NXT – August 26, 2025: The Future Is Now

NXT
Date: August 26, 2025
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Booker T., Vic Joseph

We’re done with Heatwave and the big story seems to be Ricky Saints coming after Oba Femi’s NXT Title. That should make for an interesting story as we are less than a month away from No Mercy, which already has a title match set. Lola Vice will be challenging Jacy Jayne for the Women’s Title at the event after earning the shot this weekend. Let’s get to it.

Here is Heatwave if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of Heatwave.

Here is Ricky Saints to get things going. Saints says he will always put his money behind Je’Von Evans but Oba Femi stopped Evans at Heatwave. He has done quite a few things around here but there is one thing he still wants. That is the NXT Title, but here is Josh Briggs to say not so fast. Briggs wants the title shot first so Saints says he’s right here in front of him and is ready to fight. Ava comes out to say we need a new #1 contender so the match is on for tonight. Simple and to the point here.

After Heatwave, where Blake Monroe beat Jordynne Grace, Monroe told Ava that she wanted the Women’s Title. Kelani Jordan came in to say not so fast, so Ava made their match for later.

Kelani Jordan vs. Blake Monroe

Jordan snaps off a dropkick to start and they trade rollups for two each. A running dropkick gives Monroe two and she grabs a flipping armbar. That’s broken up and Jordan hits some clotheslines into a cartwheel elbow, followed by an X Factor to send Monroe outside. Cue Jordynne Grace to chase Monroe, who can’t escape this time. Jordan grabs something like an Angle Slam into One Of A Kind to finish at 4:17.

Rating: C. Jordan is an interesting case as she is certainly athletic and getting somewhere with what she’s doing, but she’s going to need some adjustments if she’s going to move up the card. The good thing is that the groundwork is there and she’s definitely ahead of a large portion of the roster. As for Monroe…I’m not sure why this is still going so soon after beating her clean on Sunday.

Video on Lexis King vs. Myles Borne, with King accusing Borne of faking his deafness.

Lexis King vs. Myles Borne

Blindfold match, with Borne explaining that he needs the fans to guide him when he can’t see. After a few early misses, they manage to lock up before King misses some right hands in the corner. Borne is able to hit his dropkick for two, leaving King to miss a charge out to the floor. Borne throws him back inside and avoids a dropkick but King gets in a slam. The elbow misses though and they slug it out from their knees. They grab hands and slug it out until King backs him into the corner. King grabs the referee and pokes him in the eye, allowing King to pull up the mask. A low blow and the Coronation finish Borne at 4:55.

Rating: C. The key thing here was keeping the match short or the idea was going to get old fast. That’s what we got here, as King went with the obvious cheating. It’s how this should have gone and lets Borne look like he got cheated. At some point they’ll have a rematch and Borne can get a big win one way or another, which is what matters most.

Wren Sinclair is panicking over having to face the Culling because she doesn’t have a partner, but Charlie Dempsey has found her a partner: Kendal Grey. Sinclair is relieved and Grey agrees to help Sinclair, but slaps Dempsey.

Wren Sinclair/Kendal Grey vs. The Culling

Dame misses a big boot to start and Kendal grabs her by the waist, meaning it’s off to Sinclair. Dame pulls her into the wrong corner, allowing Paxley to come in for a bodyscissors. Back up and Dame tags herself back in before Paxley can try a moonsault. Sinclair’s rollup gets two but Dame gives her a Sky High (as Grey has Paxley tied up) for the fast pin at 3:30.

Rating: C+. The idea was to have the Culling not exactly working together as Dame seems to treat Paxley as little more than a goon. That’s only going to work for so long as Paxley just wants a friend and is not going to accept being used again. Sinclair and Grey were just two people thrown together, but Grey seems to be getting at least a look on the bigger roster.

Josh Briggs vs. Ricky Saints

For the NXT Title shot at No Mercy. Saints chops away to start but gets caught with a running elbow. The Boss Man Slam gives Briggs two and we’re off to the early chinlock. Back up and Saints starts working on the arm, setting up a strutting Old School. They head outside with Briggs getting posted as we take a break.

We come back with Briggs hitting a crossbody for two but Saints’ Falcon Arrow gets the same. Briggs kicks him in the face for two and hits the chokeslam for two more. Starks is back up with a quick headscissors into a reverse DDT, followed by the springboard tornado DDT for the pin at 12:46.

