WWE Battleground 2025 Notes: AAA’s Dalys & Chik Tormenta & TNA’s Mike Santana Appears, Yoshiki Inamura & Luca Crusifino Surprise Returns, NXT North American Title Match Set for Worlds Collide, Trick Williams Wins TNA World Title, 5/27 NXT Show Card

May 25, 2025

AAA Talents Dalys & Chik Tormenta Make Appearance on WWE Battleground 2025

Sunday’s WWE Battleground 2025 event at the Yuengling Center in Tampa, Florida featured Lucha Libre AAA talents Dalys and Chik Tormenta making their official debut appearances in NXT.

During the show, Dalys and Tormenta were seen backstage with NXT GM Ava in her office. Ava greeted Dalys and Tormenta for coming to the show and as part of WWE’s promotion for their upcoming co-promoted Worlds Collide 2025 event with AAA this June.

Look who's here!

Great to have you both at #WWEBattleground, @dalyscaribenaaa and @chiktormenta!!@luchalibreaaa pic.twitter.com/GAUtLUNOa1
— WWE (@WWE) May 26, 2025

Mike Santana Makes Surprise Appearance

Sunday’s WWE Battleground 2025 event also featured TNA Wrestling talent Mike Santana making his surprise WWE debut appearance.

During the show, Santana was seen backstage with NXT interviewer Sarah Schreiber for some words for why he is here. Santana talked about how it took 16 years for him to step foot in a WWE building. Santana stated that he is here to see Trick Williams and Hoe Hendry because he is coming after the TNA World title and wants the winner of that match. This led to No Quarter Catch Crew showing up and after some words between Charlie Dempsey and Santana, Tavion Heights played peacekeeper to defuse the situation.

.@Santana_Proud is here to keep a close eye on the @ThisIsTNA Championship Match!

But also got a nice little introduction to No Quarter Catch Crew… 👀#WWEBattleground pic.twitter.com/W1di6V7mAd
— WWE (@WWE) May 26, 2025

Yoshiki Inamura Makes Surprise Return at WWE Battleground 2025

Sunday’s WWE Battleground 2025 event also featured Pro Wrestling NOAH Yoshiki Inamura making his surprise return appearance to the NXT brand.

Following Hank & Tank and Josh Briggs’ victory over The Culling in a Six-Man Tag Team match, Izzi Dame & The Culling attacked them leading to Dame grabbing a chair for the Culling to use. Before Dame was able to walk away with the chair, an arm reached out and grabbed it preventing Dame from leaving. This mystery person was revealed to be Inamura who yanked the chair away and proceeded to get into the ring and laid out The Culling with it. After helping clear out the ring, Hank & Tank, Briggs, and Inamura celebrated and Briggs and Inamura hugged in happiness over their reunion.

INAMURA IS HERE!!!@noah_yoshiki is back and just saved the day!!!#WWEBattleground pic.twitter.com/JzCVyk6qWM
— WWE (@WWE) May 26, 2025

NXT North American Title Match St for WWE Worlds Collide 2025

Sunday’s WWE Battleground 2025 event also featured one new match announced for the card of Worlds Collide 2025, which takes place on June 7th at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, California.

This new match announced was a NXT North American Championship match of mystery opponent vs. winner of “All Ego” Ethan Page/Ricky Saints (c).

This match was setup following a backstage segment involving Page and NXT GM Ava.

.@OfficialEGO has a A LOT to say about @starkmanjones…

But @avawwe_ has announced that the winner of Tuesday's North American Title Match will defend the championship at #WorldsCollide in Los Angeles! 😱#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/M5VwUV1scz
— WWE (@WWE) May 26, 2025

Current card for WWE Worlds Collide 2025:

NXT North American Championship – mystery opponent vs. winner of “All Ego” Ethan Page/Ricky Saints (c)
Trios match – Legado Del Fantasma (Angel Garza, Berto, & Santos Escobar) vs. Dr. Wagner Jr., Psycho Clown, & Pagano
El Hijo del Vikingo vs. Chad Gable

Luca Crusifino Makes Surprise Return at WWE Battleground 2025

Sunday’s WWE Battleground 2025 event also featured Luca Cruisfino making a surprise return appearance.

Near the end of the singles match between Tony D’Angelo and Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo, Crusifino suddenly appeared at ringside and gave a stoic look to D’Angelo. This led to D’Angelo being puzzled over Crusifino being at ringside and causing him and the referee to be distracted long enough for Stacks to hit a low blow kick to D’Angelo. Stacks then followed with a knee strike for the pinfall victory.

Following the match, Crusifino went into the ring and reached out for a hug to D’Angelo who refused and walked out of the ring.

Who can you trust???

Right now @TonyDangeloWWE can't trust anyone…#WWEBattleground pic.twitter.com/SvWJAeNkb7
— WWE (@WWE) May 26, 2025

This was Crusifino’s first appearance since this past April after being left in a desert by Stacks implying he was being “whacked.”

Trick Williams Wins TNA World Title at WWE Battleground 2025

Sunday’s WWE Battleground 2025 event also featured Trick Williams defeating Joe Hendry to become the new TNA World Champion.

This was Williams’ first ever TNA Championship victory in his career. This was also the first time that a TNA or WWE NXT title changed hands between the two companies.

OH. MY. GOD.

TRICK WILLIAMS IS THE NEW TNA WORLD CHAMPION!!!#WWEBattleground pic.twitter.com/7BfAkTMKRO
— WWE (@WWE) May 26, 2025

The landscape of the industry has changed.

Trick Williams is the new @ThisIsTNA World Champion! 🤯#AndNew #WWEBattleground pic.twitter.com/0s9xIuoKrg
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) May 26, 2025

Current Card for Next Week’s Show

Sunday’s WWE Battleground 2025 event also featured three new matches announced for the card of this week’s WWE NXT show on May 27th at the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.

These matches were setup following promos, storyline angles, and match card graphics throughout the show.

The new matches announced were: