NXT
Date: September 8, 2026
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We have a long way to go before Halloween Havoc and in this case there is a big match taking place tonight, with a title on the line. Kelani Jordan is defending the Women’s Title against Jaida Parker in what should be quite the athletic match. In addition, a bunch of people are coming for Grayson Waller and we have a six man tag to determine next week’s triple threat to crown a new #1 contender. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Wren Sinclair and Jaida Parker say they’ll be handling things tonight.

Women’s Title: Jaida Parker vs. Kelani Jordan

Parker is challenging and we get the MISS PARKER chants, which she certainly seems to appreciate. A running shoulder puts Jordan down to start and Parker dances a bit. Back up and Jordan knocks her down as well, meaning Jordan gets in a dance of her own. That earns her a heck of a slap from Parker so Jordan sends her into the corner for the stomping. A running hurricanrana is countered into a sitout powerbomb to give Parker two and we take a break.

We come back with Parker breaking up a super Spanish Fly and hitting a middle rope Rough Ryder. Parker fires off some clotheslines and gets two off a Blockbuster and Falcon Arrow. The Rings Of Saturn are broken up and Jordan avoids a charge, allowing her to hit a springboard legdrop. Parker gets sent outside for an Asai moonsault but manages to avoid a 450. A Samoan drop (ahuh) gives Parker two but she misses a charge, with Jordan rolling her into the corner. One Of A Kind retains the title at 9:50.

Rating: B. You could tell they have both come a long way here and that’s a great sign for their futures. Jordan is learning to use her incredible athleticism like a wrestler and Parker is getting more comfortable in the ring, with the crowd reactions making her feel like a star. I liked this a lot and Parker isn’t overly hurt by losing to a more established name.

Post match Wren Sinclair runs in to shove the referee down and beat on Jordan with the kendo stick.

Yesterday, Romeo Moreno and Noam Dar came in to see Robert Stone, wanting revenge on the Creed Brothers. Stone is in, even as Moreno reminded me of Tito Santana with the eyeglasses for some reason.

Myles Borne isn’t sure if he did the right thing with Tavion Heights because he believes Heights saying he wasn’t going to turn on Borne.

Heights isn’t sure what to do but he’s dealing with his North American Title shot tonight first.

Noam Dar/Romeo Moreno vs. Creed Brothers

Moreno and Julius start things off and for some reason Moreno tries to wrestle with him, which is rather ineffective. Brutus comes in, with Julius suplexing Moreno into a backbreaker but it’s off to Dar for stereo submission attempts. Julius powers out without much effort but the Creeds are sent outside. A moonsault to the floor takes them out again and a running dropkick sends Julius into the steps as we take a break.

We come back with Brutus hammering on Dar and Julius sends him flying off a fall away slam. Dar finally avoids a knee though and Moreno comes back in to start the fired up comeback. Moreno’s big dive takes out the Creeds but Julius powerbombs Moreno out of the air back inside. The Brutus Ball is broken up and Dar elbows Julius down, only for Brutus to dive off the top for the save. Dar is sent outside and it’s a double spinebuster to give Brutus the pin on Moreno at 12:15.

Rating: B-. This got going and it’s good to see the Creeds back doing something. They might just be a team who fit better around here and some more seasoning might help them out a lot. Moreno and Dar are starting to gel together a bit better, but this should be a good start towards getting some life into the tag division. That’s a good thing too and the Creeds are a nice addition.

Birthright isn’t happy with Zilla Fatu when William Regal and Fit Finlay come in. Regal says he has a history with Fatu’s father “Youmanga” (there it is) and demands that they either get Fatu on the team or take him out tonight.

Wren Sinclair rants to Robert Stone about Kelani Jordan but Stone suspends her for the earlier attack.

Here is Charlie Dempsey, who has kept his head down and mouth shut for six years around here. He’s always been more substance over style and he’s never sold out to “play the game” around here. Birthright was formed to show what he can do but Birthright has been treated like a fool for far too long. He’s tired of being treated like a joke because NXT is a place more interested in turning failed football players into wrestlers.

That brings him to Zilla Fatu, who has something the team wants. The offer is on the table and here is Fatu to interfere and yes he has a chip on his table because of his father. He appreciates the invitation but he’s not just one of them. It’s a big NO from him so here is the rest of Birthright to lay Fatu out, including putting him through the announcers’ table. And now Birthright is going to be destroyed in abundance.

Naraku warns Shiloh Hill to stop worrying about the mist or feel all of the colors and their pain.

Saquon Shuggars talks strategy with Tony D’Angelo and Mason Rook, but they might not be on the same page. Tristan Angels comes in to say he would be a better teammate and doesn’t think much of Shuggars.

North American Title: Tavion Heights vs. Jackson Drake

Drake, with the Vanity Project, is defending. Heights muscles him up for a backdrop to start and gets in a slam as Joseph brings up Midnight and Big T. As my mind tries to get around those two being mentioned on WWE TV, Heights takes the Project out on the floor but gets sent outside again by Drake. We take a break and come back with Drake dealing with a bad ankle and taking his boot off. Naturally Heights goes to the ankle lock but Drake crawls out to the floor. Drake gets in a posting to take over but can’t even stand.

Instead he elbows away, only for Heights to grab the ankle again. That’s broken up as well and a backdrop puts Drake down. Granted it doesn’t last long though, as Drake is back up with a bridging German suplex for two. They head to the apron where Heights gets in a nasty German suplex and they go back inside. This time the ankle lock is broken up and Drake knees him in the head. The 450 retains the title at 11:42.

Rating: C. I liked the idea here, but Drake having a bad ankle and seemingly being fine for the most part didn’t work. I can live with a jumping knee, but someone with a bad ankle shouldn’t be firing off a 450. Heights losing clean when he seems to be setting up for a feud with Myles Borne isn’t the best sign and I don’t quite get this one.

Post match Heights gets up and here is Myles Borne to stare at him. And that’s it.

Cruz Montana, EK Prosper and Keanu Carver have their own issues before the six man but Robert Stone comes in to calm them down a bit.

Here is Zaria for a chat. There has always been something or someone holding her back from winning gold. Now she has gotten rid of those things and look at where she is now. She left Heatwave with two titles above her head and now she’ll show how dominant she can be.

This brings out Izzi Dame, who doesn’t buy what Zaria is saying. Thea Hail comes out to say the same but Dame isn’t listening to what Hail says. Zaria says Hail is only here because of what Jaida Parker told her to do. Hail says she has a real friend and asks when Zaria will get over Sol Ruca. The fight is on and Hail makes her tap to the Kimura.

Myles Borne is annoyed about Tavion Heights so Hank & Tank tell him to give Heights a better apology, with Borne saying he’ll do it next week.

Birthright brings Zilla Fatu’s shirt to William Regal and Fit Finlay, who approve of their actions. The Vanity Project comes in but Regal says Birthright is coming for their titles. This brings in more teams, all of whom want the titles. They were doing the revolving door of challengers here but backstage.

Kali Armstrong isn’t happy that Thea Hail is coming for the Women’s North American Title. Lizzie rain comes in to tell her to do something about Hail herself and they have to be held apart.

Mason Rook/Saquon Shuggars/Tony D’Angelo vs. Cruz Montana/EK Prosper/Keanu Carver

The winning team moves on to a triple threat next week for an NXT Title shot at Grayson Waller, on commentary. It’s a brawl to start with Prosper and Shuggars being left alone to get us going. Carver is quickly in and gets crucifixed for two but gets to sent Rook flying for two of his own. Santana comes in to chop away at Rook, who kicks him in the head in the corner.

A double rolling Buck Fifty drops Rook and D’Angelo for two on the latter and it’s off to Prosper. D’Angelo spinebusters Prosper and Shuggars hits a running shot to the back as everything breaks down. Prosper’s super hurricanrana is cut off but his partners throw him back up top so Shuggars can get hurricanranaed down for two.

We take a break and come back with Shuggars kicking his way out of trouble but Montana isn’t about to allow the tag. Naturally Rook gets the tag almost immediately, with Montana rolling him up for two. A double superplex brings Rook crashing down so Prosper’s frog splash can connect for two more.

Rook fights out of trouble rather quickly and brings D’Angelo back in to clean house. Santana clotheslines Carver to the floor by mistake and D’Angelo spears Prosper, followed by the spinebuster. Rook tags himself in and picks up D’Angelo for a double Cannonball into Prosper in the corner. Waller approves as Rook pins Prosper at 12:20.

Rating: B. It was a fast moving tag match with the less likely team winning in an interesting move. The good thing is the result sets up both next week’s #1 contender match and the other team can do some things on their own. They didn’t stop with the action here and it made sense as they were fighting for a prize, which tends to do a lot better most of the time.

Post match Carver and Montana brawl as the winning team argues, leaving Waller to pose to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This was a good mixture of action and building up things for the future. We’re still over a month and a half away from Halloween Havoc, which likely makes this a build towards something other than the big event. That should work well, especially if the younger stars continue to move up the ladder as well as they have in recent weeks. Better than usual show here, save for Drake’s lack of ankle problems.

Results
Kelani Jordan b. Jaida Parker – One Of A Kind
Creed Brothers b. Noam Dar/Romeo Moreno – Double spinebuster to Moreno
Jackson Drake b. Tavion Heights – 450
Mason Rook/Saquon Shuggars/Tony D’Angelo b. Cruz Montana/EK Prosper/Keanu Carver – Double Cannonball to Prosper

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

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

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Heatwave 2026
Date: August 30, 2026
Location: Bert Ogden Arena, Edinburg, Texas
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

It’s another big event and the card looks to be backing it up. We have a four way for the NXT Title with Tony D’Angelo defending against a trio of challengers in Grayson Waller, Cruz Montana and Zilla Fatu. Other than that, the Women’s Title is on the line with Kendal Grey defending against Mercedes Mone. Let’s get to it.

The opening video looks at how hot it gets in Texas and how hot it has gotten in NXT, with a focus on the bigger matches on the card.

Women’s North American Title/Women’s Speed Title: Zaria vs. Wren Sinclair vs. Kali Armstrong

Zaria (North American) and Sinclair (Speed) are defending and this is a unification match, winner take all. They trade the rollups to start fast and Armstrong is sent outside, which just seems to make her mad. Back in and Zaria suplexes both of them (barely getting Sinclair over) before nailing a big boot each. Sinclair is knocked outside and Armstrong hits a big charge to take Zaria out. Another charge misses Sinclair though and Armstrong crashes into the steps as we take a break.