Rating: B-. Saints getting the shot is the more interesting call, though I was thinking Briggs might have gotten a televised title shot before we went there. Either way, this sets Saints up as a much bigger match as he’ll get his shot in a featured setting. The good thing about Saints is that he feels like a legitimate threat to take the title and that has been lacking for Oba Femi for a good while.

Lola Vice, Sol Ruca and Zaria are all friends with matching shirts before their six man tag tonight. Jaida Parker comes in to congratulate Vice on the win, though Vice isn’t convinced. Lash Legend comes in to argue with Parker, leaving Zaria to lift Vice a few times.

Post break, Ricky Saints is still in the ring when Oba Femi comes out for the staredown. Saints believes that Femi is starting to feel the pressure of being the champion and promises to take the title. Femi says he’ll prove that Saints is average but here is Darkstate (the new Tag Team Champions) to interrupt. They are ready to fight but here are Hank & Tank to help hold them off.

Video explaining the Speed Title, which has a three minute time limit. The tournament to crown a new #1 contender starts next week.

Alba Fyre vs. Tyra Mae Steele

Chelsea Green, Piper Niven, Ethan Page and Tavion Heights are here too. Steele starts fast with a suplex and then grabs the legs and rolls around. Fyre’s legs are fine enough to come back with a superkick to the floor, allowing her to stand on Steele’s hair back inside. A knee and DDT give Fyre two and Steele grabs an ankle lock. Page offers a distraction but gets his hand stomped, allowing Steele to roll Fyre up for the pin at 4:19.

Rating: C. As was the case on Sunday at Heatwave, the theme recently has been giving some fresh stars a chance. That’s what we’re seeing here with Steele, who is getting her feet wet against someone like Fyre, who is a rather polished star. I’m not sure how well it’s going to go but at least they’re giving her a chance as she has to start somewhere.

Post match Green goes after Steele but Heights comes in for the save. Page decks him with the belt though and cover him with the Canadian flag.

Hank & Tank come in to ask Ava for a fight with Darkstate, which they receive…in an eight man tag, also involving Oba Femi and Ricky Saints.

Jacy Jayne is mad about losing the TNA Knockouts Title and Fatal Influence argues over who should get the Speed Title.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Lola Vice/Zaria/Sol Ruca vs. Fatal Influence

Ruca and Henley trade rollups to start until Henley grabs a swinging suplex, allowing Nyx to come in. A leg lariat puts Ruca down but she’s right back up with a Paisan elbow with Zaria. Zaria’s middle rope clothesline drops Nyx for two more and it’s already off to Vice vs. Jayne. Vice’s cross armbreaker doesn’t work so Jayne hits a hard clothesline for her own near fall.

Back up and it’s off to Ruca to chop away at Henley, setting up the surfing spot in the corner. Ruca gets knocked outside though as Lainey Reid is watching from the balcony and we take a break. We come back with Ruca hitting a Codebreaker to the arm but Jayne cuts off the tag attempt. Jayne stomps Ruca down in the corner but she’s right back up, allowing the tag off to Zaria.

House is quickly cleaned and Ruca’s handstand spinning top rope splash gets two. The villains drop Ruca again so it’s off to Vice for the running hip attacks in the corner. Fatal Influence’s stereo running knees drop Vice for two with Ruca making the save. Everything breaks down and Ruca hits the Sol Snatcher, leaving Vice to spinning backfist Henley for the pin at 14:15.

Rating: B-. This was what it needed to be as Vice is getting closer to the title shot and beating one of Jayne’s partners is a nice way to start. Vice very well may be the one to take the title off of Jayne while the other two are going to come after Ruca and the Speed Title. It makes for an interesting couple of stories, and that should be enough to bridge the gap to No Mercy.

A quick preview of No Mercy and next week’s show wrap us up.

Overall Rating: C+. This show was about moving on from everything at Heatwave and starting the fairly rapid fire build towards No Mercy. That’s what the show needed to be and they hit the ground running, with the NXT Title match already being set up. I’m curious to see what else winds up on the show, but at least they’re off to a good start.

Results
Kelani Jordan b. Blake Monroe – One Of A Kind
Lexis King b. Myles Borne – Coronation
The Culling b. Wren Sinclair/Kendal Grey – Sky High to Sinclair
Tyra Mae Steele b. Alba Fyre – Rollup
Sol Ruca/Zaria/Lola Vice b. Fatal Influence – Spinning backfist to Henley

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