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34-668: In 2019, WWE introduced a new tournament called the NXT Breakout Tournament, featuring eight male wrestlers of the WWE Performance Center , who would be making their NXT television debuts. The tournament was held through various television tapings of the weekly NXT show in June and the final occurred in August, which Jordan Myles won by defeating Cameron Grimes . After a one-year hiatus in 2020 due to

68-785: A heel while managing AOP on Raw , he was a face General Manager on 205 Live . Although 205 Live had been separated from Raw, the brand was still featured on several of WWE's main pay-per-view (PPV) events with Raw and SmackDown until late 2019. That year's Clash of Champions was WWE's final main roster PPV to include a 205 Live feature match. Prior to NXT moving to the USA Network in September 2019, NXT head Triple H spoke with Newsweek and said that "You'll start to see 205 [Live] begin to" become part of NXT. He said that 205 Live's talent would start moving towards NXT, that 205 Live had "become lost in [the] limbo", and that

102-725: A virtual audience on ribbon displays) at Orlando's Amway Center , beginning with the August 21 SmackDown and that weekend's SummerSlam . In December, the ThunderDome relocated to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida before moving to Yuengling Center in Tampa in April 2021, and being discontinued entirely in July 2021 with the resumption of touring shows. In October 2020, beginning with NXT TakeOver 31 , NXT and 205 Live moved to

136-613: A range of other sporting and non-sporting backgrounds. A second Britain -based Performance Center opened in Enfield , London on January 11, 2019. In April 2019, WWE announced plans to open additional Performance Centers in India and China. On March 12, 2020, WWE announced that due to the COVID-19 pandemic (which resulted in the suspension of many professional sports leagues), live episodes of Raw and SmackDown would air from

170-853: A separate brand from Raw. In January 2018, Triple H took over the creative side of 205 Live . On January 30, 2018, Drake Maverick was announced as the first on-screen General Manager . Maverick would announce a 16-man tournament for the vacant WWE Cruiserweight Championship, which was won by Cedric Alexander . Once the tournament begun, WWE's cruiserweight division began to wrestle exclusively on 205 Live and ceased to appear on Raw with select exceptions. Namely, Lucha House Party ( Kalisto , Gran Metalik , and Lince Dorado ) began competing in Raw's tag team division while Lio Rush and Drake Maverick began managing Raw superstars Bobby Lashley and AOP ( Akam and Rezar ), respectively, and occasionally competing in matches on Raw . Even though Maverick portrayed

204-567: A strength and conditioning program, edit and production facilities including an ultra-slow camera, and a voice-over room that performers and on-air announcers can use to practice. The facility was opened in 2013 and replaced the training center at WWE's former developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), which was based in Tampa and had been serving as WWE's developmental headquarters since 2008. The Performance Center trains around 65 to 70 wrestlers at any one time. Trainees have

238-622: A variety of experience levels, from beginners from non-wrestling backgrounds to experienced wrestlers from the independent circuit . Wrestlers train to improve their in-ring performance, strength and conditioning, as well as working on their characters and personality. Upcoming referees, ring announcers, commentators, and backstage interviewers also train at the Performance Center. The trainees train full-time, while also performing at weekly NXT house shows and appearing on NXT television. In addition, established WWE performers often use

272-510: A weekly basis when a brand extension is in effect. Wrestlers assigned to 205 Live primarily appeared on the brand's weekly television program, 205 Live . From October 2019 to February 2022, the brand served as a sub-brand of WWE's developmental territory , NXT , which allowed 205 Live wrestlers to also appear on its show, NXT . 205 Live originally only centered on male wrestlers that were promoted as weighing 205 lbs. and under – designated by WWE as cruiserweights . The cruiserweight division

306-651: Is a group of professional wrestling schools owned by WWE . They serve as a training and tryout facility for WWE talent, and also contain sports science and medical facilities. WWE currently operates two Performance Center locations, with the first opened in Orlando, Florida on July 11, 2013, replacing the training facility of WWE's former developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW). A second branch opened on January 11, 2019, in Enfield , London . The Performance Center in Orlando temporarily became

340-540: The 205 Live program was replaced with NXT Level Up , marking the end of the 205 Live brand. WWE 205 Live was established following the success of the Cruiserweight Classic tournament to feature wrestlers who competed in the tournament and others who became full-time members of WWE's revived cruiserweight division (the original cruiserweight division had been dissolved in 2007). Paul "Triple H" Levesque , WWE executive producer and wrestler, stated

