l 07.05.24
Transcript
00:00Tyra Mae Steele, tonight you make your level of debut against Ren Sinclair.
00:05So what's going through your mind?
00:06My gosh, Kelly, it is so surreal.
00:12I have been grinding for this moment right here for over a year now.
00:17And that is not counting the years before WWE.
00:21She won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in freestyle wrestling.
00:24I most certainly did.
00:26Man, and it is an honor, if I must say,
00:31to be the first ever female Olympic gold medalist here at WWE.
00:38But when I step into that ring tonight with Ren Sinclair,
00:41I'm not gonna discredit her, I'm not gonna underestimate her.
00:44Cuz I know she's got a couple years on me here in this industry.
00:48But here's the thing, I've got that fighting spirit.
00:54Well, I wish you luck tonight.
00:56Thank you, Kelly.
00:57Let's go.
00:59That looked really painful.
01:02Coming up, it's a clash in the NXT women's division.
01:05In search of her first win, Ren Sinclair will have her work cut out for her
01:09as she takes on the debuting Olympic gold medalist Tyra Mae Steele.
01:13That is next.
01:17World Heavyweight Championship tomorrow night.
01:19Damian Priest, Seth Rollins, Byron, who you got?
01:21Don't put me on the spot like that, but I'm gonna go with Seth Freakin' Rollins.
01:28The following contest is scheduled for one fall.
01:32Introducing first, Ren Sinclair.
01:37Well, Seth Freakin' Rollins would certainly love to become a two-time
01:40World Heavyweight Champion as, taking a look at this superstar here,
01:43Byron just over halfway into a rookie year in NXT,
01:46facing some very stiff competition since day one.
01:48Ren Sinclair in search of some more high fives and her first win.
01:52Sinclair continues to grow in popularity.
01:55She's displayed tremendous grit, but this is a challenge
01:59I am very much anticipating for Ren Sinclair.
02:02I think the whole NXT universe is ready for this one.
02:12And her opponent, Tyra Mae Steele!
02:19Well, not often does a former Olympian walk through the door to NXT,
02:22let alone a gold medalist.
02:24But we are certainly in for a real treat tonight
02:26with the highly anticipated debut of Tyra Mae Steele.
02:30Highly anticipated, does not do this moment justice, Blake.
02:34April of 2023, when Tyra Mae first signed her WWE contract
02:41to begin training at the Performance Center.
02:43I have been waiting, as many have around the world,
02:46for this night when Tyra Mae shows us what she's got.
02:51And by the sound of it, I think the NXT universe
02:53has also been waiting for this debut.
02:55Ren Sinclair certainly looks pretty impressed as well,
02:57as Tyra Mae Steele, the 2020 Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling.
03:02And Byron, the first question has to be,
03:04how did she start back at square one?
03:06Very difficult for Tyra Mae, in fact, talking to her.
03:08She said one of the biggest adjustments she's had to make to this world is-
03:13Oh, trying to end this quickly,
03:14was how long it takes to pin your opponent.
03:16You know, in freestyle wrestling, one and done.
03:18You come here, you gotta wait three seconds.
03:20So mentally, that was a huge hurdle for her to overcome.
03:23You can certainly see how that would be quite an adjustment,
03:26changing over here to NXT, as right now,
03:28Ren Sinclair trying to control Steele on the canvas.
03:30Is this the smartest move by Ren Sinclair to take her to the match?
03:33That's gotta just use her experience.
03:35Understand the crowd is in Tyra Mae's corner.
03:38You got eyes watching this match, not just in our industry,
03:41but all over the sports world.
03:42This is where Ren Sinclair has to shine
03:44and try to humble Tyra Mae a little bit.
03:46As Tyra Mae trying to roll through this hammerlock right here.
03:48We talk about Ren Sinclair's experience,
03:50but how does she prepare for a world-class wrestler?
03:52That's extremely difficult.
03:53And it's hard just because you don't have tape to study
03:57of Tyra Mae as an in-ring competitor,
03:59if you want to level up or on an NXT.
04:02Steele trying to control the pace right now,
04:04and you have to wonder back to Sinclair's possible experience there.
04:07Does that give her any edge inside the ring?
04:09As Tyra Mae continues to try to control the pace here.
04:11Of course, it gives her an edge.
04:12But for Tyra Mae, this is very smart.
04:14Keep it simple.
04:16Don't try to do too much inside that ring.
04:18Slow the pace down.
04:19Make sure you don't make any unnecessary mistakes
04:22against Ren Sinclair.
04:23We've certainly talked about all of her success
04:25in freestyle wrestling,
04:26but how much pressure really is on TMS here in her NXT debut?
04:31I think you have an immense amount of pressure,
04:34but you are a gold medalist.
04:35You are accustomed to pressure.