We come back with Armstrong spinebustering Zaria for two but charging into Sinclair’s elbow in the corner. Sinclair’s high crossbody takes out the two of them at the same time Sinclair chokes Zaria, who cannonballs the two of them into Armstrong in the corner. Armstrong sitout powerbombs Zaria for two, with Sinclair diving back in for the save.

The Final Wrench is blocked so Zaria spears both of them down. The Kali Connection is loaded up but countered into an F5, which is countered just as fast. Now the Final Wrench has Zaria in trouble, with Armstrong making the save. Sinclair is sent outside and it’s the spear into the F5 to finish Armstrong and give Zaria the titles at 11:46.

Rating: B-. It was a pretty basic triple threat match and that’s the right way to go in a match like this. The Speed Title needs to go away and having Zaria run through both of them is a good way to get rid of it. It’s not a match that burned the house down, but it’s something that took care of a job in an entertaining enough way, which I’ll take for an opener.

Cruz Montana is here to accomplish his dream and he thrives with his head on a swivel.

Tag Team Titles: Vanity Project vs. Myles Borne/Tavion Heights

Borne and Heights are defending and it’s Borne against Baylor to start things off. Borne takes over without much trouble and it’s off to Heights for a gutbuster, meaning the Project needs a meeting on the floor. The distraction means Borne gets taken down with a cheap shot and a slingshot knee to the back has him in more trouble as we take a break.

We come back with Heights cleaning house, with an ankle lock having Baylor in trouble. A rake to the eyes breaks that up and Smokes dropkicks Heights down. Heights kicks his way out of the corner though and a diving shoulder/tag is enough to bring Borne back in. House is quickly cleaned, with Smokes being neckbreakered while DDTing Baylor at the same time. Back up and a dropkick/spinebuster combination gets two on Borne, who is chopped into the corner for the tag to Heights.

A dropkick/sitout powerbomb combination gets two on Baylor and we slow down a bit. Baylor snaps off a powerslam on Borne but Heights catches Smokes on top. That means a belly to belly superplex to send Smokes crashing into Baylor for quite the crash. Borne and Baylor trade suplexes but Borne is sent into Heights on the apron. Smokes sends Borne into the corner and Hit It And Quit It gives us new champions at 14:07.

Rating: B-. The interesting situation here is that Borne is going to be wrestling again tonight and that now we get to see what he does next. The Project getting the titles back is probably the right move as it isn’t like Borne and Heights felt like a long time team. Having them lose here could open some doors later tonight and that’s the interesting way to go so they did the right thing here. The Project even got a mostly clean win and that’s a step forward for them, so maybe things are looking up.

We recap Jaida Parker vs. Nattie. A few months back, Nattie showed up and decided that she saw something in Parker, which resulted in her accusing Parker of being soft. Parker tried to show her that she wasn’t soft, which involved them trading wins over the months. Therefore, we’re having a submission match.

Jaida Parker vs. Nattie

Submission match and Nattie tackles her to start, with the brawl heading straight to the floor. Parker is back with a hard chop against the barricade, followed by a suplex on the floor. We take a break and come back with Parker running her over, setting up a cobra clutch. Cue Karmen Petrovic for a distraction as Nikkita Lyons pops up to grab Parker’s hair for the save.

Hold on though as AAA’s Los Perros del Mal (Petrovic is a member) pop up and Petrovic leaves with them. Nattie hammers on Parker but she’s right back up with the Tear Drop in the corner. The Rings Of Saturn has Nattie in more trouble until she slips out and grabs a rear naked choke.

Parker escapes that as well and grabs a short powerbomb but gets knocked right back down. The Sharpshooter goes on until Parker crawls out through the ropes for the escape. Lyons gets in a kick to the chest so cue Thea Hail to chase her to the back, with Parker going after the leg and kicking Nattie around. Parker grabs a (not so great) Sharpshooter and, after a lot of crawling, Nattie taps at 12:49.

Rating: C+. There was a lot here and the story was only so interesting in the first place. Parker getting through the odds and beating Nattie one on one is a good way to go, but what matters the most is that Parker gets away to face someone else. This feud has been going on for months and even this win only feels so important. Nattie has given her just about all you can ask from her here and it’s time for them both to move on. And for Parker to not try to do a Sharpshooter again.

Wren Sinclair gives Kendal Grey a pep talk and Grey tells her to get some rest.

We recap Kendal Grey defending the Women’s Title against Kelani Jordan. Grey is the young star with a rocket on her back but Jordan has been demanding a title shot for months. Now she’s finally getting one and is hoping to continue her success rate in her first chances to win pretty much anything.

Women’s Title: Kelani Jordan vs. Kendal Grey

Grey is defending. Jordan grabs a headlock to start and avoids a dive off the top to knock Grey outside. The Asai moonsault connects but Grey is right back with a hurricanrana off the apron. Back in and a double clothesline connects but they both pop back up as we take a break.

We come back with Grey getting caught with a flipping legdrop. Jordan bends her around the post but gets sent crashing out to the floor. Back in and Grey’s moonsault gets two but the bad ear is causing her even more trouble. Grey gets up and hits some elbows to the face, meaning the straps can come down. Jordan pulls her into a northern lights suplex for two, only to miss a 450. That leaves Jordan with a banged up ankle so Grey grabs an ankle lock, with Jordan kicking her out to the floor.

We take another break and come back again with the two of them going up top. Grey manages to get her into a reverse super Spanish Fly for the big crash and they both need a second after that one. Jordan gets to the apron and nails a slingshot cutter, followed by a middle rope forearm. Grey is back up with a superkick and flips her into a knee to the face for two more.

Jordan goes creative with a slingshot German suplex but Grey gets in one of her own, minus the slingshot, to leave both of them down. Another ankle lock is broken up and Jordan’s 450 gets two more. Shades Of Grey gives Grey two more so Jordan kicks her in the bad ear. A staggering Grey gets in a clothesline but crashes out to the floor, allowing Jordan to send her crashing into the post (or maybe the buckle). One Of A Kind gives Jordan the pin and the title at 21:58.

Rating: B. Well it got some time. This was a big deal for Jordan as she got the important win, albeit with a bit of chicanery in the process, but the result is what matters. In theory Grey is going to be getting a rematch but it wouldn’t stun me to see her move up to the main roster soon. It might be too soon, though there is only so much more for her to do in NXT than get more ring time.

Robert Stone is ready for the next two matches. Also, next up is Halloween Havoc, which will actually be on Halloween.

Video on Naraku, who is back and going after Shiloh Hill.

Tavion Heights isn’t happy with the Tag Team Title loss but gives Myles Borne a pep talk.

North American Title: Myles Borne vs. Jackson Drake

Borne is defending and tries to slug away to start but gets knocked back down. A Cactus Clothesline puts both of them on the floor and Drake stomps away. Borne’s suplex puts Drake down again as Tavion Heights is down here to cancel out the Vanity Project. Drake is fine enough to suplex Borne over the top but crashes down with him as we take a break.

We come back with Borne hitting a dropkick and powerslam for two as Heights approves. Borne Again is countered with a hot shot though and a handspring cutter gives Drake two more. The suicide dive connects with Borne, who is right back with a pair of powerbombs for another near fall. A suicide dive connects for Borne but Myra Lockwood gives him a powerbomb into the powerslam to plant him on the floor. Heights is busy going after Baylor, leaving Drake to 450 Borne for the title at 10:00.

Rating: B-. They didn’t have a ton of time here but it made sense to have Borne lose fairly quickly as he was banged up from the earlier match. Drake winning the title is certainly interesting, as I wasn’t sure if he was going to have success on the next level up from Evolve but it worked out here. Borne is probably not going to be happy with Heights but that could go in a few different ways. Either way, nice match here.

Post match the Project leaves and Borne lays Heights out with Borne Again. I guess that’s a heel turn, but Borne as a heel might be a difficult trick to pull off.

Kam Hendrix is sick of Mason Rook and is ready to beat him on Tuesday.

NXT Origins video on Gunther.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

We recap the main event. Tony D’Angelo is the reigning champion, Grayson Waller is back and wants to be taken seriously, Zilla Fatu is here and wants to be a big star and Cruz Montana is here after being the biggest star in TNA and wants to prove himself again.

NXT Title: Tony D’Angelo vs. Cruz Montana vs. Zilla Fatu vs. Grayson Waller

D’Angelo is defending and Montana charges at Fatu to start slugging away. Waller is thrown away for daring to interfere and we get the Fatu vs. D’Angelo showdown. The spinebuster drops Fatu so Montana is back in, leaving D’Angelo to hit a dive to the floor. Montana hits a big flipping dive as we take a break.

We come back with Waller cleaning house until Montana cuts him off with a chop. Fatu is knocked to the floor, leaving Montana to hit a rolling cutter on Waller. Montana and Fatu chop it out until D’Angelo is back in with a clothesline to Fatu. Montana gets suplexed into the corner and an overhead belly to belly superplex sends Waller flying as we take another break. We come back again with Waller getting dropped off a Doomsday Blockbuster.

Fatu gives D’Angelo a top rope splash and Montana Canadian Destroyers Waller out to the floor. Back in and Montana hits a big running cannonball to Fatu, who is back up with a jumping Samoan Spike to D’Angelo. Waller pulls the referee out at two and it’s time to load up the announcers’ table. D’Angelo is back up and spears Fatu in half before putting him on the aforementioned table.

Montana and D’Angelo go up top and crash down so Waller drops a top rope elbow to drive Fatu through the wood. Back in and Montana slugs it out with D’Angelo, with the latter grabbing a release German suplex. Montana pops up and counters Dead To Rites into a Codebreaker. Spin The Block hits D’Angelo but Waller is back in with the rolling Stunner. Waller steals the pin on D’Angelo for the title at 21:30.

Rating: B. That’s the right call, as it not only gives you a fresh name in the title picture but also mixes things up quite a bit. You can have a few people coming after the title, but Waller has looked rather good since his return. It helps that the match was a heck of a fight on the way there, with Waller winning making it even better. He probably won’t hold the title long, but to go from where he was three months ago to where he is now is quite the turnaround.

