WWE Announces CM Punk and Randy Orton to Appear on NXT's First Two CW Episodes

Two of WWE’s biggest stars are coming to NXT.

The October 1st episode of NXT, premiering on The CW, will be held at the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois, featuring an appearance by CM Punk.

Randy Orton will appear on the October 8th episode, taking place at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Full details can be found in the WWE press release below.

NXT KICKS OFF THE CW ERA WITH ARENA SHOWS IN CHICAGO & ST. LOUIS

Live from Allstate Arena with CM Punk in Chicago on Tuesday, October 1 & Enterprise Center with Randy Orton in St. Louis on Tuesday, October 8

Tickets Available Starting Thursday, August 15 at 10 a.m. Via Ticketmaster

STAMFORD, Conn., August 6, 2024 – WWE, part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO), today announced NXT will travel to Allstate Arena in Chicago on Tuesday, October 1 and the Enterprise Center in St. Louis on Tuesday, October 8 as part of its highly anticipated broadcast television debut on The CW Network. NXT makes its live debut on The CW on Tuesday, October 1 at 8 p.m. ET.

Additionally, the live arena shows will feature special appearances by WWE Superstar CM Punk in Chicago and WWE Superstar Randy Orton in St. Louis.

Tickets for both events go on sale Thursday, August 15 at 10 a.m. local via Ticketmaster.com. An exclusive presale opportunity will be available starting Wednesday, August 14 at 10 a.m. local. To learn more about registering for pre-sale opportunities, please visit: https://www.wwe.com/nxt-on-cw-presale.

In November 2023, WWE and The CW Network announced a five-year agreement that will see NXT make its broadcast television debut for the first time in its 13-year history. NXT will air 52 live weekly events throughout the season.

Launched by WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque, NXT has aired weekly since 2012 and features the brightest young talent in sports entertainment. Nearly 90 percent of the participants in last year’s WrestleMania were developed under the NXT banner. Led by WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels, NXT is popular with younger audiences. Year to date, NXT’s average viewership is up 20 percent among adults 18-49. WWE Superstars, such as Roman Reigns, Seth “Freakin” Rollins and Charlotte Flair have come up through NXT.

NXT joins a growing roster of live sports on The CW Network, including ACC football and basketball games, Pac-12 football and LIV Golf. The CW is also home to the Emmy-award winning weekly studio series “Inside the NFL” and the NASCAR Xfinity Series beginning in Fall 2024. The network will soon offer more than 500 hours of sports programming year-round.