04:37Listen, Tyra Mae was the first black female
04:40to win gold in women's freestyle wrestling.
04:42She's a history maker.
04:44And when you are a history maker,
04:45you have critics left and right.
04:47Oh, look at that.
04:48Takes her right to the canvas.
04:49You have expectations.
04:50You have weights on your shoulder.
04:52So this is nothing new for Tyra Mae Steele.
04:54We've certainly seen the path
04:55of some former Olympic gold medalists like Kurt Angle.
04:57Certainly a lot of expectations to live up to.
04:59And how appropriate is it?
05:00The week that we celebrated our Independence Day,
05:03Tyra Mae, so proud of her country,
05:05decked out in red, white, and blue.
05:06It almost seems like the stars align
05:08for Tyra Mae to make her debut on Level Up here tonight.
05:11On this massive weekend here for the entire WWE,
05:14kickstarting things with Friday Night SmackDown.
05:16And of course, right here on Level Up,
05:17leading right into Heat Wave on Sunday.
05:20As Ren Sinclair continuing to try to control Tyra Mae Steele.
05:23Oh, that single leg pickup.
05:24Going right to that bread and butter is Tyra Mae.
05:27And this match has been pretty even thus far.
05:29Oh!
05:30Up until that moment
05:32where Ren Sinclair just upped the ante.
05:35As Sinclair into the cover.
05:37He hooks that outside leg.
05:38Only gets two with Byron.
05:39You notice a wrestling move.
05:41Swings the tide right there.
05:45You know there are going to be headlines
05:47all throughout the sports world
05:48talking about this night
05:49where Tyra Mae Steele made her debut.
05:51But alongside in those headlines
05:53are going to be Ren Sinclair.
05:55How good would it be for Ren Sinclair and her career
05:57to have all this national exposure
05:59as a woman who defeated Tyra Mae in her debut?
06:02That would certainly steal the headline there
06:04by Ren Sinclair
06:05as Ren has to go back to work right here.
06:08And Tyra Mae certainly holding her own to Byron.
06:10The deeper we get into this match,
06:12those are waters she's never been in.
06:13What you want to try to do right here
06:14after Ren Sinclair
06:15is just try to demoralize Tyra Mae a little bit.
06:17Obviously, Tyra Mae hasn't made any massive mistakes
06:20in this match.
06:21But the longer this match goes
06:22and the more Ren Sinclair's experience shows,
06:25now you start to wonder
06:26where the mental strength of Tyra Mae will be.
06:28And the last time we saw Ren Sinclair,
06:30she was ever so close to taking out Carmen Petrovich
06:32right on the doorstep there
06:33and looked to be in the driver's seat here
06:35against Tyra Mae Steel.
06:37Well, Tyra's looking for any of those wrestling throws
06:40that made her so successful.
06:41Oh!
06:42I was listening to you there, Byron.
06:43Yeah, during her freestyle days,
06:44I was going to say,
06:45she might be a little bit hampered,
06:46but clearly not enough yet.
06:48Oh, those firemen's carry takeovers
06:50right back to the bread and butter.
06:52Trying to use that power as well.
06:54Oh, okay, I like this.
06:56I like this fire from Tyra Mae Steel.
06:58She's kicking into another gear here.
06:59Oh!
07:00What in the world?
07:01Look at this.
07:02How about some snake eyes?
07:03I did not expect that.
07:05And Sinclair stunned a bit.
07:07Tyra Mae trying to build some momentum.
07:10And a pounce!
07:12This match just took a turn for the worse
07:15for Ren Sinclair.
07:16And Tyra Mae seeing light at the end of the tunnel.
07:19Byron, when she gets that look in her eyes,
07:21you can't stop her.
07:22There's a roll-up.
07:23Oh, but Steel doesn't have enough weight
07:25down on those legs.
07:26Nice reversal by Sinclair!
07:28And she pulls it off.
07:30Here is your winner, Ren Sinclair!
07:35And just a quick shifting of the weight right there, Byron.
07:38That experience rears its head,
07:39and Ren Sinclair for the first time gets a win here in NXT.
07:43Hit and Blake resourcefulness
07:44and experience for Ren Sinclair,
07:46who got pounced by Tyra Mae Steel.
07:50But just knowing your body,
07:52knowing how to adjust the momentum,
07:54was what paid off for Ren Sinclair.
07:56And tonight, there's gonna be a huge party
07:58for Ren at the Gryffindor.
08:00I had a feeling you might be throwing in
08:02that reference right there.
08:03Oh, oh, he cares.
08:04Hey, all right, all right.
08:05We're just playing.
08:06Looks like Ren might still get her high five here.
08:09Yeah!
08:10The good sportsman there is Tyra Mae Steel.
08:12An incredible debut.
08:13Historic moment for TMS.
08:15And she has arrived here at NXT.
08:17But Byron coming up.