The Culling (professional wrestling)

Last updated
The Culling
Stable
Leader Shawn Spears
Members Niko Vance
Izzi Dame
NameThe Culling
Billed heightsSpears: 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Vance: 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Dame: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Former members Brooks Jensen
Tatum Paxley
DebutAugust 13, 2024
Years active2024–present

The Culling is a villainous professional wrestling stable consisting of leader Shawn Spears, Niko Vance, and Izzi Dame. They are all signed to WWE, where they perform on the NXT brand. Dame is the current NXT Women's North American Champion in her first reign. Spears is a former one-time NXT North American Champion and Tatum Paxley was a one-time NXT Women's Champion during her time with the stable.

Contents

Background

On June 21, 2024, Brooks Jensen posted on X that he was (kayfabe) released by WWE, which began a storyline where he wasn't working for the company. Jensen has subsequently appeared on indie events at this time, and he has also appeared in the background of NXT arena to target Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative Shawn Michaels. He was also seen intruding the WWE Performance Center during tapings of NXT . On the July 9 episode of NXT, Jensen had a sit down with NXT General Manager Ava, who agreed to give Jensen a second chance after Josh Briggs, Jensen's former tag team partner, vouched for Jensen. Moments later, he was seen attacking Je'Von Evans backstage. [1] [2] On the following week, Jensen was defeated by Evans. After the match, Jensen attacked Evans and was stopped by Briggs, to which Jensen challenged Briggs to a No Disqualification match where Jenson won after interference from Shawn Spears. [3] [4] On the August 13 episode of NXT, Jensen acknowledged Spears as his mentor and the reason behind his new attitude, solidifying this alliance. [5]

History

On November 12, 2024, Niko Vance made his debut on NXT aligning himself with Spears and Jensen. [6] During this time, Spears, Jensen, and Vance would begin to feud with The D'Angelo Family. Vance would have his first bout in NXT on January 21, 2025, teaming with Jensen to defeat The D'Angelo Family (Luca Crusifino and Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo). [7] In early 2025, Izzi Dame was accepted into The D'Angelo Family (Tony D'Angelo, Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo, Adriana Rizzo and Luca Crusifino) when she was stalked by Spears, who was attempting to recruit her into his stable. On the February 11 episode of NXT, D'Angelo successfully defended his NXT North American Championship against Ridge Holland in a steel cage match (which was suggested by Dame herself to D'Angelo in the prior week). After the match, Dame turned on The D'Angelo Family and sided with Spears. [8] On the March 4 episode of NXT, Spears defeated Tony D'Angelo to win the NXT North American Championship. [9] A week later, at NXT: Roadblock, during a vignette with all four members, they officially started calling themselves The Culling. On the April 1 episode of NXT, Spears lost the NXT North American Championship to Ricky Saints despite interference from The Culling, ending his reign at 28 days. [10]

On the June 3, 2025 episode of NXT, Jensen was kicked out of The Culling by Dame for being that he lost them the match at NXT Battleground, and believed Tatum Paxley was a more valuable asset to the group. [11] On the July 1 episode of NXT, Paxley and Dame defeated Zaria and NXT Women's North American and Speed Women's Champion Sol Ruca in a tag team match for Paxley to join The Culling. [12] For pinning Ruca in the tag team match, Dame received a NXT Women's North American Championship match at NXT Great American Bash on July 12 but failed to defeat Ruca for the title. [13] At Evolution on the following day, Dame and Paxley entered the 20-woman battle royal for a women's world championship match at Clash in Paris but the pair were immediately eliminated at the start of the match by Nia Jax. [14] On the July 22 episode of NXT, The Culling (Spears, Vance, Dame and Paxley) defeated NXT Tag Team Champions Hank and Tank, Zaria, and Ruca in an eight-person mixed tag team match in The Culling's first match as a whole stable. [15] On the August 5 episode of NXT, Paxley challenged Ruca for the NXT Women's North American Championship, but failed to win the title. [16] [17] On October 14 episode of NXT, Paxley won a battle royal to become the #1 contender for the NXT Women's Championship by last eliminating Dame and Jordynne Grace. [18] At NXT Halloween Havoc on October 25, Paxley defeated Jacy Jayne to win the title. [19] Throughout her title reign, Paxley was handing out title matches, which did not sit well with the stable. At Week 1 of NXT: Gold Rush on November 18, Paxley lost the title back to Jayne after The Culling turned on her, ending her reign at 24 days while exiling Paxley from the stable. At NXT Deadline, Dame defeated Paxley due to distraction from The Culling. On January 6, 2026, at NXT: New Year's Evil, Dame lost to Paxley in a rematch. Later that night, Dame answered Thea Hail's open challenge for the NXT Women's North American Championship and defeated Hail to win the title, marking the first championship in her career. [20]

Members

LLeader
*Founding member(s)
MembersJoined
Shawn Spears (L)August 13, 2024 *
Niko Vance November 12, 2024
Izzi Dame February 11, 2025

