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

 

 

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NXT
Date: November 11, 2025
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We’re coming up on Gold Rush but this week has a major match in its own right. This week features Ricky Saints defending the NXT Title against Trick Williams in a last man standing match. That should be more than enough to carry things, though next week is when things get really big. Let’s get to it.

Click on the link below for the full review.

Quick Veterans Day tribute.

Here is the Culling to get things going. Tatum Paxley is so happy with getting this far and wants to be champion for a long time. She knows she needs to listen to her friends though, especially Izzi Dame. That gets her a bit of a lecture of about how she can’t give everyone title shots, which Paxley thinks makes sense. Spinning the wheel was really fun though!

Dame says the last time she did everything for the fans, she wound up alone, which was when the Culling came in to save her. She can’t keep handing out title shots, but here is Fatal Influence to interrupt. Jacy Jayne says Paxley can prove it wasn’t a fluke at Halloween Havoc by beating her again. Dame cuts it off and Paxley thinks about it….and gives Jayne a rematch at Gold Rush. That doesn’t have Dame overly pleased.

Earlier today, Evolve Champion Jackson Drake was pleased to be given a title defense at Gold Rush. He’s less happy about defending against Sean Legacy. Chelsea Green and Ethan Page come in with Green bragging about regaining the Women’s US Title. As a result, Ava gives her a match too.

Speed Title: Jasper Troy vs. El Grande Americano

Americano is defending and gets driven into the corner for some hard shoulders to the ribs. Americano’s dive is pulled out of the air but he slips away and kicks at the chest to limited avail. Troy elbows him in the face for two as we’re already two minutes into the five minute time limit. Things slow down for a bit until Americano catches him with a running knee.

A Blockbuster connects but Troy knocks him hard to the floor. Troy grabs the chain and has to knock away Rayo and Bravo, who are ejected as a result. Americano scores with a suicide dive with about a minute left. The running headbutt connects but Americano gets caught loading up the foreign object. Troy cuts him off and hits the Black Hole Slam to win the title at 4:43.

Rating: C+. They packed some stuff in here and I was surprised by the title change so we’ll call it a success. It does seem like things are passing Americano by a bit, though it’s not like being the Speed Champion matters very much. At the same time, it could mean a good bit more to Troy so maybe this is the change he has been needing.

Joe Hendry appears next to Thea Hail and they thank each other for last week. Now they’re ready to win the AAA Mixed Tag Team Champion. For tonight though, Hail is going to beat up Alba Fyre. Hendry: “Hail yeah!”

Sean Legacy is in Ava’s office when Zaria and Sol Ruca come in. Legacy wishes Ruca well in her rehab, with Ava saying Ruca is medically cleared. She wants to face Blake Monroe next week, with Ava sounding a bit skeptical but making the match anyway.

Thea Hail vs. Alba Fyre

Joe Hendry, Ethan Page and Chelsea Green are here too. Hail’s early Kimura attempt is rammed into the corner and Fyre kicks her in the back for two. Back up and Hail Thesz presses her to hammer away before a dropkick puts Fyre on the floor. Hail goes after Green though and gets taken out by Fyre’s dive as we take a break.

We come back with Hail striking away, including some ax handles to the chest. Hail misses the bottom rope backsplash though and Fyre gets two off a tornado DDT. A Michinoku Driver gives Hail two and she grabs the Kimura, which is broken up by a Page distraction. Hendry cuts him off in a hurry and Hail dives onto Green. Back in and a sunset flip dives Hail the pin at 9:49.

Rating: C+. Hail’s renewed push is nice to see as it’s certainly better than whatever she was doing over the last few months. She’s been looking for someone to bounce off of since Chase U imploded and this makes as much sense as anyone else. At the same time, it’s sad to see Fyre falling this far, but that has been the case for a long time now.

Ricky Saints is getting taped up and gives Tatum Paxley a pep talk. The Culling comes in to pull Paxley away.

Blake Monroe is rather pleased with winning the Women’s North American Title but gets in an argument with….herself, in a different outfit. The one in the different (darker) outfit says none of this matters until the real Monroe beats Sol Ruca for good. The real one can win with Darker on her side because that’s the kind of champion that the real one needs to be. That’s not cool with the real one because they won’t like it, but the Darker one says it won’t matter because she’ll still be champion. The real one agrees. This company is WAY too obsessed with split personalities.

Je’Von Evans is on the phone with Leon Slater and they have an announcement for later.

Jordynne Grace (in glasses) says Kelani Jordan isn’t an original because anyone can do it. Grace knows what it means to be the Knockouts Champion. Jordan has been blaming the world for what she is. At Gold Rush, the only one she can blame is Grace. That’s a good line.