374-472: The COVID-19 pandemic , the Breakout Tournament returned for a second edition in 2021, introducing eight new wrestlers from the Performance Center. Two qualifiers were held on the July 2 episode of 205 Live , which Andre Chase and Joe Gacy won by defeating Guru Raaj and Desmond Troy respectively. The Breakout Tournament began on the July 13 episode of NXT . The tournament final occurred on

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408-857: The Interim NXT Cruiserweight Championship tournament , while he was replaced as General Manager by William Regal , who also served as NXT's General Manager. On August 14, 2020, it was reported that retired professional wrestler and current WWE producer Adam Pearce and Dewey Foley, son of Mick Foley , were in charge of producing 205 Live. By June 2021, the brand's roster had shrunk significantly due to several wrestlers being released; including Ariya Daivari , The Bollywood Boyz (Samir Singh and Sunil Singh), Ever-Rise (Jeff Parker and Matt Lee), August Grey, Curt Stallion, and former Cruiserweight Champion Tony Nese . In August 2021, Jake Atlas , Asher Hale, and Ari Sterling were also released. On January 4, 2022, as part of

442-633: The New Year's Evil episode of NXT 2.0 , the NXT Cruiserweight Championship was unified with the NXT North American Championship . The Cruiserweight Championship was immediately retired after the match with the winner going forward as North American Champion. The following day, 205 Live General Manager William Regal was released from WWE. On February 15, PWInsider reported that WWE was ceasing

476-492: The " ThunderDome "—which used a larger-scale production more in line with its touring shows, but with a virtual audience . NXT and 205 Live subsequently moved to the Performance Center in October 2020, with NXT moving from its former home at Full Sail University , and its main studio being reconfigured as the " Capitol Wrestling Center " (CWC) to suit the look and feel of NXT programming. Unlike Raw and SmackDown's tenure at

510-452: The August 24 episode of NXT . Carmelo Hayes won the 2021 tournament by defeating Odyssey Jones in the final. In 2022, the tournament featured eight female wrestlers from NXT for the first time, with the winner earning a NXT Women's Championship opportunity any time. The 2022 edition began on the May 10, 2022 episode of NXT 2.0 . Roxanne Perez defeated Tiffany Stratton in the final on

544-633: The Cruiserweight Championship would have more meaning on NXT where it could create more opportunities for the cruiserweight wrestlers. It was then reported that the NXT creative team would be in charge of 205 Live. The following month, the title began being defended on NXT and was renamed to NXT Cruiserweight Championship, officially becoming part of the NXT brand. Since October 18, 2019, 205 Live began to include talent from NXT and vice versa. On April 12, 2020, Maverick would compete in

578-422: The June 7 episode of NXT 2.0 . † Nikkita Lyons was injured during training and her semi-final opponent. Fallon Henley , originally got a bye to the finals but, Tiffany Stratton challenged Henley to earn her spot in the finals in which Stratton then replaced Lyons in the tournament. The fourth edition of the Breakout Tournament was held in 2023, beginning on the October 3 episode of NXT . The semifinals of

612-602: The Performance Center without an audience until further notice, beginning with the following day's episode of SmackDown. The company had begun filming episodes of NXT without an audience at Full Sail University the previous day, although the March 11 episode was filmed at the Performance Center and was the last show produced with a live paying audience. On March 16, it was announced that WrestleMania 36 , set to take place on April 5 and previously scheduled for Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida , would instead be moved to

646-492: The Performance Center (from Full Sail University and the ThunderDome at Amway Center, respectively, as 205 Live was being subsumed by NXT), using a reconfigured version of the facility's main arena branded as the " Capitol Wrestling Center "—an homage to WWE's precursor, the Capitol Wrestling Corporation . It was designed to reflect the look and feel of NXT programming, with a virtual audience similar to

680-412: The Performance Center, NXT's move was permanent, and most of its remaining COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in June 2021. The CWC naming was dropped in September 2021 as part of a larger relaunch of NXT, which saw a second reconfiguration of the arena. The Orlando facility covers 26,000 square feet (2,400 m ) and includes seven training rings (including a special padded ring for high-flying moves),

714-579: The Performance Center, again without an audience and would expand to two nights taking place on Saturday April 4 and Sunday April 5. The Performance Center continued to host episodes of Raw , SmackDown , 205 Live , and Main Event , as well as the pay-per-views Money in the Bank , Backlash , and The Horror Show at Extreme Rules , before the shows and pay-per-views moved to the new, larger-scale " ThunderDome " staging (under similar restrictions, but with

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748-448: The ThunderDome on an LED screen in the studio, and areas for limited outside spectators divided by plexiglass walls decorated with chain-link fencing . For TakeOver: Stand & Deliver in April 2021, the plexiglass wall dividers were removed and live audience capacity was increased. TakeOver: In Your House in June lifted almost all COVID-19 protocols, expanding its seating capacity to around 300, and removing mask requirements and