Overall Rating: B. This started off slowly but got better as the night went on, with the last few matches certainly feeling important. NXT has turned Heatwave into one of their bigger shows of the year and it’s nice to see them having something other than Stand & Deliver. Solid show here and NXT is going to look a bit different starting next week, which might be a good thing for its future.

Results
Zaria b. Wren Sinclair and Kali Armstrong – F5 to Armstrong
Vanity Project b. Myles Borne/Tavion Heights – Hit It And Quit It to Borne
Jaida Parker b. Nattie – Sharpshooter
Kelani Jordan b. Kendal Grey – One Of A Kind
Jackson Drake b. Myles Borne – 450
Grayson Waller b. Tony D’Angelo, Zilla Fatu and Cruz Montana – Spin The Block to D’Angelo

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

NXT
Date: July 21, 2026
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

It’s time for a major title rematch as Tony D’Angelo is defending against Naraku in a street fight. D’Angelo already beat him in one title match, though now we have to do it again due to reasons. In addition, we are starting to approach Heatwave and it’s time to start getting the card ready. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Robert Stone tells the referee’s main event that Naraku and Tony D’Angelo cannot couch before the main event. Thea Hail comes in to talk to Stone about something but Nattie comes in to say she’s going to beat Jaida Parker.

Romeo Moreno/Noam Dar/Saquon Shuggars vs. Darkstate

It’s a brawl on the floor to start until Dar hammers away on Lennox inside. Lennox runs away from Shuggars so it’s off to Griffin, who pulls a springboarding Moreno out of the air. Everything breaks down and Lennox has to be saved from a TripleBomb through the announcers’ table. Instead Dar gets planted down and we take a break.

We come back with Shuggars getting the tag to clean house, including a basement dropkick for two on James. Shuggars dives into a backbreaker though and everything breaks down again. Moreno’s springboard missile dropkick hits Lennox, who is taken outside for a Death Valley Driver through that wooden wall. Back in and a double toss powerbomb finishes Moreno at 9:27.

Rating: C+. If Darkstate is going to be anything, they absolutely had to win here. The team is still on life support but they should be able to beat a makeshift ground who is there for the sake of giving Shuggars another match. This was all about Shuggars vs. Lennox of course, and there is a good chance that we’ll be seeing a violent fight between then sooner than later.

Post match Shuggars and Lennox have to be help apart.

Lizzy Dame and Thea Hail are unhappy with how things are going around here. Kendal Grey and Jaida Parker get into it a bit over Natalya but calm down.

Here is Kendal Grey, with Wren Sinclair, for a face to face showdown with Lola Vice. Grey is glad Vice won the title shot next week but Vice thinks this is going to be rough for her. The reality is that Vice isn’t done in NXT but Grey says she is already dominating around here. Unlike Vice, it didn’t take her years to make this happen. Vice issues the challenge for the Underground on August 4, with Grey saying she’ll kick Vice’s a** so she can go back to shaking it. That’s a big upgrade, though having Vice’s mega gimmick match as the rematch is a quick move.

Video on Tony D’Angelo vs. Naraku.

Keanu Carver vs. Hank Walker

Tank Ledger is here too. Walker jumps him to start fast and the slugout is on. Carver gets in a few right hands to send him outside but Walker is back in with a Boss Man Slam. That’s cut off with a toss into the fall away slam so Carver goes after Ledger. Walker gets in a flip dive through the ropes and goes back inside, only to get Pounced. The Alabama Slam finishes for Carver at 4:30.

Rating: C. Carver getting to smash through someone else is a good thing to do and I could go for seeing it happen more often. So far that has been the case for him most of the time, save for that EK Prosper stuff, but that’s not a bad idea. It’s not like there was a reason to believe that Walker was going to beat him so seeing Carver smash through someone was good thing.

Post match Carver goes after ledger again but EK Prosper runs in for the save and Carver is beaten down.

Nattie offers her services to Lola Vice, who isn’t interested.

Shiloh Hill buys a tooth from Danhausen, who is happy to accept Bitcoin.

Jaida Parker vs. Nattie

Nattie’s friends are here too and offer a distraction, allowing Parker to get some rollups for two each. Parker wins a power off and tries the Hipnotique, only to have Nattie run out to the floor. A distraction lets Nattie go after the knee to take over as we go to a break. We come back with Parker in trouble but managing a Falcon Arrow for two.

Nattie’s Michinoku Driver gives her two and there’s the Sharpshooter, which sends Parker crawling over the apron for the break. Parker gets her own chop block and Sharpshooter…and here is Thea Hail to throw in the towel (after Nikkita Lyons and Karmen Petrovic were arguing over it) for the win at 11:40.

Rating: C+. Hail vs. Nattie doesn’t do much for me but what matters here is that Parker didn’t lose again. It certainly seems like we are moving away from Nattie vs. Parker and that’s good to see as the feud has gone on far too long. Parker still feels like a star in the making and it would be nice to see her moving on.

Video on Tony D’Angelo vs. Naraku, setting up their street fight rematch for the title.

Kelani Jordan annoys Robert Stone and says she was robbed last week. Stone says the referee’s decision is final. OTM comes in and they have a match set, though Bronco Nima has to decide if he’s working for NXT or AAA that night. Lucien Price doesn’t seem pleased.

Niko Vance vs. Shawn Spears

Izzy Dame is here with Vance, who gets jumped from behind to start fast. Dame offers a distraction though and Vance gets in a shot from the apron to take over. A running clothesline cuts Spears down again but Spears knocks him outside. That means a suplex to put Vance on the floor again but another Dame distraction lets Vance come back again.

We take a break and come back with Vance getting suplexed off the top. Spears fires off the chops and grabs a chair, which brings Dame up to the apron. Cue Lizzy Rain for a distraction and Spears….does the Eddie Guerrero faking being hit by a chair. Believe it or not this actually works and Vance is disqualified at 11:05.

Rating: C+. I was expecting Vance to win here but there is something to be said about the veteran Spears outsmarting him to win. And it even gave us another Guerrero tribute so it’s great to see. While I can’t imagine this winds up going well for Spears in the end, at least he did get off to a nice start so it’s not as straightforward as you might have expected.

Kam Hendrix’s knee is at 67.2% when Myles Borne and Tavion Heights come in. Borne wants to reform the team with Heights and they would like a shot at the Tag Team Titles. Stone agrees, if Borne can successfully defend his North American Title next week. Hendrix gets a well timed text saying his knee is cleared. Stone says if that’s true, he can have the title match next week. Heights is thrilled.

Reina Volcan is ready to prove that she is a natural disaster.

Reina Volcan vs. Skyler Raye

Volcan grabs a powerslam for an early two but Raye starts flipping around. Some running shots in the corner are cut off with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker though and Raye is right back in trouble. A torture rack (the Natural Disaster, a great name) makes Raye give up at 3:05. Pretty solid debut.

Rating: C. This was all it needed to be, as Raye got in a bit of offense and was then promptly smashed. Volcan feels like the new big monster around here and has basically been promoted as such. Go with what makes sense to her and have it work out, which is what they did here.

Shiloh Hill and Robert Stone shill KFC until a rather aggressive Stone requests and receives a match with Tristan Angels next week. Hill calms way down when he gets the match, but he also steals the chicken.

An SUV arrives in the back, with commentary speculating that this is whom Stone has been talking to on the phone all night (which hadn’t really been overly noticeable but fair enough).

NXT Title: Naraku vs. Tony D’Angelo

D’Angelo is defending in a street fight (Commentary says this is the first time the title has ever been defended in a street fight and…..how is that possibly true?). Anyway, Naraku mists him at the bell and D’Angelo rolls outside, where Naraku starts grabbing the weapons. Some chair shots have D’Angelo in more trouble and Naraku suplexes him through some open chairs. D’Angelo fights up and goes over to find a bottle of water to clean out his eyes.

Naraku is sent crashing through the barricade and we take a break. We come back with D’Angelo hitting Naraku with a ladder and loading up a table. An Alabama Slam through a table is broken up so D’Angelo goes to the eyes to put Naraku back down. They head outside again and Naraku Widowmakers him through the announcers’ table. Back in and another misting is blocked, with D’Angelo rubbing the mist into Naraku’s eyes. Dead To Rites through the table retains the title at 12:03.

Rating: B-. This was a pretty standard street fight/weapons match and it went well enough to give D’Angelo a clean win. I’m a bit surprised that they didn’t give Naraku the title as he felt like the one planned to stop D’Angelo, but he could move on to someone else rather quickly. Either way, nice enough stuff here for a big TV main event.

Post match D’Angelo celebrates but former TNA World Champion Mike Santana (no name here, because WWE) comes through the crowd for the big staredown to end the show. Yeah you knew he was showing up and it was a matter of when rather than if, so thankfully they didn’t waste time.

Overall Rating: B-. I wasn’t feeling a lot of this show, though the Santana debut at the end was a great bonus. What matters the most here is that they can start moving towards Heatwave and I could go for seeing what they have in mind for the card. Santana getting the title there wouldn’t be out of the question, but there are at least some seeds being planted for the show this far out. Nice enough show here, but the main event is the only match really worth your time.

Results
Darkstate b. Romeo Moreno/Noam Dar/Saquon Shuggars – Double toss powerbomb to Moreno
Keanu Carver b. Hank Walker – Alabama Slam
Jaida Parker b. Nattie – Sharpshooter
Shawn Spears b. Niko Vance when Vance didn’t hit him with a chair
Reina Volcan b. Skyler Raye – Natural Disaster
Tony D’Angelo b. Naraku – Dead To Rites through a table

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

NXT
Date: June 30, 2026
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We’re done with the Great American Bash and the big story coming out of the show was Lola Vice losing the Women’s Title to Kendal Grey. We’ll get to see where things go for the new champion going forward, probably in the form of meeting a new challenger. Other than that, Tony D’Angelo turned back a challenge from Naraku and he’ll be needing a new challenger of his own. Let’s get to it.

Here is the Great American Bash if you need a recap.

We open with a long Great American Bash recap.

Here is Kendal Grey for a chat. She’s more nervous to be out here now than she was in the main event on Sunday. Ever since John Cena picked her to be in the Women’s Iron Survivor, her life has been crazy. No one puts pressure on her like she does and she kept dropping the ball. This Sunday, she proved she belonged here, even though she doesn’t look like a normal champion.

