match
Sasha Banks (NXT Women's Champion)
vs.
Bayley

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Tournament Final
Finn Bálor
Samoa Joe
vs.
Baron Corbin
Rhyno

CM Punk
Seth Rollins
vs.
Antonio Cesaro
Kassius Ohno

Best 2 Out of 3 Falls match
Adrian Neville
vs.
Corey Graves

Paige
vs.
Becky Lynch

NXT Women’s Championship match
Sasha Banks (NXT Women's Champion)
vs.
Charlotte

Apollo Crews
vs.
Tyler Breeze

[DVD][PREVIEW] WWE: Best of NXT 2017

"WWE: Best of NXT 2017" presents NXT's picks for the best matches of 2017. Matches on this DVD are as follows:

NXT Tag Team Championship match
#DIY (NXT Tag Team Champions)
vs.
TM61

NXT Tag Team Championship match
#DIY (NXT Tag Team Champions)
vs.
The Revival

NXT Championship match
Shinsuke Nakamura (NXT Champion)
vs.
Bobby Roode

NXT Women’s Championship match
Asuka (NXT Women's Champion)
vs.
Peyton Royce

Eight-Person Mixed Tag Team match
Sanity
vs.
Roderick Strong
Kassius Ohno
Tye Dillinger
Ruby Riot

Drew McIntyre
vs.
Oney Lorcan

Steel Cage match
Tye Dillinger
vs.
Eric Young

#1 Contender’s Match
Hideo Itami
vs.
Roderick Strong

United Kingdom Championship match
Tyler Bate (United Kingdom Champion)
vs.
Pete Dunne

NXT Tag Team Championship Ladder match
Authors of Pain (NXT Tag Team Champions)
vs.
#DIY

Hideo Itami
vs.
Oney Lorcan

NXT Women's Championship Last Woman Standing match
Asuka (NXT Woman's Champion)
vs.
Nikki Cross

NXT Championship match
Bobby Roode (NXT Champion)
vs.
Roderick Strong

Ruby Riot
vs.
Ember Moon

#1 Contender’s Match
Drew McIntyre
vs.
Killian Dain

Aleister Black
vs.
Kyle O’Reily

Johnny Gargano
vs.
Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas

Johnny Gargano
vs.
Raul Mendoza

Undisputed Era
vs.
Sanity

NXT Championship match (Special Guest Referee: Shawn Michaels
Drew McIntyre (NXT Champion)
vs.
Adam Cole

NXT Championship match
Drew McIntyre (NXT Champion)
vs.
Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas

War Games match
Undisputed Era
vs.
Sanity
vs.
Roderick Strong
Authors of Pain