WWE NXT Stars Set To Compete In Pro Wrestling NOAH's N-1 Tournament

By Max Everett
"WWE NXT" head booker Shawn Michaels Steve Granitz/Getty Images

Following AJ Styles' appearance in Pro Wrestling NOAH, WWE will continue its relationship with the Japanese promotion as two "NXT" stars are set to compete in the upcoming N-1 Victory Tournament. This year's affair, beginning on August 4 and running until September 1, is set to feature "NXT" stars Joshua Briggs and Tavion Heights as announced during the NOAH Destination event on Saturday. 

As one might tell, the N-1 — formerly, Global League — serves as NOAH's equivalent to the G1 Climax seen in NJPW, pitting wrestlers against one another in a round-robin format across two league blocks. The two block winners meet in the tournament final with the winner getting a future shot at the GHC Heavyweight Championship.

Briggs will compete in the A Block while Heights enters the B Block, meaning there could be an all-WWE final. But they both face stiff competition to do so, as Briggs is joined by former GHC Heavyweight Champion Kaito Kiyomiya, last year's N-1 winner Go Shiozaki, Masa Kitamiya, Rohei Oiwa, Jack Morris, Dragon Bane, and Luis Mante. Heights will be squaring off with three-time GHC Champion Kenoh, Manabu Soya, Ulka Sasaki, YOICHI, El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr., Alpha Wolf, and Titus Alexander. 

For Briggs, this appearance will be a return to wrestling outside of WWE, given he was brought into "NXT" with experience working with Evolve and Beyond Wrestling. For Heights, it will be his second significant wrestling experience outside of his current promotion after previously teaming with the rest of No Quarter Catch Crew during "TNA Impact" tapings in June. Styles was also in action for a special interpromotional bout during NOAH Destination, defeating Naomichi Marufuji in his return to Japan.

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