No she isn’t going to dress like a Barbie but when the bell rings, she’ll be wrestling like a champion. Sooner or later, everyone is going to find out they can’t keep up with Kendal. Cue Wren Sinclair with a cake but before they can celebrate, here is Kelani Jordan to say she wants the title shot she has earned. Tatum Paxley pops up out of the crowd to dive onto Jordan as Wren and Kendal have cake.

Keanu Carver has attacked El Hijo del Vikingo, saying the title match is off.

Izzi Dame is complaining about how she doesn’t have a title but Zaria isn’t pleased with her issues. Lizzie Rain comes in and annoys both of them with loud music.

Kelani Jordan complains about everything to Robert Stone, who has no time for this. Stone gives her Tatum Paxley in tonight’s main event before going to deal with Keanu Carver. Thankfully Carver is a few feet away and says that he doesn’t like being overlooked. His reward: a match with EK Prosper tonight. WWE is getting annoying with announcing things and then changing them lately.

Tag Team Titles: Vanity Project vs. Galeno/El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr.

The Project is defending. Baylor shoves Galeno into the corner to start and gets punched by Wagner as a result, with Wagner hitting a big running flip dive to take the champs out. We take a break and come back with Wagner enziguring his way out of the corner and bringing Galeno in again. House is quickly cleaned, including a toss dropkick to send Wagner up for a dropkick to Smokes.

The Project is right back with a dropkick Hart Attack for two on Wagner but Galeno’s reverse suplex connects for the same. Wagner climbs onto Galeno’s shoulders for a splash on Baylor but Galeno accidentally backdrops Smokes onto the cover to break it up. Jackson Drake offers a distraction as well and a top rope double stomp/reverse DDT combination to Wagner retains the titles at 10:10.

Rating: B-. This worked well enough for a team of guest stars popping in for the sake of a one off title match. It’s not like there is any story to the match and the Project are seen as weak enough that they could lose the titles at any time. It wasn’t great but it was the Project getting to capitalize on a mistake, which does make sense for them. Or anyone really.

A bunch of tag teams want a title shot so Robert Stone makes a four team #1 contenders match next week. Romeo Moreno/Noam Dar are left out as Stone says they need to build up their resume first (fair and accurate).

Mason Rook vs. Jackson Drake

The rest of the Vanity Project is here with Drake. Rook blocks an early headlock takeover attempt and gets two off an early powerslam. Hold on though as Kam Hendrix calls Booker T. to say he’s about 60% cleared to return to the ring and will be back soon. But did he get a new sling to cut down on the chaffing?

Anyway Rook misses a backsplash but does a Samoa Joe sidestep of a springboard moonsault. Rook’s second backsplash attempt connects and Drake rolls outside as we take a break. We come back with Drake getting two off a cutter but Rook drops him with a toss Blue Thunder Bomb. The cannonball crushes Drake in the corner but he avoids a sitdown splash.

Drake hits a Lionsault double stomp (OUCH) for two, only for Rook to slam him down again. Another powerbomb is countered into a heck of a Code Red to give Drake two. Back up and Rook’s sitout powerbomb gets two more and the fans are (rightfully) losing it over this stuff. The Project gets up for a distraction though and Drake gets a Backstabber, with Myra Lockwood holding Rook’s foot for the pin at 11:51.

Rating: B+. Well where in the world did that come from? These two just happened to have great chemistry together and I was wondering where this was going. This was a couple of guys trading one big move after another and while Rook has been treated like a big deal since he debuted, I didn’t know Drake had this in him. Shockingly awesome match here and I could go with a rematch.

Post match Rook wrecks the Project.

Tate Wilder gives EK Prosper a pep talk.

Kali Armstrong comes in to Robert Stone’s office and wants a chance. He tells her that actions speak louder than words.

EK Prosper vs. Keanu Carver

Carver powers him into the corner to start and grabs an early armbar. Prosper is up with a dropkick and a low bridge to the floor, naturally setting up the big running flip dive. Back in and a top rope splash gives Prosper two and we take a break. We come back with Prosper fighting out of a chinlock and seeing Carver hitting a great looking release German suplex during the break.

Carver’s powerslam is countered into a Stunner (that was different) but he cuts off a dive to drop Prosper onto the announcers’ table. Cue Hank to knock Carver through the barricade (in revenge for Carver attacking Tank at the Great American Bash) for nine, leaving Prosper to hit a moonsault for the pin at 10:12.

Rating: C+. There is something to be said about having Carver run through people but getting taken out as a result of his own actions. That’s a far cry from Carver slipping on a banana peel or getting cheated unfairly as it also keeps him strong. Prosper is looking good too and it is nice to see him getting a chance of his own, including being the kryptonite to Carver.

Kendal Grey is in Robert Stone’s office where he announces a four way Women’s North American #1 contenders match next week. Nattie and her new friends come in with Nattie praising them and then asking for a title match. Stone and Grey are in so the match is set for next week.

Jaida Parker vs. Karmen Petrovic

Nattie, Layla Diggs and Nikkita Lyons are here with Petrovic. Parker powers her into the corner to start and grabs a quickly broken headlock. Back up and Parker sends her into the corner for the Tear Drop but a Nattie distraction lets Petrovic drop Parker onto the apron. Petrovic stomps away inside and a suplex sends Parker flying for two. Parker reverses a kick to the chest into the Rings Of Saturn, sending Petrovic straight to the rope. A baseball slide drops Petrovic so Nattie and company get in some cheap shots. Back in and Parker shrugs it off, setting up the Hipnotique and Deja Vu for the pin at 4:48.

Rating: C. I would hope that we’re not going to see Parker run through Nattie’s group to get at Nattie because I don’t want to see Nattie around that long. I do like Petrovic getting a chance to do something but losing in about five minutes is hardly some big upgrade. At least Parker got a win, and her getting even more would be a nice thing to see.

Shiloh Hill and Tatum Paxley talk about enjoying fun and knowing how to turn into their dark versions when necessary. Paxley leaves and Niko Vance comes in, saying they need to get rid of weak stars one by one. Hill doesn’t like the implication that Paxley is weak and Vance says the toothless look makes for a nice smile.

Sean Legacy comes up to Dorian Van Dux (who wasn’t in the tag team meeting earlier) and says they need to be on the same page. Dux says they will be.

Myles Borne and Wren Sinclair are happy with their wins on Sunday but Tavion Heights comes in. Heights says that no matter what, friends stay together no matter what, in an effort to erase what he had said to Borne. It doesn’t quite work, as Borne says that’s what he’s been trying to tell Heights all along before leaving.

Here is Tony D’Angelo for a chat. When you do things every day, you start taking them for granted. Last week he got his eye burned and had to sign a document before he was able to fight at the Great American Bash. That made him stop for a second, because he wasn’t sure if he was going to risk his health to defend the NXT Title. Of course he was, and that’s why he gave it his all against Naraku.

There is no one in that locker room willing to swim deep enough to take the title from him. And that’s that, with Kendal Grey coming out for the main event but Naraku comes in to chair D’Angelo down. An STO onto the chair leaves D’Angelo down. I’m really not getting the reason for this feud continuing when D’Angelo beat him clean.

After a break, we see Naraku backstage before the attack, where he misted D’Angelo to leave him completely blinded before laying him out. That’s a nice touch that didn’t come across earlier.

Tatum Paxley vs. Kelani Jordan

They fight over a lockup to start and go to the mat, with Jordan taking over. Jordan’s headlock doesn’t last long as Paxley is up with a dropkick to the floor. Jordan is right back up but misses an Asai moonsault, allowing Paxley to hit a superkick to the chest. We take a break and come back with Paxley forearming away and seeing Kali Armstrong jumping Kendal Grey on commentary right before the break.

With Grey gone, Paxley strikes away at Jordan, including a step up kick from the floor to the head. Paxley misses a 450 though and tweaks her ankle (which was also banged up during the break). Jordan stomps her down and cranks on the leg, with Paxley rolling her out to the floor. The Cemetery Drive is countered and Jordan goes after the leg to set up something like an Angle Slam. One Of A Kind finishes Paxley at 12:20.

Rating: B-. I’m not happy to see Paxley losing here but at least Jordan’s push towards the big showdown for the title is being built up. It might not be interesting, but at least it’s coming together. Paxley is in a weird place as she doesn’t have much to do right now and she’s on a losing streak, which is hardly a great sign for her future.

Post match Jordan leaves but a woman (Vic: “We all know who that is!”) comes in to jump Paxley and lay her out to the end the show. Naturally commentary never said the newcomer’s name but it’s Nikki Blackheart.

Overall Rating: B-. I liked the show for the most part as it followed a logical path, save for Naraku vs. D’Angelo continuing. You can see where a lot of these feuds are going and I want to see how some of those stories play out. This was a bit of an upgrade over the last few weeks of NXT and I’m glad to see that, as the Great American Bash was only so interesting. Throw in the rather awesome Rook vs. Jackson match and it was a nice show this week.

Results
Vanity Project/Galeno/El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. – Top rope double stomp/reverse DDT combination to Wagner Jr.
Jackson Drake b. Mason Rook – Backstabber with assist from Lockwood
EK Prosper b. Keanu Carver – Moonsault
Jaida Parker b. Karmen Petrovic – Deja Vu
Kelani Jordan b. Tatum Paxley – One Of A Kind

Head over to my website at kbwrestlingreviews.com with thousands of reviews from around the world and throughout wrestling history.

Great American Bash 2026
Date: June 28, 2026
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Wade Barrett

It’s the first live special on the CW and that means we should be in for a heck of a show. There are actually seven matches on the card, which is rather high for WWE these days. The main event will see Tony D’Angelo defending the NXT Title against Naraku, which should be a big deal. Let’s get to it.

The opening video talks about the greatness of America and the matches on the card.

NXT Title: Tony D’Angelo vs. Naraku

D’Angelo is defending and is coming in with a badly burned eye. The bell rings and they go outside, where Naraku grabs a chair but gets speared through the wooden wall less than ten seconds into the match. Back in and Naraku starts going after the eye, with the referee asking D’Angelo if he wants to continue.

Of course he does so Naraku goes after the eye again before grabbing a half crab. A suplex puts D’Angelo down again and we take a break. We come back with Naraku hitting a powerbomb before going up, where D’Angelo grabs a powerbomb of his own. D’Angelo fights up and grabs some German suplexes but Dead To Rites is blocked. Naraku hits a German suplex but D’Angelo pops up with Dead To Rites to retain at 10:10.