Here is Je’Von Evans for a chat. He’s excited to be in the Last Time Is Now Tournament but a bit scared too. That’s on Monday though and now he has an announcement here. Leon Slater pops up on screen and we get the announcement: they’re challenging Darkstate for the NXT Tag Team Titles next week. Cue Darkstate in the crowd to say that they’re going to take out Evans and Slater next week. The four of them get in the ring but here is Slater to help Darkstate out with some dives.

Kelani Jordan comes up to Trick Williams and admits that he was right: it’s lonely at the top but it means being champion. Williams approves.

Women’s Speed Title #1 Contenders Tournament Finals: Skyler Raye vs. Fallon Henley

Raye is the winner of season two of LFG and is a cheerleader. Raye’s early dropkick sets up some rollups and quick near falls. Henley reverses into a crossface attempt, which is cut off with a quick rollup as we’re a minute in. A hurricanrana sends Henley into the corner and a high crossbody gets two. Henley is back with a Sling Blade though and the Fameasser finishes Raye at 2:17. Well that was qui…er, speedy.

Jasper Troy is happy with his win. Darkstate pops up and is ticked off at Je’Von Evans and Leon Slater.

Fatal Influence is ready to dominate.

Josh Briggs vs. Tavion Heights

Briggs kicks him in the face at the bell and stomps away as a villain should. Heights gets smart by wrestling him down, which is broken up without much trouble. A roll into a fireman’s carry is broken up though and Briggs knocks him down again as we take a break. We come back with Height slugging away but a cheap shot to the legs takes him down. Briggs shoves him in the face a few times and gets taken down for his efforts. Some clotheslines are cut off with a boot to Heights, who avoids another boot. The belly to belly gives Heights the pin at 9:19.

Rating: C+. I’ve been a fan of Heights for a bit and it’s nice to see him getting something. There is always room for someone who has that kind of an amateur background and it was working fine here. At the same time, I’m not wild on seeing Briggs lose again as it happens too often, but I could go for more of Heights.

Myles Borne is in Ava’s office and says he’ll be out there for the main event, but Ava warns him not to interfere. With Borne gone, Wren Sinclair and Kendal Grey talk about finding one more member of the No Quarter Catch Club. Cue Lainey Reid to slap Grey and the brawl is on, likely setting up the Evolve Women’s Title match at Gold Rush.

Gold Rush rundown.

NXT Title: Ricky Saints vs. Trick Williams

Saints is defending in a Last Man Standing match. Williams misses a kendo stick shot to start so Saints grabs the stick and uses it to walk the ropes. Some stick shots have Williams down and a whip sends him hard into the steps. Back up and Williams gets smart by going after Saints’ banged up ribs before tying Saints up in the ropes. That means a beating with the kendo stick, followed by a rather nasty series of chair shots.

Saints is back up at seven and he blocks a trashcan lid shot to start the early comeback. Williams is knocked outside and we take an early break. We come back with Williams being sent through the barricade, allowing Saints to give him one heck of a beating with a kendo stick. An even bigger beating with a chair gets nine and Saints’ spear gets the same. Williams (bleeding from the side of the head) is up to knock Saints back to the floor, where a running shot with the steps puts him down again.

The running knee off the steps sets up a Rock Bottom onto them, with Williams putting the steps onto him in a smart move. Saints slips away and misses a spear through the wooden wall, only to pop right back up. They fight into the crowd, with Saints spearing him off a balcony (ok not a tall one but a balcony either way) through the announcers’ table to retain at 15:32.

Rating: B. They were kind of meandering to start but then it got a lot better once it felt like a fight. Saints got violent by the end and that’s what it should have been. Williams needs to move on to something else and Saints is going to need a fresh challenger, with a spot likely waiting for him in the second week of Gold Rush.

Post match the credits roll….and Oba Femi is back to end the show. Yeah that works.

Overall Rating: B-. This was an up and down show, as I liked the main event a lot more than I was expecting, but I still can’t get into the Speed stuff. It’s perfectly fine and a nice way to keep the show moving, but I can only get so invested into a match that runs three minutes. They did make Gold Rush feel like a bigger deal though and that’s the important part. Good enough show here, but the Speed stuff is already getting a bit annoying.

Results
Jasper Troy b. El Grande Americano – Black Hole Slam
Thea Hail b. Alba Fyre – Sunset flip
Fallon Henley b. Skyler Raye – Fameasser
Tavion Heights b. Josh Briggs – Spinning belly to belly suplex
Ricky Saints b. Trick Williams when Williams could not answer the ten count

 

 

 

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

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