NXT – September 1, 2026: The Heat Has Broken
NXT
Date: September 1, 2026
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.
We’re done with Heatwave and a lot of things have changed. There are a bunch of new champions, including Grayson Waller winning the NXT Title. That’s in addition to new Tag Team, Women’s and North American Champions. We’ve got a lot of things to cover on the way to next month’s Halloween Havoc so let’s get to it.
Here is Heatwave if you need a recap.
Long Heatwave recap.
Here is Zilla Fatu for a chat. Fatu: “HELLO!” Things did not go well for him at Heatwave but he’s not ready to give up. This brings out Tristan Angels, who doesn’t want to hear Fatu go on about Heatwave. These people have the attention of fruit flies and there is no need to put them through this over and over. Fatu isn’t even the main one in his own family but he says he’s ready to beat Angels up in front of his family here in Orlando. So Fatu is a good guy. Huh.
EK Prosper and Saquon Shuggars get in an argument in Robert Stone’s office and both want to be in line for an NXT Title shot. Keanu Carver comes in to want to same thing and asks Stone what he’s going to do.
Naraku says Shiloh Hill has done research on the mist but he doesn’t understand it.
Myles Borne doesn’t regret striking out at Heatwave. Yes he turned at Tavion Heights because he knew Heights was going to turn on him. So he turned on Heights first. Well yeah. It’s certainly a smart idea and makes sense here.
Shiloh Hill vs. Naraku
Hill wrestles him down to start but gets chopped up against the ropes. A cravate doesn’t work for Naraku as Hill is back up with a flying shoulder. Back up and Naraku shoves him off the top and loads up the announcers’ table as we take a break. We come back with Naraku missing a charge into the corner and getting planted down for the inverted Swanton. Naraku is back with a sitout fireman’s carry slam before they clothesline each other. With nothing else working, Naraku sprays the mist into his hand and, after teasing spitting it in Hill’s eyes, rubs it in his face. Into The Abyss finishes Hill at 9:44.
Rating: B-. There is a very good chance that this isn’t going to be finishing here and it could be interesting to see Hill trying to get his revenge. Hill’s random ranting about the mist a few weeks ago turning into a feud is certainly unique and I’ll take that over doing the same thing you see from everyone else. The match wasn’t bad either, but it’s the story that has me more intrigued here.
Romeo Moreno, Noam Dar, Dorian Van Dux and Sean Legacy argue over the future of the tag team division.
Noam Dar/Romeo Moreno vs. Dorian Van Dux/Sean Legacy
Well that’s good timing. Legacy and Moreno take turns flipping over each other to start until Legacy armdrags him into a dropkick. Moreno comes in to strike away at Dux, who gives him such a hard clothesline that Legacy’s jaw drops. Dux charges into a boot in the corner though and everything breaks down with Dar and Moreno grabbing stereo ankle locks. Those are broken up and they go outside with Legacy and Dux getting in powerbomb backbreakers as we take a break.
We come back with Moreno missing a moonsault, allowing Dux to come back in. Dux’s moonsault doesn’t miss and Dar has to dive in for the save. Dar comes in to kick away at Legacy and European clutches him for two. Everything breaks down again and Moreno gives Dux a super Death Valley Driver but Legacy powerbombs Dar onto Moreno to leave everyone down.
Dux Asai moonsaults onto Moreno and Legacy, with Legacy getting caught in a hanging cutter with a top rope double stomp to his back. Dar accidentally elbows Moreno though and walks into an AA from Legacy and Dux adds a top rope splash. Legacy’s springboard 450 hits raised knees though and Dar gets the pin at 11:37.
Rating: B. This got going in the middle and that’s enough to make the whole thing a good match. It’s a match designed around having a bunch of action and maybe Dar and Moreno can get into the title hunt. They’re doing well enough as a team and the Vanity Project need some challengers to start their title reign. Fun match here.
Post match the Creed Brothers run in and wreck both teams. Well it’s not like they have anything else going on on the main roster.
Zaria retires the Women’s Speed Title, which has Robert Stone officially retiring the men’s version as well. Birthright isn’t happy and are ready to take the power back into their hands. With the team gone, Cruz Montana comes in to ask for an NXT Title shot. Keanu Carver comes in to say it’s bad to be Stone right now.
Here is new Women’s Champion Kelani Jordan for a chat. She brags about winning the Women’s Title but she doesn’t need the YOU DESERVE IT chants, because she earned it. Jordan praises Kendal Grey, but if Grey was so great, what does it make Jordan when she beat Grey? The reality is that Grey was in over her head at Heatwave and she got sent into the turnbuckle.
When the ear heals up, she can come get a title rematch but for now, let’s talk about how great Jordan really is. No one does it like her but here is Jaida Parker to interrupt. She won at Heatwave too and that makes her championship material. Parker has beaten her before so let’s run it back tonight. Jordan says Parker is always talking and the match can happen…but we’ll do it next week.