Former

MemberJoinedLeft
Brooks Jensen August 13, 2024 *June 3, 2025
Tatum Paxley July 1, 2025 November 18, 2025

Timeline

The Culling (professional wrestling)

Championships and accomplishments

References

  1. ↑ Lambert, Jeremy (July 9, 2024). "Brooks Jensen Gets A Second Chance In NXT, Promises To Make An Impact | Fightful News". Fightful. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  2. ↑ Moore, John (July 9, 2024). "NXT TV results (7/9): Moore's review of the NXT Heatwave fallout show, Tony D'Angelo vs. Lexis King for the NXT Heritage Cup, Sol Ruca vs. Fallon Henley, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows vs. OTM". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  3. ↑ Pulido, Luis (July 16, 2024). "WWE NXT (7/16/2024) Results: Rascalz vs Gallus, Oba Femi Defends, OC vs OTM, Brooks Jensen, More | Fightful News". Fightful. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  4. ↑ "WWE NXT results, July 23, 2024: The Rascalz score another major Six-Man Tag Team Match victory". WWE . July 23, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  5. ↑ Moore, John (August 13, 2024). "NXT TV results (8/13): Moore's review of Nathan Frazer and Axiom vs. Andre Chase and Ridge Holland for the NXT Tag Titles, Oba Femi's open challenge for the NXT North American Championship". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  6. ↑ Tessier, Colin (November 13, 2024). "Niko Vance Debuts On 11/12 WWE NXT".
  7. ↑ "Niko Vance Competes In First Televised Match On WWE NXT | Fightful News". www.fightful.com.
  8. ↑ Defelice, Robert (February 11, 2025). "Izzi Dame Betrays Tony D'Angelo On WWE NXT". Fightful. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
  9. ↑ Moore, John (March 4, 2025). "NXT TV results (3/4): Moore's review of Tony D'Angelo vs. Shawn Spears for the NXT North American Title, Chelsea Green and Piper Niven vs. Sol Ruca and Zaria, Kelani Jordan vs. Jaida Parker, Jordynne Grace vs. Cora Jade". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
  10. ↑ Porter, Lovell (2025-04-01). "WWE NXT Results: Review, Grades, Card For April 1". Wrestlezone. Retrieved 2025-04-02.
  11. ↑ "Izzi Dame Hits Brooks Jensen With A Steel Chair, Kicks Him Out Of The Culling On WWE NXT | Fightful News". www.fightful.com. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
  12. ↑ Moore, John (July 1, 2025). "NXT TV results (7/1): Moore's review of Jasper Troy vs. Yoshiki Inamura for a shot at the NXT Championship at the Great American Bash, Joe Hendry vs. Wes Lee, Myles Borne vs. Lexis King". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  13. ↑ Heydorn, Zack (July 12, 2025). "NXT Great American Bash 2025 Results: Jordynne Grace And Blake Monroe Take Down Fatal Influence, Femi Retains". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved July 13, 2025.
  14. ↑ Powell, Jason (July 13, 2025). "WWE Evolution results: Powell's live review of Iyo Sky vs. Rhea Ripley for the Women's World Championship, Tiffany Stratton vs. Trish Stratus for the WWE Women's Championship". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
  15. ↑ Moore, John (July 22, 2025). "NXT TV results (7/22): Moore's review of Oba Femi vs. Yoshiki Inamura vs. Josh Briggs for the NXT Championship, Undertaker's appearance, Ricky Saints vs. Jasper Troy, Blake Monroe vs. Wren Sinclair". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  16. ↑ Powell, Jason (July 29, 2025). "NXT TV results (7/29): Moore's review of Ethan Page vs. Santino Marella for the NXT North American Title, Charlie Dempsey vs. Tavion Heights, Lash Legend vs. Fallon Henley, Jaida Parker vs. Jazmyn Nyx". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved August 6, 2025.
  17. ↑ Powell, Jason (August 5, 2025). "NXT TV results (8/5): Moore's review of Hank Walker and Tank Ledger vs. Uriah Connors and Kale Dixon for the NXT Tag Titles, Sol Ruca vs. Tatum Paxley for the Women's NA Title, Blake Monroe vs. Kelani Jordan". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved August 6, 2025.
  18. ↑ Moore, John (October 14, 2025). "NXT TV results (10/14): Moore's review of a battle royal for a shot at the NXT Women's Title at the Halloween Havoc, Matt Cardona vs. Josh Briggs, Blake Monroe vs. Zaria". Pro Wrestling Dot Net . Retrieved October 16, 2025.
  19. ↑ Chiari, Mike. "Tatum Paxley Makes History Beating Jacy for 1st NXT Women's Title at Halloween Havoc". bleacherreport.com. Retrieved 2025-10-26.
  20. ↑ Moore, John (January 6, 2026). "NXT TV results (1/6): Moore's review of New Year's Evil with Oba Femi vs. Leon Slater for the NXT Championship, Jacy Jayne vs. Kendal Grey for the NXT Women's Championship". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved January 7, 2026.
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