Rating: B-. That’s it? That’s the NXT Title match to open the show? It wasn’t a bad match but I was expecting a bit more than a ten minute match with a break in the middle. The eye thing only meant so much here and D’Angelo just won without much trouble. I’m still not sold on D’Angelo as the guy but at least he had a nice title defense here.

We recap Zaria defending the Women’s North American Title against Tatum Paxley. Zaria beat her up to get the title but Paxley isn’t done with her and interfered in one of Zaria’s matches. Now it’s about the title and revenge.

Women’s North American Title: Tatum Paxley vs. Zaria

Zaria is defending. They get in a tug of war over the belt to start and the fight is on, with Zaria using the power to drive her into the corner. The shoulders to the ribs have Paxley in trouble but she manages a double stomp onto the back. Paxley ties her in the ring skirt and fires off a superkick into an enziguri. That’s enough to set up a sleeper on the floor but Zaria drops her back first onto the floor for a big crash.

We take a break and come back with both of them going up, with Zaria being dropped onto the post. A high crossbody connects for Paxley and she drops Zaria with a superplex. Zaria pops back up with a spear and they’re both down. They go up again and Paxley ties her in the Tree Of Woe, with Zaria sitting up before a Coast To Coast. They slug it out on the apron until Paxley drops her with a sunset bomb.

Paxley goes over to grab the title for some reason before hitting a Cemetery Drive on the floor. Another one back inside gets two and everyone is surprises. The F5 is countered into a rollup but Zaria is back up with a spear. Now the F5 connects….for two in a heck of a near fall. Zaria hammers away and hits a curb stomp, followed by another F5 to retain at 14:04.

Rating: B+. This was a heck of a fight and I bought on a few of those near falls. These guys beat the living daylights out of each other and it was fun to see them having this kind of a brawl. The best thing is that Zaria gets another win in a big match, which is what she needs to reset her reputation. I’m not sure what is next for Paxley, but putting her into the Women’s Title picture isn’t crazy.

Kendal Grey and Wren Sinclair fire each other up.

The Vanity Project brags to Robert Stone, who get their matches for this week: Jackson Drake vs. Mason Rook and the Tag Team Titles being defended against Galeno/El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. The Project isn’t happy.

We go outside to the watch party, with Kevin Owens (in a Waylon Mercy shirt) being rather interested in what we’ll be seeing tonight, with the next two matches in particular. Owens’ t-shirt closet must be amazing.

Shiloh Hill vs. Tristan Angels

Hill starts fast and even steals Angels’ sash before grabbing quite the airplane spin. Angels is back up with a shot to the face in the corner though and we take a break. We come back with Hill pulling Angels underneath the ring and the lights go out. We go to the under the ring cam (because that’s a thing) and Angels finds a ringing phone. A voice on the other end says THE FOG IS COMING and Hill (in a mask) grabs a choke from behind.

They get out and Hill pops up for another choke but Angels slips away. The steps are loaded up and Angels knocks Hill into the corner as we take another break. We come back with Hill using the steps to run from the floor for a spear through the ropes. Hill goes up but dives into a Codebreaker, only for Angels to miss a driving knee. The Whisper Of The Beast gives Hill the pin at 13:01.

Rating: C+. This match got some time and Hill winning continues his rather odd push. There’s something so strange about him and yet it’s kind of working. I could have gone without the weird underneath the ring deal but this could have been a lot worse. Angels will be fine as he is one of the easiest stars to dislike around here.

Post match Hill grabs the Mr. NXT sash and says this was proof of why no one should sleep on him.

Nikkita Lyons praises Nattie on her latest Guinness World Record. Nattie brags about the Sharpshooter and praises Karmen Petrovic and Layla Diggs. Nattie doesn’t like Jaida Parker but Diggs doesn’t think much of Parker.

EK Prosper is in Robert Stone’s office and complains about Keanu Carver putting him through a table. Stone calms him down by giving him a AAA Latin American Title shot against El Hijo del Vikingo. Works for Prosper.

Women’s Speed Title: Arianna Grace vs. Wren Sinclair

Grace, with Birthright, is challenging. Grace starts fast with a neckbreaker and goes after Sinclair’s bad knee. A Robinsdale Crunch gives Grace two as Sinclair can’t get anything going early on. Sinclair breaks up a superplex attempt but has to go after Charlie Dempsey, allowing Grace to get two off a small package. A spinning sitout powerbomb (like Dalton Castle’s Bang A Rang) sets up the Final Wrench to retain at 4:47.

Rating: C+. This was a short and to the point match and that’s not a bad thing. It’s nice to see Sinclair get a win in a higher stakes match, if nothing else because she’s healthy for a change. I’m still not sure why we need the Speed Titles but at least it’s getting Sinclair television time, which is rather appreciated.

We recap Saquon Shuggars vs. Dion Lennox. Shuggars got kicked out of Darkstate and wants revenge, which has included picking off the team one member at a time with Lennox being the only one left.

Dion Lennox vs. Saquon Shuggars

Lennox punches him down to start but Shuggars, still in his jacket, comes up with a shot of his own. The running clothesline has Lennox down again but he goes after the knee. That doesn’t seem to work as Shuggars grabs a neckbreaker for two. Another neckbreaker puts Lennox on the apron but here is the rest of Darkstate for a distraction, allowing Lennox to come back with a release Rock Bottom. A splash to the back gives Lennox two and we take a break.

We come back with Lennox snapping off a spinebuster for two. Shuggars fights up with a toss suplex into a basement dropkick and they’re both down. A slingshot legdrop gives Shuggars two but Lennox drops him back first across the turnbuckle (GEEZ that looked bad). Back in and a powerslam gives Lennox two and some big clotheslines connect for the same. Shuggars pulls him out of the corner and…kind of drops him. A top rope Vader Bomb finishes for Shuggars at 14:10.

Rating: D+. I feel bad about getting on this match but dang this did not work. The action wasn’t smooth, the ending looked awful and the story was only so interesting in the first place. This really did not work and hopefully it wraps up the feud for good, as I don’t need to see any more from these two.

Post match the rest of Darkstate is suddenly healthy and comes in to lay Shuggars out.

Tatum Paxley, with very red eyes, is upset about her loss and feels like she let everyone down. Kelani Jordan comes in to say no one cares because she’s always being overlooked for people like Paxley. That earns her a forearm to end “Bad Line Reading In NXT”.

North American Title: Myles Borne vs. Tavion Heights

Borne is defending and they show some respect to start. They go with the grappling to start, which is a stretch for Borne when he’s against an Olympian. A ram of heads leaves both of them down so Borne is back up with a dropkick to the floor. They go face to face on the floor and we take a break.

We come back with Heights snapping off some suplexes, including a capture version for two. Borne gets the same off a northern lights suplex and slugs away, only for Heights to get in a shot to the throat. Heights dumps him outside and the muscles him up for a suplex back inside as we take a break.

We come back with Borne striking away and grabbing a Nightmare On Helm Street for two. A dropkick only hits ropes though and Borne is down again. Heights is back up and grabs a fireman’s carry, which is reversed into a not so great looking Borne Again to retain the title at 17:05.

Rating: B. This was a good bit better, with the two of them working well together and beating the fire out of each other. That’s what it needed to be, with Heights having a good shot at the title but not being able to pull it off in the end. Borne has become a rather nice star around here and I could go for him holding the title for a good while.

Post match Borne talks about how Heights is going to be a champion one day but it’s not happening now, because he’s holding this title for a long time.

The watch party panel recaps the show, with Kevin Owens making it clear that he has never turned on anyone in his life. Hank & Tank come up to talk about next week’s show, including mentioning Keanu Carver’s loss. This brings out Carver to wreck Tank and put him through a table. They kind of asked for it.

We recap Lola Vice vs. Kendal Grey. Vice is the defending champion and the former top prospect, while Grey is the current big up and comer. It’s her time to move up to the next level.

Women’s Title: Kendal Grey vs. Lola Vice

Vice is defending and they go to the mat to start. Back up and Grey gets taken down with a judo throw for two. Grey gets back up and they have a standing switch, only for Vice to knock her down. Vice strikes away, only to get taken into a chinlock. Grey is sent outside so here is Kelani Jordan to go after her but Wren Sinclair cuts her off. Vice hits a dive off the apron to drop Grey and we take a break.

We come back with Vice hitting some running hip attacks in the corner but Grey drops her with a suplex. The straps come down and Grey snaps off some more suplexes until Vice gets in a German suplex of her own. Grey gets in a superkick but springboards into another kick. They go outside with Vice getting rolled into an ankle lock, which is let go so Shades Of Grey can connect off the barricade.

Back in and they trade ankle locks until Grey switches into a cross armbreaker. That’s escaped as well so Vice grabs a sleeper. Grey escapes but misses a moonsault, allowing Vice to kick her in the head for two. The guillotine choke has Grey in trouble but she reverses into a cradle. They hit a back elbow each and it’s a double cover for a double two. They slug it out until Grey ducks a shot and gets up for a middle rope Shades Of Grey for the pin and the title at 15:09.

Rating: B. These two worked rather well together and it was clear that they knew each other. The idea here seemed to be that Grey kept learning what Vice was going to do and eventually caught her, which even played into the end as Vice went for one big shot too many and got caught. Grey gets her win to become the new star of the division while Vice can move on to the main roster. Not bad at all.

Grey celebrates to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. There were good parts to this but it felt like an extended version of the weekly show, especially with the backstage segments. The ending was the only part that really felt important, with the NXT Title match just kind of being there. It liked it well enough and you can only get so annoyed at a show that airs on free television, but not my favorite overall. This was a show that could have benefited from being trimmed down, perhaps by dropping the Shuggars/Lennox and Hill/Angels matches. Either way, good enough but it could have been a lot stronger with another draft of the format.

Results
Tony D’Angelo b. Naraku – Dead To Rites
Zaria b. Tatum Paxley – F5
Shiloh Hill b. Tristan Angels – Whisper Of The Beast
Wren Sinclair b. Arianna Grace – Final Wrench
Saquon Shuggars b. Dion Lennox – Top rope splash
Myles Borne b. Tavion Heights – Borne Again
Kendal Grey b. Lola Vice – Middle rope Shades Of Grey

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Well we’re back with the Great American Bash, thankfully without the country music concerts that Dusty Rhodes would throw in back in the 80s. These NXT events are now following the same format as the main roster pay per views so we only have five matches this time. As usual, we have mostly title matches with a fifth match being about a grudge, though it’s only so interesting in the first place. Let’s get to it.