782-417: The brand was designed to serve as a showcase for the division, with its own distinctive feel and style compared to WWE's other brands. The Raw brand was originally established as the exclusive home of the division during the 2016 brand extension , with all cruiserweights being assigned to Raw following the 2016 WWE draft . While still under the Raw brand, the 205 Live show premiered on November 29, 2016;

816-634: The employees. In addition, Montalvo posted a threatening message to WWE wrestlers and staff on his Instagram account. On May 7, 2018, Montalvo was arrested for missing his court date with WWE. 205 Live (WWE brand) 205 Live was a brand of the American professional wrestling promotion WWE that was established in November 2016 and discontinued in February 2022. Brands are divisions of WWE's roster where wrestlers are assigned to perform on

850-420: The facility for training and injury rehab while mentoring new trainees. The Performance Center uses former wrestlers as trainers. The inaugural head trainer was Bill DeMott , who departed the company in 2015 and was replaced by Matt Bloom . Other trainers include Sara Amato , Robbie Brookside , Norman Smiley , Adam Pearce , Mike Quackenbush , Ace Steel , Scotty 2 Hotty and Sarah Stock . Dusty Rhodes

884-446: The home arena for WWE's Raw and SmackDown brands in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic , with its television programs Monday Night Raw , Friday Night Smackdown , 205 Live , and Main Event , as well as WWE pay-per-view events (including WrestleMania 36 ) being recorded in a studio at the Performance Center with no audience . In August 2020, WWE moved Raw and SmackDown's closed productions to an arena setting dubbed

918-487: The main event of the inaugural episode saw Rich Swann defeat The Brian Kendrick for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship . Cruiserweights would appear on both Monday Night Raw and 205 Live for the next year and a half. However, following WrestleMania 34 in 2018, cruiserweight wrestlers ceased to appear on Raw , becoming exclusive to 205 Live and thus establishing the 205 Live brand as

952-504: The tournament were held at the Halloween Havoc night one on October 24 and the final was held at Halloween Havoc night two on October 31. Lola Vice defeated Kelani Jordan in the final to win the 2023 tournament. † Reece replaced Jakara Jackson after Jackson was not medically cleared to participate. † King replaced Trey Bearhill after he attacked Bearhill with a chair. WWE Performance Center WWE Performance Center

986-531: The virtual audience. While Raw and SmackDown resumed a live touring schedule in mid-July, NXT's move to the Performance Center was permanent. On September 14, 2021, the arena received a new set design as part of the "NXT 2.0" relaunch; the Capitol Wrestling Center name was dropped at this time. The following are the events that have been held at the Performance Center while being used as a home arena: The first WWE Performance Center facility

1020-422: Was bipolar when he was questioned by detectives. He faced trial in February 2016 on charges of aggravated assault, resisting an officer with violence, and trespassing. A public defender representing Montalvo has entered a written plea of not guilty on his behalf. On April 19, 2018, WWE filed an emergency restraining order against Montalvo after he returned to the Performance Center the previous month and harassed

1054-422: Was 17,000 square feet and included 2 rings. In August 2015, Orange County Sheriff's Office deputies shot 29-year-old Armando Montalvo outside the Performance Center after he threatened them and ignored commands. Montalvo was "obsessed" with female wrestler AJ Lee and made numerous attempts to trespass through the facility, despite an injunction against him by WWE. Days after the shooting, Montalvo claimed he

NXT Breakout Tournament - Misplaced Pages Continue

1088-493: Was opened on July 11, 2013. The Performance Center replaced the training center at WWE's former developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), which was based in Tampa and had been serving as WWE's developmental headquarters since 2008. The British branch was located at the Great Cambridge Industrial Estate in Enfield , London and was opened on January 11, 2019. The center

1122-622: Was responsible for developing the trainees' microphone skills and wrestling personas until his death in 2015. The Performance Center includes some guest trainers, including Kevin Nash and Scott Hall . In addition to training contracted performers, the Performance Center is also regularly used for tryouts which operate on an invite-only basis and include athletes from a wide variety of backgrounds, including established domestic and international professional wrestlers, amateur wrestlers , NFL and NCAA American football players, and individuals from

1156-456: Was revived by WWE in 2016 and was originally exclusive to the promotion's main brand, Raw , with 205 Live serving as a supplementary show for Raw's cruiserweight wrestlers until 205 Live was established as its own standalone brand in April 2018. 205 Live then merged under NXT in October 2019. Following the merger, the 205 Live show featured women's matches, and occasionally some non-cruiserweight wrestlers from NXT and NXT UK . In February 2022,

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