CJ Parker, TakeOver: Brooklyn and Latest WWE NXT Developmental News

CJ Parker is not coming back to WWE NXT—not for TakeOver: Brooklyn, not ever. 

Fans of the pro-environment character learned this week that Parker is stepping away from the mat game. He announced that his swan song is on the way, as he'll go up against another guy who didn't get much traction in WWE's developmental system.

The financial success of NXT's next live special has created buzz backstage.

In other news, several NXT talents now wrestle under new names, one prospect worried her fans after an apparent injury and the NXT champ racked up some frequent-flyer miles with the WWE main roster. 

CJ Parker Set to Retire

CJ Parker left NXT in April with the intent to travel the world and better his craft. He has since decided to call it quits.

Parker announced on Twitter that he is retiring from wrestling. He has just one match left on his schedule, a farewell bout at the end of August. As seen on Us vs. Them Wrestling's poster for the event, Ethan Carter III will be his opponent that night.

ECIII is still TNA champ, and like Parker a man in whom WWE never saw much. Carter went on to prove his doubters wrong, while Parker has halted his wrestling journey. 

The hippie heel did well with his character and improved his showmanship over time. He was just clearly never going to be a top NXT star. One would think he could make an impact on the indy scene, though.

NXT Prospects Get New Ring Names

It's time to update a few profiles on wrestling databases out there. A handful of prospects received new ring names.

The NXT recruits have already changed their names on their Twitter accounts.

Axel Tischer now goes by Alexander Wolfe. Mike Rallis is now Riddick Moss. Lina Fanene now goes by Nia Jax. KC Cassidy's ring name is now Peyton Royce.

It's a bit odd that Moss got a name change at this point, as he's already been wrestling (albeit sparingly) on TV. And Fanene's avoiding Johnson or Maivia as a surname suggests that, at least in the beginning, WWE is not planning on using the fact that she's The Rock's cousin as part of her character.

NXT Diva Has Injury Scare

Jessie McKay (who now wrestles as Billie Kaye) appeared to suffer an injury at an NXT live event on Aug. 7 in Orlando, Florida.

Fans saw blood coming out of her nose and that the referee stopped the match and began to worry. She's apparently fine, however.

PWInsider's Mike Johnson provided an update. He wrote, "I am told that Kay is OK and there was no major injury. It may be that the bout was stopped as a safety measure when it appeared she was hurt. Kaye was bleeding from her nose after the bout."

Kaye posted an update of her own on Twitter. She wrote, "Thanks for all the love. I'm fine though, just a little bloody nose."

Backstage Reaction to TakeOver Sellout

NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn is now officially sold out.

That's a big win for the developmental brand. NXT normally visits and does well in smaller venues. The Barclays Center is far from that.

This reportedly has folks behind the scenes quite happy.

PWInsider's Mike Johnson reported, "To say the NXT crew is thrilled with the Brooklyn show selling out is the biggest understatement of 2015. There is a real pride about those letters among those working the brand (and even among some who have gone to the main roster), and they are thrilled to see it growing to that level."

This is a major transformation from the days of Florida Championship Wrestling, which would have not been able to fill a house that size.

Expect an electric atmosphere at the event. The crowd is sure to be hyped with a rare visit from NXT in New York. And it sounds as if the talent themselves will be plenty energized as well.

Other News, Notes

Uhaa Nation is one of the many NXTers with a new name. NXT announced on last week's show that he will now go by Apollo Crews.

Actor Terry Crews, for one, was happy with the change. He wrote to his namesake on Twitter, "Love the new name! Represent it well."

GiGi is the latest to be eliminated from WWE Tough Enough. That leaves just Tanner, Amanda, Josh, ZZ and Paige favorite Sara left in the competition.

Finn Balor traveled with the main roster to Australia during the recent international tour. He took on Neville at three house shows over the weekend, according to ProFightDB.com. 

It's smart of WWE to promote the NXT brand overseas this way. The developmental brand is one of the biggest reasons to get the WWE Network, and exposing Balor to a bigger audience will only help him once he makes the main roster.