Saquon Shuggars vs. Dion Lennox

Darkstate explodes in the only non-title match on the show and I’m not sure how interesting that really is. The problem is that Darkstate felt like second cousin twice removed of the Shield, Retribution and the Nexus, which isn’t much of a compliment. Lennox is pretty much the de facto leader so Shuggars taking out the other two in order to get to him is as good as it’s going to get.

While Lennox needs the win more, I’ll go with Shuggars winning here, hopefully to kill off Darkstate for good. The team hasn’t been interesting in a long time now and there is pretty much no reason for them to continue. Lennox isn’t great either but he’s at least treated like something important so he should have something after this match. I’m really not sure I see it with Shuggars either, but he’s the better pick here.

Women’s Speed Title: Wren Sinclair(c) vs. Arianna Grace

So yeah this title is still a thing and I really could go for it not being such a thing. There is no need for the women’s division to have three titles, especially one like the Speed Title which still feels like a weird novelty. Sinclair is injured coming in but even a less than great Sinclair is still incredibly entertaining. The other two are a bit less thrilling, though they could both leave as champion.

I’ll take…actually I’ll take Grace to win here, as Sinclair could do a few different things without it while Grace is someone who could get a long way while being the undeserving champion. Hopefully Sinclair gets the chance to do something better when she’s healthy, but the Speed Title isn’t doing much for her anyway. Grace is almost a Honky Tonk Man style champion and that could work well for something like the Speed Title. Grace wins here and hopefully lives down to expectations as a result.

Women’s Title: Lola Vice(c) vs. Kendal Grey

Now this is more interesting as we have the established champion in Vice and the up and coming star in Grey. It is pretty clear that Grey is going to be a big deal in NXT and likely win the title at least once during her time in NXT. The question is does that happen here, because Vice is someone who has been a big star for a long time now and it might be a surprise to see her drop the title here.

As much as I want to say Grey wins the title, I don’t think it happens here as Vice retains the title. This is the title match that I could see going either way and it would not surprise me whatsoever to see Grey become champion. Vice feels like a big star though and there are a variety of women waiting to come after the title. The match should be good as Grey knows how to play the underdog, but ultimately she comes up short. I think. Maybe.

North American Title: Myles Borne(c) vs. Tavion Heights

So here we have something of a personal grudge match, as they were teammates in the No Quarter Catch Crew but both have gone their own way. Borne has done a good bit better than Heights thus far though and that is not ok with Heights, who wants a win of his own. That is how title matches can go a lot of the time and hopefully it winds up working out here, as this could be a good match.

While I could see Heights winning (and I would approve of it as I’ve been a fan for a bit now), Borne winning can leave him to go after some other, bigger named challengers. The match itself should be good as you have an Olympic wrestler in Heights and someone who knows how to wrestle an exciting match in Borne. Throw in the personal issue and it should work, even with Borne retaining.

NXT Title: Tony D’Angelo(c) vs. Naraku

I’ve been trying to get into D’Angelo as champion and it’s just not quite working. D’Angelo has come a long way since his ridiculously goofy days as a mob don. He’s a star in NXT and has the lineage, but that doesn’t mean he’s the right choice to be the top star. On the other hand you have Naraku, who certainly has his own legacy, even if it isn’t in NXT thus far. It’s kind of a weird pairing for a title match but it might be what needs to happen.

I’ll go with Naraku winning here, as he’s a bigger star and someone who should be able to get put into the title picture rather quickly. Go with Naraku winning here, though I’m not sure where that leaves D’Angelo. I can’t picture him going to the main roster but what in the world does he have left in NXT? Either way, Naraku needs to win so the experiment can end, as it doesn’t seem to be working here.

Overall Thoughts

As has been the case with a lot of these bigger NXT events in recent months, nothing really feels like a big match. On the other hand though, nothing feels unimportant and that’s a great thing to see. The show should be fine and NXT has done a good job of making me want to see a lot of mostly new names fight, which isn’t the easiest trick to pull off. Some of these matches should be rather entertaining and if they throw in a twist or two, it rather well could be a nice night.

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

NXT
Date: June 23, 2026
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Wade Barrett

It’s the last show before the Great American Bash and that means we’re in for a big one this week. Actually two, as it’s a DOUBLE CONTRACT SIGNING, with both the NXT and Women’s Title matches officially being signed. That’s about all you could ask for in a single show, with the wrestling being a bonus to TWO, count em TWO contract signing. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Tony D’Angelo isn’t happy that Naraku hasn’t signed the contract for the Great American Bash but Robert Stone tells him to be on good behavior. Aaron Rourke comes up and D’Angelo wishes him good luck tonight. An appreciative Rourke wishes D’Angelo the same.

Evolve Title: Aaron Rourke vs. Tristan Angels

Rourke (who is rather flamboyant) is defending. They trade headlocks to start with Angels switching over to a cravate (how English of him). Rourke flips over him out of the corner and hits a quick dropkick but Angels gets in a forearm to the back. The nerve hold doesn’t last long and Angels misses a charge to the floor. Angels trips him down onto the apron and we take an early break.

We come back with Angels working on the arm but Rourke fights up and strikes away. A fall away slam puts Angels down again as we see D’Angelo looking for Naraku. Rourke hits a middle rope Codebreaker for two but takes too long stealing the Mr. NXT sash, earning him an enziguri out to the floor. Angels seems to be pulled underneath the ring though and comes out looking terrified. The Molly Go Round retains the title at 8:53.

Rating: C+. This was fine as a way to do something of an Evolve showcase. Angels has been around for a bit before so this was more about Rourke, who did well enough. Rourke is someone who takes some time to grow on you but he definitely has the talent to get somewhere. Let the fans get to know him a bit more and it could work out rather well.

D’Angelo finds Naraku in the parking lot (uh oh) and Naraku presents him with the signed contract. D’Angelo opens it…and a fireball explodes in his face. Robert Stone panics while Naraku laughs.

Post break an ambulance arrives and D’Angelo is taken away as Stone is still worried.

Here is Saquon Shuggars for a face to face meeting with Dion Lennox. Shuggars cuts him off to talk about Darkstate throwing him through a table five weeks ago. Lennox was the one acting like the leader and calling Shuggars an independent wrestler. Shuggars is indeed a wrestler but Lennox says Shuggars wasn’t supposed to be on the team. Darkstate got what they needed out of him and then moved on, with the final beating coming on Sunday

Shuggars insists that there is no Darkstate without him. Shuggars says the other two are lost without him and if Lennox put on Shuggars’ jockstrap, it would be a bad fit. Lennox says Shuggars is a facade and he would disappear just before it was go time. Dropping Shuggars wasn’t a mistake because it was a correction. Lennox is ready to finish him off at the Bash. This was an intense showdown but it’s still members of a not so interesting team fighting.

Hank & Tank talk to comedian Matt Matthews, who might be ready to get in the ring. The Vanity Project is in the background.

Myles Borne talks about being someone who has always been uncomfortable but he has grown to live with it. He started to get comfortable in the No Quarter Catch Crew and got even better. Tavion Heights talks about their time together and now they’re fighting for the title on Sunday.

Wren Sinclair can’t calm Heights down because he doesn’t have a title. Kendal Grey comes in and gives the now healthy Sinclair a pep talk. Cake is teased.

Birthright vs. Hank & Tank

The rest of the team and Matt Matthews are here too. Hank works on Connors’ arm to start and Stacks gets armdragged down as well. A cheap shot puts Hank into the wrong corner though and the villains go to stomping. Hank clotheslines his way to freedom and a double slam sends Connors flying for two. Everything breaks down and Matthews has to be saved, meaning Hank & Tank can hit stereo dives as we take a break.

We come back with Hank getting powerbombed out of the corner for two but he ducks a clothesline. The diving tag brings in Tank to clean house and it’s back to Hank, who gets Stunnered over the top rope. Stacks adds a top rope elbow for two as everything breaks down again. Hank plants Stacks but Connors hits a big Swanton. Matthews manages to take out the rest of Birthright on the floor and the powerslam/running neckbreaker combination finishes Stacks at 12:02.

Rating: C+. I still don’t get the appeal of Hank & Tank, but I really hope they drop this comedian sooner than later. Matthews isn’t particularly funny or memorable and he’s been on the show for a few weeks now. Odds are it’s just some mandate from the CW because otherwise, what in the world are they thinking? If nothing else, what does the rest of Birthright do now that they got beaten up by a rather tiny non-wrestler?

Shiloh Hill says he’s healthy, both in body and mind, and wants to beat up Tristan Angels at the Great American Bash.

We look back at Tony D’Angelo being burned.

We go backstage for the Women’s Title contract signing. Kendal Grey says she hit Lola Vice by mistake but Vice doesn’t want to hear it. She has Grey’s style figured out but Grey talks about her own amateur wrestling style. Grey is going to raise the bar even higher on Sunday, though Vice doesn’t think Grey is doing anything Vice hasn’t done in the first place. Vice promises to retain and they both sign.

Keanu Carver vs. EK Prosper

Carver runs him over to start and gives Prosper a big throw out of the corner. Prosper is back up with a springboard missile dropkick, only to get gorilla pressed down. A springboard moonsault connects on Carver, who knocks Prosper hard to the floor and we take a break.

We come back with Carver pulling him out of the air for a hard slam. Quite the release German suplex puts Prosper down again but he gets in some kicks to the head. The Shining Wizard rocks Carver again and Prosper hits a heck of a springboard moonsault to the floor. Carver isn’t having that and blasts him with a clothesline, followed by the Pounce. A powerbomb is…reversed into a sunset flip to give Prosper the big upset pin at 9:53.

Rating: C+. I’m not wild on the idea of having Carver lose like this but points for giving another of the newcomers a big win. Prosper is a heck of an athlete and there’s always room for a high flier like him, though getting a better name would help him a lot. Carver losing is a bit of a risk, but they did at least try something with Prosper and I’ll take that.

Post match Carver lays him out with a running clothesline and a powerbomb puts Prosper through the announcers’ table.

Zaria is ready for Tatum Paxley, who couldn’t let Zaria enjoy her own success. Their title match is set for the Great American Bash.

Robert Stone tells Naraku that he might have just cost himself the title shot. Keanu Carver comes in and gets yelled at but he doesn’t seem to mind.