Thea Hail vs. Nikkita Lyons
Lyons’ Evolve Women’s Title isn’t on the line. Hail takes her straight down and goes after the arm but gets catapulted throat first into the middle rope. The reverse chinlock has Hail in trouble but she pops up for a running flipping neckbreaker. Lyons punches her back down for two and she breaks up a quick Kimura attempt. The Vader Bomb misses though and the Hail Mary gives Hail the pin at 3:17.
Rating: C. Well I wasn’t expecting that. Hail winning a match clean is hard to fathom these days but it should at least move her into the Evolve Women’s Title picture. Granted she was already there in the first place but it’s better than nothing. The ending was clean here and that’s been missing for Hail for a long time now.
Kendal Grey is suffering from vertigo. I hope that’s not a legitimate issue as that stuff can wreck you.
Mason Rook vs. Kam Hendrix
Rook jumps him in the aisle to start fast and they head inside, with Rook missing a charge in the corner. Hendrix stomps away and gets two off a backsplash before they both miss clotheslines. Crossbodies connect at the same time though and they’re both down. Rook is back up with a Blue Thunder Bomb for two so Hendrix is back up with a Showtime Kick. The turnbuckle pad is taken off but Rook crushes him into the steel. A sitout fireman’s carry bomb finishes Hendrix at 4:36.
Rating: C+. Rook gets a win and moves up the ladder a bit, though it’s probably only going to mean so much as Hendrix doesn’t mean the most right now. The two of them both need something to do and it could be interesting to see what they do in the next few weeks. Hendrix continues to feel like he could be something, but that’s not going to matter if he keeps losing.
Tavion Heights is annoyed at the loss at Heatwave but above that, he feels betrayed. The Vanity Project comes in to mock him but Heights wants to face Jackson Drake for the North American Title. Drake doesn’t seem thrilled.
Zilla Fatu vs. Tristan Angels
Angels backs into the corner to start so Fatu knocks him into a different corner for the running splash. Back up and Angels is sent outside, with the suicide dive knocking him over the announcers’ table. The fans rather approve but Fatu gets crotched on top to cut off the cheers. We take a break and come back with Fatu getting ticked off and sending Angels into various turnbuckles. A release Rock Bottom into a backsplash gets two but Fatu misses a charge. Angels’ Backstabber gets two but he misses an enziguri in the corner. The Triple Z (running Samoan Spike) finishes Angels at 9:30.
Rating: C+. Well Fatu is already easy to like and feels more natural as a good guy than he did in his earlier weeks. It’s a different way to go and he has the charisma to back it up so let’s see what he can do. Beating Angels is good enough and the Triple Z is a cool looking finisher. Not bad for a singles debut.
Post match Birthright comes out to interrupt and offers Fatu a spot on the team. He’s got a long line of family members to deal with so how long until he’s the Main One? Fatu says no and superkicks Lexis King before leaving to avoid the beating.
Here’s what’s coming next week.
Robert Stone introduces new NXT Champion Grayson Waller for a chat. Waller mocks the fans for thinking that someone else was going to win on Sunday. He makes fun of Vic Joseph for freaking out over Waller’s win, but why was he surprised? Waller is a star who has main evented Raw and Smackdown and won a title at Wrestlemania. Now he’s thanking everyone who got him here, which is just himself. He’ll get back to Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis when he has time but for now, who is coming to knock him off his pedestal?
The fans want Cruz Montana and Waller agrees that he’s good. Waller: “But just TNA good.” He wants someone to step up to him so here is Saquon Shuggars of all people. Waller doesn’t seem impressed but here is Cruz Montana to interrupt as well. Montana says that Waller may not be ready but he sure is, only for EK Prosper to interrupt. Before that can go anywhere, Mason Rook says let’s see how tough Waller is.
Tony D’Angelo joins in but Robert Stone says we’re not doing this (despite us already doing this). Keanu Carver comes out and says make a six man tag next week, with the winners in a triple threat #1 contenders match the week after. Stone points out that there are only five people so Carver goes less than subtle with his recommendation for a sixth entrant.
Stone gets the idea and makes the match, with Carver sliding in to go after Waller. The champ leaves so the other six fight to end the show. I like the idea, though having so many people coming after the champion, including some new faces, was an amusing way to end the show.
Overall Rating: B. This show did a good job of following up on the pay per view, with a bunch of champions receiving challengers right out of the gate. I like what we’re getting around here at the moment, with Fatu already feeling like he could be something in the near future. They still need to make these ideas work, but it’s a good sign coming off the big summer show.
Results
Naraku b. Shiloh Hill – Into The Abyss
Noam Dar/Romeo Moreno b. Sean Legacy/Dorian Van Dux – Rollup to Legacy
Thea Hail b. Nikkita Lyons – Hail Mary
Mason Rook b. Kam Hendrix – Sitout fireman’s carry bomb
Zilla Fatu b. Tristan Angels – Triple Z
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