A tournament featuring NXT, NXT UK, and 205 Live Superstars has been announced for Royal Rumble Axxess.
It is called the WWE Worlds Collide Tournament and will feature 15 Superstars, with five participants coming from each brand. WWE is hyping that the winner of the single-elimination tournament will receive an NXT, NXT UK, or 205 Live Championship Match of their choosing.
WWE noted that the Worlds Collide Tournament is being taped for a WWE Network special.
A battle royal will determine the matchups for the first round, and the winner of the battle royal will receive a first-round bye. The battle royal and tournament will take place across three Royal Rumble Axxess sessions at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona on Saturday, January 26 and Sunday, January 27.
Here’s the list of participants for the tournament:
From NXT
Adam Cole
Dominik Dijakovic
Keith Lee
Otis Dozovic
Velveteen Dream
From NXT UK
Jordan Devlin
Mark Andrews
Travis Banks
Tyler Bate
Zack Gibson
From 205 Live
Cedric Alexander
Drew Gulak
TJP
Tony Nese
A Superstar to be named
One of the competitors originally listed for 205 Live was Humberto Carrillo. Shortly after the article got posted, his name was removed and it simply says that “A Superstar to be named” will be filling the fifth spot.
Formerly known as Ultimo Ninja, Carrillo is a 23-year-old wrestler from Mexico who joined the WWE Performance Center last summer. He’s a fixture at NXT live events and has appeared on NXT TV a few times.
It’s quite possible that Carrillo will appear on next week’s episode of 205 Live and his name on the list would have spoiled his debut. This week’s episode closed with Buddy Murphy issuing an open challenge next week to anyone who meets the 205-pound weight limit. Though he’s the WWE Cruiserweight Champion, Murphy said it’s a non-title open challenge. He closed his promo by saying it’s a chance to prove him wrong and stop the unstoppable.
On last week’s show, General Manager Drake Maverick said new faces are coming to 205 Live in 2019. He said he’s talking to “general managers of other brands and scouring all corners of the globe” for up-and-coming cruiserweight wrestlers.