Izzi Dame vs. Arianna Grace

For the Women’s Speed Title shot and their respective friends are here too. Dame kicks her in the face at the bell and a Sky High gets two. Grace gets in a kick to knock Dame out of the air though and goes up, only to take too long. Another shot to the face gives Grace two as we have a minute left. Dame gets in a knockdown of her own but Shawn Spears insists on a hand slap, allowing Grace to get the small package pin at 2:19.

Wren Sinclair comes out for the showdown as Dame doesn’t want to hear it from the Culling.

Robert Stone says there are going to be some AAA stars at the Great American Bash and we’ll get an update on the NXT Title match before the end of the night. The Vanity Project comes in and want to be part of the Great American Bash. Stone doesn’t seem to have time for this.

NXT Origins video on Alexa Bliss. I believe this is the third time this has aired in a week.

Jaida Parker is upset but doesn’t seem to want to talk to OTM about it. Lucien Price seems to be fine with Bronco Nima joining Los Perros del Mal in AAA.

The Culling vs. Dorian Van Dux/Sean Legacy

Spears takes Legacy into the corner for the hard chop, only to get caught with a double stomp to the back. It’s off to Dux to stay on the arm, who gets forearmed in the jaw for his efforts. Vance comes in and gets sunset flipped for two, with Dux going off to his arm for a change. Legacy gets taken down but kicks Spears in the head without much trouble. Everything breaks down and the Culling takes over as we take a break.

We come back with Vance taking a shot to save Spears, allowing Dux to come back in and wreck the villains. Everything breaks down and an assisted swinging DDT gets two on Legacy. Dux moonsaults onto Vance on the floor and it’s Legacy’s 450 into Dux’s shooting star press to pin Spears at 11:33.

Rating: B-. Not too bad here, though I still don’t get the appeal of Legacy. He’s just kind of there for the most part, with Dux at least looking like a monster who could do a lot of damage. At the same time you have the Culling, who haven’t exactly done anything in a long time, which doesn’t seem likely to be changing.

Post match Vance turns on Spears and chokeslams him through the announcers’ table. Izzi Dame approves.

Great American Bash rundown.

Here is Robert Stone to explain the NXT Title situation. He brings out Naraku, who says if Tony D’Angelo is out, he’ll just take the title. Cue Mason Rook to say he’ll fight Naraku for the title. Now it’s the Vanity Project to interrupt, saying they want in on the title match. Rook takes the Project out so Naraku says give him the title. Stone says it was always going to be someone else for the title match…and here is D’Angelo to clear Naraku out.

One more Great American Bash rundown ends the show.

Overall Rating: B-. They definitely did a bunch of to set up the Bash here, even if it felt like a last ditch effort. They added in a few more matches to pad the show out a bit, though it still feels like it’s missing a big match to really carry things. Hopefully the show lives up to the hype, which did get stronger here, though it was starting fairly low in the first place. Good stuff here, with the D’Angelo vs. Naraku ending being a relief over what they were teasing just a few moments before.

Results
Aaron Rourke b. Tristan Angels – Molly Go Round
Hank & Tank b. Birthright – Powerslam/running neckbreaker combination to Stacks
EK Prosper b. Keanu Carver – Sunset flip
Arianna Grace b. Izzi Dame – Small package
Sean Legacy/Dorian Van Dux b. The Culling – Shooting star press to Spears

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

NXT
Date: June 16, 2026
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Corey Graves

We’re rapidly approaching the Great American Bash and that means one of the great NXT traditions: the big sitdown before a title match. In this case that’s between NXT Champion Tony D’Angelo and #1 contender Naraku, who are set to face off in twelve days. We’ll also find out the #1 contender for the North American Title so let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening recap.

Here is Zaria for a chat. She talks about how hard she worked to get here and all of the effort people saw, but they only talked about Sol Ruca. This title is a course correction and she doesn’t owe anyone any gratitude. Cue Kelani Jordan for an interruption but since Zaria doesn’t have the title Jordan wants, Zaria can’t do anything for her.

She does have some special advice though: Zaria is never going to be good enough for the fans but all Jordan needs is one shot at Lola Vice. This brings out Kendal Grey, who says the result is going to be the same anytime she faces Jordan. Cue Vice, who says that she’s still the Women’s Champion and can take out all three of the. Robert Stone, tag match, everyone is happy.

Tavion Heights vs. Jackson Drake

For a title shot against Myles Borne and the Vanity Project is here with Drake. They fight over some rollups to start but Heights is back up with some gutwrench suplexes. Heights works on the armbar before sending Drake crashing into the corner. Some clotheslines don’t do much to Drake though and a jumping knee sends Heights outside as we take a break.

We come back with the two of them hitting crossbodies at the same time, allowing Heights to snap off a backdrop. Drake grabs a handspring cutter though and snaps off a standing shooting star press for two more. Drake takes too much time going up though and gets tossed down, setting up Heights’ good looking top rope splash for two. A backdrop sends Drake crashing onto the Party and here is Borne to clothesline the Party down. The belly to belly finishes for Heights at 11:06.

Rating: B-. Drake was a good choice for a challenger here as he’s just dangerous enough to be a threat to Heights. At the same time, Heights vs. Borne has been built up for a few months now and is the logical way to go. Heights feels like a threat with that suplex and I want to see the title match so call this a nice success.

Post match Borne and Heights have a staredown, with Borne raising Heights’ hand and Heights not really approving.

Last week, Robert Stone talked to Evolve Champion Aaron Rourke, Hank & Tank and the comedian from last week’s Mr. NXT contest, with the comedian being surprised at how violent it is around here. Birthright comes in and doesn’t like the comedian mocking him so a tag match seems likely.

Women’s Speed Title #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Thea Hail vs. Izzi Dame

Hail gets two near falls in the first ten seconds and Dame’s faceplant gets two more. Back up and Hail goes after the arm, with Dame bailing out to the floor. Some stomps to the arm have Dame in more trouble but she avoids the springboard backsplash. The running knee finishes for Dame at 2:10. Yeah Hail is never going to happen is she?

Kendal Grey wants Wren Sinclair by her side but Sinclair isn’t sure about her bad knee. Lola Vice comes in to suggest she’ll retain the title anyway.

Tony D’Angelo comes to see Naraku and accuses him of having nefarious motivations. Naraku doesn’t know what is going on but D’Angelo brings up Naraku’s history in Japan. D’Angelo accuses Naraku of having a bunch of people coming to help him. D’Angelo signs and leaves, with Naraku saying evil is coming but not signing.

Video on Nattie vs. Jaida Parker.

Keanu Carver and EK Prosper come in to see Robert Stone, who puts them in a match.

Nattie vs. Jaida Parker

Nattie runs from the power to start and the chase lets Parker take her down back inside. Parker grabs a waistlock but Nattie reverses into a headlock takeover. The grappling on the mat doesn’t get Nattie anywhere and Parker pulls her into the Rings Of Saturn. That’s broken up as well and they go outside for a double clothesline and we take a break.

We come back with Nattie running her over on the floor again and stopping to pose. That’s enough of a delay for Parker to slap on an STF back inside, sending Nattie crawling over to the rope. Back up and Parker wins a slugout to send Nattie into the corner for the Teardrop. The Rings go on again but Nattie escapes and they go outside, with Parker being sent into the barricade. Back in and the Sharpshooter (eventually) makes Parker tap at 15:13.

Rating: B-. As usual, Nattie gets to be in something that might make logical sense but isn’t the most thrilling match. Nattie is not interesting and hasn’t been for a long time, which is what causes whatever stories she has to be less than thrilling. Parker losing again doesn’t help either, but this isn’t likely to be wrapping up anytime soon. At least it shouldn’t be.

Mason Rook talks to Lizzie Rain but Tristan Angels interrupts them. Shiloh Hill is injured so Angels will have to be. Mr. NXT in his absence. Evolve Champion Aaron Rourke comes in to mock Angels (including his efforts in last week’s swimsuit round) and a match is set for next week.

Women’s Speed Title #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Arianna Grace vs. Layla Diggs

They trade fast near falls to start until Grace gets two off a suplex. Back up and Diggs fires off some kicks, including a rolling kick to put her down. Diggs dives onto Birthright but the delay lets Grace small package her for the pin at 2:45.

Noam Dar talks to some of the new stars around here and names Romeo Moreno as his new partner. Dorian Van Dux and Sean Legacy are off to find opponents.

Tate Wilder talks about injuring his finger a few years back but it just made him go after his success that much more.

Saquon Shuggars talks about growing up in a rough neighborhood and how he had to get into wrestling to escape. Then he joined Darkstate, who kept chipping away at the good things he was doing. Now he’s out and he’s ready to face Dion Lennox. Good stuff here, as Shuggars has a nice story.

Zaria/Kelani Jordan vs. Lola Vice/Kendal Grey

Vice and Jordan go to the grappling to start before missing kicks to the head. It’s off to Grey, who dropkicks Jordan out to the floor and it’s off to Vice vs. Zaria for the showdown. Zaria counters a springboard bulldog into a suplex and it’s already back to Grey. That’s fine with Zaria, who knocks her outside for a cheap shot from Jordan and we take a break.

We come back with Vice hitting the running hip attack on Jordan, who goes back to Vice’s hand to take over. One Of A Kind is broken up but it’s back to Zaria to spear the now legal Grey in half. Grey gets in a Fujiwara armbar, which is broken up rather quickly and all four are knocked down. It’s back to Vice, who slips out of a powerbomb and slaps on a guillotine. That’s broken up and they head outside for the string of dives. Zaria loads up an F5 but Tatum Paxley pops up for a distraction. Back in and Vice’s spinning backfist finishes Zaria at 12:45.

Rating: C+ Good grief stop having Zaria get pinned so often. She has a reputation as someone who chokes in big matches and she loses in her first match as champion? That doesn’t exactly make things better for her and I’m not sure how it’s the best idea here. The match was rather energized, but the result leaves something to be desired.

Grey and Vice show some tentative respect as Paxley dives onto Zaria. Jordan comes back in for a distraction and Grey accidentally takes Vice down to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This show advanced a good bit towards the Great American Bash, but it didn’t help the fact that the Bash isn’t feeling all that important. NXT is still trying to get their new stars established and that makes for quite the stretch on a bigger stage. Hopefully things pick up both at and after the Bash, because while this stuff is perfectly fine, it doesn’t have much of a spark and that’s not going to work long term.

Results
Tavion Heights b. Jackson Drake – Belly to belly
Izzi Dame b. Thea Hail – Running knee
Nattie b. Jaida Parker – Sharpshooter
Arianna Grace b. Layla Diggs – Small package
Lola Vice/Kendal Grey b. Zaria/Kelani Jordan – Spinning backfist to Zaria

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

NXT
Date: June 9, 2026
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We’re less than three weeks away from the Great American Bash and you can see some of the card starting to come together. The big story here would seem to be Naraku coming for Tony D’Angelo’s NXT Title, which has gotten some time to build. As for this week, we’ll be finding out who is next in line for Lola Vice’s NXT Title. Oh and it’s the Mr. NXT pageant, which is going to be…something. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening recap.

Fraxiom vs. Noam Dar/Romeo Moreno

Dar and Axiom go technical to start with Axiom rolling out of an ankle lock. Back up and they both block kicks before Axiom hits a quick dropkick. It’s off to Frazer to flip over Moreno, who backs him into the ropes. Axiom is back in to help double team Dar down, with a basement DDT sending him outside. Moreno makes a save and hits a nice springboard dive to the floor. Dar hits a dive of his own and we take a break.

We come back with Moreno getting the tag and fighting back to clean house. It’s right back to Dar, who gets missile dropkicked down for two. Dar and Moreno both get ankle locks, both of which are broken up. Frazer superplexes Moreno, who rolls him right into a small package for two more. A double slam gets two on Frazer but a double superkick puts Dar down. Frazer takes Moreno down and it’s the Golden Ratio into the Phoenix splash to pin Moreno at 13:17.

Rating: B. This was the cruiserweight/all over the place high flying match that is often a great way to start a show. Fraxiom are much bigger deals around here and it’s always fun to have some NXT legends come back for a cameo. At the same time, Moreno’s losing continues, though at least his latest loss came in a good match.

Post match, respect is shown.

Wren Sinclair wants to defend her Women’s Speed Title, injury or not. Kendal Grey wishes her well as she leaves and Lola Vice comes in to wish Grey good luck. Grey doesn’t seem interested and will go after Vice after she beats Kelani Jordan tonight.

And now (oh dear) the Mr. NXT pageant between Tristan Angels and Shiloh Hill. There will be three rounds: talent, attire and public speaking, with a trio of judges. The judges are Evolve Champion Aaron Rourke, Kit Wilson, and comedian Matt Matthews. First up is attire, with formal wear, casual wear and swimwear.

Angels goes first and we get a montage of his gear, with Rourke’s jaw having to be closed at the Union Jack speedo. Hill gets his own montage and wears swimming trunks and flippers with a snorkel mask. Matthews goes with Hill (who gave him a beach ball) but the other two go with Angels. Rounds two and three coming up later.

Mason Rook vs. Naraku

For the NXT Title shot at the Great American Bash. Rook powers him into the corner to start before winning an exchange of shoulders. A backsplash gives Rook two but he misses a charge into the corner and gets slammed as we take a break. We come back with Rook hitting a super powerslam for two, followed by a Blue Thunder Bomb for the same. Naraku comes back with a fisherman’s suplex and jawbreaks his way out of a quick sleeper attempt. Rook flips him into the corner for a kind of cannonball but here is Kam Hendrix for a distraction. Naraku grabs Enter The Abyss for the pin at 9:45.

Rating: B-. This was a good showing from both and Rook is cleared away so we can move on to Naraku vs. Tony D’Angelo, which has been pretty clearly ready to go for a long time. That being said, it was nice to have Rook get in a strong performance. He needed to be able to hang in there with a bigger name and it worked well here.

Tavion Heights suggests he should get a North American Title shot at the Great American Bash and Myles Borne seems interested. The Vanity Project comes in, with Jackson Drake suggesting he get a title shot. Heights makes a #1 contenders match against Drake for the Bash title shot, which works for Borne. Quick and to the point here.

Tate Wilder talks about loving to take risks, especially around here. That’s quite the departure from his modern day cowboy deal in Evolve.

Kelani Jordan vs. Kendal Grey

For the Women’s Title shot at the Great American Bash and Grey has some mini mirrors on her arms, ala Shawn Michaels back in 1997. Jordan tries to jump her to start and gets armdragged into an armbar. They go to the mat with Grey working on the arm, only for the two of them to trade flips away. Jordan knocks her down for a running basement cross body but Grey is right back with a waistlock.

Grey is sent into the corner for a stomp to the ribs but pops up with a kick to the head. A headscissors sends Jordan out of the corner, only to come back with a running neck snap over the top. Jordan’s swinging neckbreaker on the floor keeps Grey in trouble and we take a break.

We come back with Grey breaking up a dive and a double clothesline leaving both of them down outside. Grey knocks her down again back inside and drops the straps for a bonus. A superkick looks to set up a wheelbarrow rollup but Jordan rolls to the side (that was nice) into a crossface.

That’s broken up so Grey goes up but gets superkicked out of the air. Jordan’s frog splash gets two before she has to block the cross armbreaker. The Haas Of Pain is reversed into an ankle lock, which Jordan reverses into a cradle for two instead. Back up and Shades Of Grey connects out of nowhere to give Grey the pin and the title shot at 13:05.

Rating: B. This was a nice, back and forth match with Grey getting a clean win. That’s a good thing to see as she feels like she could be a real threat to win the title. What matters the most is that NXT is at least giving her a chance to show what she can do. Jordan very well will likely get back into the title picture soon enough, but Grey is getting the chance she deserves.

It’s back to the pageant, with the talent competition. First up, Shiloh Hill solves a Rubic’s Cube rather quickly and then does some kind of a juggling deal with sticks (it’s rather flashy). Angels storms in to say he can do the Cube faster but can’t get anywhere (there’s a special way of turning the blocks or it just gets more complicated). Rourke says Angels has taken too long so Angels breaks the Cube. He starts juggling but Hill rides by on a unicycle and steals the balls, which is enough to win the round. I’ll give points to anyone who can ride a unicycle.

Tony D’Angelo respects Naraku but doesn’t get him. All that matters is that he’ll be facing Naraku at the Great American Bash. Naraku comes in, gives D’Angelo an envelope, and bows. D’Angelo opens the envelope, which has a card with the symbol for EVIL on the back (no word on what, if anything, is on the other side).

Jasper Troy vs. Dion Lennox

Darkstate comes through the regular entrance instead of through the crowd. Lennox gets shoved over the top and out to the floor, followed by a hard running shoulder from Troy back inside. Troy’s chokeslam is broken up though and Lennox goes after the leg to take over. Hold on though as Saquon Shuggars pops up on the screen though to say watch your back.

Troy uses the distraction to get in a backdrop out to the floor and we take a break. We come back with Troy getting choked on the ropes but fighting out of a chinlock. Troy drives him into the corner but Osiris Griffin offers a distraction to break up a Vader Bomb. A powerslam gives Lennox the pin at 8:10.

Rating: C+. This was fine, with Lennox getting a win to keep some of his momentum before his big showdown with Shuggars. Troy is someone big enough to look like a threat to Lennox before going down in defeat. It wasn’t exactly a shocking result, but sometimes that’s exactly the kind of match you need.

Post match Shuggars pops up on screen…and then jumps Griffin from behind with a pipe.

Earlier this week, Jaida Parker attacked Nattie during a training session.

It’s time for the final round of the pageant, with Angels and Hill having to speak about why they should be Mr. NXT. Angels brags about how great he is and mentions that it’s his birthday, as he should win over someone with “a smile like an unfinished jigsaw puzzle”. Hill talks about how he’s always different and trying to find out who he is. That’s what NXT is all about and that’s why he should be Mr. NXT.

It’s off to the judges, with Matthews voting for Hill, Wilson saying they’re both toxic and picking Angles, and Rourke saying it’s close…so the fans can pick his vote! We go to a fan poll and believe it or not, Hill wins! Angels erupts and beats up Hill with both his cane and a chair. Eh fair as that was kind of a judge going a bit screwy. This whole thing was about as expected and that’s fine, as I’ll take something unique and entertaining rather than the same stuff over and over as a means to set up a match.

Robert Stone congratulates Naraku on his win but asks what was in the envelope he gave Tony D’Angelo. Apparently it was an invitation but here is Keanu Carver for a quick staredown. Naraku leaves and Carver says he wants a fight, which Stone says he can have next week. Carver says he better get one, or he’ll decide his own opponent.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

The Culling wants Izzy Dame to win the Women’s Speed Title, starting with a win in the tournament over Thea Hail.

Women’s North American Title: Zaria vs. Tatum Paxley

Paxley is defending and grabs a small package for two at the bell. Zaria is back up with a spear for two of her own and Paxley needs a breather. Zaria’s suplex toss sets up a German suplex into the corner but she misses a charge into the post. Paxley sends her into the steps and hits a moonsault to the floor but Zaria pops back up as we take a break.

We come back with Paxley hitting some running forearms and a running flipping Fameasser in the apron. Paxley blocks a spear and grabs a kind of rolling pumphandle slam. Zaria is back up with a spear for a double down before they forearm it out. Paxley gets caught going up top but kicks Zaria into the Tree Of Woe. A coast to coast connects for two but Cemetery Drive is broken up. Another spear misses though and Zaria crashes to the floor, only to come back in with another spear. The F5 gives Zaria the pin and the title at 10:47.

Rating: B-. Thank goodness. Not that Paxley lost, but that Zaria won. She had a terrible reputation for choking in the big matches and she couldn’t have handled another loss like this. Winning the title here makes Zaria feel like a much bigger deal and that’s what she has been needing. Good enough match too, but Zaria winning clean is what matters the most.

Overall Rating: B+. There was some good action here and they set up more than a few things for the Great American Bash. That’s what this show needed to be about and I liked what they put together here. It’s still not the best looking card in the world, but at least there is a card now rather and that is a lot better than things had been going. Plus it had a unicycle and that’s always a bonus.

Results
Fraxiom b. Romeo Moreno/Noam Dar – Phoenix splash to Dar
Naraku b. Mason Rook – Enter The Abyss
Kendal Grey b. Kelani Jordan – Shades Of Grey
Dion Lennox b. Jasper Troy – Powerslam
Zaria b. Tatum Paxley – F5

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6